Torture

Latest News and Press Releases

June 05, 2017

Washington Week on Human Rights: June 5, 2017

Top Items Trump Administration Asks the Supreme Court to Reinstate Refugee Ban On Thursday the Department of Justice asked the Supreme Court to review the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals'...

June 02, 2017

Executive Branch Agencies Begin Handing Back Copies of Senate Torture Report

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today expressed alarm over reports that the Trump Administration has begun to return copies of the Senate intelligence committee’s report...

March 23, 2017

In Testimony, Massimino Urges Senators to Review Gorsuch Record on Separation of Powers, Judicial Review

Washington, D.C.—In testimony today before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Human Rights First’s Elisa Massimino will urge senators to review the record of Judge Neil Gorsuch, nominee for...

March 20, 2017

Washington Week on Human Rights: March 20, 2017

Top Items Neil Gorsuch Confirmation Hearings Confirmation hearings begin today in the Senate for Judge Neil Gorsuch, President Trump’s nominee to fill the seat of the late Justice Antonin...

February 28, 2017

Coats Commits to Following Law on Torture

Washington, D.C.—Human Rights First today praised comments made by Senator Dan Coats, nominee for director of national intelligence, in which he acknowledged the illegality of torture. Senator...

February 09, 2017

We Can Win

Despite so much bad news coming out of Washington, we won a major victory this week: President Trump abandoned his threat to reinstate the torture program. On the campaign trail...

February 08, 2017

New Attorney General Jeff Sessions Should Honor his Pledges to Uphold the Law

New York City-- Human Rights First today urged the newly confirmed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to enforce and uphold the law as he has pledged to do. The organization said that it will hold...

Resources

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Letter | 2018

Coalition Letter on Gina Haspel Nomination

Dear Senator,

We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of Gina Haspel for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and to ask that you not advance her nomination until all of the records on her past involvement in the CIA torture program are

Factsheet | May 24, 2018

Gina Haspel, CIA Director

On May 17, 2018, the Senate voted to confirm Gina Haspel as director of the CIA. She was confirmed by a vote of 54-45—the lowest number of affirmative votes for any CIA director in history. Haspel...

Letter | May 08, 2018

Letter to Senators in Opposition to Nomination of Gina Haspel to Director of the Central Intelligence Agency

Download Dear Senator: Even in times of crisis, the United States prides itself on remaining committed to American values and universal ideals. This means that our leaders and government...

Letter | April 23, 2018

109 Retired Military Leaders Raise Concerns About CIA Nominee Gina Haspel

Dear Senator: As retired general and flag officers of the United States military, we write to express our profound concern about the nomination of Gina Haspel to be Director of the Central...

Letter | March 16, 2018

Coalition Letter on Gina Haspel Nomination

Dear Senator, We write to express our grave concerns regarding the nomination of Gina Haspel for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and to ask that you not advance her...