 Human Rights First Unveils Plan to End Torture and Official Cruelty
Both parties' presidential candidates have rejected the use of torture and agree that America's reputation has been damaged by the Bush Administration's policies authorizing abuse of prisoners. Human Rights First offers a step-by-step plan for the next president to end torture and official cruelty and to invest in effective and humane intelligence gathering.
Read the Blueprint
Read the Press Release
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10/16/08
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 Second Trial Begins at Guantanamo, but the Defense Remains Silent
Sharon Kelly, HRF's Elect to End Torture '08 Campaign Manager, is in Guantanamo to monitor the trial of Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul, Osama bin Laden's alleged personal and media director. Read more about al Bahlul's case here.
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10/28/08
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HRF Applauds Decision to Release 17 Chinese Uighurs Held at Guantanamo Bay
Read the Press Release
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10/07/08
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Judge Denies Request to Recuse Himself from 9/11 Case
HRF consultant Anthony Barkow is in Guantánamo to monitor pretrial hearings for five defendants charged with crimes related to the September 11 terrorist attacks. Read Anthony’s observations on the Guantánamo blog.
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09/24/08
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 HRF Tells Senate That U.S. Interrogation and Detention Policy Must Be 'Firmly Rooted' in the Rule of Law
Read Testimony
Read Press Release
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09/16/08
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Campaign to End Torture Does Not End With Mukasey Confirmation
Read Statement
Sign HRF petition to presidential candidates calling for an end to torture and abusive interrogation
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11/12/07
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Human Rights First Unveils Plan for Closing Guantánamo
With both parties’ presumptive presidential nominees in agreement about the need to close Guantanamo, Human Rights First offers a step-by-step plan that minimizes risk and ensures federal court prosecutions.
Read the Blueprint
Read the Press Release
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08/19/08
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Guantanamo Pre-trial Hearings Continue For Juvenile Detainees as First Trial Concludes
HRF consultant Nicole Barrett was in Guantanamo recently to monitor pre-trial hearings in the cases of al Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul and two detainees, Omar Khadr and Mohammed Jawad, who were each brought to Guantanamo as juveniles and each allege they were tortured. The hearings follow the conclusion of the first military commission trial to proceed in six years. Read her observations on the Guantanamo blog.
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08/18/08
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Flawed Legal Process at First Guantanamo Trial Ensures Conviction
The first military commission trial at Guantanamo concluded with a conviction. HRF monitored the proceedings and documented the fundamental flaws in the legal process leading to a pre-determined outcome.
Press Release »
Blog: On Trial at GTMO »
Case of Salim Hamdan »
Report: Prosecuting Terrorism »
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08/06/08 - Updated
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Pre-trial hearings for September 11 Defendants reveal fundamental deficiencies
International Legal Director Gabor Rona recently returned from Guantánamo to monitor individual pre-trial hearings of the five September 11 defendants. Read Gabor’s description of the extent to which detainees are prevented from participating in the legal process on the Huffington Post
"Can It Gitmo Bad Than This?"
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07/15/08
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Guantanamo pre-trial hearing continues in the case of first scheduled trial
HRF consultant Frank Kendall is in Guantánamo to observe the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan. Hamdan is the first detainee in six years whose case is scheduled to start trial, but a federal court is determining whether the trial can proceed before he is able to legally challenge his detention. Read Frank’s observations on the Guantánamo blog.
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07/15/08
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Guantanamo Detainees After Boumediene: Now What?
On July 15, Human Rights First International Legal Director Gabor Rona testified before the U.S. Helsinki Commission in a hearing that addressed law and policy issues related to detention of suspected terrorists – particularly Guantanamo detainees — following the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Boumediene.
Read Testimony Read HRF report examining the prosecution of terrorism cases in federal courts.
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07/14/08
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Guantánamo Hearings Continue After Supreme Court Decision Upholds Habeas Corpus Rights for Detainees
Senior Associate Deborah Colson was in Guantánamo recently to monitor pre-trial hearings in the cases of two detainees, Omar Khadr and Mohammed Jawad, who were each brought to Guantánamo as juveniles and have alleged they were tortured. Read about her observations on the Huffington Post. The hearings are the first to be held after the Supreme Court ruled that detainees have the right to challenge their detention in federal courts. Read the press statement on the Supreme Court decision here.
