Update in the case of Vadim Kuramshin

The charges against Vadim Kuramshin, that he allegedly attempted to extort money from Mukhtar Uderbaev from the Kordai regional prosecutor’s office, were clearly fabricated.

Under the lead of judge Nurmukhammat Abidov this latest trial was rushed through and the sentence declared without either Vadim himself or his advocate being present in the courtroom. They were replaced by a court appointed lawyer who sat there as if he was just an extra piece of furniture.

The trial was conducted with many breaches of procedure. From the beginning the judge took the side of the prosecution. Not one objection from the defense was upheld, neither defense or prosecution witnesses were questioned. Some of the prosecution witnesses appeared by Skype in which members of the “security organs” showed no reluctance instructing the witnesses how to give the “right evidence”. Vadim himself was not even allowed to see the documents submitted to him.

At the end of August a jury found Vadim not guilty of this charge and he was freed from the court. However the Kazakhstan authorities are out to seek revenge on this fighter against corruption. He was again arrested and dragged before the court. This has so annoyed the members of the previous jury that they have formed their own action committee in defense of Vadim Kuramshin.

The Haldane Society of socialist Lawyers have sent protest letters to the President of Kazakhstan and its embassy in London.

Appeal to the Prime Minister of Turkey to End the KCK Trials

Leading British lawyers, who recently observed the latest session of the mass trial of lawyers in Istanbul on 6 November 2012, briefed British parliamentarians on their concerns. Hosted by Hywel Williams, MP for Plaid Cymru, and sponsored by Peace in Kurdistan campaign, the meeting took place on 27 November in Westminster. It was addressed by barristers Margaret Owen OBE, Bronwen Jones and Melanie Gingell, who took part the observer delegation along with lawyers Tony Fisher and Ali Has. Barry White, UK representative of the European Federation of Journalists, also addressed the meeting to draw parallels between this trial and ongoing trials of journalists in Turkey.

Attendees of the meeting were so seriously alarmed by the situation that they unanimously agreed to write directly to the Turkish Government with the attached statement (updated 20 December).

Statement on report into murder of Pat Finucane

The Haldane Society joins with Geraldine Finucane and her family in condemning as a whitewash and a sham the "report" into the murder of her husband, the Belfast solicitor, Pat Finucane.  

The all too predictable outcome of the work commissioned by David Cameron from Sir Desmond de Silva QC has added yet one more chapter of insult to the deades of collusion, cover-up, lies and broken promises in which one British government after another has attempted to close the book on this international scandal.  "Justice on the cheap" has been the motto of this Government and it is no surprise that the only justification the Prime Minister can offer for refusing to order the impartial public inquiry his predecessors had pledged to hold, is that it would be too expensive.

The family has, and always has had, our unwavering support in its determination to force the British government to account fully and publicly for the murder that we believe was sanctioned at extremely high - if not the very highest - levels.  This is not simply one family's fight for the truth.  If there is no justice for the Finucane family there can never be any confidence in the word of a British Government.

Statement of solidarity for David Rabelo

The Haldane Society has written to the Colombian attorney general expressing its concern about the case of David Rabelo. Read our statement of solidarity here.

David Rabelo is a Colombian human rights defender who has been imprisoned for over two years and until recently had been waiting for a verdict in his case for more than six months. On 5th December his verdict was made official and he has been sentenced to more than 18 years in prison.

David has been convicted on the basis of evidence from an imprisoned paramilitary, who was convicted a result of David’s human rights work. The paramilitary was found guilty of committing two massacres, and in exchange for his testimony against David, his prison sentence was reduced from 40 to a maximum of eight years.  

In recent months it was discovered that the state prosecutor leading the case against David’s case had been previously banned from public office, because of his involvement in a forced disappearance of a young man when he worked for the Colombian police in 1991. Even after this was uncovered the prosecutor was allowed to continue this case against David.

Critical Mass Defence - Urgent callout

Critical Mass Defence is asking for witnesses to the arrests at the Critical Mass meet on 27th July this year.

Were you or anyone you know at Critical Mass on 27th July, or at the meeting point under Waterloo Bridge? Solicitors want to hear from people who were there and not arrested. Even if you don’t think you saw anything, please get in touch with GBC Legal as soon as possible – by 10^th December at the latest: gbclegal@riseup.net 07946 541 511

They are especially keen to hear from people who were at the meetup point at Waterloo Bridge, or at/in the kettle on either the Stratford Roundabout or the Bow Flyover.

