In May, GW Law alumna Axana Soltan, LL.M. ’24, served as amicus curiae before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Africa's highest regional human rights court.
Her involvement placed her alongside leading international human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which also contributed submissions to the Court. Soltan participated in proceedings addressing questions of significant importance concerning human rights obligations, access to justice, and the development of regional human rights jurisprudence.
The Court subsequently granted leave for Soltan’s amicus curiae submission to be formally filed in Advisory Opinion No. 001/2025, recognizing her contribution to the proceedings.
"It is a tremendous honor to contribute to proceedings before the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” Soltan said. “Regional human rights courts play a critical role in advancing accountability and protecting fundamental rights.”
An international lawyer and legal scholar, Soltan focuses on international law, human rights, international justice, and strategic litigation before regional and international legal institutions. Her work has engaged questions of accountability, access to justice, and the protection of fundamental rights across multiple jurisdictions. She earned her LL.M. from the George Washington University Law School in 2024, where she was a GW Law Merit Scholar and served as an editor of the George Washington International Law Review. Her top academic distinction led to her selection as a President Dwight D. Eisenhower Scholar, where she studied law and policy at the University of Oxford.
"GW Law provided the intellectual foundation for my work in international law, human rights, and global justice. The education I received at GW Law continues to inform my work before international institutions advancing justice and the rule of law."
Soltan's participation before the African Court reflects her continuing commitment to advancing international justice through legal scholarship, strategic advocacy, and engagement with some of the world's most important human rights institutions.
