Breaking News» Letter from the President and CEO» Leading Bahrain Activist Visits the United States» A Groundbreaking Agreement with Apple’s China Supplier» “Holiday on ICE?” House Committee’s Sarcasm on the Wrong Track» U.S. to Fund Egyptian Military Despite Ongoing Abuses» HRF In The News»

BREAKING NEWS:
Chen Guangcheng’s daring defiance of a brutal regime is giving courage to those in China and beyond who struggle for human rights. We commend the American diplomats who helped Mr. Chen get to the American embassy, sheltered him there, and negotiated on his behalf with Chinese authorities. It is a credit to the United States that Mr. Chen looked to American diplomats for help and protection. We now owe him our best efforts to ensure his safety.

Letter from the President and CEO

When mass atrocities are committed, the world community tends to focus attention on the perpetrators.  But genocide and other crimes against humanity are complex, organized crimes.  They require infrastructure, planning, and resources.  A few years ago, we developed an innovative strategy to focus on “enablers”—the countries, companies, and individuals that provide money and weapons that make mass atrocities possible. Our idea is to disrupt the supply chain for slaughter.

The crisis in Syria has highlighted the importance of this approach. The Assad regime is getting weapons from Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms dealer. Unfortunately, instead of cracking down on Rosoboronexport, the United States government is doing business with it.

Thanks to our efforts, a bipartisan group of group of 17 senators led by John Cornyn (R-TX), Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) is pressing the Department of Defense to cancel its contract with Rosoboronexport. We think the U.S. government should go even further. We’re urging the Obama administration to level sanctions on Rosoboronexport and the other companies providing material support to Syria.

The crisis in Syria is complex, and targeting enablers alone will not stop the violence. But going after companies like Rosoboronexport will increase pressure on the Assad regime and signal to the world that the United States is serious about protecting Syrian civilians.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

Leading Bahrain Activist Visits the United States

Dr. Nada Dhaif is an accidental activist. When democracy protests broke out in her home country of Bahrain last year, she was more of an interested observer than a revolutionary. But as part of its brutal crackdown on the democratic uprising, the Bahraini monarchy is persecuting medics—including Dr. Dhaif—who treated injured protestors. It arrested, tortured, and convicted in sham military trials a group of 20 doctors and nurses. In April, we brought Dr. Dhaif, the only one of the medics allowed to travel, to the United States to tell her story directly to policymakers in the U.S. government.

Brian Dooley, who leads our work with human rights activists abroad, has reported on the human rights situation in Bahrain and, in particular, the regime’s persecution of the medics. When he met Dr. Dhaif, he knew how important it would be to ensure that American officials hear directly from this articulate champion of democracy.

During her visit to Washington, Dr. Dhaif urged members of Congress and the Obama administration to speak out against the monarchy’s abuses and to quash a proposed $53 million U.S arms sale to Bahrain. She also appeared on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show, where she criticized the double standard in the U.S. response to the Arab Spring. “They’re going really soft with the [Bahraini] government, unlike the way they’re responding to Syria and Libya,” she said. “Bahrain is the forgotten part in the Arab Spring.”  Nada Dhaif is now back in Bahrain, where she is appealing her 15 year prison sentence.

A Groundbreaking Agreement with Apple’s China Supplier

The Fair Labor Association (FLA), an organization Human Rights First helped to create, recently issued an important report on conditions at Foxconn, a group of Chinese factories that make products for Apple and other companies. The report and the related agreement with Foxconn could change the lives of its 1.2 million employees; implementation is the key. “Talk is cheap,” said Meg Roggensack, as quoted in Time Magazine. “The steps needed to protect workers in Apple’s supply chain may not be.”

Under the agreement, Foxconn employees will work no more than 49 hours a week, and their take pay will remain the same; that is, they’ll work many fewer hours for the same amount. They’ll also work in improved conditions—conditions that will be monitored by FLA’s team of independent inspectors.

Apple has announced that it fully supports the FLA’s recommendations. But other major companies, including Hewlett, Dell, Amazon, and Microsoft—also contract with Foxconn.  They should follow Apple’s lead.

“Holiday on ICE?” House Committee’s Sarcasm on the Wrong Track

At the end of March, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing dubbed “Holiday on ICE: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s New Immigration Detention Standards” designed to put the brakes on plans by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to implement much-needed reforms to the immigration detention system. Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) aimed to depict as cushy the conditions in immigration detention centers. In other words, he sought to obscure the truth.

As we explained in our testimony, asylum seekers and other non-criminal immigrants—the vast majority held in jails and jail-like facilities—often face harsh, even brutal, treatment in detention. Our 2011 report, Jails and Jumpsuits, documented the costs—in dollars and in human dignity—of this unjust system, and urged the Department of Homeland Security to switch from a penal model to one appropriate for civil detainees.

In an op-ed for the D.C. newspaper The Hill, Human Rights First’s Annie Sovcik took Chairman Smith to task for playing politics with this important issue. “The House Judiciary Committee should spend less time trying to sensationalize and belittle what is a difficult problem, and get down to the real business of figuring out how to implement the changes that can make immigration detention facilities safer and more humane,” she wrote.

U.S. to Fund Egyptian Military Despite Ongoing Abuses

The Obama administration’s decision to waive human rights conditions and release some $1.5 billion to Egypt is damaging both to the democratic transition there and to the United States. “This decision will undermine the United States’ credibility as an advocate for human rights and democracy in the Middle East and around the world for years to come,” says Neil Hicks of Human Rights First.

In December, Congress made funding contingent on progress in the democratic transition, as certified by the State Department.  But the Obama administration, citing national security, decided to bypass the restrictions. Egypt’s transitional military government has largely resisted democratic reform and continues to crack down on activists. The unconditional financial aid from the United States recalls the many years of American support for the brutal Mubarak regime.

Instead, the Obama administration should have released a portion of the funds, in recognition of limited but genuine progress in Egypt, and pegged further funding to specific benchmarks: passage of a new constitution that protects the rights of all Egyptians, handover of power to elected civilian rulers, and reform of other repressive laws.  We are continuing to work with our colleagues in Egypt to support their efforts to advance human rights and democracy, despite this unhelpful signal from the U.S. government.

