Washington, DC — Today, following news that high-value detainee Majid Khan has reached a plea deal in which he will exchange testimony against fellow Guantanamo detainees in exchange for a reduced sentence and eventual freedom, Human Rights First’s Dixon Osburn issued the following statement:

“The plea deal today brings us one step closer to putting the failed experiment of Guantanamo behind us. Tribunals remain risky gambles of justice that have fewer criminal laws with which to prosecute criminal suspects and no precedent upon which to guide them. Pleas are often the best resort for prosecutors. As we wind down the war in Afghanistan, we should learn from the mistakes of Guantanamo and recommit ourselves to our proven federal courts, our local law enforcement and the Constitution that has served as a beacon of justice for more than two hundred years.”

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Human Rights First welcomed General Counsel Johnson’s comments that the war is not without end or limit. Human Rights First’s Raha Wala said, “Many have not picked up on the significance of the administration’s view that the war is not without end or limits. We would ask that the Administration make the end point even clearer. Suggesting the war extends outside Afghanistan to vaguely define associated forces is much too amorphous. With the end of the war in Iraq, the death of Osama Bin Laden and the decimation of al Qaeda, the end of combat operations in Afghanistan should mark the clear end of war.”

“With virtually every member of al Qaeda’s leadership killed or captured, it’s time to start thinking of an America that’s not perpetually at war with terrorists wherever they may be around the world,” said Wala. “There is no dispute that the threat from terrorism remains real and serious, but as we begin drawing down forces from Afghanistan, it’s time to rely on our law enforcement and intelligence professionals to handle these threats. They are best equipped to handle these increasingly de-centralized threats.”

Regarding the drone targeted killing program, Wala said, “The American people deserve to know who the government believes it can kill in our names. General Counsel Johnson’s speech did little to help shed light on the government’s approach to targeted killing. It is this unexplained secrecy that has caused so many to question this program.”

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A Rosoboronexport spokesperson recently stated that the company has no intention to cut off supplies to the Syrian regime, adding “since there are no international decisions, and there are no sanctions from the U.N. Security Council, there are no other decisions, our cooperation with Syria – the military-technical cooperation – remains quite active and dynamic.”

“Current sanctions can only go so far when third-party companies are resolved to so blatantly ignore atrocities happening on the ground and the role their own companies continue to play in enabling these crimes,” said Human Rights First’s Sadia Hameed. “The United States has said all of the right things in recent weeks, but now they must act. The U.S. government should immediately halt its own purchases from Rosoboronexport and other enablers of the ongoing Syrian atrocities. It should also look across the departments to see what other pressure can be applied to disrupt these supply chains.”

Earlier this month, Human Rights First urged Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to use his authority to block companies from supplying the Syrian government with goods needed to perpetuate its ongoing human rights abuses.  For example, the group urged Geithner to use his Office of Foreign Assets (OFAC) authority to address and disrupt Rosoboronexport’s plan to fulfill its contract to sell the Syrian government 36 combat jets capable of attacking ground targets.

To speak with Hameed or for additional information, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.

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In 2011, Al Salman and Abu Deeb were detained, tortured and ultimately convicted of unfounded charges and sentenced to prison by the discredited Bahrain military court.

“Mahdi Abu Deeb was given 10 years in prison and Jaleela Al Salman three years for peacefully expressing their views,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “The United States Government should draw attention to their cases by name and urge the Bahraini regime to set them free unconditionally.”

Jaleela Al Salman has been released pending the appeals process, but Abu Deeb remains in Bahrain’s notorious Jaw Prison. His daughter Maryam told Human Rights First, “These charges should be dropped because there is no evidence against them except confessions forced by torture. This man is a father, a son, a husband and a prisoner of conscience who has been kept away from his family for almost a year.”

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has called on the Bahrain regime to “urgently take confidence-building measures including unconditionally releasing those who were convicted in military tribunals or are still awaiting trial for merely exercising their fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly.”

Instead of dropping the charges against those convicted in by the military court, however, the regime has simply moved their cases into a civilian appeals process.

“The United States should support the United Nations’ call for all these convictions to be quashed immediately,” said Dooley. “Those convicted by the discredited military court include 21 of Bahrain’s most prominent government critics, 20 medics prosecuted because they treated injured protestors, and over 150 policemen who refused to join the government’s violent crackdown.”

