KF Online Programs

Operation L - Polish Efforts to Save Afgan Judges and Lawyers

Thursday, May 19, 2022, at 12:00pm

The Kosciuszko Foundation and The Jagiellonian Law Society

invite you to an online seminar

presented in cooperation with the American Bar Association, International Law Section, Women's Interest Network, and International Human Rights Committee 

OPERATION L

Polish Efforts to Save Afgan Judges and Lawyers 

Thursday, May 19, 2022

12 PM (NYC)/ 18:00 (Warsaw, Poland)

Featured speakers:

• Judge Anisa Rasooli – the highest-ranking and senior female judge in Afghanistan's judiciary, and the first woman to be appointed as a candidate to the Afghan Supreme Court, the country's highest judicial court.

• Judge Teyeba Parsa - judge in the Commercial Division of the Appellate Court of Kabul province and the communications officer for the Afghan Women Judges' Association (AWJA)

• Nigara Mirdad Omar - Deputy Head of Mission, Legal Counsel of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in Warsaw, Poland

• Anna Kruszewska - Legal counsel, member of Warsaw Bar Association, a partner in a boutique law firm Hasik Rheims & Partners

• Szymon A. Kurzawa - Consular Crisis Coordinator at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

• Karolina I. Smaga - Counsellor in the Consular Department, and a member of the Crisis Management Team at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

Download the webinar booklet HERE

When the US decided to withdraw from Afghanistan, thousands of Afghans, including women judges and lawyers, and many other professionals, found themselves in grave danger from the approaching Taliban forces. In response, Poland took action and evacuated over 1200 Afghans, among them almost 20 lawyers and judges with their families. Poland offered them a new home, and Polish lawyers have provided support and assistance in many forms.

In this fascinating webinar, you will hear, for the first time, the back story of this daring rescue, how it happened, how the Afghans felt, and what is occurring now. It is a story about how new technologies can change the course of events and how one tweet can make a difference. Finally, it is a story of human solidarity, hope, and old-fashioned human decency.

We are honored to feature two amazing Afghan women judges who were rescued, a Polish pro bono attorney who helped with these efforts, two representatives from the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs who arranged for the airlift, and a senior female diplomat from the Afghan Embassy in Poland who assisted with the rescue operation.

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