All over the world, lawyers face challenges related to their work – whether defending clients or holding corrupt authorities accountable. Often, this comes at great personal risk. For forty years, the Dutch organization Lawyers for Lawyers has been dedicated to ensuring that every lawyer, wherever they are, can practice their profession freely and independently.
There are countless examples that illustrate why the staff and dozens of lawyer-volunteers at Lawyers for Lawyers do what they do. Director Sophie de Graaf often starts her presentations with a quote from Filipino lawyer Connie Brizuela: “If they can kill lawyers, they can kill anyone.” Brizuela meant that lawyers are often the last hope for people whose rights have been violated.
Her words proved prophetic. In 2009, Brizuela was murdered in what quickly became known as the Maguindanao massacre. Fifty-eight people were killed because the mayor of Ampatuan refused to accept the idea of free elections. Journalists, family members, bystanders, and lawyers were murdered. Indeed, they can kill anyone. It took ten more years before the perpetrators were convicted.
An extreme example? De Graaf knows many more. “In recent years, about 65 lawyers have been murdered in the Philippines due to their work.” And the Philippines is far from the only country where lawyers are targeted because of their profession. Last year, Lawyers for Lawyers supported 198 lawyers in 38 countries. According to De Graaf, that figure is just the tip of the iceberg.
De Graaf outlines the main problems lawyers face. First and foremost is interference with professional responsibilities. “Think of lawyers being denied access to their clients or the confidentiality of communication between lawyers and clients being compromised. Offices and homes are searched, and lawyers are denied access to information.”
Lawyers around the world are increasingly subjected to threats and physical violence. In addition, lawyers are criminally prosecuted or disbarred. “The internet has grown rapidly in many of the countries where we operate. Many lawyers use the internet and social media to expose abuses. This falls under their right to free expression, but they are often subjected to criminal prosecution as a result.”
Lawyers play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law, which is recognized internationally, including in the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers. However, these principles are not widely known or respected. “In Tanzania, we interviewed many lawyers who could access their clients in detention but were not allowed to speak confidentially. A prison guard would stand in the room, taking notes. Many of these lawyers were unaware that international rules grant them the right to confidential communication with their clients. We highlighted this issue in our report to the United Nations.”
The mission of Lawyers for Lawyers is based on three pillars: Defend, Empower, Influence. Through these programs, Lawyers for Lawyers pursues three goals: “We want to stop the problems that lawyers face, strengthen protection measures or laws for lawyers in various countries, and foster solidarity by connecting Dutch lawyers with colleagues abroad. We also aim to connect lawyers globally, allowing them to share experiences, exchange knowledge, and discuss how to handle threats.”
Lawyers for Lawyers operates on a needs-based approach. All actions under the three pillars are initiated at the request of the lawyers themselves and only carried out with their full consent. In recent years, empowerment-focused training sessions have been conducted for lawyers in Uganda, Indonesia, Egypt, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. “In 2019, we organized training in Russia at the request of a group of Russian lawyers. At the time, Russia was threatening to leave the Council of Europe. Russian lawyers frequently litigated before the European Court of Human Rights. They wanted more information about other international human rights mechanisms, such as those within the United Nations (UN). Together with four lawyers from Kennedy van der Laan, we conducted a three-day training session.”
This UN-related knowledge ties into the Influence pillar. Lawyers for Lawyers holds special consultative status at the UN, granting the organization the right to speak before the Human Rights Council and committees. De Graaf explains: “We make extensive use of this. I would estimate that 50% of our work involves research – both desk research and interviews with lawyers – writing reports, and lobbying at the UN and other human rights institutions.”
Defend remains the most tangible pillar. Sometimes, help is direct, such as attending the trial of a fellow lawyer being prosecuted for their work. Other times, it is more remote – for example, by sending mass postcards to a lawyer already imprisoned. These actions may seem small, but they highlight the impact of Lawyers for Lawyers. A striking example is Buzurgmehr Yorov, a lawyer from Tajikistan serving a prison sentence of over twenty years for representing leaders of an Islamic party. During the annual postcard campaign, Yorov received dozens of cards from fellow Dutch lawyers. De Graaf shares:
“He later reported that his treatment in prison improved. He was allowed more time with his family. Such a small gesture – sending a postcard – can make a real difference.”
Despite being a small organization with just five staff members, Lawyers for Lawyers enjoys the support of sixteen partner law firms and numerous individual lawyers. One of these partners is Boels Zanders, the first firm outside the Randstad region to join the initiative. Manager Fleur Kapiteijn explains how the firm became involved: “Boels Zanders invests heavily in charitable causes, but sometimes you miss the direct commitment to make a difference yourself. The work of Lawyers for Lawyers resonates deeply with our staff. People here are passionate about their profession, and this connects them with colleagues elsewhere – whether a lawyer in Cameroon or one of our own. That intrinsic motivation drives us to get involved.”