 HRF in the News

If US loses the faith of people like me, it loses the Mideast
Nada Dhaif, Christian Science Monitor, May 1, 2012

Free the torture report
Editorial, LA Times, April 27, 2012

Labor Audit on Foxconn Is Thorough, Experts Say
Steven Greenhouse, New York Times, March 31, 2012

Obama unveils Syria, Iran technology sanctions
AFP, April 24, 2012

Letter from the President and CEO» The U.S. Should Cut Ties with Enabler of Atrocities in Syria» Protests Continue in Bahrain. So Does the Crackdown» Bagram Transfer Agreement Falls Short» Khan Plea Deal is a Bad Deal for American Justice» HRF In The News»

Letter from the President and CEO

In the wake of World War II, Eleanor Roosevelt was the driving force behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which the United Nations adopted in 1948. Since then, women have played an essential role in the human rights movement, as advocates, organization, journalists, politicians, teachers, and lawyers.

Some are women’s rights activists; most are human rights activists who happen to be women. As women, they face unique challenges, from sexism to cultural bias to repression, which often takes the form of gender-based violence. But time and again, women activists refuse to be silenced.

At Human Rights First, we’re privileged to work with an array of courageous women leaders. We support their work, highlight their struggles, and amplify their voices. And we partner with them to press the U.S. government, American businesses, and international organizations to support human rights. For example, we teamed up Pakistani activist Shehrbano Taseer to block a proposed blasphemy code at the United Nations, and we brought Esraa Abdel Fattah, a leader in Egypt’s revolution, to the United States so that together we could urge policy makers and tech companies to protect the ability of activists to use the Internet without fear of persecution.

To commemorate Women’s History Month, we’re honoring the heroism of women fighting for human rights around the world. Please read their stories and support their efforts.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

The U.S. Should Cut Ties with Enabler of Atrocities in Syria

We’ve been urging the U.S. to stop doing business with Rosoboronexport, Russia’s state arms dealer, which is selling weapons to the brutal Assad regime in Syria. Now a bipartisan group of seventeen United States Senators, led by John Cornyn (R-TX) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), is taking up the cause. In a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, they express “grave concern” over this “serious policy problem.”

Russia is Syria’s top supplier of arms, and Russian weapons have been found at the scene of atrocities. In January, Rosoboronexport signed a deal with Syria to sell 36 combat jets capable of hitting ground targets, and the company’s spokesperson says it has no plans to stop.

At the same time Rosoboronexport benefits from a nearly $1 billion contract with the U.S. Department of Defense—signed on May 26, 2011, months after the crackdown began. The U.S. should cancel the contract immediately.

Protests Continue in Bahrain. So Does the Crackdown

As Bahrain’s uprising enters its second year, Bahraini citizens demanding democracy and human rights show no signs of giving up. The largest protest yet, with an estimated 100,000 people marching on a highway west of the capital Manama, took place just days ago. The regime had intensified its crackdown in a largely successful attempt to deter protests marking the Feb 14th anniversary of the uprising’s beginning. But this huge rally, which came in response to a call from Shia cleric Sheikh Isa Qassim, suggests that the democracy movement is stronger than ever.

Brian Dooley of Human Rights First—who has done groundbreaking reporting on the abuses of the Bahraini regime—had been denied access to the country during February. But he’s back in Bahrain, where he is reporting from the appeal hearing of 20 medics who were detained, tortured, and sentenced to long prison terms in sham military trials. The regime took them into custody last year after they provided medical care to protestors.

Bagram Transfer Agreement Falls Short

Over the next few years, the United States will give the government of Afghanistan control of the more than 3000 prisoners at Bagram Air Base. We welcome the transfer but only if it protects the rights and safety of the prisoners. A recently announced agreement between the two countries falls short.

We’ve documented the human rights problems at Bagram, where many suspects are detained indefinitely based on secret evidence and have no access to lawyers. The transfer agreement threatens to exacerbate these problems and raises concerns about the potential for widespread abuse.

The agreement contains no mechanism to ensure due process or humane treatment. As Daphne Eviatar of Human Rights First told CBS news, “Afghan security services have a history of using torture to elicit confessions, and that was found just within the past year by the United Nations, so it’s not clear from this agreement how the United States will make sure that’s not happening.”

Khan Plea Deal is a Bad Deal for American Justice

After spending nearly a decade in U.S. custody, Majid Shoukat Khan has pled guilty before a military commission to conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, providing material support for terrorism, and spying. Khan—who tried to kill himself at Gitmo by chewing through an artery in his arm—agreed to testify against fellow detainees in exchange for a lighter sentence.

The deal may be in the best interest of both the government and Khan, but it’s not in the best interest of justice. As Melina Milazzo of Human Rights First points out in the Washington Post, Khan was charged with terrorism and conspiracy, which are not war crimes under international law and were not originally crimes in the military commission system. “Prosecuting people for conduct that was not a crime when they committed the act violates the ex post facto prohibition enshrined in the Constitution and the international legal principle of legality,” Milazzo says.  That’s not the example we should be setting.

This was only the seventh conviction in the military commission system and the first of a so-called “high-value detainee.” Federal courts, by contrast, have secured more than 400 convictions of terrorists since 9-11 while protecting the rights of suspects. The military commission system is a risky strategy for cases of such importance.  The United States should recommit itself to trying terrorism cases in the federal courts, where there is a wealth of experience and a solid track record.

 HRF in the News

U.S. Prepares to Continue Egypt Military Aid Amid Dispute
Nicole Gaouette, Bloomberg, March 18, 2012

Detention for Immigrants That Looks Less Like Prison
Kirk Semple and Tim Eaton, New York Times, March 13, 2012

U.S. must aid Afghan judicial system
Daphne Eviatar, Politico: Opinion, March 13, 2012

War’s Strange Bedfellows
Mark Thompson, Time, March 12, 2012

Letter from the President and CEO» The Arab Spring One Year Later: Crackdowns Continue» Potential for Progress at Gitmo» To Combat Atrocities in Syria, the U.S. Should Get Tough on Enablers» HRF In The News»

Letter from the President and CEO

One of the biggest business stories of the day, Facebook’s impending IPO, is also a big human rights story. The company’s approach to human rights has long been a source of controversy, and its ballyhooed IPO will do nothing to lessen it. Bringing on new investors will increase pressure to expand into China and other countries hostile to privacy and free expression.

