Djibouti :

Centre pour l'Indépendance
des Magistrats et des Avocats

CENTRE FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF JUDGES AND LAWYERS CENTRE POUR L'INDEPENDANCE DES MAGISTRATS ET DES AVOCATS CENTRO PARA LA INDEPENDANCIA DE JUECES Y ABOGADOS
P.O Box 160,
CHEMIN DE JOINVILLE 26,
CH-1216 / GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

Geneva, 23 January 1996

For Immediate Release Threats Against Advocate Aref Mohamed Aref

The centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers (CIJL) intervened today with the Government of Djibouti on behalf of well known human rights lawyers Aref Mohamed Aref.

The CIJL requested that the Government of Djibouti provide protection to Mr. Aref and immediately investigate threats made on his life. According to information obtained by the CIJL, Mr Aref has recently been repeatedly harassed and threatened.

On 16 January 1996, and while in court, a person unknown to Mr. Aref approached him and specifically told him that certain Djibouti police officers have received instructions to execute him.

The person gave sufficient details to make his information seem credible. Although this person, in accordance with Mr Aref's request, reported this information to the attorney-general's office, the CIJL understands that Mr Aref has been advised that the police authorities do not intend to investigate these threats or to provide protection to Mr Aref. Instead, it is reported that Mr Aref is currently being followed without his consent by two agents of the Political Police.

The pursuit is apparently being conducted on the orders of the Chief de cabinet, Mr Isma'il Omar Guelleh. Such conduct contradicts the laws of Djibouti which require that a court order be obtained to allow for the pursuit of a lawyer.
This pursuit has been brought to the attention of the Attorney-General. It is also reported that agents of the Political Police went to Aref's offices today and threatened his secretary.

She was then summoned to their offices where she was again harassed. The CIJL is concerned that Mr Aref is being harassed because of his professional activities, which have included representing individuals whose human rights have been violated.

Most recently, Mr Aref has represented Mr Mohamed Saad who has been detained for more than 20 days without proper legal guarantees.

Such cases have made Mr Aref a target of government criticism. The CIJL believes, as expressed in the 1990 UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers that, "where the security of lawyers is threatened as a result of discharging their functions, they shall be adequately safeguarded by the authorities." (art.17).

Moreover, "governments must ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference". (art16a). These Principles were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly by consensus.

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