ABOUT KARPAL SINGH On January 14, 2000, Mr. Singh was arrested on a charge under Malaysia's Sedition Act. The sedition charge against Mr. Singh was unprecedented in that it was based on words alleged to have been spoken by Mr. Singh in court while conducting the defence of his client, Anwar … [Read more...]

At approximately 7:15 p.m. on May 10, 2004 Ponnusamy Uthayakumar was en route from his office on Jalan Medang Tandok road in the Bangsar area of Kuala Lumpur to his home when he was attacked by three unidentified persons. Uthayakumar reported that at least three cars blocked the road preventing him … [Read more...]

Tian Chua is a long time political activist and member of the human rights group Suaram. He has campaigned for greater political freedom in the wake of the conviction of former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim. On April 10th 2001, Tian Chua was arrested under the Malaysian Internal Security Act … [Read more...]

Lawyer Zainur Zakaria was summarily convicted of 'contempt in the face of the court' on November 1998 and sentenced to 3 months in jail. As defense counsel for former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, he was bringing an application to have two of the prosecutors removed from the case on the … [Read more...]

Tiawon Gongloe, a leading Liberian human rights lawyer was arrested without charges on April 24 and believed to have been beaten while in custody. Amnesty International believes that his treatment was precipitated solely by his human rights advocacy. Constance Marlatt (Toronto) wrote asking the … [Read more...]

On May 25, 2004, the Observatory was informed by the Lao Movement for Human Rights (LMHR) of the death of Khamphouvieng Sisa-At, one of the leaders of the “Lao Students Movement for Democracy of 26 October 1999,” a group that organized a peaceful march on October 26, 1999, in Vientiane, to denounce … [Read more...]

Lawyer Tahir Asanov was attacked in court after calling for an investigation into police brutality against his client and nine other men during their trial in Osh, southern Kyrgyzstan. The accused and Tahir Asanov are at imminent risk of further violence as the trial continues. On September 29th, … [Read more...]

Human Rights Advocacy Training Programme Yaoundé, Cameroon, March 14th to 18th 2005 Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, in partnership with the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) and the British Council organized a one week Human Rights Advocacy Training Programme for jurists, … [Read more...]

Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani, lawyer at the Bar of Tehran and a founding member of the Defenders of Human Rights Centre (DHRC), who has been detained in solitary confinement, incommunicado, since July 30, 2005, at the prison of Evin, Tehran. Mr. Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested while he was taking … [Read more...]