Last February, Amal Clooney wrote a very harsh report criticizing the Egyptian government for the way that they allow officials to select judges, and now her own words have put her at risk. Clooney could easily be arrested in Egypt for speaking badly of their judicial system, a threat that leaves the human rights attorney completely undaunted.
In June of 2014 three Al Jazeera journalists were convicted of supposedly helping the Muslim Brotherhood. Peter Greste, Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy, who is now represented by Clooney, were initially sentenced to between seven and 10 years in jail by Egyptian judge Mohamed Nagy Shehata. Apparently, Shehata is quite controversial and Clooney believes that the questionable policies that put him into office have ultimately led to her client's imprisonment.
The Guardian interviewed Clooney exclusively and she explained the situation from her perspective saying,
"When I went to launch the report, first of all they stopped us from doing it in Cairo," Clooney told The Guardian. "They said: 'Does the report criticize the army, the judiciary, or the government?' We said: 'Well, yes.' They said: 'Well then, you're risking arrest.'"
The report, compiled on behalf of the International Bar Association, said Egypt's judicial system was not as independent as it could be. It pointed out that officials in the ministry of justice have wide powers over nominally independent judges, and highlighted the control the government can exert over state prosecutors.
Among other recommendations, Clooney and her co-authors suggested ending the practice that allows Egyptian officials to handpick judges for certain politicized cases. "That recommendation wasn't followed, and we've seen the results of that in this particular case where you had a handpicked panel led by a judge who is known for dispensing brutal verdicts," Clooney. said "And this one was no different."
Clooney is well-aware of the fine lines that go along with tackling human rights cases and she obviously doesn't back down when faced with potential personal fallout. She has said that she has every intention of fighting to find another way to ultimately secure Fahmy's release.
