The Bar Human Rights Committee of England & Wales (BHRC) has spoken out today on behalf of lawyers facing persecution in Egypt, supported by an international coalition of Bar Associations, Law Societies and other human rights organisations. In an open letter to President Sisi, BHRC condemns Egypt’s ongoing arrests and detention of lawyers, excessive and...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales has expressed its concern over the decision of the Egyptian courts to freeze the assets of human rights defenders. On Saturday 17th September, the Zeinhom Criminal Court took the decision to freeze the personal and organisational bank accounts of leading human rights defenders, including Hossam Bahgat (see...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (“BHRC”) has today expressed its grave concern at the ongoing detention of Ibrahim Halawa, an Irish citizen detained without trial in Egypt for the last 3 years, and has called for his immediate transfer home to Ireland. Mr. Halawa was arrested as a 17-year-old child on...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) has today issued a formal statement expressing grave concern over the recent allegations of arrest, detention and prosecution of peaceful protesters in Zimbabwe, including those involved in the social media “#ThisFlag” movement, as well as allegations of torture and police brutality against those arrested and detained. The statement draws...
A joint letter signed by the Bar Human Rights Committee has been sent today to President Xi Jinping, expressing ongoing concern over China’s treatment of lawyers. The letter, coordinated by the Chinese Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group and co-signed by bar associations, law academics and practicing lawyers from around the world, also marks the first anniversary of the...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) have today issued a statement expressing their deep concern and shock at the 4 July rocket attack on Camp Liberty in Baghdad, which is home to large numbers of Iranian exiles. This attack led to some 50 injuries and material damage, according to residents. Five injured...
The Bar Council and Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales have today sent a joint letter to the Kenyan High Commissioner to the UK, urging him to take action to protect legal practitioners following the murder of Kenyan lawyer Willie Kimani. Kimani was kidnapped, tortured and killed in June, alongside his colleague Josphat...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) has issued a formal statement expressing grave concern over the arrest of judges and prosecutors, torture allegations and reported considerations of the death penalty in Turkey, following the recent failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In their statement, BHRC condemns the arrests as an attempt to...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) has today issued a statement calling on the Indian government to repeal or amend a law targeting foreign NGOs, and reverse their decision to suspend the registration of a leading Indian human rights group. The Lawyers Collective, founded by prominent human rights lawyers Indira Jaising and Anand...
The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) has today issued a statement expressing serious concern over ongoing threats and attacks directed at Palestinian human rights defenders. BHRC highlights a pattern of death threats, harassment and violence aimed at curtailing the work of Palestinian human rights defenders and activists. This includes death threats issued...
The Bar Human Rights Committee is the independent,
international human rights arm of the Bar of England
and Wales, dedicated to promoting justice and respect
for human rights through the rule of law.