Iran: Halt Moves to Curtail Lawyers
human rights watch
17-Jul-2009 (3 comments)

"This so-called reform would allow the government to hand-pick the lawyers who are allowed to practice," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch. "What we see here is a naked effort to intimidate Iranian defense lawyers at a time when the government is detaining hundreds of people without charge."

On June 17, the head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi, approved revisions to the bylaws of the 1955 law establishing the independence of the Iranian Bar Association. The revised bylaws take effect immediately and do not require approval by parliament or any other government body. Two provisions gravely undermine the bar's independence, giving the government the ability to deny political critics and human rights defenders the right to practice as lawyers. 

According to senior Iranian lawyers, the head of the Judiciary has no power to make such changes in the bylaws without consulting the Bar Association. Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Laureate and prominent human rights defender, told Human Rights Watch that Shahroudi is "well aware" that he has no legal authority to decree these changes. "He seems to have approved this bylaw [change] under political pressure," she said.

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rosie is roxy is roshan

Law and orders

by rosie is roxy is roshan on Fri Jul 17, 2009 04:16 AM PDT

So this is what they were up to during Friday prayers! Well, now we have a new name for Khamenei.

Marshall Law.

Allahu Rakbar.



Balatarin
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rosie is roxy is roshan

I know it's very serious.

by rosie is roxy is roshan on Fri Jul 17, 2009 05:03 AM PDT

It's as serious as can be. Ebadi has always tried to remind us that of all the groups victimized by human rights violations, the lawyers as a group must be protected first and foremost. Because without them there's no one to defend the rest. Sometimes it's hard to remember that when you see a famous wealthy woman hale and hardy traveling the globe and then you see the dirt poor and the margenalized  and the beaten and tortured and you worry about them more than you worry about the trashing of Ebadi's office.

But she's right. And that's precisely why such actions as the cloing of her office (and many other events within Iran in the months preceding the elections) substantiate there having been a coup. With these events paving the way. Because why else would they have touched someone like Shirin Ebadi like that? As a Nobell Prize winner she was before thatconsidered virtually untouchable.

A move like this is the end of any claim, however miniscule, of democracy.The foundation of a democracy (even an at BEST partial one) is its Constitution, that is to say,  law.

So...now you have permanent martial law. Under Marshall Law.

____________

At this point wit is my only defense mechanism.

No pun intended.


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Paymaneh Amiri

Rosie

by Paymaneh Amiri on Fri Jul 17, 2009 04:33 AM PDT

This is very serious.  Over the past 3 decades, IRI has attempted to crush and control this independent organization to no avail.  The Judiciary is already quite unjust through barbaric laws, a criminal District Attorney (Saeed Mortazavi), its own intelligence and torture arm, and rampant corruption.  The last hope people of Iran, especially political prisoners, had was access to independent and brave attorneys who would take their cases and defend them.  This move will repel and persecute decent attorneys and install Judiciary puppets in their place, eliminating the last remnants of justice in Iran.  This is the worst thing that could happen to human rights defenders in Iran.


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