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 that day (January 24)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. The Foundation also supports threatened colleagues who have fled to the Netherlands and Europe.