The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) has granted its 2020 Human Rights Award to seven Egyptian lawyers who are currently in prison.

The body, which represents the Bars and Law Societies of 45 countries, has also given an exceptional posthumous award to Turkish lawyer Ebru Timtik (pictured), who died in August 2020.

Seven in prison

The seven Egyptian lawyers are:

• Haytham Mohammadein, a human rights lawyer and labour activist,
• Hoda Abdelmoniem, former member of the National Council for Human Rights, spokesperson for the Revolutionary Coalition of Egyptian Women and consultant for the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF),
• Ibrahim Metwally Hegazy, a lawyer, member of the ECRF and co-founder of the Egyptian Association of Families of the Disappeared (EAFD),
• Mahienour El-Massry, who is often described as a voice of the revolution and is active in the defence of women's rights and many other citizen’s rights,
• Mohamed El-Baqer, director of Adalah Center for Rights and Freedoms, 
• Mohamed Ramadan, a lawyer whose work involves legally representing human rights defenders,
• Zyad El-Eleimy, a lawyer and a former parliamentarian in Egypt.

Hunger strike

Ebru Timtik was a distinguished Turkish lawyer belonging to the Progressive Lawyers Association and the People's Law Office.

Together with several other lawyers, she was accused of being a member of a terrorist organisation under Turkey’s anti-terrorism laws and sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison.

Along with lawyer Aytaç Ünsal, she started a hunger strike in January 2020 to protest about the conduct of her trial, and those of several dozen Turkish lawyers. Ebru Timtik passed away on 27 August 2020.

The virtual Award ceremony will be held during the CCBE Plenary Session today (27 November).