Wine & Cheese Debate with Ambassador Bolewski: Diplomatic Asylum in International Law: From Assange to Snowden

The most recent edition of AGS’s “Wine and Cheese” discussion had Ambassador and AGS professor Wilfried Bolewski as the evening’s speaker and main attraction. The debate was centered on the theme: “Diplomatic Asylum in International Law: From Assange to Snowden.”

Ambassador Bolewski gave the background of the ongoing cases of Julian Assange and Edward Snowden and examined them from the perspective of international law. He highlighted the factors of diplomatic immunity and discussed the implications of international treaties such as the Vienna Convention. He explained the procedure in Ecuador’s decision to give Assange diplomatic asylum within the Ecuadorian embassy in the United Kingdom as well as Snowden’s sought after asylum in Russia to escape American indictment.

With regards to diplomatic missions within foreign countries, Ambassador Bolewski emphasized the need to adhere to certain rules and guidelines such as the sovereign equality of States, and the inviolability of diplomatic practices in future decision-making, stating that “The disputed legality of granting diplomatic asylum according to General International Law does not allow an infringement on the undisputed inviolability of the embassy.”Yet, he also recognized the difference in regional understanding of international customary law, citing the relevant example of Latin America, as “there are new emerging laws corresponding to new emerging situations.”

One of the highlights of the evening was a Foreign Policy decision-making exercise: Ambassador Bolewski engaged the audience in providing options and possible solutions in a lively round of discussion. Dr. Eileen Servidio, President of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at AGS, moderated the exercise, and awarded a prize - a bottle of French wine - to three highly engaged AGS students, Christina Boehrer, Christine Brownfield and Mathew Wood.

Ambassador Bolewski is a German career diplomat, lawyer and professor of International Law. Attending the evening were AGS students, alumni, faculty members and other guests, including the former director of AGS, Georges Lambrakis, who had 31 years of experience in the US Foreign Service serving in Europe and the Middle East.

See photos of the evening:

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