Full details here.

Haldane supports Campaign Kazakhstan

At our annual general meeting on 15 November we passed a motion to lend our support to Campaign Kazakhstan.

Following the AGM we wrote letters to the Kazakhstan president, Nursultan Nazarbayev and to the embassy in London conveying our concern about the treatment of human rights lawyer Vadim Kuramshin.

Vadim Kuramshin was arrested on 31 October in the city of Petropavlovsk, northern Kazakhstan, when a police squad burst into his house and arrested him without presenting any warrant. He was reportedly beaten during the arrest and while held in the detention facility in Petropavlovsk. 

We are pleased that the Law Society has also written to the president expressing its concern.

Haldane and Young Legal Aid Lawyers Winter Party 2012

The image in this article is an advert for the Winter Party 2012, stating that it is on 30th November at 7pm at Garden Court Chambers.  Tickets £12 (£8 students) available on the door.  Speaker TBC.  Food and drink included.

Haldane welcomes Scottish Affairs Committee investigation into blacklisting

Read our letter to SAC here.

Emergency Resolution on Gaza Assassinations by Israel

Passed by the AGM 15 November 2012.

"The Haldane Society denounces the assassination of Ahmed al-Jaabari, one of the leaders of HAMAS, which has to be seen against a background of the slow genocide committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip by means of blockade, destruction of infrastructure, the killings of Operation Cast Lead, and the massacre of the Palestinian people."

Emergency protests:

Saturday 17th November 1400-1600

outside the Israeli Embassy, 2 Palace Green, London W8 4QB
(nearest tube High St Ken)

Other protests happening around the UK.

Socialist Lawyer No. 62 Out Now

In this issue of Socialist Lawyer (No 62) published by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, President Mike Mansfield writes on the parallels between the Report of the Independent Panel on Hillsborough and the Saville Report into Bloody Sunday. Mike Mansfield represented some of the families in both inquiries.

Mansfield praises the Independent Panel on Hillsborough for the conduct of the investigation. There were “no leaks official or unofficial. No Partiality. Families first”. It was “a perfect prototype or model for the future” and “truth in action rarely observed in other judicial processes, however good the intentions”.

Surprisingly for someone proud of being a radical lawyer, Mansfield praises David Cameron for his “statesmanlike and authoritative speeches” in response to the Hillsborough Panel and the Saville Report. Thousands in Derry, and later in Liverpool, broke into applause, feeling vindicated and rehabilitated from the lies and smears that had been cast upon the dead victims of each tragedy.

Above all, Mansfield praises “the power of public opinion [that] rose up from the terraces and galvanised the first e-petiition to trigger a debate in Parliament”. This was due to the “extraordinary efforts of the victims, friends and relatives. Single minded, unstinting and persistent over decades”.

Mansfield calls for the establishment of a permanent Truth Commission, with a rotating membership, to examine examples of systematic failure or abuse. The membership of this Commission would have to command respect for their independence of mind and spirit, their expertise and their dedication. Those were the outstanding features of every single Hillsborough panel member. He wonders if the Chilcot and Leveson Inquiries will emulate the Hillsborough panel.

Notes to editors

The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers was founded in 1930. It provides a forum for the discussion and analysis of law and the legal system, both nationally and internationally, from a socialist perspective. It holds frequent public meetings and conducts educational programmes. It is independent of any political party. Membership comprises lawyers, academics, students and legal workers as well as trade union and labour movement affiliates. For more information on the Haldane Society contact Liz Davies on 07958 673840.

Michael Mansfield QC is President of the Haldane Society and a criminal defence barrister. He is known for representing victims of miscarriages of justice, including some of the Birmingham Six, the Bridgewater Four and the Tottenham Three. He represented the family of Jean Charles de Menezes at his inquest and represented families of victims at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry. He is a member of the jury panel of the Russell Tribunal inquiry into the legal ramifications of Israel's human rights and humanitarian law violations in Palestine. His autobiography “Memoirs of a Radical Lawyer” was published in 2009.

Michael Mansfield QC will address the Annual General Meeting of the Haldane Society on Thursday 15 November 2012, speaking on “Palestine, Putney and the planet”. For more information contact Liz Davies on 07958 673840. Entrance is free but priority is reserved for Haldane members, law students and practitioners.