These issues should matter to investors. A reputation for hostility to human rights could irreparably damage the Facebook brand. The company may seem invincible at the moment, but the “network effect,” which helped to fuel its exponential growth, cuts both ways. Facebook is expected to conduct a marketing “road show” before its IPO. In a recent piece for Forbes, I recommended questions prospective investors should ask Facebook.

Our focus on the implications of Facebook’s IPO grows out of a broader effort to press tech companies to resist pressure from governments to clamp down on human rights. While many activists depend on social networks to organize, repressive regimes are also becoming adept at using the same networks to identify and persecute “enemies of the state.”

Tech companies may try to pretend they are neutral in these battles, but when it comes to Internet freedom, there’s no Switzerland. If you’re not protecting activists, you’re aiding their oppressors.

I invite you to support us in this work.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

The Arab Spring One Year Later: Crackdowns Continue

One year ago, democratic uprisings swept across the Middle East. We quickly came to the aid of activists, and we’re still supporting them as they face ongoing repression. Our efforts are focused on two countries where the United States has particular influence: Bahrain and Egypt.

Last year, we helped block the U.S. sale of $53 million of weapons to the Bahraini regime, which continues to brutalize protestors. In the run-up to February 14th anniversary of the uprising, the regime launched predawn raids, dragging activists from their homes and beating them as they took them into custody. And on February 14th, it used teargas to try to quash the protests and arrested many citizens.

Brian Dooley of Human Rights First—who has documented such abuses in a series of reports—has become a go-to source in the American media. But when he recently tried to return to Bahrain, the regime prevented him from entering. Denying access to international observers is a hallmark of repressive regimes, and yet another reason why the United States should be pressuring Bahrain to respect human rights, not selling it arms.

On Egypt, we’re pressing the United States government to do everything in its power to back the stalled transition to democracy. Human Rights First’s Neil Hicks has produced a report detailing our recommendations. Based on interviews with activists, the report urges the Obama administration to take a series of steps to put pressure on the military government and empower pro-democracy NGOs.

Potential for Progress at Gitmo

The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act contained a number of alarming provisions, including one codifying indefinite detention for terrorism suspects. The bill was, by any measure, a setback for supporters of human rights.

But a potentially beneficial provision in the bill gives the executive branch more flexibility to transfer people out of Gitmo. A group of retired generals and admirals—members of a coalition we assembled—recently urged President Obama to take advantage of this new flexibility.

And now he is. The Obama administration is transferring five detainees to the custody of Qatar. These detainees, allegedly members of the Taliban, are being cleared for release using appropriate security and humane-treatment measures.

Gitmo—that infamous site and symbol of detainee abuse—has now been open for a decade. The struggle to shut it down continues, but this recent development is a step in the right direction.

To Combat Atrocities in Syria, the U.S. Should Get Tough on Enablers

Throughout Syria’s brutal crackdown on protesters, Russia has provided the al-Assad regime political cover at the United Nations. Now it’s providing weapons. The Russian state arms trader Rosoboronexport has signed a contract to sell the Syria government 36 combat jets capable of attacking targets on the ground.

President Obama has declared the crisis in Syria a threat to U.S national security and given the Treasury Department authority to target with sanctions not only those who commit atrocities but also those who enable them. Since 2010, Treasury has sanctioned 20 Syrian citizens as well as the Syrian companies.

It’s time to target enablers. We’ve sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner urging him to block companies, including Rosoboronexport, from supplying the Syrian government with weapons needed to commit atrocities. Such a move would bolster international efforts to stop atrocities in Syria and make clear where the United States stands on Russia’s ignominious role.

 HRF in the News

Privacy, Free Expression And The Facebook Standard
Elisa Massimino, Forbes, January 31, 2012

Bahraini protesters, police clash, fight through tear gas [Video]
By Emily Alpert, The L.A. Times, February 13, 2012

‘Underwear bomber’ case heralds US terror shake-up
By Mira Oberman, AFP, February 13, 2012

Letter from the President and CEO» Arming Bahrain’s Dictatorship: That’s No Way to Support Democracy» Two Years after Pledge, Most Detainees Still in “Jails and Jumpsuits”» Human Rights First Honors Courageous Activists—and a TV Show» HRF In The News»

Letter from the President and CEO

You wouldn’t know it from watching the news or reading the newspaper, but right now Congress is considering national security legislation that would compound some of the country’s worst mistakes in the struggle against terrorism.

The annual National Defense Authorization Act sets the military budget and—no matter how dysfunctional Congress is—it has passed every year since 1952.  But the version up for debate this year contains three alarming measures. One would allow suspects to be indefinitely detained without trial. Another would make permanent the ban on transfers from Gitmo, ensuring that this symbol of error and injustice remains open well into the future. Still another would greatly expand the role of the military in domestic counterterrorism.

That last measure would restrict the government’s ability to use proven counterterrorism tools—the FBI, local law enforcement, and the federal courts—and force the military to take on responsibilities it doesn’t want and hasn’t requested. “We don’t ask DOJ to fight our wars, and we shouldn’t ask the Pentagon to try our criminals,” says retired Rear Admiral John Hutson, who sits on our board.

How many times do we have to learn the lesson that due process and respect for human rights are assets—not liabilities—in the struggle against terrorism? Proponents of these measures would not only abandon our values, but would jettison effective counterterrorism strategies in a misguided attempt to appear tough on terrorism. We’re aiming to defeat these measures, and we’ve gained an important ally in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. I invite you to support us in this work.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

Arming Bahrain’s Dictatorship: That’s No Way to Support Democracy

We’ve been working to stop the United States from selling weapons to Bahrain’s brutal regime, and we’re making progress. After we teamed up with other human rights groups to protest the sale, several senators announced their opposition, and now the State Department has delayed it pending an investigation into human rights abuses in Bahrain.

