The Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights – YUCOM, with the support of the International Bar Association, Human Rights House Network and the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations on issues of independence of judges and lawyers, Mónica Pinto, organizes two-day consultations on Saturday and Sunday, June 11th and 12th 2016, at the Hotel Moskva in Belgrade.
The consultations will be focused on the threats and risks that judges and lawyers in Eastern Europe, the North Caucasus and Central Asia face with. In some countries of these regions daily reality of judges and lawyers for human rights is though atmosphere they work in where they face with retribution for their work in the form of harassment and violations of their rights. As examples of threating lawyers there were stated violated privacy in communication with their clients, threats and intimidation, expelling lawyers from their professional organizations, and in the worst cases, their detention. Violation of an existing protection of lawyers for human rights indicates the need for improving this protection.
During the consultations, the experts will describe specific cases of persecution of prominent lawyers for human rights in Eastern Europe, the North Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as serious consequences that the prosecution had for them and their clients access to the protection of human rights. Together with representatives of judges from these countries it will be discussed on the vulnerable independence of judges, as well as the problems that they face with.
This form of consultation represents an opportunity for judges, lawyers and attorneys to submit information to the Special Rapporteur on threats and risks that lawyers from Eastern Europe, the North Caucasus and Central Asia face with, as well as a platform for acquiring knowledge and establishing cooperation with the Special Rapporteur of the UN. Finally, consultations will help the Special Rapporteur of the UN in drafting the recommendations that will be addressed to states and other interested parties considering her reporting to UN General Assembly, scheduled for October 2016.
In Belgrade, June 9th 2016
