In an urgent appeal dated August 4, 2026, the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders — a joint programme of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture — condemned an appellate ruling against the Thai pro-democracy activist and human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa. On July 16, 2026, the Court of Appeals Region 5 …
A New York Times investigation by Michael S. Schmidt and Jessica Silver-Greenberg examines how Paul Weiss — a firm long identified with civil rights litigation and, during Trump’s first term, with organized legal opposition to the administration — came to settle rather than fight when it was hit with a punitive executive order in March …
This July 31 report (United States) describes the Trump administration’s dismissal of two additional judges at the Chicago Immigration Court, which has become the national leader in deportation orders. The article notes that the administration has fired more than 100 of the roughly 750 immigration judges in place at the start of the term while …
On July 31 (Thailand), Human Rights Watch reported that Angkhana Neelapaijit, a senator and former member of Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission, filed a police complaint after a wave of social media posts accused her of being unpatriotic and sympathetic to a separatist group, with some posts calling for her to be killed or “disappeared.” …
Lawyers for Lawyers reported that U.S. immigration authorities detained Wu Shaoping, a Chinese human-rights lawyer who fled China after facing pressure connected to his legal work. Wu had sought asylum in the United States, and legal organizations warned that deporting him could expose him to renewed persecution. The case is especially relevant because a lawyer …
This July 30 report from the IAPL Monitoring Committee on Attacks on Lawyers (Iran) documents the conditional release of defense lawyer Elham Zeraatpisheh on bail in Shiraz, alongside the recent arrest of attorney Astareh (Maryam) Ansari, a member of the Fars Bar Association, at her home. These cases are part of a broader campaign in …
This July 29–30 analysis (Nepal) examines allegations by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists that Supreme Court justices in Nepal were pressured to resign and threatened with impeachment. The article argues that judicial independence depends not only on the absence of direct interference but also on judges feeling secure enough …
In a July 30, 2026 commentary at Consortium News, former New Jersey judge Andrew P. Napolitano argues that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche should not be confirmed as attorney general, contending that his years as Trump’s personal defense lawyer leave him unable to separate loyalty to the president from his oath to the law. Napolitano …
During proceedings against opposition figure Kizza Besigye, attorney Erias Lukwago was arrested, while Kenyan lawyer Martha Karua, who was leading Besigye’s defense team, had previously been prevented from entering Uganda. The developments occurred as Besigye collapsed in court after months in detention and his lawyers raised concerns about his health and access to adequate treatment. …
In a statement issued July 28, 2026, the American Bar Association condemned personal attacks on judges by government officials, pointing specifically to recent social media posts in which an administration official criticized judges by name. The ABA framed those posts as part of a broader pattern of threats, intimidation and personal attacks aimed at the …