Cal Western Int’l Law Journal: Fairness in Extradition Hearings

“Physical death I do not fear; death of conscience is the real death.”

The right to self-determination is the common language, the common voice, the common struggle of all revolutionaries. It is a motivation that speaks to truth, justice, and ultimately peace. Yet, shrouded by fear, the voices of revolutionaries are being suppressed. For security, simplicity, and clarity, we label those who stand against repressive regimes as terrorists, without distinction, without contemplation. Fearful of being a haven to alleged terrorists, the United States is sending those who seek refuge from repressive regimes back to their torturers. The willingness to embrace voices of dissent has dissipated, and safeguards that were once in place for political dissidents, in the arena of extradition and asylum law, are quickly being eroded.