Closed petition this House condemns those countries which allow the murder, victimisation or ill treatment of lawyers undertaking their moral and professional duties

Closed on 26 March 2013

To draw attention to the number of lawyers subjected to abuse, humiliation and murder in representing their clients. The Chinese lawyer, Chen Guangcheng, has been placed under house arrest by the Chinese government. He was “sentenced” for damaging property and disturbing traffic; targeted by the government for his investigations into forced abortions. In Colombia this year 5 lawyers have been murdered. In March 2012, Iran sentenced Abdolfattah Soltani, a prominent Human rights lawyer to 18 years imprisonment. As such we would ask that the House condemn these abuses on lawyers and ensure that aid is not provided to those countries which victimise their lawyers in such a fashion. We would also seek that they raise these issues with those countries so as to allow lawyers to undertake their duty in safety.