Buzurgmehr Yorov, one of Tajikistan’s most fearless human rights lawyers, has been unjustly imprisoned for nearly ten years. He is currently serving a 23-year sentence for defending political opposition leaders, in violation of his fundamental rights. Yorov was arrested in 2015 after representing members of the banned Islamic Renaissance Party and speaking out against torture …
In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump is openly pressuring the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute his political opponents, including Jim Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff. His blunt demands on social media and political reshuffling inside DOJ have deepened fear and uncertainty among career attorneys. Trump recently replaced a top federal prosecutor in …
Abolfazl Ranjbari, a lawyer and writer, has been imprisoned in Tabriz for 138 days without clear charges. Arrested by security forces on May 4, he spent two months under interrogation before being transferred to Tabriz Prison. Authorities have denied him bail, family visits, and communication. Ranjbari’s case has been referred to court, but no trial …
Two Zimbabwean human rights lawyers, Douglas Coltart and Tapiwa Muchineripi, were arrested after advising police not to interrogate their hospitalized clients—opposition activists who reported being abducted and tortured. Rights groups say the arrests amount to the “criminalization of the profession” and an attack on lawyers’ independence. Both lawyers, members of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, …
On August 29, 2025, Belarusian authorities escalated their campaign against the legal profession by designating the Belarusian Association of Human Rights Lawyers (BAHRL) an “extremist formation.” This move threatens members and associates with up to 10 years in prison for alleged affiliation. BAHRL, formed by exiled lawyers stripped of their licenses, has worked to defend …
Maurice Glasman argues that the migrant crisis symbolizes the collapse of the international rules-based order, which placed sovereignty in courts and lawyers rather than in politics and parliaments. This system—built on human rights treaties and the free movement of people, goods, and capital—eroded democratic decision-making and left governments unable to respond to public concerns about …
On August 22, 2025, former President Donald Trump’s administration filed an appeal to revive an executive order targeting prominent litigation firm Susman Godfrey. The order, previously struck down by U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan, had suspended the firm’s security clearances and restricted its federal access, which the court found violated constitutional protections of free speech …
The U.S. Department of Justice has moved to impose monetary sanctions on Los Angeles attorney Joshua Schroeder, marking the first known case under President Trump’s March 2025 directive to punish lawyers engaged in what the administration calls “frivolous, unreasonable, and vexatious litigation” against the government. Schroeder, who took the case pro bono, briefly halted the …
The Israeli Cabinet voted unanimously to dismiss Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, intensifying a power struggle between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the judiciary that critics warn threatens Israel’s democratic institutions. The Supreme Court quickly froze the move while reviewing its legality, after a watchdog group and more than 15,000 citizens filed an emergency petition calling …
A new report by Middle East Eye, featured in Al Jazeera on August 3, 2025, exposes a campaign of intimidation and political pressure against International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan during his investigation of Israeli officials for alleged war crimes in Gaza. According to the report: The pressure campaign coincided with allegations of …