Financial contributions are important, but awareness and engagement are equally vital. Kapiteijn adds: “We stay in close contact with Sophie. If help is needed, we inform our firm, and individual lawyers can commit to supporting the cause. This doesn’t mean the answer is always yes – it has to fit within their workload – but we always explore the possibilities.”
Charlotte Klein works as a professional legal support staff member at Boels Zanders. When Lawyers for Lawyers requested participants for a mission to Turkey earlier this year, she did not hesitate and immediately signed up. Together with Lawyers for Lawyers, she traveled to Diyarbakir, a city in a region predominantly inhabited by Kurds. The pursuit of an independent Kurdish state is seen as terrorism by Ankara. Lawyers who defend separatists are often themselves accused of terrorism. The trip left a deep impression, Klein recalls. “I highly recommend joining a mission like this. It really makes you realize how privileged we are in the Netherlands to be able to do our work in freedom. Of course, we deal with important cases here, but it’s very different from trying to keep your colleague out of prison.”
What might otherwise have been an abstract story about human rights became very real for Klein during the trip. “At the courthouse, the lawyer in question was waiting for us. A young guy, about 28 years old. He could have been one of us. The only difference is that he lives in the wrong place. All he does is defend Kurds. He was arrested based on the testimony of a single witness who had already provided such statements in 600 individual cases. It’s almost certain that this witness has connections to the police.”
The mission had three goals. Klein explains: “Firstly, we went to support and show solidarity with the lawyer. Secondly, we monitored whether the principles of a fair trial were upheld during the hearing. We compile a report that will be used for lobbying. Lastly, we wanted to send a signal to the judge: We’re watching you.” Missions like these take place several times a year, with staff and lawyers from partner firms traveling to numerous countries. De Graaf adds, “We always conduct a risk assessment before we go, and so far, we have never encountered safety issues.”
Lawyers for Lawyers not only scrutinizes situations abroad but also looks inward. How is the legal profession faring in the Netherlands? De Graaf explains: “Nearly two years ago, we submitted a report to the United Nations on the legal profession in the Netherlands. This came after several lawyers asked us, ‘Why don’t you look at the situation in the Netherlands as well?’ We believe that if we are critical of foreign countries, we should also be critical of what happens here.”
The report addresses various issues. “It covers violations of legal privilege, threats against lawyers, and the responses to those threats. It also touches on the rhetoric used when discussing lawyers. Some political parties label lawyers as activists. But everyone has the right to legal representation, regardless of who they are. Lawyers do that work, and they must be allowed to continue doing so.”
If lawyers are the last hope for those whose rights have been violated, then those who defend clients at great personal risk are perhaps the superheroes of the profession – though they would never describe themselves that way. During the launch of Lawyers for Lawyers’ Access to Justice Campaign in Amsterdam, Tsiala Ratiani from Georgia and Shibolo Awali Sean from Uganda spoke almost casually about the risks they face in defending the LGBTQ+ community. This campaign supports lawyers who represent LGBTQ+ clients and face threats, violence, and criminal prosecution because of their work. Despite being from different continents, Ratiani and Sean’s experiences are strikingly similar.
Georgia is currently grappling with the so-called “foreign agents” law. Despite widespread protests, this Russian-style law was passed by parliament. Organizations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad are labeled as “foreign agents.” This is expected to primarily target organizations critical of the government, including human rights and minority rights groups. LGBTQ+ lawyer Tsiala Ratiani, affiliated with the Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group, has no intention of registering as a foreign agent. “Never. We are not agents – we just support our people.”
Nonetheless, the law makes it increasingly difficult to operate. “Under this law, authorities could raid our office and seize our files, including those of our LGBTQ+ clients. I have taken all the files home. Even if the organization is raided, the files will be safe, and we can continue our work.”
In Uganda, homosexuality is illegal. Even speaking about it is a criminal offense. This doesn’t deter Sean. His fight against Uganda’s harsh anti-gay laws takes place – where else – in the courtroom. Through Petition 14 and Petition 15, he aims to have the laws declared unconstitutional. So far, he has achieved small victories. What keeps him going is his strong sense of justice. “We have a duty to defend our clients, no matter the charges against them.” For Sean, however, it goes beyond duty. “I love my work. It’s my life and my passion to help people.”
There are several ways to support Lawyers for Lawyers. You can participate in specific projects, such as writing letters, sending postcards, or signing petitions. Lawyers for Lawyers is also continuously looking for new partner firms – law firms that provide financial support over multiple years and collaborate on certain projects. If you wish to support the organization financially, you can donate to account number NL69ABNA0489938655, in the name of Advocaten voor Advocaten. For more information, visit lawyersforlawyers.org.
