The U.N Tasked in Foreign Legal Strife

     The Washington Post reports that the UN Human Rights Committee, an arm of the U.N, recently has taken to hear the case of Jason Rezaian, a detained Washington Post reporter held on charges of espionage, among others, in Iran. Jason’s brother, Ali, has played a crucial role in bringing this case to the attention of an IGO, in the hopes of freeing him. This is a great example of something we have talked about in class, IGOs and their influence on world politics. During class, the issue came up that there is no formal world police. Due to this, who would Ali Rezaian bring this case to if he wanted to free his brother? Where would anyone go if they had a case that wasn’t covered by any specific government’s laws?

     We live in a global society that values liberalism on a large scale, and because of that the U.N. is a stronghold that any citizen of a state can come to with a need for a solution and will be helped by a fair and honest international court upheld to standards agreed upon by all. The United Nations established rules of behavior in their history by which all the participants agree to abide or face punishment/ sanctions. The rules are transparent, and over time, these rules set expectations so that all participants know what to expect. Because of this, actors will be concerned about their reputations in the world. This specific case is all too common, with many journalists seeking to equalize the way people listen to each other internationally, yet they continue to be imprisoned, sometimes wrongfully, for their intents and actions. The U.N. will be making a stand out case if they choose to seek the freedom for this, and many other journalists who have been jailed for doing the world a service, and could send the world into a new era of journalistic integrity on a global scale, and that is the true power of an International Institution.