Human Rights First is also concerned about reports of the arrest of two prominent human rights activists,  Naji Fateel and Hasan Al-Jaber, who were apparently arrested on Feb. 14 during the protests on the anniversary of the democracy uprising.  Police took them into custody at Noaim Police Station. Al-Jaber is a prominent human rights blogger and Fateel is a board member of the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights (BYSHR) which has been reporting human rights violations in Bahrain.

Bahrain’s crackdown and these baseless prosecutions continue as the United States considers a new military transfer to Bahrain. Last year, Congressional opposition halted a proposed $53 million arms sale to the Bahraini regime due to concerns about the crackdown. But now, despite Bahrain’s failure to correct its ongoing human rights abuses, it appears that the Obama Administration is moving ahead with a new military transfer.

“This transfer sends the wrong message, especially in the absence of regular public statements by U.S. Government officials raising specific cases by name,” Dooley concluded. “The United States should immediately act to condemn these unfair trials and urge the Bahraini government to drop charges and convictions against those who went through the military courts.”

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“The U.N. General Assembly is right to condemn the unthinkable violence against Syrian civilians and to call for an immediate end to President Assad’s crackdown. The United States can immediately make good on its backing of this resolution by heightening pressure on those who are enabling Assad’s atrocities, including Russia and China, who both opposed today’s resolution.”

Human Rights First has issued a letter to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urging him to use his authority under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act to sanction the Russian arms dealer Rosoboronexport for materially supporting the commission of human rights violations in Syria. Rosoboronexport signed a deal with the Syrian government in January to sell 36 combat jets capable of hitting ground targets, a move likely to escalate ongoing violence in Syria and bring the country closer to civil war. Human Rights First’s letter called on the United States to cease all business with Rosoboronexport and designate the Russian company for sanctions.

For more information or to speak with Hameed, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.

“Today’s verdict proves once again that the U.S. federal courts are extremely tough on terrorism,” said Human Rights First’s Dixon Osburn. “The Abdulmutallab case was handled as all such cases should be: by U.S. law enforcement, who quickly and lawfully secured a confession from the suspect and then went on to obtain extensive information about his alleged co-conspirator, Anwar al-Awlaki.  This is a perfect example of why terrorism should be investigated and prosecuted in the criminal justice system, not by the U.S. military.”

Osburn continued, “Abdulmutallab is not a warrior. He is a thug who has been rightly treated like the criminal he is. He will now spend the rest of his life behind bars, unable to harm or threaten anyone. As with hundreds of other terrorism cases since the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. government was able to secure that outcome while still respecting basic human rights and the principles of justice upon which this country was founded.”

Osburn notes that U.S. federal courts have a long track record of successfully bringing to justice over 400 individuals on terrorism-related charges. By contrast, the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay have convicted only six terrorists since their creation in 2001, and continue to face serious legal challenges that undermine the sustainability and credibility of their verdicts.

In this case, prosecutors were able to gather truthful information from Abdulmutallab because of their willingness to allow him to plead guilty.

Human Rights First, working with former federal prosecutors, has extensively analyzed the U.S. federal justice system’s handling of al Qaeda-linked terrorism cases since September 11, 2001. Its report, Pursuit of Justice, details the organization’s findings and is widely praised as one of the nation’s leading resources on the this topic.

Click here to read Human Rights First’s fact sheet on this case. To speak to a Human Rights First expert on federal terrorism prosecutions and for additional comments on the Abdulmutallab case, contact Brenda Bowser Soder at 202-370-3323 or bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org.

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“The Vice President’s visit is an important opportunity to advance the cause of human rights and religious freedom in China.  The Administration cannot stay quiet on such an important human rights issue while high ranking Chinese officials are  in the U.S.,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley. “The administration should make a public statement raising concerns about the persecution of human rights and religious freedom activists and invite the Chinese to engage with the U.S. government on these issues.”

In recent months, there has been an intense crackdown on human rights activists throughout China.  For example, Human Rights First is closely following the case of Gao Zhisheng , a lawyer who has been held in and out of detention and tortured since 2005, including a long period in which he was disappeared. Gao had defended religious freedom, the rights of religious minorities and other human rights that the Chinese Courts theoretically protect as part of the Chinese Constitution. He is presently in detention in remote western China without access to his family.  His wife testified before the Congressional-Executive Commission on China yesterday.

“The deals that are made this week during the visit will prove to be short-sighted if the human rights violations continue,” Dooley noted. “Protecting human rights lawyers as Gao, and other human rights activists  should be the first order of business.”

