Baha'i News: Baha'i International Community mourns passing of human rights expert

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Baha'i International Community mourns passing of human rights expert


GENEVA, 8 January 2012, (BWNS) – The Baha'i International Community has 
expressed its condolences over the passing of noted human rights lawyer and 
Tunisian jurist Abdelfattah Amor.

Professor Amor – who has died at the age of 68 after suffering a heart attack – 
was best known internationally for his 11 years of service as the United 
Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, from 1993 to 2004.

"As the Special Rapporteur, Professor Amor was among the world's foremost 
defenders of the right to freedom of religion or belief," said Diane Ala'i, the 
representative of the Baha'i International Community to the UN in Geneva. 

"He bravely spoke out on behalf of individuals and groups around the world who 
faced religious discrimination, regardless of the political consequences," she 
said.

In 1995, Dr. Amor visited Iran – among the few UN human rights investigators to 
do so – and subsequently issued a ground-breaking report that cataloged that 
country's widespread discrimination against religious minorities, including 
members of the Baha'i Faith.

A Muslim, Dr. Amor boldly pointed out the degree to which Iran had failed to 
live up to international human rights standards regarding freedom of religion 
or belief. 

"His report relied on detailed interviews and careful legal analysis and is 
still considered a milestone in human rights reporting today," said Ms. Alai.

Among other things, for example, Dr. Amor pointed out in 1996 that individuals 
have the freedom to "have or adopt" a new religion, as well as to retain their 
own religious belief, regardless of national laws that might say otherwise, 
such as is the case in Iran.

In another report issued in 1997, Dr. Amor made clear that governments are not 
to be the arbiters of what is legitimate religion, deserving of protection 
under human rights law. "It is not the business of the State or any other group 
or community to act as the guardian of people's consciences and encourage, 
impose or censure any religious belief or conviction," he wrote, a statement 
that was seen as significant in the face of claims made by Iran about Baha'is.

"Our hearts go out to his family, to the Tunisian people, and to the human 
rights community everywhere, who are sure to mourn his sudden passing," said 
Ms. Ala'i.

Dr. Amor was born 4 March 1943 in Tunisia. After receiving a law degree in 
1967, he undertook advanced legal studies in Paris. In his early career, he 
served as a university professor in Tunisia, serving, for example, from 1987 to 
1993 as dean of the faculty of legal, political and social science at the 
University of Tunis. 

In 1998, during his mandate as UN Special Rapporteur, he was elected to serve 
on the UN Human Rights Committee, where he continued to be a powerful advocate 
for the right to freedom of religion or belief. He was a member of the 
Committee at the time of his death.

In 2011, after the Tunisian Revolution, he was appointed as president of the 
National Commission for the Investigation of Corruption and Bribery under the 
regime of former Tunisian President Ben Ali.






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