News releases
The 2022 IBA awardees
Released on Nov 4, 2022
Ghana’s Yorm Ama Abledu wins 2022 IBA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award
The 2022 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipient has been named as Ghana’s Yorm Ama Abledu, Senior International Attorney at Centurion Law Group and Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), for her demonstrable passion...
Released on Nov 4, 2022
Debevoise & Plimpton recognised with IBA Group Member Pro Bono Award
International law firm Debevoise & Plimpton has been recognised with an IBA Group Member Award for outstanding pro bono contributions to the work of the International Bar Association (IBA).
Released on Nov 1, 2022
The IBA Annual Conference returns with President Zelensky and Lionel Barber keynotes
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and media heavyweight Lionel Barber, former editor of The Financial Times (FT), are to address delegates attending the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 International Bar Association (IBA) Annual Conference
Released on Oct 30, 2022
IBA and Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine announce signing of Memorandum of Understanding
The IBA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine on cooperation to ensure accountability for war crimes and other international crimes including the crime of aggression, genocide and conflict-related sexual violence.
Released on Oct 27, 2022
Singapore: IBAHRI and ICJ respond to Ministry of Law and Ministry of Home Affairs on the death penalty and cost sanctions
In an open letter to Singaporean authorities published today, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) reiterated that Singapore’s practices concerning the death penalty fail to comply with international human rights law and standards.
Released on Oct 27, 2022
Law associations to co-host event at COP27: The Role of the Legal Profession in the Climate Crisis
The International Bar Association (IBA), the American Bar Association (ABA), the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB) and the Law Society of England and Wales are set to host an event during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt from 0900 – 1400 (EET) on Thursday...
Released on Oct 18, 2022
Iran: Security forces’ violent suppression of protests identical to 2019, says IBAHRI
As protestors in the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to be shot at by the country’s security forces and women outside of Iran cut off locks of their hair in solidarity with the Iranian women protesting for equal rights, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) notes parallels between...
Released on Oct 18, 2022
IBAHRI warns of potential Hazara genocide in Afghanistan and calls for Genocide Convention action by governments
The situation of the Hazara community in Afghanistan is of great concern to the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) following another targeted attack of female students from the minority community on 30 September 2022. Among the victims is a family member of a Hazara female judge...
Released on Oct 17, 2022
IBAHRI engagement and main UNHRC takeaways
With the conclusion of the 51st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the IBAHRI reflects on the key discussions and outcomes of the session, the side events held, and the resolutions passed.
Released on Oct 14, 2022
IBAHRI calls for the immediate release of women imprisoned in Saudi Arabia for social media posts
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) calls for the immediate release of Nourah al-Qahtani and Salma al-Shehab who have been sentenced to 45 and 34 years in prison, respectively, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for allegedly posting comments on social media that were critical of...
Released on Oct 14, 2022
Iran: IBAHRI condemns ongoing violent crackdown of protests, calls for accountability and an end to impunity
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) is alarmed by, and condemns, the widely reported campaign of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances and arbitrary detention of protestors by Iran’s security forces.
Released on Oct 13, 2022
IBA condemns Russia’s disregard of civilian life and international law amid intensified shelling of Ukraine
As Kyiv officials report that Russian ‘kamikaze drones’ have today struck Ukraine’s capital city, the IBA condemns Russia’s prolonged and intensified bombardment across Ukraine that has resulted in civilian deaths, casualties, displacements and destruction of infrastructure and further violations of international law...
Released on Oct 13, 2022
IBAHRI calls for end to forced confessions as World Day against the Death Penalty is marked
To mark the 20th World Day against the Death Penalty on Monday 10 October 2022, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) calls for universal abolition of the death penalty, ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), an end to forced confessions, and implementation of the exclusionary rule for torture-tainted evidence, including in capital punishment cases.
Released on Oct 10, 2022
eyeWitness to Atrocities app surpasses collection of 20,000 verifiable items of potential human rights violations in Ukraine, and group submits evidence to UN COI
In Ukraine, users of the eyeWitness to Atrocities camera app have safely deposited, in the eyeWitness secure vault, 20,000 verifiable videos, photographs and audio files of alleged war crimes since the start of Russia’s invasion.
Released on Oct 4, 2022
IBA President Sternford Moyo receives Freedom of the City of London
In a ceremony dating back centuries, Sternford Moyo, President of the International Bar Association (IBA), has been bestowed with the Freedom of the City of London for his unswerving commitment to the rule of law and contributions to the international legal profession in general. Mr Moyo was formally admitted as...
