From the Executive Director 
 The Right to Legal Counsel Is Fundamental
It's a basic principle of American justice that everyone accused of a crime deserves legal representation. (Think of John Adams's defense of British soldiers who took part in the Boston Massacre.) But from time to time, some people need to be reminded of that fundamental fact.
The latest case in point: Charles D. "Cully" Stimson, a high-ranking Pentagon official in charge of detainee affairs. In a radio interview, he asked why major corporations would permit their outside lawyers to represent detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. He went so far as to name the firms involved and the companies they work for.
The reaction was swift and furious, and soon Stimson apologized in a letter to the Washington Post. In response to his remarks and apology, HRF urged Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to affirm publicly "the essential role that lawyers have played and are continuing to play" in ensuring that U.S. policies on detainee interrogation and detention "meet constitutional and international human rights obligations."
Maureen Byrnes
Robert Drinan, S.J., a Giant in Human Rights, Dies
 Human Rights First mourns the passing of Rev. Robert Drinan, a former member of our Board of Directors and a giant in the world of human rights. Father Drinan combined a passionate commitment to human rights and social justice with a fierce determination to speak truth to power. His was a clear and consistent voice of conscience on a wide range of human rights issues, ranging from the plight of Soviet Jewry to Central America, from Cuba to Darfur. As we continue our work, we are inspired by his life and many good deeds. We have lost a great leader and good friend.
Refugees Fleeing Persecution Deserve Protection
 Progress for Some Asylum Seekers, but...
On January 11, prospects got brighter for some refugees seeking asylum in the United States. The administration announced it will exempt certain groups from its "material support" rules, which bar asylum to anyone the government says has provided support to an armed group.
HRF has been working for months to fix this broken system. Although the announced change is welcome, more needs to be done. It's "a long overdue step – and a step that fails to cover many of the most vulnerable refugees," HRF's Eleanor Acer, director of refugee protection, told the AP.
Read the full article.
For example, the U.S. denied asylum to a nurse from Colombia who was kidnapped and assaulted by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, saying that the medical treatment she was forced to provide constituted "material support" to a "terrorist organization." She does not fall into one of the newly exempted groups, and cases like hers illustrate the need for broader action.
HRF is working to educate Congress on the need to correct the rules, eliminate the unintended consequences of these laws and stop treating the victims of repression like criminals. For more information.
Next Steps for U.N. Envoy to Darfur
 Human Rights First led the effort to urge the United Nations to appoint a special envoy for Darfur - and last December Jan Eliasson was appointed to the post.
In the past two weeks, he has already met with African Union and Sudanese government officials and has stated his commitment to a political solution to the crisis. To make this a reality, Human Rights First now urges Mr. Eliasson to take the following five essential steps:
- Go to Beijing, Brussels, Moscow and Washington. The new Envoy must make sure Darfur is on the agenda in these capitals; China is especially important because of its economic ties to Sudan.
- Continue meeting with African Union and Arab League leaders. These leaders must engage and persuade Khartoum; they will also be essential to any lasting solution.
- Hold President Bashir to his promises. The Sudanese government has a track record of making agreements, and then back-tracking. The new Envoy must make himself a fixture in Khartoum - constant visibility can help break the pattern.
- Engage rebel commanders and others in Darfur. Any peace agreement will need support from all of Darfurian society.
- Keep Darfur on the front page of newspapers around the world. Media attention helps create international pressure.
Learn more about our recommendations.
Upcoming Documentary on Abu Ghraib Underscores Need for Accountability, Reforms
HBO Program Gives a Voice to Ex-Prisoners
On February 22 at 9:30 p.m. (EST), HBO will carry a documentary, "Ghosts of Abu Ghraib," directed by Rory Kennedy, an award-winning film-maker and the youngest daughter of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy.
The program, which the Hollywood Reporter called "powerful and indispensable," had its premiere at the Sundance film festival in Park City, Utah on January 19. It features the first in-depth interviews with Iraqi ex-prisoners who were the victims of torture and abuse at the hands of the U.S. military, and with Americans who witnessed or perpetrated the abuse. "Ghosts" includes commentary by Admiral John Hutson, Ret., a member of HRF’s Board of Directors. (Other HBO playdates are Feb. 26, and March 6, 12 and 21. The HBO2 playdate is Feb. 28.)
In the documentary, Kennedy asks "How could ordinary American soldiers come to engage in such monstrous acts?" "What policies were put into place that allowed this behavior to flourish while protections granted to prisoners under the Geneva Conventions were ignored?"
TAKE ACTION: Click here to write to Congress and tell them that Americans will no longer stand for torture or abuse committed in their name.
Call for Release of Imprisoned Colombian Human Rights Leader
 Gabriel Gonzalez, a renowned human rights activist in Colombia, has been imprisoned in harsh conditions for over a year. Mr. Gonzalez was falsely accused of rebellion and of being a guerrilla Commander.
Mr. Gonzalez and his organization have endured a series of attacks and threats which appear calculated to deter them from performing their legitimate non-violent activities as human rights defenders. He has previously been awarded protective measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in recognition of his work and the dangers he faces.
The rebellion charges against Mr. Gonzalez rely on specious evidence. Both of the witnesses in the case were allegedly former guerilla members. One was unable to physically identify or even name Mr. Gonzalez before he was detained; the other has previously admitted to providing statements under duress from authorities.
Here is HRF's Letter to Secretary of State Rice expressing concern about this case.
TAKE ACTION: Click here to join in our efforts to secure the release of Mr. Gonzalez and send a letter to the Colombian authorities.
Staff Spotlight: Hina Shamsi
An Advocate Seeking Accountability for Torture and Respect for the Rule of Law
 As Deputy Director of the Law and Security Program, Hina Shamsi works to ensure that U.S. national security and counterterrorism policies reflect human rights protections under law. Her tools in this mission include research, litigation and advocacy. She is also in regular contact with the news media. For a recent example, see her quote in this AP story here.
Hina filed a blog from the courtroom in the military trial of one of the Abu Ghraib dog handlers, authored Command's Responsibility: Detainee Deaths in U.S. custody in Iraq and Afghanistan and co-authored the influential report, Torture by Proxy: International and Domestic Law Applicable to "Extraordinary Renditions," issued jointly by the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at NYU Law School. Before joining Human Rights First, Hina worked as a litigator at a leading law firm.
Russian Court Shuts Down Human Rights Group
Human On January 23, a top court in Russia effectively shut down the Russian Chechen Friendship Society (RCFS), one of the few remaining organizations in Russia that was reporting on human rights conditions in Chechnya and the North Caucasus. In a statement issued the day of the hearing Maureen Byrnes said, "With the closure of the RCFS, the world has lost a window on the catastrophic human rights consequences of the enduring conflict in Chechnya."
Human Rights First has condemned the closure of the RCFS and called on the Russian government to uphold basic rights of freedom of expression and association. See our statement.
. |
|
HRF’s Washington Director Profiled in "The Hill"
Elisa Massimino, HRF's Washington Director, was profiled in January 23 issue of "The Hill," a newspaper that covers Congress.
Key quote: "Those who know Massimino say her approach leads to success. She's passionate, but not emotional, and she understands the policy and the legal framework within which she’s working." Full Article
. |
|
 |
