Iranian and European Judges' Conference: The Prosecutor's Role in a Fair Trial

Three representatives from BIICL contributed to a conference entitled Iranian and European Judges' Conference: The Prosecutor's Role in a Fair Trial on 7 and 8 December 2006 in Tehran. The conference was organised by the British Embassy in Tehran in conjunction with the Organisation for Defending Victims of Violence (ODVV), the Institute's local partner for its three year comprehensive project funded by the European Commission focusing on the promotion of human rights and democratisation in Iran. Dr Susan Breau was invited to give a paper on the Right to Defence and was accompanied by Dr Maria Vogiatzi, the Project Manager, and Anna Riddell, the Project researcher.

Following the conference the BIICL team spent several days meeting ODVV and with lawyers, including the Iranian Bar Association, judges and academics, in order to forge useful links for future project training ventures. The conference and meetings that followed revealed a significant willingness on the part of the Iranian judiciary and academics to engage in human rights dialogue with European counterparts, and the project's future endeavours look set to make a significant contribution in facilitating co-operation and exchange of information.

The next main element of the project will be the production of a Human Rights Manual in Iran, comprising international and Iranian human rights instruments and standards as well as in-depth studies on individual rights. In addition, a number of seminars and training workshops will be organised in Tehran and other cities for lawyers and other human rights defenders, in order to promote knowledge of human rights.

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