Released on Sep 30, 2022
IBA Women Lawyers’ Committee Mentorship Toolkit launched to close gender gap in the legal profession
The IBA has launched the Women Lawyers' Committee: Mentorship Toolkit (the Toolkit) with the aim of empowering female legal professionals and addressing the gender representation gap at senior levels.
Released on Sep 23, 2022
Iran: IBAHRI condemns death of Mahsa Amini while in custody for not wearing a headscarf
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) condemns death of Mahsa Amini while in custody for not wearing a headscarf.
Released on Sep 21, 2022
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General welcomes IBA help during meeting with IBA Executive Director on expanding support
The International Bar Association’s (IBA) Executive Director, Dr Mark Ellis, met with the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Andriy Kostin, during a recent trip to Ukraine...
Released on Sep 17, 2022
Azerbaijan: IBAHRI joint statement on Elchin Sadykov
The IBAHRI and Media Defence are concerned with the recent criminal procedure initiated against Azeri human rights lawyer Elchin Sadykov and his client, journalist Avaz Zeynalli.
Released on Sep 16, 2022
Ukraine: IBA Anti-Corruption Committee creates taskforce to aid reconstruction efforts
The International Bar Association (IBA) has created a special task force to help Ukraine address, and avoid, the common pitfalls countries make during the reconstruction process following war or natural disasters.
Released on Sep 14, 2022
IBAHRI calls on Israel to release the arbitrarily detained French-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hammouri
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) calls for the immediate release from Hadarim Prison of Salah Hammouri, a French-Palestinian lawyer and human rights defender.
Released on Sep 13, 2022
Myanmar: IBAHRI raises concerns about sentencing of Aung San Suu Kyi
Given the age and health disorders of Myanmar’s ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, the harshness of the recent three-year jail sentence with ‘labour’ or ‘hard labour’ handed to her for purported election fraud in Myanmar’s 2020 polls is of particular concern to the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute...
Released on Sep 11, 2022
IBAHRI calls for creation of a dedicated accountability mechanism for Afghanistan, in joint letter
Excellencies, The signatory organisations call your attention to the deplorable state of human rights in Afghanistan and in particular the absolute lack of accountability for gross and systematic human rights violations and abuses, including crimes under international law, occurring in Afghanistan, especially...
Released on Sep 7, 2022
Kiribati: IBAHRI condemns escalation in disregard for judicial independence as all three Court of Appeal judges are suspended
The suspension of three sitting Court of Appeal judges by the government of the Republic of Kiribati is condemned by the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) for escalating the judicial and constitutional crisis facing the Pacific Ocean island. The judges had delivered a ruling blocking the...
Released on Sep 7, 2022
IBA Executive Director arrives in Ukraine for a week of high-level meetings focused on expanding IBA’s support
Today, the International Bar Association’s (IBA) Executive Director, Dr Mark Ellis, arrived in Ukraine for a week of high-level meetings as a show of the IBA’s continued engagement with Ukraine’s legal profession and continuing humanitarian support for those affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Released on Sep 5, 2022
New IBAHRI report on Myanmar raises concerns about right to a fair trial
On 2 September 2022, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) published a report entitled ‘Crackdown on Human Rights Defenders, Opposition, and the Right to a Fair Trial in Myanmar’. The report sheds light on the deteriorating situation in Myanmar since the coup d’état on 1 February 2021.
Released on Sep 2, 2022
IBAHRI calls on UN Member States to prevent and combat enforced disappearances
To mark the United Nations International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances on Tuesday 30 August 2022, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) calls upon UN Member States to take effective legislative, administrative, judicial and other measures to prevent, criminalise, investigate...
Released on Aug 30, 2022
IBA condemns detention of Russian lawyer who spoke out against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
The International Bar Association (IBA) condemns the arrest and pre-trial detention of Russian lawyer Dmitry Talantov, President of the Bar Association of the Republic of Udmurtia, following comments he posted on the social media platform Facebook on 3 April 2022 that criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Talantov...
Released on Aug 23, 2022
Singapore: IBAHRI condemns rise in executions and calls for halt in enforcement
The IBAHRI condemns the increasing number of executions in Singapore, with 10 death row inmates having been executed since 30 March 2022, following a two-year hiatus. Most of the executions were for drug-related offences, which do not meet the threshold of ‘the most serious crimes’ for which death sentences...
Released on Aug 11, 2022