Aamer Anwar bids to become Glasgow University rector

One of Scotland's most prominent legal figures is in the running to become the next rector of the University of Glasgow.

Aamer Anwar is standing for rector at Glasgow University. Picture: Ian Rutherford

Aamer Anwar, a human rights lawyer who has handled a variety of high profile cases, announced he would stand for election this morning.

Nominations for the post close on March 3 and elections will be held on March 20 and 21.

If successful, Anwar would succeed former NSA security contractor Edward Snowden.

It would not be difficult for the lawyer, a graduate of the university, to become a more visible presence on campus. Snowden, a whistleblower who leaked thousands of classified documents in 2013, has been unable to visit Glasgow due to an outstanding American arrest warrant and lives in exile in Moscow.

In recent years Anwar has represented the families of Kirkcaldy man Sheku Bayoh, who died in police custody, and murdered Indian waiter Surjit Singh Chhokar.

In 2016 he revealed he received death threats after calling for unity within Scotland’s Muslim community.

Anwar had chaired an event at Glasgow Central Mosque in April calling for unity and condemning violence and extremism in the wake of the killing of shopkeeper Asad Shah and recent terrorist attacks in Brussels and Lahore.