Shirin Ebadi: The Power of Law vs. the Law of Power

Shirin Ebadi was a judge in Iran before the Revolution. When she was removed for being female, she founded Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran and continued to provide legal advice and representation in human rights cases. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women’s, children’s, and refugee rights”. She was the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to receive the prize.

Her home has been invaded and her family attacked since receiving the award. In 2009 her Nobel Peace Prize was “confiscated.”

She has been in exile in the UK since June 2009 due to the increase in persecution of Iranian citizens who are critical of the current regime. In 2004, she was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the 100 most powerful women in the world.

Here she talks of the breakdown of international law in recent years.