uOttawa News

OTTAWA, August 19, 2015  —  Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, and the Carleton University Academic Staff Association (CUASA) will welcome Iranian scholar Hossein Raeesi as part of the Scholars at Risk (SAR) network during the 2015-2016 academic year.

Raeesi will be a visiting scholar in Carleton’s Department of Law and Legal Studies, where he will teach Human Rights, Sharia Law and Islamic Legal System. While at the University of Ottawa, he will be taking courses to earn professional accreditation as a lawyer in Ontario.

“This is a great opportunity for Carleton and the University of Ottawa to collaborate on helping a scholar like Mr. Raeesi, who has faced persecution and has had to flee his home country, to spend a year at Carleton and uOttawa in peace and security,” said Peter Ricketts, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) of Carleton University.

“SAR is of critical value for the many scholars around the world who face not only constraints on their academic work, but also personal threats,” said John Packer, associate professor of Law and director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre at the University of Ottawa. “We are honoured to be able to participate with Carleton University in this joint initiative.”

Raeesi practiced law in Shiraz, Iran, for 20 years. He is the founder and former head of the Human Rights Committee of the Fars Province Bar Association.  He is also the founder of Neday-e Edalat (Voice of Justice) Legal Association in Shiraz.  As a pro bono attorney, Raeesi has defended political prisoners, journalists, women and children who were sentenced to the death penalty.

In 2012, Raeesi relocated to Canada to escape undue detention and legal action initiated by the Iranian government.  Since then, he has been working closely with human rights organizations.

“[Participants in] Scholars at Risk make invaluable contributions to the academic community by sharing their expertise, life experiences and motivations. I am delighted to welcome Mr. Raeesi to Ottawa and look forward to the year ahead,” said Melanie Adrian, chair of the Joint SAR Committee.

SAR is an international network of higher education institutions dedicated to protecting threatened scholars, preventing attacks on higher education communities, and promoting academic freedom worldwide.SAR participants bring their scholarly knowledge and provide a different lens through which to understand and analyze their respective subject areas.

Media inquiries

Danika Gagnon
Media Relations Officer
University of Ottawa
Office: 613-562-5800 ext. 2981
Cell: 613-863-7221
danika.gagnon@uOttawa.ca

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