Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Two judgments from the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) on Burma prisoner cases.

BDD

The first judgment is regarding the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Freedom Now (www.freedom-now.org) and DLA Piper were retained to represent her by a member of her family in 2006. While this is the 5th time in 18 years that the UNWGAD has found that her detention is arbitrary and in violation of international law, it is the first time that it has explicitly stated that the junta is failing to abide by its own law in detaining her as well.

The second judgment is regarding Min Ko Naing (Paw Oo Tun), Min Zayar (Aung Myin), Kyaw Min Yu (Ko Jimmy), and Pyone Cho (Mtay Win Aung). Each is a high profile prisoner in their own right. The Burma Justice Committee, a UK group comprised of prominent barristers and solicitors, which includes the current and former Chairmen of the Bar of England and Wales, has been in the lead on this latter set of cases, retained by members of their families. Barristers Sappho Dias and Adam Zellick drafted the petitions to the UNWGAD.

Contact: Jared Genser
+1 202 320 4135



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