I was encouraged to see that lawyers representing Issa Saharkhiz are using the European court system to sue Nokia-Siements for selling advanced technology that would allow a notorious regime like the Islamic Republic to spy on its restless citizens.
This is the kind of civil action that has been missing for too long. And why just stop there? Why hasn’t the IRI been taken to the International Court of Justice for documented crimes against humanity, namely the 1988 massacre of political prisoners?
If I was a lawyer, THAT would be my goal in life. THAT would make my life meaningful.
There are thousands of Iranian lawyers in north America and Europe. Like all professionals, they are making a good living and are generally unconcerned about human rights issues. That is fine and natural. We can’t expect all of them to have a throbbing conscience, to put their life and livelihood at risk and do something for the good of humanity.
All we need is just a few good lawyers who care. Where are they? What are they doing? Why are they not using their skills for the greater good? What’s stopping them from spending a few weeks/months out of their lives preparing a legal case against the Islamic Republic and shaming it for its atrocities?
Not every Iranian in the medical profession will join Doctors Without Borders and volunteer to save innocent lives in conflict areas. But I know some have. What I have not seen is the same degree of selfless humanitarian action by Iranian lawyers abroad — unlike their counterparts in Iran who have defended prisoners of conscience despite huge obstacles and personal risks.
I hope the Saharkhiz case will shake the conscience in the rest of the Iranian legal community and someone somewhere will challenge the biggest criminal of all.
