Today, the ICJ has observed the trial in court proceedings against lawyer Amanzhol Mukhamediarov before the Yesil District Court in Nur-Sultan. Mukhamediarov, Chair of the Committee on the rights of lawyers of the Kazakhstan Bar Association, is facing disbarment following a lawsuit of by the Ministry of Justice of Kazakhstan.
Along with the case against Erlan Gazhymzhanov, who faces disbarment on the same set of facts, this case may raise issues of interference with freedom of expression of lawyers and possible interference in their work. This prompted ICJ to send a mission to observe court proceedings.
This hearing is observed on behalf of the ICJ by a lawyer from the Geneva Bar Association (Switzerland), Ms Xeniya Rivkin, as part of the International Cooperation Initiative project between the ICJ and the Geneva Bar Association.
The observer will carry out an assessment of the case based on the observation of the hearing in light of the materials of the case and the international law and standards on the role and independence of lawyers.
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