Vinge Partner Pär Remnelid has been awarded for efforts to promote human rights in Pakistan by being made an honorary member of one of the country’s largest bar associations.
When Pakistani lawyers protested against the arbitrary dismissal of judges and the imposition of a curfew in Pakistan in 2007, the authorities responded by assaulting, imprisoning and preventing lawyers from pursuing their profession.
Pär Remnelid, who was the President of the International Association of Young Lawyers at that time took the initiative and wrote a letter to the Pakistani Government in which he demanded an end to the oppression of lawyers and the judiciary.
The letter was also signed by Jean-Louis Collart, who led AIJA’s human rights efforts and Chris Raudonat, AIJA’s CEO.
The Lahore High Court Bar Association, one of Pakistan’s largest bar associations with more than 15,000 members, awarded Pär Remnelid an honorary membership in appreciation of his support for their efforts to safeguard the rule of law in Pakistan.
“I saw it as my responsibility to act in my capacity as the President of the AIJA. One of the Pakistani lawyers who was assaulted and imprisoned in 2007 told me that he and his colleagues took comfort from the letter and the support of the AIJA,” says Pär Remnelid.
