In 2009, the very first Day of the Endangered Lawyer was organized.
The purpose of the Day of the Endangered Lawyer is to call attention to threatened human rights lawyers on the day January 24th with a special focus on one designated country.
Ever since lawyers Symone Gaasbeek-Wielinga and Hans Gaasbeek went on a fact-finding mission to the Philippines in 1990, they have been active on behalf of their threatened colleagues all over the world.
Hans and Symone founded the Foundation Day of the Endangered Lawyer to strengthen their work. In the course of several years, the organization of the Day was successfully transferred to an international Coalition of lawyer organizations.
The course of action of the Day is to present, in as many countries as possible all over the world, a joint petition to ambassadors, consulates and other authorities of the focal countries, based on a thorough report. The report and the petition are made public.
The petition will draw attention to the problematic situation of threatened lawyers in the chosen focus country and also aims to establish a dialogue with the representatives of the country’s government. Furthermore, in the participating countries forum discussions are organized with local fellow lawyers and publications are made about the situation of the lawyers in the focal country.
The Foundation Day of the Endangered Lawyer also cares for families of threatened or murdered lawyers. And the Foundation supports threatened colleagues who have fled to the Netherlands and Europe.
TUNISIA selected as focus country for the Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2027
The Coalition for the International Day of the Endangered Lawyer has designated TUNISIA as the focus country for the Day of the Endangered Lawyer on the 24th of January 2027. The selection reflects serious concerns of escalating attacks on the legal profession and the independence of the judiciary. In the last years TUNISIA has witnessed a increased detoriation in the rule of law; not only lawyers are attacked but also judges and civil society organizations such as Avocats sans Frontieres,the International Commission of Jurists and the Tunisian League for the Defence of Human Rights
Lawyers acting in human right cases are confronted with prosecution, detention, suspension orders, travel bans and discriminatory measures . These measures are seriously undermining the independence of the legal profession. Independent lawyers are necessary to protect democracy and the rule of law.
The Coalition, gathering about 40 lawyer organisations world wide, will publish a detailed report ahead of the Day to raise awareness and urge concrete action in defense of the rule of law and the independence of lawyers.
OBSERVATION OF TRIAL AGAINST LAWYERS IN TURKEY 2025 and 2026
-From 1 to 6 September 2025 inter alia five lawyers from France and the Netherlands, under whom Hans Gaasbeek from the DEL, attended the process against 12 Lawyers who had defended Human Rights activists and their prisoners rights. Find the report here
-February 6th and april 10th 2026 the DEL observed in Adana the trial against Siar Risvanoglu , human rights lawyer defending Kurdish clients. The prosecutor asked to condemn lawyer Risvanoglu to 10 years of imprisonment but fortunately he was acquitted by the court.
The meeting was chaired by mr Jeroen Brouwer, member of the committee of recommendation, board member of Lawyers for Lawyers, former national dean of the Dutch Bar Association .
Report download
Final Verdict download
14 NOVEMBER 2025 CELEBRATING 15 YEARS FOUNDATION DAY OF THE ENDANGERED LAWYER
On the 14th of November 2025 the establishment of the Foundation DEL was celebrated in Haarlem, Holland.
Keynote speakers were
mr Boris Dittrich , member of the committee of recommendation, member of Parliament, former lawyer and judge, former advocacy director of LGBT Rights Program of Human Rights Watch . Mr Dittrich emphasized the importance of the rule of law and advocated, among other things,for more attention to legal aid as an indispensable part of that rule of law.
mr Peter Plasman, well known criminal law attorney in the Netherlands, spoke about the challenges for threatened criminal defense lawyers in Holland.
Bar Association