While the delay is a welcome step, the United States doesn’t need an investigation—much less this one funded by the Bahraini regime—to tell it what it already knows:  that the protestors have faced a violent crackdown. In two reports, we’ve documented with firsthand testimony the oppressive tactics of the regime, which has killed dozens of protestors, detained some 1,500, and tortured many.

Bahrain, which hosts the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, poses a test for American foreign policy. The United States can’t credibly claim to support people fighting for freedom when it provides weapons to their oppressors. Writing in The Hill, HRF’s Brian Dooley points out that “The first lesson the United States should have learned from the Arab Spring is not to be on the side of the dictators.”

Please join our effort to block the sale of weapons to Bahrain.

Two Years after Pledge, Most Detainees Still in “Jails and Jumpsuits”

Drawn by the promise of the Statue of Liberty, refugees flee to the United States seeking freedom.  But too often, the U.S. government welcomes them with handcuffs, treating refugees like criminals. For many years, we’ve worked to correct this injustice.  We achieved an important victory in 2009 when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) publicly announced that it would shift away from a penal model to one appropriate for immigration detainees.

But two years later, the overwhelming majority of ICE’s nearly 400,000 detainees are still held in jails, prisons, or prison-like facilities—at a cost to U.S. taxpayers of more than $2 billion a year. That’s the central finding of our groundbreaking new report.

Less restrictive conditions are appropriate for immigration detention, the purpose of which is not punishment but ensuring that people show up for their hearings and comply with court orders. Our report recommends that ICE permit detainees to receive visitors, wear their own clothing, move freely, have at least partial privacy in the bathroom and access to email and recreational activities.

Human Rights First Honors Courageous Activists—and a TV Show

Every fall at our annual dinner, we honor activists with our Human Rights Award, which celebrates their achievements and affords them a measure of protection as they continue their work. This year’s honorees are Basem Fathy, 27, of Egypt and Shehrbano Taseer, 22, of Pakistan.

Basem, a founder of the April 6 Youth Movement, was imprisoned several times for his pro-democracy activism. He coordinated logistics for the protests that sparked the revolution. “We thought we were dreaming big,” he said in his speech, “but what happened was bigger than any of our imaginations.” He also discussed the challenges ahead as he and his fellow activists struggle to reinvent their country. “Building a democracy is much more complicated and difficult than starting a revolution.”

NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams spoke to Shehrbano about her work opposing blasphemy laws, which governments use to persecute religious minorities. Her father, Salmaan Taseer, governor of Punjab, was murdered by his own bodyguard for speaking out against Pakistan’s blasphemy law. “Everything I do now is with him in the back of my mind, wanting to make him proud,” she said. Earlier this year, we teamed up with Shehrbano to block a U.N. resolution that would have created a global blasphemy code. Thanks to her eloquence and courage, we succeeded.

We also presented the first Sidney Lumet Award for Integrity in Entertainment, named in honor of the acclaimed director. Michelle and Robert King, creators of The Good Wife, were honored for their powerful and nuanced exploration of human rights issues on the show, including internet freedom, asylum, torture, and repression in China. Academy Award winning actor Philip Seymour Hoffman presented the award, and most of the show’s cast, including Julianna Margulies and Josh Charles, were in attendance.

 HRF in the News

Now the Hard Part – Interview with Basem Fathy
The Brian Lehrer Show, WNYC, October 27, 2011

N.J. residents facing deportation face uphill legal battle>
By Chris Megerian, The Star-Ledger, October 25, 2011

Top Lobbyists: Grassroots
The Hill, October 12, 2011

Pentagon Warns Against Bills Changing Rules on Detainees
By Julian E. Barnes, The Wall Street Journal, October 19, 2011

Red Scare in Pearl Square
By Brian Dooley, Foreign Policy, October 7, 2011

U.S. Looks To Sell Military Equipment To Bahrain
By Jackie Northam, NPR, October 7, 2011

Time to stop arms sales to Bahrain
Op-Ed by Brian Dooley, The Hill, October 3, 2011

From the President and CEO» Cheney Pens Memoir Based on a True Story» A “Freedom Medal” for the Bahraini King? KC Should Take it Back» Highlighting the Plight of LGBTI refugees in East Africa» Son of Slain Pakistani Governor is Kidnapped» HRF In The News»

From the President and CEO

Ten years ago, Americans responded to the 9/11 attacks by pulling together in solidarity to help their neighbors.  Unfortunately, our government failed to live up to the inspiring example of ordinary Americans, and instead pursued policies that treated our most cherished values—respect for human dignity and the rule of law—as liabilities, instead of assets, in the struggle against terrorism.  Whether those changes represent an aberration, or a permanent shift—a “new normal,” in Dick Cheney’s famous phrase—still hangs in the balance.

Not long after 9/11, we launched an effort to undo these dangerous policies and challenge the misguided notion that we need to violate rights to protect our country.  On the contrary, the most effective national security policies are those that protect human rights. We’ve made progress. Working with a distinguished group of retired generals and admirals, we built a powerful coalition against torture, and our efforts led to President Obama’s executive order upholding the Geneva Conventions, closing CIA secret prisons, and ending practices like waterboarding.

But we have a long way to go. This fall Congress will consider bills that would keep Gitmo open indefinitely and tie the hands of law enforcement by requiring that terrorism suspects be turned over to the military. It’s a bad idea–the Pentagon doesn’t like it, and it would block one of the most effective tools we have to combat terrorism.  As our board member, retired Rear Admiral John Hutson, has said, “We don’t ask DoJ to fight our wars, and we shouldn’t ask the Pentagon to try our criminals.”  Please join us in supporting smart and just counterterrorism policies, so that on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, we can say that America’s fear-fueled trip to “the dark side” was brief, and is behind us.

Watch New Yorkers and Washington, DC residents reflect on what we’ve learned since 9/11.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

Cheney Pens Memoir Based on a True Story

The former Vice President’s memoir presents a dilemma for booksellers: should it reside in the “Fiction” section, or does “True Crime” more accurately describe it?

