In the Netherlands, the Baha’i community is sponsoring an “interactive debate” on human rights in Iran at the famous Prison Gate Museum as part of its observance of the Five Years Too Many campaign.
The Prison Gate Museum in The Hague
The event will be held 14 May and will feature participation by several prominent specialists with knowledge of the Middle East and human rights.
Speakers include Gilles Plug, the director of the North Africa and Middle Eastern department at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He will address the topic: “What does the Netherlands do to promote the protection of human rights in Iran?”
Bernadette Ficq, an asylum attorney with Lawyers for Lawyers, will discuss legal processes in Iran and the risks faced by human rights defenders when they represent prisoners of conscience, such as the seven Baha’i leaders.
Shirin Milani, a criminal court judge in the Province of Overijssel, will discuss how Iranian Baha’is are persecuted across all ages and professions, “from cradle to grave.”
The event will also feature a video message from Nico Schrijver. Dr. Schrijver is a member of the Senate of the Netherlands, and vice-chairperson of the Geneva-based UN Committee for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The video can be viewed at this link.
The event will begin with a reception at 15:30. The program is scheduled to run from 16:00 to 17:00.
The Prison Gate Museum is located at Buitenhof 33. The medieval building, located in the heart of The Hague, once housed some of Holland’s most notorious prisoners – and was infamous for its use of torture. Today the museum strives to reflect the transition to modern justice in the Netherlands.
For more information, contact the Office of External Affairs of the Baha’i community of the Netherlands at: [email protected]