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06/26/08
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Arraignment of September 11 Defendants
Senior Associate Sahr MuhammedAlly is in Guantánamo to monitor the arraignment of the five September 11 defendants and the pre-trial hearing of Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi on June 5. Read her observations on the Guantánamo blog and on JURIST.
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06/03/08
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 Supreme Court Upholds Due Process for Guantanamo Prisoners
Terrorist Cases should be Tried in Federal Courts
Read the press statement here
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06/12/08
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Pre-Trial Hearings Continue in Detainee Cases at Guantánamo
Senior Associate Sahr MuhammedAlly was in Cuba to monitor the cases of Omar Ahmed Khadr, Mohammed Jawad, and Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul. Read her observations on the Guantánamo blog and here on JURIST.
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05/06/08
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 Human Rights First Supports Senate Bill on Ending Secret Prisons
Read Statement
Background on the CIA Secret Detention Program
Read the Report
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05/02/08
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Boycotts Continue in Detainee Cases at Guantánamo
Sharon Kelly, Elect to End Torture ’08 Campaign Manager, recently monitored the cases of Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi and Mohammed Kamin. Proceedings were postponed in the case of Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi. Read Sharon’s observations on the Huffington Post.
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05/22/08
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Detainee Boycotts Trial at Guantánamo, Former Prosecutor Testifies In His Defense
Senior Associate Deborah Colson was in Guantánamo to observe the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan.
Read Deborah’s posts from Guantánamo:
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05/1/08
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 HRF and other Advocates Urge Release of Report on Removal to Torture
Read letter to the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and DHS Inspector General Richard Skinner urging for the release of a new report on how U.S. officials came to remove Canadian citizen Maher Arar to Syria where he was detained for 10 months and subjected to torture.
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04/25/08
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White House Agrees to Support McCain Amendment: Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment to Be Banned
Press Release: House Votes Overwhelmingly in Favor of McCain Amendment
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12/15/05 - Updated
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 Report: U.S. Contributes to Afghan Fair Trial Violations
Press Release
Executive Summary PDF | HTML
 > In Dari
> In Pashto
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04/10/08
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Release of 2003 Torture Memo Critical First Step in Accountability
Accountability for past violations is crucial to deterring future violations
Read Statement
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04/02/08
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Guantánamo: It All Seems So Normal
Frank Kendall — Human Rights First volunteer consultant — was in Cuba to monitor the cases of Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al Qosi, Ahmed Mohammed Ahmed Haza al Darbi, Omar Ahmed Khadr, Ali Hamza Ahmed Sulayman al Bahlul.
Read Frank's posts from Guantanamo:
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04/14/08 - Updated
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 New Report: Tortured Justice
Using Coerced Evidence to Prosecute Terrorist Suspects
Read Press Release
Read Full Report PDF (PDF -721KB) | HTML
Download chart of detainees who allege they were abused in custody (PDF -72KB)
Read the press conference transcript
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03/10/08
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Broad Opposition to President Bush's Veto of Ban on Torture
Read More: The Overwhelming Opposition to the President's Torture Ban Veto
Read HRF Statement
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03/09/08
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Congress Votes to Enforce Ban on Torture
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Updated 02/28/08
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 Fact Check: Attorney General Mukasey and Waterboarding
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02/01/08
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 New Report: Private Security Contractors at War
Human Rights First Report Details Risk to Mission from "Culture of Impunity"
Press Release
Listen to Press Conference - Streaming Audio | Download (MP3 - 18MB)
Executive Summary
Full Report (PDF -4MB)
More About Private Security Contractors
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01/16/08 - Updated
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Retired Admirals and Generals Speak Out on Interrogation and Torture
Read news coverage of Florida event
Watch ABC news clip of South Carolina event
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01/24/08 - Updated
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 Padilla Sentenced to 17 Years for Terrorist Conspiracies
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01/24/08 - Updated
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 Criminal Investigation of CIA Tape Destruction Not Enough
Read Statement
Read HRF analysis of impact on prosecutions
Timeline of related events
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01/03/08 - Updated
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HRF Tells House Judiciary Committee: Cruel Interrogations Are Illegal
Read Testimony by HRF Washington Director Elisa Massimino
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12/20/07
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Military Commission Finds Combatant Status Tribunals Not Competent for POW Status Determination
The Military Commission ruling in the Salim Hamdan case makes clear: the Combatant Status Review Tribunals (CSRTs) invented by the government neither satisfies nor addresses the Geneva Conventions’ requirement to determine whether a person is entitled under the Conventions to prisoner of war (PoW) protections.