In any case, it’s clear that the book contains a plethora of half-truths and untruths, and on no issue is Cheney more slippery than torture. He calls water-boarding and other torture techniques “rough interrogation.” (We used to prosecute them as war crimes.) He claims that the Bush-Cheney torture program worked. (It didn’t.) And he says torture turned 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed into a “fount of information.” (Wrong again.)

Cheney offers no evidence that torture keeps the country safe, because none exists. On the contrary, it has undermined U.S. national security. To counter Cheney’s nonsense and tell the truth about torture, we’ve produced a video featuring Gen. Charles Krulak, former commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Read General Hoar and General Krulak respond to the Cheney memoir in Politico.

A “Freedom Medal” for the Bahraini King? KC Should Take it Back

Nearly four decades ago, Kansas City, Missouri awarded its Freedom Medal to Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. But now Bahrain’s PR machine is citing this award as evidence of the King’s international standing. We’re asking Kansas City to take it back.

In March, the King’s regime launched a violent crackdown on democratic protestors. As we’ve documented in two reports, it has rounded up and tortured democracy activists and brutalized doctors and nurses for treating injured protestors. At least four people have died in custody.

By revoking the award, Kansas City would disassociate itself from the regime’s violence and deny Bahraini authorities the ability to use it for PR purposes. Please join us in asking Kansas City Mayor Sylvester James to take the award back.

Highlighting the Plight of LGBTI refugees in East Africa

How desperate would a gay refugee have to be to seek safe haven in Uganda? That was a question recently posed to HRF’s Annie Sovik by a Ugandan human rights activist. Uganda—home of the “Kill the Gays” legislation—is infamously hostile to gays, lesbians, and other sexual minorities.  That they would go there, of all places, underscores the dismal situation for LGBTI people across East Africa.

Over the last two years, we’ve devoted special attention to helping refugees who face persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. As part of this effort, Sovik traveled to Uganda and Kenya to gather information. She heard heartrending accounts of LGBTI refugees who are doubly traumatized—first in their home countries, and again in the places where they’ve sought refuge. Many don’t seek help for fear of being outed. And prejudice within refugee communities makes it difficult to tap into the social networks that could provide support.

We are pressing the United States to offer expedited resettlement to LBTI refugees facing imminent harm. And we’re working with the UN’s refugee agency (UNHCR) to ensure that it—and its civil society partners—provide refugees “safe shelter,” train staff to deal with the cultural barriers the prevent refugees from seeking assistance, and reach out to ensure that vulnerable refugees know about available services and can access them in confidence.

Son of Slain Pakistani Governor is Kidnapped

In January of this year, Salman Taseer, governor of the province of Pujab, was assassinated by his own bodyguard for speaking out against Pakistan’s anti-blasphemy laws. Now Taseer’s 27-year old son Shabaz has been abducted at gunpoint. No one has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.

We’ve been working closely with Shehrbano Taseer, Shahbaz’s sister, to oppose the misuse of blasphemy laws which violate the right to free expression and have triggered persecution and violence. At our annual Human Rights Dinner in October, we will honor Shehrbano’s commitment to her father’s cause in the face of threats to her own safety.

To learn more about the dangerous consequences of blasphemy laws, read our report: Blasphemy Laws Exposed: The Consequences of Criminalizing “Defamation of Religions.”

 HRF in the News

August 30, 2011
WikiLeaks publishes cables exposing confidential sources
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-wikileaks-20110831,0,7705762.story

August 26, 2011
Pakistan needs courage – and help – to fight intolerance
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2011/aug/26/pakistan-intolerance-blasphemy-laws

August 14, 2011
The Hard Cell: Detentions in Afghanistan
http://www.newsweekpakistan.com/scope/375

August 13, 2011
Could torture make a comeback?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/could-torture-make-a-comeback/2011/03/04/AGb9JYtH_blog.html

August 12, 2011
US to delay Afghan prison handover
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/02e3e6ec-c52b-11e0-ba51-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1V6lp0Sok

From the President and CEO» Congregations Deal Blow to Bigotry» The DSK Case and the Truth about Asylum» Despite Dialogue, the Bahraini Government Continues to Brutalize Protestors» HRF in the News»

From the President and CEO

As I write this, the world is still learning basic details about Anders Behring Breivik, the man who has confessed to carrying out the horrific terrorist attack that killed dozens in Norway. But it’s already clear that he swam in a swamp of hatred. He’s a white supremacist, a former member of Norway’s ultra-nationalist Progress Party, and a loyal reader of anti-Muslim hate-blogs in the United States.

For many years, Human Rights First has worked to combat hate crime in the United States and Europe. Across Europe, ascendant ultra-nationalist political parties have both created and capitalized on anti-Muslim, antisemitic, and anti-immigrant fervor—fervor that undermines the saftey of minorities. Using our patented ten-point plan as a map, we’ve worked with European governments to institute systems to prevent hate crime. In some cases, government officials have been extremely receptive to our proposals. In others, they’ve downplayed the threat of violent hate crime, a stance that will be more difficult to sustain after Norway’s tragedy.

The United States has strong hate crimes laws and is generally a model of a harmonious pluralistic society. But anti-Muslim bigotry has become alarmingly common. Dozens of proposed mosques and community centers, most famously in Lower Manhattan, have run into resistance. In many states, “anti-Sharia” laws target an imaginary threat while perpetuating stereotypes. Meanwhile a preacher promotes Qu’ran burning, and presidential candidates compete to see who can be the most anti-Islam. Our approach is to counter lies with truth, and ignorance with information. To that end, we recently organized “Faith Shared,” a national event that brought Imams into churches to read from the Qu’ran. (See below.)

Not every bigot is violent, and not every act of violence has roots in bigotry, but the terrorist attacks in Norway reminds yet again that hatred can—and far too frequently does—lead to violence.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino

President and CEO

Human Rights First

Congregations Deal Blow to Bigotry

Not something you see every day: an Imam reading from the Qu’ran…in a church.

