Free Lebanon Lawyer Dr al-Mugraby
We join Amnesty International in condemning the arrest and detention of Lebanese lawyer and human rights activist Dr al-Mugraby in Lebanon.
Dr Muhammad al-Mugraby, who is putting his name forward as a candidate for the post of Chair of the Beirut Bar Association, has in recent years issued a number of statements in which he criticised sections of the judiciary and the Beirut Bar Association, and called for the reform of these institutions.
These prompted the Bar Association of Beirut to instigate a disciplinary action against Dr al-Mugraby accusing him of issuing leaflets and memoranda with the object of "harming and questioning the integrity of the judiciary and the credibility of the Beirut Bar Council".
On 17 January 2003 a disciplinary board of the Beirut Bar Association issued a unanimous decision striking off the name of Dr Muhammad al-Mugraby in absentia from the register of the Bar Association. The decision is subject to appeal, and becomes final only after the defendant has exhausted all means of appeal, according to Article 553 of the Code of Civil Procedures. Dr al-Mugraby appealed against the decision and is still waiting for the outcome. In the meantime he continued to practice law as a lawyer and to represent his clients before the court with the knowledge of the Beirut Bar Association.
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