Ep. 35: Legal Analysis & Debate: 360-Degree Perspective on the Human Rights Situation since October 7 (Dr. Agnès Callamard – Secretary General, Amnesty International & Dr. Julia Duchrow – Secretary Ge

Guests: Dr. Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International & Dr. Julia Duchrow, Secretary General, Amnesty International, Germany Hosts: Alexandria, Mert & Yusuf Bio: Dr. Agnès Callamard is a globally recognized human rights expert and current Secretary General of Amnesty International. She previously served as UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions, leading the landmark investigation into the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Callamard also directed Columbia University’s Global Freedom of Expression initiative and is a leading voice on international law and accountability. Dr. Julia Duchrow is Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany and a legal scholar specializing in human rights advocacy. She formerly led Amnesty Germany’s Policy and Advocacy division and headed Human Rights and Peace at Brot für die Welt. Duchrow has represented Germany on the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency board and advised the German Foreign Office on civilian crisis prevention, emerging as a prominent voice on human rights, civil liberties, and Germany’s role in international justice. In this Episode: Recorded on July 14, 2025, hosts Yusuf, Alexandria, and Mert speak with Dr. Callamard and Dr. Duchrow about the human rights situation since Oct 7 in Israel, Gaza, the Westbank, Germany, the US and Iran.Amnesty International's 2022 Apartheid report was widely criticized in Germany, esp. for extending the legal allegation of apartheid to Israel proper. Another essential point of criticism was its retrospective analysis that gives "the impression that all measures to institutionalize the described system were deliberately and intentionally implemented from the founding of the state onward. This largely obscures the conflict dynamics that repeatedly contributed to worsening the situation and prevented alternative developments." Cf: https://www.swp-berlin.org/10.18449/2022A13/ To explore multiple perspectives, we also recommend to listen to our episode with Eyal Benvenisti (Ep. 36), a leading authority on the laws of occupation. This episode was recorded July 18, 2025. Disclaimer: Guest opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the podcast team. Technical legal terms and the state of jurisprudence are explained in Episode 36 with Prof. Claus Kreß; contested histories are addressed by Prof. Gudrun Krämer in Episode 21.