But on Sunday, June 26th, thousands of Americans saw just that. Human Rights First organized “Faith Shared” with the Interfaith Alliance to counter anti-Muslim bigotry, which has led to misunderstanding, mistrust, and, in some cases, violence. We sought to send a message of respect to not just American Muslims but also Muslims abroad, hoping to correct the misconception that Americans are hostile to Muslims and Islam. Dozens of churches of various denominations in 26 states participated, and, according to reports from across the country, the show of support for Muslims was a hit with churchgoers.

The National Cathedral in Washington D.C participated, and the event there was the subject a prominent story in the Washington Post, which quoted a member of the congregation: “It was even more moving than the normal service here on Sunday. It felt like we were a part of something much bigger and much older.”

The DSK Case and the Truth about Asylum

The sexual assault case against Dominque Strauss-Kahn prompted thousands of news stories, and many of them touched on, of all things, the U.S. asylum system. That’s because his accuser allegedly lied on her asylum application.

We provide pro-bono legal representation to refugees, so we see firsthand just how difficult it is to receive asylum. The truth—as explained here—is that the system goes to lengths to prevent undeserving applicants from slipping through. It’s much more likely that people fleeing persecution fail to get the protection they desperately need.

Misconceptions help to fuel anti-refugee legislation like the bill now making its way through the House. The “Keep Our Communities Safe Act of 2011″ would expand the Department of Homeland Security’s already sweeping power to lock up asylum-seekers and other immigrants. It would lead to prolonged detention for people who have already suffered greatly. We’re working to defeat the bill.

Despite Dialogue, the Bahraini Government Continues to Brutalize Protestors

Even as government officials hold discussions with representatives of civil society, the Bahraini regime continues to persecute activists. That’s the central finding of our new report, a follow up to our April report that examined government abuses during earlier stages of the crackdown.

HRF’s Brian Dooley, the author of the new report, traveled to Bahrain to meet with human rights activists. They provided first-hand accounts of government brutality, including sexual abuse and other forms of torture. “Human rights defenders with whom we spoke are wary that the dialogue is anything more than elaborate play-acting for the international community’s benefit,” says Dooley. ”Many are asking that the U.S. government rapidly assess its effectiveness, and publicly state whether the dialogue is real.”

The United States should press the Bahraini regime to release protestors from jail, stop expelling students, and address anti-Shiite persecution. At the same time, the United States should cut off aid from military units and security forces that have committed abuses. The United States has leverage. It should use it.

HRF in the News

Foreign Policy cites our report on the Bahraini regime’s abuses

Our call for UN action on Syria gets coverage in the Los Angeles Times

USA Today quotes HRF’s Lori Adams on asylum law and the DSK case

The Washington Post cites our landmark report on deaths in U.S. custody.

From the President and CEO» Our New Report Details Due Process Failures at Afghanistan Prison» Faith Shared – June 26th» Bahraini Regime Continues to Brutalize Activists» Working to Defeat a Dangerous Anti-Terrorism Bill» HRF in the News»

From the President and CEO

News of the Osama bin Laden operation wasn’t even a day old when torture apologists began claiming vindication. To hear former vice president Dick Cheney and his allies tell it, without the CIA’s water-boarding program, the United States would never have found bin Laden. Cheney and company want Americans to believe that torture makes us safe, and they don’t seem to care about the dangers it poses—to our national security, our national character, and our men and women in uniform.

But their propaganda push has run into a few hurdles, otherwise known as facts. The truth is that torture hindered the hunt for bin Laden. It failed to get critical information, and two detainees lied under torture, setting back the investigation. In fact, just like the operation that led to Saddam Hussein, it was legal, humane interrogation that produced the key intelligence—not torture. This was no surprise to the many veteran interrogators who for years have argued that torture is inefficient and counterproductive.

Armed with these facts, opponents of torture are setting the record straight. After getting the inside story from CIA director Leon Panetta, Senator John McCain took to the Senate floor to reveal that the bin Laden operation had nothing to do with torture, and Americans shouldn’t either. I went to the American Enterprise Institute to debate the issue with prominent torture supporters, former Attorney General Michael Mukasey and former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen, on a panel moderated by John Yoo.  Watch the debate here.

But the renewed debate has made clear that we can’t sit back and let the torture apologists speak unopposed. We’re doing everything we can to strengthen the consensus against torture. As the hunt for Bin Laden shows, torture isn’t just wrong; it’s also wrongheaded.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

Our New Report Details Due Process Failures at Afghanistan Prison

Question:  Which prisoners held by the United States would have more due process protections if they were at Gitmo?  Answer:  The ones being held at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan.  Sometimes referred to as “Gitmo East,” in many ways that moniker is too generous for Bagram. The 1700 prisoners there don’t have the right to an attorney and can’t see the evidence against them, conditions that violate minimum due process standards. Some have been locked up for eight years, without charge or trial, while the evidence, if it exists, remains secret.

These are the findings of our new report, Detained and Denied in Afghanistan: How to Make U.S. Detention Comply with the Law. Daphne Eviatar, who wrote the report after a fact-finding mission to Afghanistan, points out that the system at Bagram not only violates the rights of detainees, it also “flies in the face of the well-founded wisdom of our top military leaders who have warned repeatedly of the dangers of denying Afghan detainees due process.”

The report—which received coverage in the New York Times and numerous other media outlets—urges the U.S. to provide Bagram prisoners with attorneys and to stop relying so heavily on secret evidence. It also recommends that even as the United States begins to withdraw from Afghanistan, it should continue to provide civilian assistance to the country’s fledgling justice system.

Faith Shared – June 26th

Tensions around Islam in America have erupted throughout the country in the past year, leading to misconceptions, distrust and in some cases violence. Media coverage has focused on extremists—bigots and Qur’an burners—which stokes fear and masks the shared commitment to tolerance and freedom that unites most Americans.

That’s why Human Rights First is partnering with the Interfaith Alliance on a unique project we call Faith Shared. On June 26th, houses of worship across the country will host events involving clergy reading from each other’s sacred texts. For example, a Christian Minister, Jewish Rabbi and Muslim Imam would participate in a worship service or other event.  60 houses of worship in 30 states have already agreed to participate.

