2025 General Assembly: In Madrid and Online, the OIAD unites its network to defend the defense
The OIAD held its annual General Assembly on June 26, 2025, gathering its active and associate members for a full day dedicated to defending the legal profession worldwide.
Held in a hybrid format, this year’s edition allowed a wide participation thanks to simultaneous interpretation in four languages, ensuring accessibility across the OIAD network.
The morning began with a closed session exclusively for OIAD members. It provided an opportunity to review the year’s activities, discuss strategic priorities for the future, and strengthen collaboration within the organisation. During the session, the presidency of the OIAD was officially transferred from the Consejo General de la Abogacía Española (Spain) to the Consiglio Nazionale Forense (Italy), which will hold the role for the 2025–2026 term.
Later in the morning, the Assembly opened to a broader audience. Two panel discussions highlighted emerging initiatives to support lawyers under threat and shed light on the challenges faced by legal professionals in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The first panel was moderated by Bénédicte Graulle and focused on strategies for mobilising support for lawyers who face threats and disruptions in their professional lives. Speakers Hosain Haydari (AIBAIE) and Cesar Sivo (AJUFIDH) offered valuable insights and experiences from the field.
Alfredo Irujo then introduced a powerful series of testimonies from lawyers Ana Katiria Suarez (Mexico), José Arnulfo López (Nicaragua), Venus Faddoul (Venezuela), and Andrea del Rocío Torres (Colombia), who shared moving testimonies of the threats, persecution, and acts of resistance they face in their daily work.
This year, the 2025 OIAD Award was presented jointly: 2024 laureate Hosain Haydari introduced Bar President Ibrahim Kaboglu and the Istanbul Bar Association Council, as well as Colombian lawyer Andrea del Rocío Torres Bobadilla, ex æquo winners of the 2025 OIAD Award. All were warmly recognised by the Assembly for their courage and commitment.
The afternoon was dedicated to exploring international legal mechanisms for protecting the legal profession. Alfredo Irujo, Massimo Audicio, and Julen Fernández discussed the legal and political dimensions of the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Protection of Lawyers.
Gonzalo Sáenz, a delegate from the 2024 Philippine Lawyers’ Caravan, and María Julia Cerdas Jiménez, a legal officer at the International Criminal Court, presented highlights from the Caravan’s report and shared the trailer for the upcoming documentary “Black Robes, Red Targets.”
Throughout the day, the OIAD reaffirmed its mission: bringing together the collective strength of its members, amplifying the voices of lawyers at risk, and advocating for the cause of a free and independent legal profession.
The OIAD extends its heartfelt thanks to all its members, speakers, partners, and contributors for making this important event a true success.
Let’s keep standing together to defend the defence.
Find us on:
- X : @ProtectLawyers
- LinkedIn : Observatoire international des avocats en danger
- Bluesky : @oiad.bsky.social
