In a sweeping move to intimidate the legal profession, President Trump issued a new memorandum threatening sanctions against lawyers and firms who bring lawsuits against his administration, framing them as engaging in “frivolous” or politically motivated litigation. The order has alarmed legal experts, civil rights advocates, and law firms, with critics warning it undermines the …
On March 22, 2025, the President issued a memorandum titled “Preventing Abuses of the Legal System and the Federal Court,” directing the Attorney General and Secretary of Homeland Security to take aggressive action against attorneys and law firms engaged in unethical or frivolous litigation, especially in cases affecting national security, immigration, public safety, and election …
Across the world, lawyers are increasingly facing intimidation, surveillance, cyberattacks, detention, and even imprisonment — often for defending human rights or politically unpopular clients. A recent global report highlighted Belarus, where over 130 lawyers have been stripped of their licenses since the 2020 elections. Legal organizations, including the Bar Council and the Alliance for Lawyers …
In a powerful and emotional interview with The Moscow Times, Olga Mikhailova, longtime lawyer of the late Alexei Navalny, reflects on her regrets and the devastating aftermath of his decision to return to Russia in 2021. Mikhailova, now living in exile in France, laments not having persuaded Navalny to stay abroad, a choice she believes …
In a chilling escalation of its crackdown on dissent, a Russian court has sentenced three of Alexei Navalny’s former lawyers — Vadim Kobzev, Alexei Liptser, and Igor Sergunin — to multiple years in prison for allegedly participating in an “extremist organization.” Their “crime” was transmitting messages from Navalny, the late opposition leader, from prison to …
In this Moscow Times opinion piece, Russian lawyer Leonid Solovyov shares his personal account of defending Alexei Navalny amidst an increasingly repressive legal climate. Following the arrest of three of Navalny’s lawyers and the exile of a fourth, Solovyov reflects on the moral weight of his decision to represent Russia’s most prominent opposition figure. He …
Lawyers in Pakistan continued protesting, with ousted Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry urging them to defy de facto martial law imposed by President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. Chaudhry, under arrest, called for the restoration of the Constitution. Meanwhile, opposition leader Benazir Bhutto ruled out talks with Musharraf, accusing him of imposing martial law instead …