Over thirty-nine international organisations have united to condemn Tunisia’s systemic, state-led assault on judicial independence and the rights of defense advocates.
Defending the Defence
Drafting and Publishing Statements
21 Apr 2026 | Current and future initiatives Human Rights Committee, Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Privilege, Safeguarding Independent Legal Institutions
The HRC publishes expert statements on judicial independence, lawyer-client privilege, and fair trial rights – driving policy reform and solidarity across Europe and beyond.
Day of the Endangered Lawyer
21 Apr 2026 | Current and future initiatives Human Rights Committee, Defending the Defence
Every January 24th, ECBA’s HRC stands with persecuted lawyers worldwide coordinating advocacy, public outreach, and legal interventions to defend those who defend others.
Global Legal Community Calls for the Release of Nasrin Sotoudeh – April 2026
10 Apr 2026 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
On 10 April 2026, the ECBA and a coalition of 30 international legal organisations issued a formal...
ECBA Co-Signs Petitions in Support of Turkish Lawyers Mehmet Pehlivan and Günay Dağ – July 2025
11 Jul 2025 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights, Safeguarding Independent Legal Institutions
The European Criminal Bar Association (ECBA) co-signed two petitions advocating for the immediate...
United States Selected as Focus Country for the 15th International Day of the Endangered Lawyer – June 2025
19 Jun 2025 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The Coalition for the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer has designated the United States...
Joint Statement by the international legal and human rights community on the actions against the Istanbul Bar Association – January 2025
30 Jan 2025 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee, Safeguarding Independent Legal Institutions
The international legal and human rights community is deeply concerned by prosecuting authorities’...
International Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2025 – 24 January, 15th edition
23 Jan 2025 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee, Safeguarding Independent Legal Institutions
In 2025 the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer focused on Belarus, chosen at the...
ECBA signs urgent request for intervention in favour of renowned Iranian human rights defender Reza Khandan – December 2024
17 Dec 2024 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
Reza Khandan, renowned Iranian human rights activist and husband of the iconic human rights lawyer...
Statement from the ECBA Human Rights Officer on the arrest of lawyers Naim Eminoğlu and Doğa İncesu in Türkiye – July 2024
10 Jul 2024 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
would like to express my profound concern over the arrest and detention of two lawyers, Naim...
ECBA Statement Condemning the Death in Custody of Aleksei Navalny and Urging for an International Inquiry – February 2024
20 Feb 2024 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The European Criminal Bar Association strongly condemns the tragic death of Aleksei Navalny, which...
Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2024 – Iran – 24 January 2024
19 Jan 2024 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The ECBA co-signed a statement, a report and a petition on the occasion of the Day...
Urgent request for intervention in favour of Iranian lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh (Joint Statement) – November 2023
1 Dec 2023 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The European Criminal Association joins the call and signs the statement to take concrete and...
ECBA signs petition for China to release human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng and end the practice of enforced disappearances – August 2023
6 Aug 2023 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
ECBA and other different human rights and justice organisations call on the Chinese authorities to...
ECBA on the protection of the work of members of the Ukrainian National Bar Association (UNBA) – May 2023
10 May 2023 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The ECBA publishes its resolution adopted on 6 May 2023, in Warsaw, on the protection of the work...
Statement in support of the Turkish lawyer Günay Dağ – February 2023
10 Feb 2023 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
The ECBA co-signed the Statement issued in support of the Turkish lawyer Günay Dağ. Günay Dağ is a...
Day of the Endangered Lawyer 24 January 2023 – Afghanistan
23 Jan 2023 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
Since 2010, the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer has been observed on 24 January in...
ECBA HRC Statement about detained French-Palestinian Lawyer Salah Hamouri – December 2022
12 Dec 2022 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
The ECBA has received credible reports that our colleague Salah Hamouri, a French-Palestinian...
ECBA HRC is concerned about the situation in Iran – October 2022
31 Oct 2022 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
We are extremely concerned about the repression suffered by many Iranian lawyers, following the...
ECBA signs Statement regarding the 2022 Day of the Endangered Lawyer – January 2022
17 Jan 2022 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The ECBA Human Rights Committee co-signs a Statement regarding the Day of the Endangered...
The ECBA Human Rights Committee stands in Solidarity with Egyptian lawyer Mohamed el-Baqer, December 2021
17 Dec 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The ECBA Human Rights Committee, along with members of the global legal community, signed a Joint...
Report on detained Turkish lawyers by Maria Hessen Jacobsen – November 2021
15 Nov 2021 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
Norwegian lawyer Maria Hessen Jacobsen was on a legal study assignment in Istanbul on behalf of...
Joint call in support of endangered lawyers in Afghanistan – November 2021
9 Nov 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
Following the recent worrying developments in Afghanistan, many European legal organisations...
The ECBA stands by the prosecuted Turkish lawyers – September 2021
20 Sep 2021 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
The ECBA participated to a Legal Fact Finding mission in Istanbul from 15 to 20 September 2021,...
The Philippines: attacks against lawyers further escalating – joint statement – July 2021
2 Jul 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
Together with 30 lawyers’ organizations, bar associations and human rights organisations, the...
The ECBA signed the first “International Fair Trial Day” (IFTD) statement – June 2021
17 Jun 2021 | Defending the Defence, Fair Trial Standards, Human Rights Committee
The first annual “International Fair Trial Day” (IFTD) took place this 14 June 2021. Several...
Joint statement on the Russian state’s measures against lawyer Ivan Pavlov – May 2021
18 May 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Safeguarding Independent Legal Institutions
The ECBA co-signed a joint statement regarding the situtation of the Russian lawyer Ivan...
ECBA HRC statement on the case of the lawyer Robert Roșu – May 2021
13 May 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
This statement concerns the case of the Romanian lawyer Robert Roșu, who was convicted by the High...
ECBA HRC Statement regarding the situation of the defence lawyers in Myanmar – March 2021
15 Mar 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Protest Defence Rights
The ECBA Human Rights Committee wishes to express its solidarity with members of the legal...
The ECBA signed the Joint Petition for the Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2021, focusing this year on Azerbaijan – January 2021
22 Jan 2021 | Defending the Defence, Human Rights Committee, Safeguarding Independent Legal Institutions
The Statement addresses some of the critical challenges faced by lawyers there in practising their...