Senior Associate, Andrew Hudson, addressed the Human Rights Council in Geneva on March 11, 2010 urging it to better protect human rights defenders at risk around the world. He also urged the Colombian government to adopt the Council's recommendations on how to stop the persecution of defenders.

HRF Oral Statement to Council

HRF Video Statement to Council

Sunday's parliamentary election in Iraq offers the opportunity to reengage Iraqi leadership on key issues affecting Iraq's stability.

Read Human Rights First's press release.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders released a new report criticizing the widespread persecution of Colombian activists. The report cited Human Rights First and adopted many of our recommendations, especially those combating the baseless prosecutions of Colombian defenders.

Read UN report.

Read HRF report in English | In Spanish

The visit to Guatemala by US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, on March 5 is an opportunity to show strong US support for human rights in Guatemala and the need to aggressively combat impunity and corruption.

Read Senior Associate Andrew Hudson's comments in the Washington Post

You might think that doctors wouldn't be roped into torture. Unfortunately we've learned these past few years that some have. In New York there is a bill that would provide protection for those who resist, and help ensure that doctors abide by the law.

Human Rights First signed on to a letter supporting this bill. Physicians for Human Rights is running a petition – sign it now!

Human Rights First urged United Nations member states to block ongoing efforts to establish new norms that prohibit defamation of religion, a measure the group notes would be detrimental to international human rights and freedom of expression. Governments must confront violence and hostility against minorities without restricting free expression.

Press Release and Open Letter
Defamation Background Paper
Muslim Factsheet Update
Our Recommendations

The findings from the Justice Department ethics report underscore the need for a full accounting for the policies of torture carried out by the Bush Administration.

Read press release.

Read HRF commentary on our blog.

A new Human Rights First report published in the Journal of International Criminal Justice analyses the groundbreaking but little understood International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) to develop an improved rule of law model for the UN in reforming weak legal systems. It engages in an in-depth study of CICIG's activities and a comparative analysis of CICIG against similar international criminal justice mechanisms. Human Rights First argues that CICIG's level of integration into the local judicial system and its dual focus on powers to promote prosecutions and institutional reform tools make it a unique model worth replicating. This report also makes recommendations to further improve CICIG's model for future application to new contexts and countries.

Read the report