lawyer who defended nelson mandela

by Damien Hill 4 min read

George Bizos (Greek: Γιώργος Μπίζος; 14 November 1927 – 9 September 2020) was a Greek-South African human rights lawyer who campaigned against apartheid in South Africa. He was noted for representing Nelson Mandela during the Rivonia Trial.

Who was Nelson Mandela’s lawyer?

Jun 20, 2017 · Nelson Mandela Flash 90 Tributes were paid Tuesday to Joel Joffe, the lawyer who defended Nelson Mandela in the trial that saw the anti …

What happened to the co-defendants in the Nelson Mandela case?

Sep 09, 2020 · George Bizos, Anti-Apartheid Lawyer Who Defended Mandela, Dies at 92 A champion of human rights, he represented his client and friend in the so-called Rivonia trial of leaders of the African...

What happened to Nelson Mandela in the Rivonia Trial?

Sep 09, 2020 · George Bizos, an anti-apartheid icon and renowned human rights lawyer who defended Nelson Mandela on treason charges for which he escaped the death penalty, died on Wednesday aged 92. President...

Who fought against apartheid in South Africa?

Sep 10, 2020 · Top South African human rights lawyer George Bizos, who famously defended Nelson Mandela, passed away on Wednesday aged 92. His family said he “died peacefully at home of natural causes”. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa described Bizos as an “incisive legal mind” who had “contributed immensely to our democracy.”.

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Who opened the first black law firm with Nelson Mandela?

Oliver TamboMandela and Tambo was a South African law firm established by Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo in Johannesburg in late 1952. It was the first "Attorney Firm" in the country to be run by black partners.

Is George Bizos still alive?

September 9, 2020George Bizos / Date of death

What inspired Nelson Mandela to fight?

Mandela was fighting against apartheid, but he was also fighting for something: a better world, in which the freedom, justice and dignity of all were respected. Even before his release in 1990, Mandela began negotiating with the government to end apartheid.

Was Nelson Mandela a trained lawyer?

A Xhosa, Mandela was born into the Thembu royal family in Mvezo, Union of South Africa. He studied law at the University of Fort Hare and the University of Witwatersrand before working as a lawyer in Johannesburg.

What did George Bizos died of?

Natural causesGeorge Bizos / Cause of deathPersonal life and death Bizos died of natural causes at home on 9 September 2020 at the age of 92. He was given a special state funeral on 17 September 2020 and was buried at Westpark Cemetery next to his wife Rita.

When did George Bizos died?

September 9, 2020George Bizos / Date of death

Who fought apartheid in South Africa?

Although its creation predated apartheid, the African National Congress (ANC) became the primary force in opposition to the government after its moderate leadership was superseded by the organisation's more radical Youth League (ANCYL) in 1949.

How did Nelson Mandela fight for democracy?

At first, Mandela and his fellow members of the ANC used nonviolent tactics like strikes and demonstrations to protest apartheid. In 1952, Mandela helped escalate the struggle as a leader of the Defiance Campaign, which encouraged Black participants to actively violate laws.Jul 17, 2020

Who fought for freedom in South Africa?

There were many freedom fighters involved in creating the united republic we live in today, including former president Nelson Mandela, leader of the Black Consciousness movement Steve Biko, mother of the nation Winnie Madikizela Mandela, and former president of the African National Congress Oliver Tambo, to name a few.Jan 17, 2022

What was Nelson imprisoned for?

Nelson Mandela spent 27 years in prison for opposing South Africa's apartheid system. He faced harsh conditions meant to break his resolve, but Mandela refused to give up his efforts to achieve equality for all people.

Who was the first black president of South Africa?

The African National Congress won a 63% share of the vote at the election, and Mandela, as leader of the ANC, was inaugurated on 10 May 1994 as the country's first Black President, with the National Party's F.W. de Klerk as his first deputy and Thabo Mbeki as the second in the Government of National Unity.

Who did Nelson Mandela marry?

Graça Machelm. 1998–2013Winnie Mandelam. 1958–1996Evelyn Masem. 1944–1958Nelson Mandela/Spouse

How long did Nelson Mandela serve in prison?

He was sentenced to life in prison instead, and served 27 years. The lawyer played a key role in the release of Mandela in 1990. The Afrikaner saw there was no future in apartheid, and knew they couldn't "face the world forever", he told CNN in an emotional interview in 2013.

