For most of us, when a judge was gunned down in Iraq, it was just another
grim item on the news. But for one University of Nottingham student, it was
personal.
The man - a senior Iraqi judge - was studying human rights law at the university
when he heard his close friend had been killed by insurgents. He paid the
ultimate price for being on the tribunal trying Saddam Hussein.
The judge is one of 16 Iraqis who have come to Nottingham on a Chevening
Scholarship to learn new ideas to rebuild the Iraqi legal system. The government
officials, judges, prison officers, human rights workers and lawyers have
been studying in Nottingham since January. Half those on the course, including
the judge, are from Baghdad and Basra, both areas afflicted by terrible violence.
They were too scared to talk to the Evening Post, because their lives could
be at risk if it becomes known they have studied in England. But the other
Iraqis are Kurds, from the more peaceful and pro-Western north of the country,
and were keen to talk. "Human rights are new to Iraqis and no Iraqis
understood it until now," said Saywan Afrasiab, 44, a women's rights
campaigner. "Under Saddam we had no rights to speak of."
The Kurds felt their region - which won its freedom from Saddam in 1991
- has a better chance of achieving the rights we in Britain take for granted. "Political
reluctance is the biggest obstacle," said Hazhar Taha, 23, a government
official. "The Iraqi politicians are unwilling to implement human rights
and the people are not aware of what they should demand from the government."
Amanj Mohammed, 26, who works for a non-government organisation (NGO), said: "We
have begun the work of creating a civil society." None said they were
afraid of being killed on their return home in April, but they had asked
the Foreign Office to fly them straight to Kurdistan. "If we go via
Baghdad the terrorists will kill us," said academic Rizgar Kadir, 34.
The course is being run by Professor David Harris, of the University of
Nottingham's Human Rights Law Centre. He said: "The intention is to
introduce Iraqis to a way of thinking that offers protection for individuals
against abuse of power by government.
"This is an idea that Iraqis have not been familiar with for a generation
or more. The course focuses on the position of women in society, Islam and
human rights, terrorism and human rights, torture of prisoners, and the trial
of Saddam Hussain."
Some course members may be involved in the drafting process for the Bill
of Rights in the course of their work. The course includes visits to Nottingham's
courts of law, Nottingham Prison and the Nottingham Refugee Forum.
Nottingham human rights and immigration law specialists Paragon Law Solicitors
have given a seminar to the Iraqi students. Thalej Vasishta of Paragon Law
Solicitors said: "The development of Human Rights Law in Iraq will by
key as the country moves towards being a democratic state. For this to be
policed by lawyers trained in Nottingham is fantastic for the city."
Article by Sean Kenny, The Nottingham Evening Post
Reproduced with
permission of The Nottingham Evening Post
Nottingham Evening Post 20-May-2005