Iraqi Judges In Nottingham To See Justice Work

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