Special guest lecture by Human Rights Defender Mr. Rasul Jafarov (Azerbaijan)
On Wednesday 5 October the Europa Institute hosts a special guest lecture by Human Rights Defender Mr. Rasul Jafarov from Azerbaijan.
Prof. Rick Lawson, who invited Mr Jafarov to come over to Leiden, explains: “Rasul Jafarov is a well-known activist, who has received international recognition for his efforts to promote and protect human rights in his country. In 2014 he was arrested and eventually convicted to a prison sentence. In March 2016 the European Court of Human Rights found, essentially, that his arrest and pre-trial detention had not been justified and had been carried out in bad faith, that his rights had been restricted for purposes other than those prescribed in the Convention, and that his right to petition the Court had been hindred. Mr. Jafarov was released by the authorities on the day that the Strasbourg Court delivered its judgment”.
Kristel van Kruisbergen, who is teaching in a number of human rights programmes, together with Rick Lawson, is excited by the prospect of having Mr. Jafarov in class. “It will be very interesting for our students to meet someone who has been campaigning for human rights under very difficult circumstances. Mr. Jafarov was willing to risk his career as a lawyer for the cause of human rights. The guest lecture provides us with a great opportunity to add a very real dimension to our regular programme”.
Mr. Jafarov will give a lecture, followed by a Q&A session with the students. Coffee and tea will be served afterwards, allowing for the debate to continue informally. Since only a limited number of seats was available, registration has been limited to the students who are currently enrolled in one of several human rights courses.The judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Mr. Rasul Jafarov case can be found here.