The Third Way
Freedom for all, all for freedom
Jeremy Zucker and Jared Genser
It is no secret that many people around the world do not enjoy basic human freedom to express our
political options or religious beliefs, to assemble peacefully, to not be arbitrarily detained without
due process: all these and more remain available to far too few of us around the globe. And while it
is easy to wish for an improvement to humanity's common lot, very few have the courage to stand up
to their oppressors and speak out. After all, such an active approach to fundamental change involves
tremendous personal risk, and many have been imprisoned, or worse, for taking such risks.
These "prisoners of conscience" should not be forgotten. They need our help. Just as they often take
steps to shine a bright light on oppressions, so too should we focus attention on the injustice of their
detention. From Aung San Suu Kyi to Nelson Mandela, they can become tomorrow's leaders in the cause of
freedom. Speaking up on behalf that strategic and determined advocacy on behalf of certain prisoners of
conscience can make an important contribution.
We take on prisoners of conscience as clients, providing legal, political and public relations advocacy in
pursuit of their release. And we focus on representing individuals who, by virtue of the nature of the
injustices at issue, enable us to draw attention not only to their particular stories but also to larger
patterns of oppression.
Through our efforts, and those of our in-country partners, we secured the release of Ayub Masih, a
Pakistani Christian sentenced to death under Pakistan's draconian blaspheny laws. Mr. Masih was freed
after the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found his confinement violated fundamental principles
of both Pakistani and international law, and members of the US Congress urged President Pervez Musharraf
to resolve the case. Subsequently, the Supreme Court acquitted Mr. Masih. We were particularly pleased
that the decision resulted not only in Mr Masih's release but also set a precedent for the conduct of future
blasphemy trials.
In recent days, we have celebrated the release of Father Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly and Nguyen Dan Que form
Vietnamese prisons. Both have spoken out for greater political and religious freedom in Vietnam. While
it is premature to conclude that their release indicates the Vietnamese government's recognition that their
causes are just, at a minimum it indicates an awareness that these men, and their causes, enjoy broad support
around the world. We continue to hope that Chinese pro-democracy mainland prison, where he has languished
in ill health for more than 1,000 days, notwithstanding the legal case we have made and the political support
we have gathered for his release.
Our approach is but one way to demonstrate our unwavering opposition to those who would deny fundamental
freedoms to their fellow men and women. There are others. For examples, governments can be encouraged to
gather and disseminate more information concerning these prisoners, and to make human rights more prominent
in their diplomatic discourse.
Those of us blessed with freedom to express our views should not waste the opportunity to make known our
contempt for oppression and our support for those who speak out against it.
Jeremy Zucker is chairman, and Jared Genser is president, of Freedom Now, a Washington-base non-governmental organization.
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Source: "South China Morning Post".
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