A public meeting is to be held in Edinburgh on Saturday to discuss issues raised by the contempt of court charges against human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar. 

The meeting takes place at the Friends Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, from 2pm. Paddy Hill - one of the "Birmingham Six" wrongly convicted of IRA terrorism in 1974 - will be speaking at the meeting. Other speakers include terrorism and media expert Professor David Miller of Strathclyde University, and Professor Philip Taylor, who campaigned with Aamer Anwar to get justice for the Chhokar family after Surjit Chhokar was murdered by racists in Lanarkshire in 1998. 

Aamer Anwar is facing trial over comments he made last year about the conviction of his client Mohammed Atif Siddique on "terrorism" charges. Human rights campaigners say that the case threatens freedom of speech. This is expected to be a key issue when the case is heard at the High Court in Edinburgh next Tuesday.

Many leading lawyers have given Aamer Anwar their backing. Liz Davies, Chair of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, says: 

"The Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers fully supports Aamer Anwar at his forthcoming trial. Aamer is known to us as a brave, committed, utterly professional lawyer of the highest standing. It's hard to see that these charges are anything but politically motivated and we stand shoulder to shoulder with him in resisting them. At a time when the government and parts of the legal profession are prepared to ride rough-shod over our civil liberties, we need lawyers who are prepared to defend unpopular cases and stand up for the rights of the individual. Without those lawyers, there will be more miscarriages of justice." 

Paddy Hill agrees. He says: 

"In a world where more people are seen as suspects, the need for human rights lawyers has never been more crucial." 

Liz Davies and Paddy Hill are amongst the signatories to an open letter supporting Aamer Anwar. Other signatories include veteran Labour politician Tony Benn, former Guantanamo prisoner Moazzam Begg, lawyers Gareth Peirce and Imran Khan, MSPs Shirley-Ann Somerville and Bill Wilson, MP Mohammed Sarwar, and Massoud Shadhareh, chair of the Islamic Human Rights Commission.

Campaigners are expected to deliver the letter to the Scottish Parliament next week. Aamer Anwar has in recent years been a prominent opponent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Stop the War Coalition has given its support to him and Nicola Fisher, Chair of Glagow Stop the War Coalition, will be speaking at Saturday's meeting. 

More information: 07936432519   This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Source: SACC Press Release 24 April - Aamer Anwar Case Threatend Freedom of SpeechSee also: SACC Press Release 21 April  University and College staff join writer Iain Banks in backing Aamer Anwar