In many regions of the world, practising as a lawyer can expose legal professionals to serious risks: threats, harassment, arbitrary arrests, abusive prosecutions, physical violence, and even assassinations.
Lawyers who defend human rights, the rule of law and access to justice are among the most frequently targeted. Their commitment to upholding fundamental freedoms for all increasingly leads to acts of repression by authorities.
For Avocats Sans Frontières, the International Day of Lawyers in Danger is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of protecting the legal profession. This commitment lies at the heart of our mandate: safeguarding civic space, supporting legal professionals, and ensuring that the law remains a tool for emancipation rather than repression.
Systemic attacks against lawyers
In many authoritarian contexts or settings weakened by conflict, lawyers are perceived as obstacles by those in power. By defending political opponents, journalists, human rights defenders, women, migrants or marginalised communities, lawyers may challenge the interests of political and economic elites.
Violations against them take many forms: repressive laws criminalising the profession, interference in bar associations, surveillance, smear campaigns, arbitrary detention or restrictions on the exercise of their profession. These practices do not target individuals alone; they aim to weaken the justice system as a whole and to deter any form of legal challenge.
Attacking lawyers means attacking the right to a fair trial, equality before the law and, ultimately, democracy itself.
Women lawyers: specific targets
Women lawyers at risk often face a double burden. In addition to the dangers linked to their professional activities, they are exposed to gender-based harassment, threats against their families and social stigmatisation. In some contexts, the mere fact of practising as a woman lawyer constitutes an act of resistance.
A collective responsability
The International Day of Lawyers in Danger is also a call to action. States have an obligation to guarantee the safety of lawyers and to comply with the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers. International institutions, professional associations, universities and civil society also have a crucial role to play.
This is an issue that calls for strong and voluntary international cooperation among all these actors. Everywhere, it is essential to take a stand, to provide temporary relocation opportunities for lawyers at risk, and to offer political and financial support to organisations working on the ground to defend legal professionals.
Defending those who defend the law
In 2026, as civic spaces continue to shrink in many parts of the world, recalling the fundamental role of lawyers has never been more urgent. Their protection is not a corporatist cause; it is a prerequisite for the respect of human rights and for justice for all.
Avocats Sans Frontières will remain fully mobilised, alongside its partners, to ensure that those who defend the law are never left to stand alone.
On this International Day of Lawyers in Danger, let us reaffirm this clearly: without lawyers free to practise their profession, there can be no genuine justice.
Join AIJA in Supporting the Day of the Endangered Lawyer 2026!
ASF is honoured that the International Association of Young Lawyers has chosen to support us on the occasion of the Day of the Endangered Lawyer.
The funds raised will be used to defend lawyers and human rights defenders in the countries where we work.
You can support lawyers in danger by taking part in the AIJA challenge.
