To conclude the exhibition “Until Now” featuring photographs by Anne Geddes, we are delighted to welcome Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr. Shirin Ebadi for a visit and discussion.

Shirin Ebadi is an author, lawyer and was the first female judge in Iran. She has been living in exile in London since 2009. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.

Ebadi served as a judge in Iran until 1979, the year of the Islamic Revolution. After that, she was no longer permitted to work as a judge. In 1994, she co-founded the Society for Protecting the Rights of the Child. In 2002, together with other lawyers, she founded the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) to support those working to promote democracy.

Following her Nobel Prize in 2003, she co-founded the Nobel Women’s Initiative in 2006 and used part of her prize money to support the DHRC. In 2008, the Iranian government closed the DHRC by raiding its office, where 30 lawyers were now working on cases. During her travels abroad, her professional archives and personal belongings were confiscated, and her sister was arrested on baseless charges.

Brief lecture by Dr. Shirin Ebadi, followed by discussion with Prof. Dr. Bernd Engler (President of the Global Ethic Foundation) and Manuel Hagel, MdL (Chairman of the CDU in Baden-Württemberg).