Amal Clooney Begins Next Big Human Rights Case

2 minute read

After playing the role of red-carpet date for her husband, George Clooney, at the Golden Globes, Amal Clooney is taking off the white gloves and getting down to business.

Her latest mission: representing Armenia’s interests in a landmark trial before the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, France, beginning Wednesday.

The case is an appeal of a 2013 ruling by the ECHR – described as the Supreme Court of Europe – in which the court decided that a Swiss law prohibiting the public denial of the Armenian genocide is a violation of freedom of speech.

Switzerland is now appealing the verdict, and the outcome of the trial could have ramifications for other European nations, such as France, which have also attempted to outlaw genocide denial.

For her part, Clooney, 36, will attempt to refute testimony from countries, like Turkey, which do not accept that the mass killing and forced deportation of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915-1923 was an act of genocide.

See the Elegant Style of Amal Clooney

Hearing in the case between Turkish politician Dogu Perincek and Switzerland
Amal Clooney arrives for a hearing at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, on Jan. 28, 2015.Mustafa Yalcin—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
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Amal Clooney is seen in Los Angeles on Jan. 25, 2015.Splash News/Corbis
72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards - Arrivals
Amal Clooney attends the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 11, 2015.Jason Merritt—Getty Images
Amal Alamuddin Clooney in Athens for Parthenon marbles
Amal Clooney arrives in Athens as part of a team advising the Greek government on its bid to reclaim the ancient artifacts from Britain on Oct. 14, 2014.Ayhan Mehmet—Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
ITALY-US-BRITAIN-PEOPLE-WEDDING-CLOONEY
George and Amal Clooney stand on a taxi boat on the Grand Canal in Venice on Sept. 28, 2014.Pierre Teyssot—AFP/Getty Images
ITALY-US-BRITAIN-PEOPLE-WEDDING-CLOONEY
Amal and George Clooney arrive at the palazzo Ca Farsetti for a civil ceremony to officialize their wedding in Venice on Sept. 29, 2014.Pierre Teyssot—AFP/Getty Images
People George Clooney Wedding
The Oct. 13, 2014, cover of People shows George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin at their Sept. 27 wedding in Venice, Italy.People Magazine/AP
Celebrity Fight Night In Italy Benefitting The Andrea Bocelli Foundation And The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center
Amal Alamuddin and George Clooney attend the Celebrity Fight Night In Italy benefitting The Andrea Bocelli Foundation and The Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center Gala in Florence, Italy, on Sept. 7, 2014.Andrew Goodman—Getty Images
Global Summit To End Sexual Violence In Conflict
Amal Alamuddin attends the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict at ExCel in London on June 12, 2014.Eamonn M. McCormack—Getty Images

The appeal is Clooney’s first big case of 2015. Last year, she represented Greece in the country’s bid to have the Elgin Marbles returned from the British Museum.

More recently, she represented one of three Al Jazeera journalists imprisoned in Egypt.

This article originally appeared on People.

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