Press release: Support for Colleague Shahanur Islam

This press release publish in Italian and English, from the Threatened Lawyers Observatory in support of the lawyer Shahanur Islam, defender of human rights.

Shahanur Islam is a lawyer, human rights defender, and blogger from Bangladesh. He is Secretary General and Honorary Executive Director of the Bangladesh Institute for Human Rights (BIHR) and founder of JusticeMakers Bangladesh. His work focuses in particular on minority rights, LGBT rights and cases of torture, killings and enforced disappearances by law enforcement.

Due to its activity, Islam has received many threats, has been attacked, hindered and even attacked, as well as involved in falsely constructed cases.

 To name some of the attacks he suffered:

- in October / November 2017, he received death threats by telephone after some of his statements / articles on LGBT rights were published on national blogs / online media;
- in September 2018, he received repeated threats of physical assault, death threats, as well as hate speech on Facebook as a result of his statements made in relation to the legalization of homosexuality in Bangladesh;
- more recently, on 26 August 2020, he was attacked in court by the son of the counterparty and by 12 other defendants;
on 15 November 2020 he was threatened with death with beheading, he was again threatened with death, on the street, in the name of Allah, after the publication of an interview with him in Bangladesh DBC news on the defense of LGBTQ rights in Bangladesh.

Islam has received important recognition from international organizations and bodies for its work. For example, he received the Asia Justice Makers Fellowship 2010 from International Bridges to Justice (IBJ) and, given his experience, some of his statements have been quoted by major international media.

We recall that lawyers play a fundamental role as sentinels and promoters of rights and their function must be protected, certainly not hindered: "In a society founded on respect for the rule of law, the lawyer plays a special role (...). The lawyer must serve the interests of justice as well as those of those whose rights and freedoms he is called to assert and defend (...). Respect for the professional function of the lawyer is an essential condition for the rule of law and democracy in society. " (CCBE Code of Conduct for European Lawyers, Article 1.1.)

IS,

"Governments must ensure that lawyers (a) are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, impediment, harassment or undue interference; (b) are able to travel and consult freely with their clients both at the within their country and abroad; and (c) do not undergo, or are threatened to undergo, judicial proceedings or administrative, economic or other sanctions for any action taken in accordance with recognized professional duties, standards and ethics . " (Fundamental principles on the role of lawyers, United Nations, principle 16).

We express our support for our endangered colleague Shahanur Islam and urge the relevant authorities to take a stand and grant Mr. Islam due protection and recognition for his role and laudable efforts.

Rome, February 3, 2021

The Threatened Lawyers' Observatory

To read original press release please visit the following link:    

https://www.camerepenali.it/cat/10807/il_sostegno_a_favore_del_collega_shahanur_islam.html

============================================================ Advocate Shahanur Islam | An Young, Ascendant, Dedicated Human Rights Defender, Lawyer and Blogger in Bangladesh, Fighting for Ensuring Human Rights, Rule of Law, Good Governance, Peace and Social Justice For the Victim of Torture, Extra Judicial Killing, Force Disappearance, Trafficking in Persons including Ethnic, Religious, Sexual and Social Minority People.