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According to Human Rights First’s Neil Hicks, “As the United States seeks a solution to the prosecutions against 43 activists in Egypt working for human rights and democracy, including 19 Americans, some in Cairo are seeking to benefit politically from the tension in U.S. – Egyptian relations. Among them are the Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Faiza Aboul Naga and the headline writers of the state controlled newspapers Al-Ahram and Al-Gomhouriya,.  How the U.S. responds to them will have long term consequences for U.S. relations with a key regional ally.”

He continues, “Criticizing the United States and gratuitously bringing in Israel and the ‘Jewish lobby’ as Minster Aboul Naga has done is popular with many Egyptians, unfortunately,” observed Human Rights First’s Neil Hicks. “The more U.S. policy makers threaten to punish Egypt for its actions the more credit Aboul Naga and her supporters can claim for standing up to the American bully.  This image is perhaps even more potent at a time of renewed Egyptian pride and search for its identity as a regional leader of revolutionary change. The ongoing controversy over funding of democracy and human rights groups is manufactured and it is provocative; it was intended to be and U.S. policy makers should not allow themselves to be provoked.  Making threats to immediately suspend all U.S. foreign assistance is unhelpful and potentially counterproductive for American citizens facing imminent trial in Egypt and for scores of Egyptian civil society activists who are now the target of threats and investigations.“

Hicks also notes that that there may be a judicial solution to this crisis.  The Egyptian judiciary prides itself on its independence and its adherence to the rule of law and these cases may get thrown out in court.  In the meantime, United States actions should remain calibrated for impact, but also mindful of the political drama they are playing into.  He adds that there is a scarcity of options.

Hicks concludes, “This Kerry resolution makes clear the U.S. government’s support for the Egyptian people and their aspirations for democratic government and avoids direct threats that risk being exploited by the enemies of human rights and democracy in Egypt.”

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“The crisis over U.S. funding of human rights and democracy organizations has been manufactured by forces in Egypt that wish to hold back the development of strong, independent civil society organizations and the greater transparency and scrutiny of government practices that such organizations provide.  Senator Paul’s proposals play into the hands of those in Egypt who wish to appeal to nationalism and to portray the United States as interfering and seeking to control Egypt’s internal affairs,” Hicks noted. “In fact, if the U.S. took this action, it may further expose and threaten NGOs in Egypt.”

Human Rights First has consistently urged the United States to do all it can to advance Egypt’s peaceful democratic transition, including providing needed financial assistance within the framework of conditions set by the Congress in the 2012 appropriations law.  Before the 2012 military assistance funds can be released to Egypt, the State Department must already certify that Egypt is meeting certain human rights conditions.  Administration officials across the government have rightly made it clear to their Egyptian counterparts that it will be very hard to certify that Egypt is making progress in human rights while it is preparing to prosecute Americans working for human rights and democracy promotion organizations and harassing and intimidating independent Egyptian civil society organizations working in the fields of democracy and human rights.

In January, following a trip to Cairo, Human Rights First issued a new report, “Egypt’s Transition to Democracy One Year On: Recommendations for U.S. Policy ,” detailing what actions the United States should take to promote a peaceful democratic transition.  The report contains several recommendations for U.S. policy, including practical suggestions for getting beyond the controversy over U.S. support for independent NGOs in Egypt that is being exploited by anti-democratic elements within the Egyptian government. For example, it calls on the U.S. government to negotiate a durable arrangement with the Egyptian authorities that will ensure the long-term stability and integrity of U.S. assistance to independent human rights and democracy organizations in Egypt.

To speak with Hicks or for more information about Human Rights First’s work on Egypt, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.

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The statement noted, “Their plight is indicative of so many other human rights activists who have risked their lives and livelihoods to promote human rights in China and things are only getting worse as the Chinese government introduces legislation to make disappearances legal and escalates its intimidation, attacks, arrests, and prosecutions of human rights activists.”

Today’s hearing comes as Xi Jinping, the Chinese Vice President and likely next president of China, is in the United States today to meet with top officials.  Human Rights First has urged the Administration to raise human rights concerns with the Vice President during his visit.

“As Chinese human rights activists become more dynamic in their dissent, they need a show of support from the United States,” concluded Human Rights First’s statement.

For more information about Human Rights First’s work on behalf of Chinese human rights defenders, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.

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