Human Rights and Protection of Lawyers | COLOMBIA

12th Day of the Endangered Lawyer: Focus on Colombia

As it does every year, the UIA-IROL supports the Day of the Endangered Lawyer, an international initiative that takes place each January 24 to draw attention to the situation of lawyers in a particular country and to the threats and challenges legal practitioners face in the exercise of their profession in that country.

In 2022 and for the second time, the Day of the Endangered Lawyer is dedicated to raising awareness about the situation of lawyers in Colombia, where the persecution of human rights lawyers continues, preventing them from freely, independently, and safely practising their profession.

The UIA-IROL co-signed the comprehensive report of the 2022 Day of the Endangered Lawyer calling upon Colombian authorities to comply with the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, to address the many attacks on human rights lawyers, and to guarantee the free and independent exercise of their professions. Among other demands and recommendations, signatories further urge authorities to protect the lives of Colombian lawyers, including by adopting additional, effective security measures to guarantee their safety and freedom; conducting impartial, independent, and effective investigations into allegations of mistreatment of lawyers; and, where appropriate, seeking prosecutions of the perpetrators of crimes against lawyers  to bring an end to impunity and to fight the stigmatisation of Colombian lawyers.

Learn more about the situation of our Colombian colleagues and support them!
 

#Dayoftheendangeredlawyer #Endangeredlawyers #Protectcolombianlawyers


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The Day of the Endangered Lawyer is commemorated each year on January 24. On that special day, the international legal community is asked to 1) raise awareness about the lawyers who are being harassed, silenced, pressured, threatened, persecuted, tortured and murdered for their work as lawyers; and 2) initiate or further develop a national discussion about ways to protect lawyers. In past years, the Day focused on the following countries: China, Colombia, Egypt, Honduras, Iran, Pakistan, The Philippines, Spain/Basque Country, Turkey and Azerbaijan.