Who is George Bizos?

Former Anti-Apartheid activist and South African president Nelson Mandela's lawyer and friend George Bizos. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his death, saying ...

How long was Madikizela-Mandela in jail?

In early 1991 she was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for kidnapping and assault, but the sentence was reduced on appeal. The charges, Mr. Bizos suggested in his memoir, were part of a progressive diminution of Ms. Madikizela-Mandela’s stature and judgment.

Who was the lawyer who defended Nelson Mandela?

George Bizos, Anti-Apartheid Lawyer Who Defended Mandela, Dies at 92. A champion of human rights, he represented his client and friend in the so-called Rivonia trial of leaders of the African National Congress in the 1960s. George Bizos in 2011 touring the building where Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo had a law office in Johannesburg.

Who is Chris Hani's wife?

Image. Mr. Bizos with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, right, and Limpho Hani, the wife of Chris Hani, a leading anti-apartheid activist, who was assassinated in 1993. Credit... Reuters.

Who was Nelson Mandela's friend?

Arriving for his 80th birthday with Nelson Mandela, a client and longtime friend, in 2008. Credit... For decades Mr. Bizos represented Winnie Madikizela-Mandela , a friend and activist in her own right during the imprisonment of Mr. Mandela, her husband.

When was George Bizos born?

George Bizos was born in November 1927. The exact date was never known because municipal records were burned during the Nazi occupation of Greece, Mr. Bizos said in his autobiography, although his mother, Anastasia Tomaras, recalled it as Nov. 14. His father, Antonios Bizos, was the mayor of Vasilitsi, a village in the southern Peloponnese.

Who is George Bizos?

9, 2020 Updated Sept. 11, 2020. George Bizos, who fled the Nazi occupation of his native Greece at age 13 to become one of South Africa’s most prominent human rights lawyers, championing Black people who were denied those rights and devising a three-word phrase that may have shielded his client ...

Who is Nelson Mandela's lawyer?

Q&A: Nelson Mandela’s lawyer. George Bizos, attorney and friend of Mandela, used the courtroom as a battlefield during anti-apartheid struggle. George Bizos was a long-time friend and lawyer of Nelson Mandela [Matthew Cassel/Al Jazeera] While Nelson Mandela will forever be known as the champion of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, ...

Was Bizos' admission into the bar an event?

Bizos: Yes , it was an event. His admission [into the bar] was an event and we succeeded in the review court and the magistrate was forced to recuse himself from the case. Because [Mandela’s] client complained that the magistrate behaved against his choice of advocate, and he wanted that lawyer to continue to defend him but the magistrate was making it impossible. The judge agreed.

Who was the leader of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa?

While Nelson Mandela will forever be known as the champion of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa, there were many unsung heroes who, for decades, fought for the same cause. Teachers, workers, students and many others fought against the country’s apartheid regime from its founding in 1948 until it was brought down with South Africa’s ...

Who led the protests in 1948?

One of the students that led the protests was Nelson Mandela. He spoke regularly during lunch hour meetings and even though I was a first-year student (he was four years ahead), we became friends in 1948.

Who said "guilty or not guilty"?

Bizos: No, right at the beginning Nelson Mandela said, “Guilty or not guilty, the government should be where I am [on trial]. I plead not guilty.” The judge became upset and he said, “I just want guilty or not guilty, and no speeches”. [Mandela] was defiant [laughs]. [Other ANC leaders] Walter Sisulu said the same thing, so did Govan Mbeki. Dennis Goldberg said, “I agree with my colleagues”.

Who said "I want to be the last political prisoner that is released"?

Bizos: The spirit of eventual victory was there. I saw Nelson Mandela regularly in jail. Never once did he express any doubt that there wouldn’t be freedom during his lifetime. … Characteristically, Mandela said, I want to be the last political prisoner that is released. I won’t go out unless you release all prisoners. And I will do it in consultation with those who are in exile, and it has to be a peaceful settlement.

Where did George Bizos come from?

Bizos immigrated to South Africa as a young boy after fleeing his native Greece with his father. He came from the southern coastal town of Vasilitsi, where Allied soldiers sought refuge when the Nazis occupied Greece in 1941.

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