Muhammad Haj Abdo
Quote
“Communities have been subjected to the most heinous types of human rights violations, and as a lawyer, I have lived through this era during my work defending human rights, especially women and children”
About Muhammad
Muhammad Haj Abdo is a defense lawyer and a certified arbitrator with over 25 years of experience in the legal field. He is a registered lawyer with the Free Syrian Bar Association and has previously worked as a Legal Trainer with IBJ. Throughout his career, he has witnessed severe human rights violations affecting communities, which motivated him to dedicate his work to protecting vulnerable groups through early access to justice. He has worked in several judicial bodies, courts, and local governance structures, including Afrin Local Council, where he served as Head of the Legal Office and provided legal advice and legal support. He has also held senior legal and administrative positions within interim government institutions and worked as a legal advisor and trainer for local councils. Muhammad currently runs his own law office and continues to provide legal consultancy services in Afrin.
The Challenge
Mr. Abdo finds that a lack of cooperation among legal actors and police misconduct during arrest and interrogation deters people from accessing justice when a violation has been committed. He also identified that the lack of early legal representation leads to a further increase in violations during the arrest period. Moreover, the lack of knowledge of legal rights in society affects the overall human rights situation in the country.
The Innovation: Justice for All
Mr. Abdo’s project introduces a community-centered model to strengthen early legal representation and promote respect for defendants’ rights in Afrin and Azaz. By training lawyers on early-stage defense procedures and engaging directly with the judiciary, the initiative aims to ensure that detainees can meet with a lawyer during the crucial initial investigation period. A core component of the project is expanding legal knowledge among police officers and prison staff, in order to reinforce humane arrest procedures, reduce the risk of arbitrary detention or ill-treatment, and strengthen collaboration among legal actors. In addition, Mr Abdo’s project aims to raise public awareness of legal rights among vulnerable citizens, especially women, children, juveniles, minorities, and low-income individuals. Mr Adbo’s long-term aim is to build a more accessible justice system and foster a culture that values early legal representation and the protection of human rights.