The Human Rights Podcast

On this episode of The Human Rights Podcast, LLM Student Paula Córdova speaks with Dr. Gillian Kane, current Lecturer in Law at Ulster University co-chairing the Human Trafficking Research Network, Research Affiliate at the Refugee Law Initiative and trustee at Chab Dai UK.

Join us as we explore Dr. Gillian's research on child criminal exploitation in Northern Ireland and displacement caused by organised crime, and discuss how legal frameworks and human rights responses can better protect vulnerable communities.

To learn more about Dr. Gillian's work at: https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/persons/gillian-kane/

Key Acronyms mentioned in this episode: IOM (International Organization for Migrations) and NRM (National Referral Mechanisms).

The podcast was produced by Paula Cordova in collaboration with the CELT Studios. Intro music: “Smarties Intro – FMA Podcast Suggestion” by Birds for Scale (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License). Outro music: “Smarties Outro - FMA Podcast Suggestion” by Birds for Scale (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License).

In this episode of the Human Rights Podcast, Saeede Mokhtarzade, PhD candidate at ICHR speaks with Prof. Roja Fazaeli, professor of Law and Islamic Studies at ICHR. The discussion explores the current human rights crisis in Iran, with a focus on the nationwide protests that began in December 2025. The conversation explores the roots of the uprising, the government’s violent crackdown on protestors, and the responses of the international community. Drawing on human rights expert analysis and firsthand accounts, the conversation examines the roots of the uprising, the role of international human rights bodies, and the ongoing struggle for justice and accountability in Iran.

The episode highlights systematic violations of human rights in Iran, including the gravest violations of human rights, such as extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances, and considers the challenges of pursuing legal remedies through international mechanisms. The episode highlights the urgent need for accountability, justice, and international solidarity, while emphasising the importance of documenting and supporting victims.

The discussion is informed by the latest resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council, which extends the mandates of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission and the Special Rapporteur on Iran. For more information, you can access the following links: - https://www.ohchr.org/en/media-advisories/2026/01/human-rights-council-adopts-resolution-extending-mandates-fact-finding - https://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/ffm-iran/index

The podcast was produced by Saeede Mokhtarzade in collaboration with the CELT Studios. Intro music: “Smarties Intro – FMA Podcast Suggestion” by Birds for Scale (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License). Outro music: “Smarties Outro - FMA Podcast Suggestion” by Birds for Scale (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License).

In this episode, Irish Centre for Human Rights LLM student Rebecca Shannon speaks with Professor Padraic Kenna, lecturer of land, property and housing law and policy from the School of Law at the University of Galway, delving into the concept of housing as a fundamental human right, exploring relevant legal framework, policy challenges and the future of housing rights in Ireland and beyond.

To learn more about Padraic’s work, visit the University of Galway website at: https://research.universityofgalway.ie/en/persons/padraic-kenna/

The podcast was produced by Rebecca Shannon in collaboration with the CELT Studios. Intro music: “Smarties Intro – FMA Podcast Suggestion” by Birds for Scale (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License). Outro music: “Smarties Outro - FMA Podcast Suggestion” by Birds for Scale (Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License).

This episode of the Human Rights podcast features a rebroadcast of “TALKING IMMIGRATION: Prof. Ciara Smyth,” originally published on The Mick Clifford Podcast on 27 November 2025. In this conversation, Professor Ciara Smyth, an expert in Irish and EU immigration and asylum law at the University of Galway, examines recent Irish government measures on immigration, challenges dominant narratives about population change, and unpacks common myths around asylum seekers and refugees in Ireland.​

The episode is shared here with the permission of the original producer. All rights in the original recording remain with The Mick Clifford Podcast and the relevant rights holders. Listeners can access the original publication at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1htpxntARPIpU1VbbL7Jxx and are encouraged to follow and support the original show

This episode offers an unflinching and deeply insightful exploration of one of Ireland’s darkest chapters—its 20th-century system of “Mother and Baby Homes” and related institutions, and the wider regime of enforced family separation. Joining us are Dr. Maeve O’Rourke and Dr. Mary Harney of the CLANN Project, a renowned survivor-led initiative that continues in its tenacity to challenge the Irish Government’s ongoing failure to uphold the human rights of those affected.

Listeners will hear how, despite overwhelming evidence of gross human rights violations, the Irish State continues to deny survivors’ rights to truth, justice, access to information, and meaningful reparation. A decade after the establishment of the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation (MBHCOI) in 2015—and years after the State’s official apology in 2021—the government’s response remains gravely inadequate and in clear violation of international human rights law.

The CLANN Project has played a central role in documenting evidence of gross human rights violations and exposing the deeply flawed processes that led to the Commission’s wrongful conclusions that effectively contradicted its own evidence and the reports that came from survivor testimony.

We also discuss the Government’s Mother and Baby Institution Payment Scheme (MBIPS), a redress payment scheme that finally opened in 2024, and yet excludes tens of thousands of survivors through arbitrary and unjust eligibility rules. The CLANN campaign continues to advocate for the scheme to be expanded in line with human rights law. (More information at llmclann.com.)

Beyond redress, our conversation explores CLANN’s broader work—supported by the Human Rights Law Clinic at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, University of Galway—including campaigns for legislative reform, access to identity and birth information, record-keeping in compliance with EU law, memorialisation, and public education ensuring that these injustices are never forgotten. We consider how movement lawyering, survivor-led advocacy, and international legal mechanisms have been mobilised to challenge ongoing State violations.

https://clannproject.org/

https://jfmresearch.com/

https://openheartcitydublin.ie/seanmcdermottstreet/

https://adoption.ie/

https://www.universityofgalway.ie/irish-centre-human-rights/humanrightslawclinic/

The podcast was produced by Lisa Murray and Kirsten Larson. Intro Music: 'Smarties Intro -FMA Podcast Suggestions' by Birds for Scale (Attribution - ShareAlike 4.0 international License). Outro Music 'Smarties Outro -FMA Podcast Suggestions' by Birds for Scale (Attribution - ShareAlike 4.0 international License).