For more information and to find out how to plan an event in your community, visit http://www.faithshared.org/.

Bahraini Regime Continues to Brutalize Activists

In his recent speech on the Middle East and North Africa, President Obama directed criticism at not only adversaries of the United States but also one of its allies: Bahrain. This was a welcome change, after many weeks in which U.S. officials remained mostly silent as the regime, with the assistance of Saudi troops, violently cracked down on democratic protestors.

Prior to President Obama’s speech, Human Rights First published a report based on the firsthand testimonies of Bahraini activists. HRF’s Brian Dooley traveled to Bahrain and interviewed activists who were critical of the U.S. for failing to condemn widespread illegal detention, sham trials, and torture.

President Obama’s words were welcome, but alone they will do little to stop the abuses. Indeed, following his speech, the home of prominent human right activist Nabeel Rajab was attacked, and the regime confirmed death sentences for two young Shiite men, Ali Al Singace and Abudul Aziz Abdul Redha. Both were convicted of murdering police officers in trials that fell far short of international standards.

It’s time for the United States to take action to back up the President’s words. Read our report and listen to our podcasts for in depth analysis here and here for a blueprint of what the U.S. should do to turn the rhetoric into reality.

Working to Defeat a Dangerous Anti-Terrorism Bill

Congress is considering sweeping new war powers for the president, while at the same time tying his hands on how to deal with terrorism suspects. For months, we’ve been working against this dangerous bill, rounding up opposition in Congress, and pressing the White House to oppose it.

The new bill would give the President virtually unfettered authority to wage war anywhere in the name of fighting terrorism. The bill would also prevent federal trials for terrorism suspects and make closing Gitmo impossible by prohibiting the transfer of prisoners to the United States.

The good news is that the White House has now threatened to veto the bill if it contains either the Gitmo transfer restrictions or the new Authorization for the Use of Military Force. We will continue to fight to strip out the most dangerous parts of the bill.

 HRF in the News

Nieman Watchdog covers HRF’s report on Bagram.

HRF’s report on the high toll of “defamation of religion” cases was cited by Lee Bollinger in Foreign Policy.

L.A. Times coverage of our Bahrain report.

The Associated Press quotes HRF’s Dixon Osburn on the charges against KSM filed in military commissions.

From Our President and CEO» Human Rights Should Come First in the Middle East» Victory for Freedom of Religion at the United Nations» Fear Wins: Obama Administration to Try 9-11 Suspect at Gitmo» HRF Investigates Treatment of Detainees in Afghanistan» Riding for Human Rights» HRF in the News»

From the President and CEO

The stunning protests that began three months ago in Egypt captured world attention and sparked hope that democracy could take hold in the heart of the Middle East. In a mere 18 days, the Egyptian people forced an end to Hosni Mubarak’s repressive 30-year rule. But that was only the beginning of a transition; the forces of the status quo are powerful, and there will be many hurdles in the path towards democratic government.

We’ve been working with Egyptian activists for many years, and now we’re supporting them as they attempt to build a new Egypt based on respect for human rights and the rule of law. As part of this effort, we recently brought Esraa Abdel Fattah to the United States. An online organizer, known as “Facebook Girl” after she was imprisoned by Mubarak’s regime, Esraa spent a week in Washington meeting with U.S. officials and tech execs to promote policies to protect Internet freedom, a key issue we’re working on in Egypt and around the world. She also spoke to students at a technology high school, with a local television news crew in tow.

Our work with Esraa is a good example of the partnerships we form with those on the frontlines of change in their own societies. Their lived experience and firsthand knowledge informs our advocacy, and we connect them directly to the corridors of power so their voices are heard in the policy debates that affect their cause. We work to ensure that they can operate freely without harassment and threat, and when they are targeted for persecution because of their work, we defend them.

Thank you for supporting us in this important work.

Sincerely,

Elisa Massimino
President and CEO
Human Rights First

Human Rights Should Come First in the Middle East

We’re working to support democratic transformation not just in Egypt but across the Middle East. To that end, we’re urging the United States to put human rights at the center of its policy toward the region.

For decades the U.S. has backed “friendly” dictators in the name of stability. Now at this crucial moment, as protestors across the region rise up to demand what already belongs to them—their human rights—will the U.S. get on the right side of history?

Only by championing human rights will the U.S. help bring peace and stability to the Middle East. Our blueprint, Seizing the Moment, details specific steps the U.S. government should take to defend human rights in the Middle East.

Victory for Freedom of Religion at the United Nations

Recently, two political leaders in Pakistan were murdered because they defended freedom of religion. Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian member of parliament, and Salman Taseer, the governor of Punjab, were killed for speaking out against the law banning blasphemy. It was under this law that a Christian woman, Asiya Bibi, was sentenced to death for allegedly criticizing Mohammed. The Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for Bhatti’s murder; Governor Taseer was killed by his own bodyguard.

At the recent U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, we teamed up with Taseer’s daughter Shehrbano, who is carrying on her father’s fight for freedom of expression and religion. At an event we organized, Taseer spoke eloquently against a pending U.N. resolution backing a global anti-blasphemy code.

Diplomats in Geneva lauded our event as the best they’d ever seen at the Human Rights Council and, more importantly, it worked. In a critical vote, all references to “defaming” a religion—the root of blasphemy laws—were stripped from the U.N. resolution that passed in March.

Listen to our podcast on the Pakistani case—and read our report about other cases of how blasphemy laws are abused (including that of a man who was charged with “blasphemy” for throwing out the business card of a salesman whose name was Mohammed.)

Fear Wins: Obama Administration to Try 9-11 Suspect at Gitmo

The Obama administration announced it was withdrawing the federal indictment against alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and abandoning plans to try him in federal court. Instead, KSM and his co-conspirators will face trial in a military commission at Gitmo.

Attorney General Eric Holder blasted Congress for choking off funding for civilian trials. He’s right. But the truth is, the Obama administration had two years before their hands were tied to put the alleged mastermind of the 9-11 attacks on trial and make the case that trying terrorism suspects in federal court is not just right, but wise. They didn’t even try.

