Human Rights Committee
Defence of the defenders
CCBE Initiatives
Other initiatives
Human Rights Award
Permanent Delegation to the European Court of Human Rights
Human Rights Letters27/02/2025 : CCBE statement in support of the Istanbul Bar Association
08/03/2023 : CCBE statement on the repression in Iran condemning the use of the death penalty
24/01/2023 Press Conference: "
The Afghanistan Independent Bar Association (AIBA) relaunches its activities in exile from Brussels" on the occasion of the 13th edition of the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer, focusing this year on the situation in Afghanistan.
24/01/2023 Press Conference invitation, in collaboration with the AIBA, the International Bar Association (IBA) and the French-speaking Brussels Bar/
10/11/2021: Joint call in support of endangered lawyers in Afghanistan
The CCBE with several bars and lawyers’ organisations, together with the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, urge the relevant stakeholders to urgently provide adequate protection to endangered lawyers in Afghanistan and underline the need to ensure the maintenance of an independent legal profession and Bar in Afghanistan in order to preserve the independence and integrity of the administration of justice and the rule of law.
2020 initiatives
CCBE Webinar on the situation of the legal profession in Turkey – 10 December 2020:
10/12/2020: CCBE Statement on the situation of the legal profession in Turkey
On the occasion of International Day for Human Rights, the CCBE urges the Turkish authorities to uphold the rule of law by bringing an end to the persecution of lawyers and by refraining from taking any measure which would have the effect of hindering the independence, integrity and freedom of expression of the legal profession in Turkey.
Joint statement condemning the detention of lawyer and human rights defender Ayachi Hammami (18/12/2025)
Report on the status of lawyers and the Bar Association in Iran (02/12/2025)
Joint statement on the crackdown against the independence of lawyers in Bangladesh under the interim government (05/11/2025)
Joint statement on the reported tortured of Chinese lawyer Zhang Wenpeng while in detention (31/10/2025)
JMBF Report 2025 on the Crackdown on Independence of Lawyers in Bangladesh (30/10/2025)
Press release on the JMBF Report 2025 (30/10/2025)
Joint statement on the travel ban and deteriorating health of human rights lawyer Lu Siwei (21/10/2025)
Urgent appeal on critical health of Egyptian lawyer and human rights defender Hoda Abdel-Moneim (16/09/2025)
Joint statement on disbarment and reprisals against Hong Kong lawyer Kevin Yamon (03/09/2025)
Joint letter calling for the halt of the unfair trial and release of lawyer Xie Yang (28/08/2025)
Joint statement on the arbitrary detention of lawyers at the Kinshasa-Gombe Bar Association (11/08/2025)
Joint statement on "Chinese government impunity for crackdown on lawyers fuels decade of repression" (07/07/2025)
Joint oral statement on the persecution of lawyers in Crimea (04/07/2025)
Joint Statement on the arrest and detention of lawyer Ruken Gülağacı (27/05/2025)
Joint statement on the arrest and enforced disappearance of Sudanese lawyer Khaled Omar Al-Sadiq (09/05/2025)
Joint statement on the sentencing of prominent human rights lawyer Lu Siwei (06/05/2025)
15th Day of the Endangered Lawyer – 24 January 2025: The situation of lawyers in Belarus
Replay of the Conference, presenting the Coalition's Report on the situation of lawyers in Belarus
Report and executive summary, published on the occasion of the Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2025
2024
Joint statement on lawyer Xu Zhiyong's hunger strike over inhumane treatment in Lunan prison (12/11/2024)
Joint statement calling for the urgent release of human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and activist Xu Yan (12/11/2024)
Joint statement calling for the release of lawyer Hoda Abdelmonem (31/10/2024)
Joint statement for arrested and detained Sudanese Lawyer Montaser Abdullah (28/10/2024)
Joint statement calling for the universal abolition of the death penalty (10/10/2024)
Joint statement following the sentencing of lawyer Sonia Dahmani (11/09/2024)
Joint statement on the continued detention of Sonia Dahmani (10/09/2024)
Joint Statement on occupied Crimea: the disbarment Aleksey Ladin (02/08/2024)
CCBE statement on the situation of lawyers in Tunisia (17/05/2024)
Letter from Dutch bar associations and the CCBE regarding the case of Mr M'Hamed Hali (26/06/2024)
Joint statement in the lack of justice for the unlawful killing of Kurdish lawyer Tahir Elci (05/06/2024)
Joint letter for the case of Kurdish lawyer Tahir Elci (05/06/2024)
Joint Statement - China: Immediately release human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng and activist Xu Yan (12/04/2024)
Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2024:
Petition for Iran - Day of the Endangered lawyer 2024 (24/01/2024)
Online Conference REPLAY - DEL 2024
Report on Iran published on the occasion of the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2024
Joint statement on the Rising systemic persecution of lawyers in Iran - DEL 2024 (22/01/2024)
December 2023: Webpage and poster to download, print, use or paint in support of Belarusian lawyer Maksim Znak
02/11/2023: Joint statement: Urgent request for intervention in favour of Mrs Nasrin Sotoudeh
09/10/2023: Joint Statement - Urgent Call for the release and adequate treatment of chinese human rights lawyer Li Yuhan
26/09/2023: Joint Statement - International Fair Trial Day - Mexico
10/07/2023: Statement ‘709 Crackdown 2.0’ - Global call against China’s renewed crackdown on human rights lawyers
10/02/2023 : Turkey’s terror list: An attack on lawyers and human rights – the case of lawyer Günay Dag
Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2023:
2021 initiatives
The CCBE supports the 11th Day of the of the Endangered Lawyer with this Petition in supports of lawyers in Azerbaijan
2020 initiatives
Joint Statement in support of lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh (04/12/2020)
2019 initiatives
Every year since 2007, the CCBE has granted a Human Rights Award. The objective of the CCBE is to honour distinguished lawyers/lawyers’ organisations that have demonstrated outstanding commitment and sacrifice to uphold fundamental values. It is an effective and useful tool to raise awareness of the core values of the legal profession. The Award is officially delivered to the winner by the CCBE President at the Plenary Session.
The virtual 2021 Award ceremony was held during the CCBE Plenary Session held on the International Human Rights Day on 10 December in the presence of some of the of the recipients and their representatives. It also counted with a video message from Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who notably underlined the great service done by the CCBE in honouring lawyers all around the world who work in situation of heightened threat to defend the rule of law and human rights.
Video message from Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The CCBE Human Rights Award 2021 was granted to Belarusian lawyers Lilya Vlasova, Maksim Znak, Dmitry Laevski and Leanid Sudalenko for their courage, determination, and commitment to defending citizens’ fundamental rights and the rule of law in Belarus. With this award, the CCBE extends its support to all Belarusian lawyers who fight for the respect of the rule of law and the core values of the legal profession while risking their freedom and opportunity to practice.
In addition to this, an exceptional Human Rights Award was granted by the CCBE to the endangered lawyers in Afghanistan who have been at the forefront of the defence of fundamental rights of the Afghan population.