INTERNATIONAL BRIDGES TO JUSTICE

CHINA: IN 2025, IBJ CONTINUED TO SUPPORT CHINESE LAWYERS WITH ONLINE TRAINING RESOURCES. OUR CHINA ELEARNING WEBSITE CURRENTLY HOSTS 120+ MODULES ON TOPICS RANGING FROM BASIC ADVOCACY SKILLS SUCH AS DEVELOPING A THEORY OF THE CASE, REVIEWING A CASE FILE, AND CROSS-EXAMINATION, TO MORE COMPLEX TOPICS SUCH AS UNDERSTANDING FORENSIC EVIDENCE AND DEFENDING CLIENTS WITH MENTAL OR PHYSICAL DISABILITIES. A MAJOR AREA OF GROWTH WAS IBJ'S DIGITAL LEARNING PROGRAM: SEVEN NEW ELEARNING MODULES ON DUE PROCESS AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE WERE DEVELOPED, ALONGSIDE EXPANDED MINORITY-LANGUAGE ACCESS THROUGH THE ADDITION OF FOUR MONGOLIAN-LANGUAGE MODULES AND NINE TIBETAN-LANGUAGE MODULES. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IBJ'S CHINA ELEARNING PLATFORM RECORDED 16,483 ACCESSES, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 34,370 ACCESSES ON ITS MINORITY-LANGUAGE PLATFORM, REFLECTING STRONG DEMAND FOR ACCESSIBLE LEGAL EDUCATION. IBJ ALSO CONTINUED TO DISSEMINATE KNOW YOUR RIGHTS MATERIALS AND RAISE AWARENESS ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES WITHIN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, CONTRIBUTING TO BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF LEGAL PROTECTIONS AND FAIR TRIAL STANDARDS.

MENA REGION: SYRIA: IN 2025, IBJ DEEPENED ITS WORK IN SYRIA BY COMBINING DIRECT LEGAL REPRESENTATION WITH LONG-TERM INVESTMENT IN A STRONGER, MORE RIGHTS-BASED DEFENDER COMMUNITY. IBJ PROVIDED LEGAL REPRESENTATION TO 379 DETAINED OR AT-RISK INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING 127 CHILDREN, MANY OF WHOM WERE AWAITING TRIAL WITHOUT COUNSEL IN AN UNDER-RESOURCED JUSTICE SYSTEM. JUVENILES WERE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE, OFTEN DETAINED IN ADULT FACILITIES AND EXPOSED TO HEIGHTENED RISK OF RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. TO STRENGTHEN LEGAL DEFENSE CAPACITY, IBJ TRAINED 128 LAWYERS, INCLUDING 62 WOMEN, THROUGH A TRAINING OF TRAINERS MODEL AND FOUR MULTI-DAY CRIMINAL DEFENSE AND TRIAL ADVOCACY WORKSHOPS IN AZAZ, IDLIB, DEIR EZZOR, AND ALEPPO. THESE TRAININGS IMPROVED PARTICIPANTS' SKILLS IN CASE ANALYSIS, EVIDENCE HANDLING, PROCEDURAL SAFEGUARDS, AND TRIAL ADVOCACY, WHILE HELPING STANDARDIZE RIGHTS-BASED DEFENSE PRACTICES ACROSS MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS. IBJ ALSO SUPPORTED 18 JUSTICEMAKERS FELLOWS, INCLUDING 8 WOMEN, EQUIPPING THEM TO SERVE NOT ONLY AS LEGAL AID PROVIDERS, BUT ALSO AS MENTORS, TRAINERS, AND LEADERS OF LONG-TERM REFORM WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITIES. INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS WERE REINFORCED THROUGH MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING WITH BAR ASSOCIATIONS IN ALEPPO, IDLIB, DEIR EZ-ZOR, LATAKIA, TARTOUS, DARAA, RURAL DAMASCUS, AND RAQQA. TO EXPAND ACCESS TO JUSTICE, IBJ STRENGTHENED REFERRALS THROUGH COURTS, BAR ASSOCIATIONS, AND COMMUNITY NETWORKS, HELPING CONNECT VULNERABLE INDIVIDUALS TO LEGAL SUPPORT. DESPITE SECURITY DISRUPTIONS IN NORTHERN SYRIA, IBJ CONTINUED DELIVERING CRITICAL LEGAL AID AND CAPACITY-BUILDING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, REINFORCING THE FOUNDATIONS OF A MORE ACCESSIBLE AND RIGHTS-BASED JUSTICE SYSTEM.