The Scholars at Risk (SAR) program and visiting scholar Hossein Raeesi were honoured in the House of Commons on International Human Rights Day, Thursday, Dec. 10, 2015. Gary Anandasangaree, MP for Scarborough-Rouge Park, took the opportunity to highlight the work that Carleton University and the University of Ottawa are doing through the SAR program.
“I want to recognize the indelible work of human rights defenders who are often threatened or worse, killed for their work,” said Anandasangaree. “Mr. Raeesi has defended the civil, political and human rights of Iranians. Let us celebrate these outspoken heroes and commit to achieving human rights for all.”
Raeesi and representatives from the SAR network also had a chance to meet and share ideas with Maryam Monsef, minister of democratic institutions
Carleton University and the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA), in partnership with the University of Ottawa, joined the SAR network in the 2014-‘15 academic year. SAR is an international network of higher education institutions dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education communities and promoting academic freedom worldwide. SAR participants bring their scholarly knowledge and provide a different lens through which to understand and analyze their respective subject matter.
Iranian scholar Hossein Raeesi was welcomed to the network in August 2015 as a visiting scholar in Carleton’s Department of Law and Legal Studies. He teaches Human Rights, Sharia Law and the Islamic Legal System. While at the University of Ottawa, he is taking courses toward professional accreditation as a lawyer in Ontario.
Raeesi practiced law in Shiraz, Iran, for 20 years. He is the founder and former head of the Human Rights Committee of the Fars Province Bar Association. He is also the founder of Neday-e Edalat (Voice of Justice) Legal Association in Shiraz. As a pro bono attorney, Raeesi has defended political prisoners, journalists, women and children who were sentenced to the death penalty.
In 2012, Raeesi relocated to Canada to escape undue detention and legal actions from the Iranian government. Since then, he has been collaborating with human rights organizations on various issues such as Sharia law, human rights, the death penalty and LGBT issues.
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Monday, December 14, 2015 in News Releases
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