Human rights lawyer and Foreign Secretary form unlikely duo in fight against terrorism
Amal Clooney will team up with Boris Johnson later today to launch a new justice campaign on behalf of victims of the so-called Islamic State (IS).
The Doughty Street Chambers barrister has formed an unlikely alliance with new Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to introduce a new British-led campaign to gather evidence of IS’s “abhorrent crimes”.
Clooney and Johnson will address the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York later today, urging world leaders to lend their support to a new initiative that seeks justice for victims of the notorious terrorist organisation.
Late last week, Clooney — who specialises in public international and human rights law — took the opportunity to fire shots at the UN over its failure to stop IS-related crimes.
Introducing Nadia Murad — who was captured in northern Iraq in 2014 and used as sex slave by IS — Clooney delivered an impassioned speech, which revealed she was “ashamed” that more had not been done to prevent the killing and enslavement of Yazidi men, women and children, Yazidi being the name given to Kurdish people who follow an old religion related to Zoroastrianism.
According to reports, Clooney and Boris will be joined by the Iraqi foreign minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Belgian foreign minister, Didier Reynders, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad, and human rights activist and IS survivor Murad.