Lawyers in Danger
The Arab Center for Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP)
demands the Egyptian authorities immediately stop arrest campaigns against lawyers
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) deplores and condemns Egyptian authorities’ attacks targeting Egyptian lawyers in an unprecedented wave of arrests, following the aftermath of an escalated arrest campaign against citizens known as September 20th protests of 2019.
ACIJLP has many concerns about the judicial and administrative prosecution of Egyptian lawyers since 2014, because and in the course of, carrying out their professional role in defending the rights and freedoms in general, and defending prisoners of conscience in particular. This is in addition to authorities’ deliberate arrests of the lawyers, in many cases, inside the courts and judicial buildings, which intimidate not only lawyers but also defendants. The security forces arrested lawyer Mahinour Al-Masri and lawyer Mohammed Al-Baqir inside the State Security Prosecution in a week while providing legal support to other detainees. Before them, Lawyer Mohammed Younis, was arrested while heading to the Attorney General's Office to file a legal report, which further aggravates these violations of lawyers’ rights and immunity in accordance with international standards on the role of lawyers.
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession believes that what the Egyptian authorities have done is a clear violation of international conventions and commitments related to the role of lawyers, in particular the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, in which Article 16 states: “Governments shall ensure that lawyers:
a- Are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference.
b- Shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics.
The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) deplores and condemns these arbitrary measures taken against lawyers for practicing their profession. Accordingly, ACIJLP holds the Egyptian authorities responsible for the physical safety of lawyers in Egyptian prisons. Likewise, ACIJLP calls upon the Egyptian Bar Association to fulfill its legal role and defend its members against violations and practices affecting Lawyers’ dignity and prestige, and to take the necessary legal and judicial procedures for their immediate release.