Curtis Doebbler
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Dr. Curtis F.J. Doebbler is an international human rights lawyer who since 1988 has been representing individuals before international human rights bodies in Africa, Europe, the Americas and before United Nations bodies. He is also an American lawyer authorized to practice before the courts of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC, United States.[1]
Doebbler was born in 1961 in Buffalo, New York, and has American and Dutch nationality.[2]
He is known for his outspoken opposition to human rights violations by the U.S. government and his support of individuals in countries that have been subject to armed attacks by the United States.[3] He has worked almost two decades in Africa, Asia and the Middle East teaching international human rights law and representing individuals in human rights cases.
In the case of the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Doebbler argued before the Iraqi Special Tribunal that the court was illegal and did not respect human rights.[4]
More recently he has made representations before the UN Human Rights Council calling for it to end its selective punishment of human rights violators and to especially take steps against powerful countries when they violate human rights.
He has advised the Palestinian National Authority and the Hamas government.[5]
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[edit] Education
Doebbler has degrees from four universities. His university degrees include a Ph.D. in International Law from London School of Economics, London, UK (he was supervised by Judge Rosalyn Higgins);[6] a Degree of Masters of Law (LL.M./meesterstitel) from Radboud University Nijmegen (previously known as Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen or Nijmegen Universiteit), Nijmegen, NL; a J.D. from New York Law School, New York City, New York, USA (where he studied under Professors Myres MacDougal and Lung-Chu Chen); and Bachelors of Arts in English literature and of Fine Arts in Journalism from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA. He also holds a diploma of the Hague Academy of International Law awarded in 2000.
[edit] Career
Doebbler has taught law at London School of Economics, Khartoum University, Pristina University, Tuzla University, The American University in Cairo, Webster University Geneva, and Tashkent State Institute of Law. Since 2004 he has been a professor of law (visiting) at An-Najah National University.[7]
His clients have included several sitting and former heads of state, an estimated 2.5 million internally displaced persons in Sudan, an estimated 15,000 Ethiopian refugees, and numerous other individuals and groups.
[edit] Writing
Doebbler has published numerous articles in academic journals and newspapers. His latest books include "The Principle of Non-Discrimination under International Law" (2007), "International Human Rights Law: Cases and Materials" (2004); "ИЗУЧЕНИЕ МЕЖДУНАРОДНЫХ ПРАВ ЧЕЛОВЕКА" (2004); "An Introduction to International Humanitarian Law" (2006); "An Introduction to International Human Rights Law" (2006); and "International Criminal Law" (2007). Doebbler has also been a regular contributor to the Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram and to the online legal forum JURIST.
[edit] Views on killing Osama Bin Laden
Doebbler believes that the United States' killing of Osama bin Laden was a violation of international law. He writes that "any US claims of justification in a situation involving the taking of life requires that the US prove that it acted out of necessity or some other legal justification. Not only has the US failed to provide such proof, it has destroyed the best evidence —the body of the very victim. The US actions concerning Osama Bin Laden’s body look merely like the work of criminals trying to dispose of the evidence of their crime."[8]
[edit] In the news
- JURIST, Saddam lawyer condemns execution as 'aggressor's injustice' (30 December 2006)
- CTV, Report: Saddam expected to be hanged this weekend (28 December 2006)
- CBS News, "American Lawyer Criticizes Saddam Court" (12 June 2006)
- ABC News, "American Lawyer Criticizes Saddam Court" (12 June 2006)
- BBC, "Anger Erupts in Saddam Courtroom" (12 June 2006)
- The Nation, "Saddam's US lawyer denounces court as trial resumes" (12 June 2006)
- CBS News, "American: Saddam Legal Team Denied Rights" (10 April 2006)
- American Free Press, "Saddam Lawyers Sabotaged" (15 October 2005)
- Associated Press, "Surprise Predicted for Saddam Trial" (22 December 2005)
- Village Voice, "Saddam Hussein's Lawyer Aims for Bush" (21 December 2004)
- St. Petersburg Times, "Hussein's defender: All deserve due process" (6 December 2004)
- CNN, "Saddam's sole American lawyer defends his choice of clients (27 May 2004)
- Crimes of War Project POW's or Unlawful Combatants (January 2002)
[edit] External links
- doebbler.net
- international-lawyers.org
- CD Publishing Company
- University College Cork Palestinian Solidarity Campaign
- "Curtis Doebbler is an international human rights lawyer,..."
[edit] Notes
- ^ http://www.martindale.com/Curtis-FJ-Doebbler/1273659-lawyer.htm
- ^ ‘t ORANJE KRANTJE - Volume 15, Issue 1 accessed at http://www.dutchconnectionaz.org/Upload/Newsletters/2005-01_Newsletter.pdf
- ^ Kareem Fahim, "Saddam Hussein's Lawyer Aims for Bush Prawn salad and occupation politics with the dictator's defense attorney," Village Voice, 14 December 2004.
- ^ Curtis Doebbler, "An Intentionally Unfair Trial," Journal of International Criminal Justice, Vol. 5, Issue 2, pp. 264-271, 2007.
- ^ http://cosmos.ucc.ie/cs1064/jabowen/IPSC/php/authors.php?auid=2752.
- ^ Listing Doebbler as a "prominent alumni" at http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/alumniRelations/newsAndPublications/prominentAlumni.htm.
- ^ An-Najah National University, College of Law, http://www.najah.edu/index.php?page=311.
- ^ The illegal killing of Osama Bin Laden
