Last semester, I was part of an amazing students team that was involved in a Human Rights Advocacy Internship Project involving Professor G.N Saibaba, an English Literature Professor from India. The Professor had been languishing in prison since 2014, convicted to life imprisonment in 2017 with his academic freedom repressed and suppressed by his own government.
This internship was a collaboration between my university, University of South Eastern Norway, specifically Master's students from the Human Rights and Multiculturalism program, and an organization called Scholars at Risk that advocates for academic freedom of Scholars from all around the globe.
I remember when we started out, there were moments of despair when it seemed like our advocacy plans were so bleak in comparison to the bigger picture and at times it felt like our efforts were not getting enough traction. I remember posting about the Professor's case on my social media platforms and different social groups asking for signatures on our petition.
Please note that we were not the first ones to campaign for the Professor. There had been others before us *from different global platforms* who had campaigned, and there was us who were carrying on the campaign because advocating for Human Rights is always a continuous process.
This advocacy journey led us to brave the cold outside the Norwegian Parliament in Oslo in a peaceful protest campaigning for the release of Professor Saibaba (after which almost the whole class got sick) and advocating for immediate medical attention to be accorded to him due to his deteriorating health. We had an Advocacy Day in campus and even travelled to University of Trento in Italy to present our advocacy campaign at the European Advocacy Days Seminar organized by Scholars at Risk.
Part of our program during our stay in Trento was a keynote address by former wrongfully imprisoned student Patrick Zaki. I remember listening to him speak about his imprisonment, his horrifying experience, and subsequent release and the questions that were on repeat in my mind were;
- Would Professor Saibaba ever get to taste that sweet nectar of freedom ever again?
- Would Professor Saibaba ever get to narrate the tale of his own imprisonment and subsequent release?
Fast forward to yesterday, Thursday the 7th of March when we received an email from our Professor Gabriela Mezzanotti sharing good news. She had just received word that Professor G.N. Saibaba had been RELEASED. An email that was accompanied by a picture of him in a wheel chair outside the confinements of prison looking good and with a smile on his face... and that right there! ... just made my entire year.
An occurrence so special, so rare and overwhelming because the wins of fighting for academic freedom are sometimes so few and far between. Even though the Supreme Court of India is still considering a stay on the acquittal order, we will celebrate this win and keep advocating until the stay on acquittal order is rejected.
For now, it is Aluta Continua as Professor Saibaba's family asks that we continue advocating on his behalf.
For now, we celebrate you Professor Saibaba. Hat's off Sir!... as we clap with applause for your win.
For now, the fight continues.
Deep felt gratitude for those who have been fighting for your Human Rights and for your academic freedom.
Deep gratitude for those who supported our initiative from all over.
Indeed Haba na Haba, Hujaza Kibaba...
