Can a human rights defender, an academic or a lawyer demanding national reforms be treated "as if" he or she was a terrorist?
The case of 84 dissidents to the United Arab Emirates Government indicates that this shocking reality may be materializing soon, with the imminent risk of convictions to irremediable penalties like life-imprisonment or the death penalty. This is one the findings that emerged from a vibrant Panel Discussion with legal practitioners, scholars, NGOs and think tanks that I had the honor to organize and moderate at NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs on May 30 focusing on "Counterterrorism, Human Rights and the Independence of Judges".
Co-sponsored by the New York City Bar Association Committees on International Human Rights and United Nations, and its Independence of Lawyers and Judges Task Force, as well as the Student Association in Global Affairs (SAGA), engaging panelists included Senior Judge Delissa Ridgway (American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative), Michael Page (Human Rights Watch), Kyle Matthews, Olajumoke (Jumo) Ayandele, Ph.D. , and Rodney Dixon KC (Temple Garden Chambers). Opened by NYU-CGA Dean Carolyn Kissane and introduced by remarks of NYCBA Co-Chairs Christopher Pioch, Ramya Jawahar Kudekallu, and Sophia Romma, Ph.D., Esq., the Panel benefitted from introductory remarks of NYU Law Prof. Meg Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Lawyers and Judges who co-signed a powerful communication addressed to the UAE calling for the respect of human rights of all persons accused or detained on the basis of extremely broad and undefined terrorist offenses.
The video of the Panel and a detailed summary of its proceedings have been published on this webpage by the Montreal Institute For Genocide and Human Rights Studies: https://lnkd.in/dRcwp-fS
