BHRC submits Al Nashiri amicus brief to the Court of Military Commission Review

On 18th August 2023 the Military Commission in the case of United States of America v Al-Nashiri gave a ruling on a request for the suppression (or exclusion) of statements made by Mr Al-Nashiri to US Government officials in January 2007 after he was officially returned to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility following four years...

BHRC launches update to Guantanamo Military Commissions Trial Observation Report with a virtual panel event

On 01 June 2023, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (“BHRC”) launched its latest Guantanamo Military Commissions Trial Observation Report with a virtual panel event. Chaired by Stephen Cragg KC, Chair of BHRC, this event brought together an expert panel which consisted of J Wells Dixon, Senior Staff Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights...

BHRC has published the Turkish version of its trial observation report of the “Gezi Park” trial of sixteen leading civil society individuals in Turkey, including Open Society Foundation Board member Osman Kavala. The report was first published in English in May 2020. BHRC had closely monitored the trial over several months since June 2019, which ostensibly...

BHRC has published its observations in full of the “Gezi Park” trial of sixteen leading civil society individuals in Turkey, including Open Society Foundation Board member Osman Kavala. BHRC has closely monitored the trial over several months since June 2019, which ostensibly ended with the acquittal of Mr Kavala and eight other defendants in February 2020....

BHRC has today released a statement condemning the arrest and detention of Osman Kavala in respect of a new criminal investigation, following his acquittal in the baseless ‘Gezi Park’ trial, thereby extending the 928 days he has already spent in detention. In a further worrying development, it was announced yesterday that the Turkish Council of...

Following on from our previous trial observations of June, October and December 2019, BHRC has published an interim trial report of the “Gezi Park” trial of sixteen leading civil society individuals in Turkey, including Osman Kavala and Yiğit Aksakoğlu. The interim report covers the latest hearing in the case, which was in session for a day on 28...

Following on from our previous trial observations of June and October 2019, BHRC has published an interim trial report of the “Gezi Park” trial of sixteen leading civil society individuals in Turkey, including Osman Kavala and Yiğit Aksakoğlu. The interim report covers the latest hearing in the case, which was in session for a day...

International lawyers observe “12 Apostles” trial of Santiago Uribe Vélez

Representatives from the Colombian Caravana (UK) and the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales returned to Medellin to continue the international observation of the trial of Santiago Uribe Vélez, the brother of former Colombian President and current Senator, Álvaro Uribe Vélez. Santiago Uribe is accused of heading a paramilitary group in North Antioquia...

BHRC trial report on latest stage of Selahattin Demirtaş v Turkey confirms ECtHR finding that continued detention is politically motivated

The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales has published its interim report in the ongoing cases of Selahattin Demirtaş v Turkey and Veysel Ok v Turkey.  Mr Demirtaş is the well-known former member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (Parliament) and Presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Turkey’s third largest political...

BHRC has issued a public statement raising serious concern over the “Gezi Park” trial of sixteen leading civil society individuals, including Osman Kavala and Yiğit Aksakoğlu, which resumes tomorrow in Istanbul. BHRC Chair, Schona Jolly QC, observed the opening of the trial in June 2019 and will continue to monitor the trial this week through our...