But the political battle about terrorism trials is not over. The funding restrictions are temporary, and the President has said he supports using the courts to try some Gitmo detainees. We’ll keep pushing for civilian trials and for the President to fulfill his commitment to closing one of al Qaeda’s best recruiting tools: Gitmo.

Read Elisa Massimino’s op-ed on this subject in the New York Daily News.

HRF Investigates Treatment of Detainees in Afghanistan

Our team of investigators recently returned from Afghanistan where they were looking into the trials of detainees at the infamous Bagram prison in Afghanistan. Daphne Eviatar and Gabor Rona found that detainees at Bagram—which now houses almost 1700 prisoners, nearly ten times the number at Guantanamo—still have no right to challenge their detention in court or to be represented by a lawyer. We’ll soon release a report detaining our full findings.

Daphne and Gabor recently held a web chat to discuss trials in Bagram. If you couldn’t join us, don’t worry! We recorded it—watch it now.

And Daphne was interviewed for this AP exclusive.

Riding for Human Rights

One of our long-time pro bono attorneys is hitting the road—by bike—at the end of April to raise money for Human Rights First and our work helping refugees win asylum in the United States. Jeffrey Heller will be riding 1400 miles from New York City to Iowa!

Our asylum work saves lives. A refugee with a lawyer is three times more likely to win asylum than one without representation.  Yet most refugees go without this vital assistance. Our network of pro bono attorneys provides high quality legal help, for free.

Make your pledge to help victims of persecution find safety and build a new life—100% of the proceeds will go to support our refugee protection work.

 HRF in the News

The Economist — Defusing the defamation issue.

Gitmo: Politics trumps U.S. security — Daphne Eviatar in Politico

Associated Press — UN Rights Body Ditches Religious ‘Defamation’ Idea

From Our President and CEO» Guantanamo: Cop a Plea or Die There» Internet Freedom and Cyber-Pragmatism» New Report: How Tech Companies Can Defend Human Rights» Live Web Chat on Afghanistan» Event: Iraqi Refugees» HRF in the News»

From the President and CEO

The democratic uprisings sweeping the Middle East are creating the possibility of once-in-a-generation progress. But they also present dangers, as repressive regimes crack down on protestors and citizens trying to create democratic institutions where none have existed for years.

Change must come from within—the right to pick leaders and form governments belongs to citizens in these countries—but the U.S. can take action to support human rights and democracy. We’re pushing our government to do just that. While there won’t be a one-size-fits-all policy towards countries in the region, the U.S. should be making clear—in word and deed—that it will stand with people seeking to exercise their fundamental rights and freedoms.

We’re focusing special attention on Egypt, where we’ve been working with human rights activists for many years. The departure of Mubarak was a monumental event, but with the military now running the country, it’s unclear whether a more democratic government will emerge. Take action today urging President Obama to end, decisively, U.S. support for despotism in Egypt.

Guantanamo: Cop a Plea or Die There

The U.S. Department of Defense hearts military commissions.

On Valentine’s Day, the Obama Administration opened the hearing of Noor Uthman Muhammed, a citizen of Sudan detained for more than eight years because of alleged involvement with Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. He pled guilty, under a “perverse system where almost the only way one can get out of here is to cop a plea or die,” said HRF’s Dixon Osburn. Read more analysis live from the hearing on our blog.

Meanwhile Congress moved to forbid the use of ANY government funds to transfer Gitmo detainees to the U.S. You helped us defeat this misguided effort in the House. We’ll keep you posted on the upcoming battle in the Senate.

Internet Freedom and Cyber-Pragmatism

There’s an ongoing debate between “cyber-utopians” and “cyber-skeptics” about the political power of the Internet. In a blog posted ahead of Secretary of State Clinton’s recent speech on Internet freedom, HRF’s Elisa Massimino offered a “cyber-pragmatic” approach, pointing out that the Internet is neither inherently good nor inherently bad. It’s what we make it. She also outlined how the government and companies can defend Internet freedom.

In the speech, Secretary Clinton pledged to take some of the steps we’ve been recommending. She said the U.S. would increasingly confront governments that censor and spy online, establish a cyber-issues coordinator, and expand assistance to online activists around the world.

New Report: How Tech Companies Can Defend Human Rights

Last year, we discovered that Russia was using laws against software piracy to crack down on independent media and NGOs, and that Microsoft was assisting in the bogus prosecutions. Anastasia Denisova, an advocate for the rights of immigrants, was one of the victims, and she asked us for help. We brought the facts to the attention of Microsoft headquarters, which decided to provide the licenses to the NGOs and pledged to oppose all politically motivated piracy prosecutions.

Now we’ve published a report, A Campaign Against Dissent, which documents how governments use legitimate antipiracy laws to pursue illegitimate ends. The report provides a set of best practices for tech companies so that they can avoid enabling repression.

We’ve also reached out to telecommunications companies in Egypt to get details on how the Mubarak regime shut down the Internet during recent protests. We have a good idea of what happened—read more about it on our blog, or just check out the cartoon illustration.

Live Web Chat on Afghanistan

Two of our experts just returned from Afghanistan, where they investigated the trials of detainees in Bagram prison. It’s a bleak picture. Ask Daphne Eviatar and Gabor Rona your questions during a live web chat on Facebook, this Friday, March 4th, at 2:30 pm EST.

Send us your questions ahead of time, or just join us on Facebook this Friday. We’ll put instructions on how to participate at that time.

Event: Iraqi Refugees

New Yorkers, come to our offices on March 8 for a breakfast briefing on Iraqi refugees and hear how the U.S. government can better respond to the ongoing refugee crisis in the region. It starts at 9 am. RSVP on Facebook.

 HRF in the News

For a round-up of our coverage during the protests in Egypt—including President Obama’s response (NPR), lessons from the Internet crackdown (CNN), facts and fiction about the Muslim Brotherhood (LA Times), what’s next post-Mubarak and more—check out our blog.

Read Daphne Eviatar’s op-ed in Politico on whether Obama is on the “wrong side of history” on detainees.