Lawyers are under attack globally. Authoritarians are transforming them from counsel to accused, turning the law into a tool of persecution. In countries like Iran and Russia, lawyers are now the last line of defense and the latest targets.

In a new op-ed, Irwin Cotler and Brandon Silver highlight the case of Nasrin Sotoudeh, recently re-arrested in Iran, and the systematic targeting of Alexei Navalny’s legal team in Russia to isolate and eliminate political opposition.

The authors argue that attacking lawyers reveals a deep fear: fair trials and the rule of law threaten a despot’s power. To fight back, the international community must leverage Magnitsky sanctions and support the new Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer.

Author Brandon Silver will speak at @OsloFF this June, where he will discuss the global crackdown on legal defenders and how to protect those who uphold justice in the face of tyranny. Read the full piece here.