Read More
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12/19/07
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 Supreme Court Hearing in Boumediene v. Bush
Six Years without Judicial Review: CSRTs Not an Adequate Substitute for Habeas Review
Chronology of Denial of Habeas Corpus
Guantanamo at a Glance
HRF Amicus Brief in Boumediene v. Bush (PDF-248KB)
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12/03/07
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Military Commission Hearings of Salim Ahmed Hamdan
Read Senior Associate Sahr MuhammedAlly’s blog from Guantanamo on the Hamdan hearings
What is an "enemy combatant?"
Read more about military commissions
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12/03/07
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 Retired Generals, Admirals Meet With Presidential Candidates on Torture, Prisoner Treatment Policies
15 Retired Flag and General Officers Meet with Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Huckabee, Obama, Richardson
Read Press Release
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12/04/07
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Concerns about Impartiality and Access to Evidence Arise at Military Commission Hearing
Read Associate Attorney Devon Chaffee's blog from Guantanamo
Read about military commissions
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11/12/07 - Updated
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 Army Report Faults Inadequate Policy Guidance for Abuses By Special Forces in Iraq
Army Report (PDF)
Read HRF's Report on Failings of Pentagon Investigations (PDF)
More on the Case for an Independent Commission
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06/20/06
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 Testing the Limits of Executive Power to Detain Al-Saleh Kahlah al-Marri
Learn More
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10/02/07
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 Gonzales Resignation an Opportunity to End Policy of Official Cruelty
Read HRF Statement
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08/27/07
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Guantanamo Detainees Ask U.S. Supreme Court to Restore Habeas Right to Challenge Detention
HRF Co-Counsel to Diverse Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations in Support of Detainees
Read the Coalition's Friend of Court Brief (PDF -290KB)
Read more about the Guantanamo Detention Cases
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08/25/06
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 American Bar Association Opposes President's Interrogation Program for CIA
National lawyers' group adopts resolution urging Congress to override President's executive order authorizing CIA use of "enhanced interrogations" methods
Read the draft ABA resolution
Read the draft ABA report
Read "Leave No Marks": A new report issued by Human Rights First and Physicians for Human Rights
Tell Congress: No CIA Exceptions on Torture
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08/15/07 - Updated
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Retired USMC Major General Asks the Candidates About Detainee Policies
Watch a video submitted to the YouTube/CNN debates by Major General Fred Haynes, USMC (Ret.), asking for the candidates' views on the issues of closing Guantanamo, eliminating secret CIA prisons, and halting extraordinary rendition.
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07/23/07
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 Executive Order on CIA Interrogation Methods Leaves Door Open to Torture
Read HRF Letter to Congressional Intelligence Committees Urging Investigation into Legality of Order (PDF-90KB)
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07/26/07 - Updated
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Time to Close Guantanamo
What the U.S. Must Do to Get Its House in Order
Supreme Court Takes Guantanamo Detainee Case
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07/18/07 - Updated
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 Justice Scalia Comments on Jack Bauer and the TV show '24'
HRF Encourages Justice Scalia to Reconsider
Learn More About Torture on TV
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06/27/07
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HRF Tells Helsinki Commission: International Law Applies to Guantanamo Detainees
What the U.S. must do to get its house in order
Read Testimony
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06/21/07
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U.S. Appeals Court Rejects Administration's Claimed Ability to Declare Civilian an "Enemy Combatant" for Indefinite Military Detention
Ruling a "Powerful Vindication" of Courts' Role
Read Human Rights First Statement
Read more about the case
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06/11/07
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Military Commission Dismissals Show Guantanamo System's Fundamental Flaws
Read Associate Attorney Priti Patel's blog on the dismissals at Guantanamo
Read about military commissions
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06/08/07 - Updated
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 Latest Guantanamo Death Another Sign of Policy Failure
Read HRF Statement
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05/31/07
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 HRF Commends Letter Against Torture by Iraq Commander Petraeus
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06/05/07 - Updated
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HRF Replies to Former CIA Director George Tenet
HRF President Mike Posner says "enhanced" interrogation techniques violate the law, do more harm than good
Click here to read his response
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05/04/07
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Human Rights First Provides Congress With Proposal for Treatment and Trial of Guantanamo Detainees
Read March 29 Testimony
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05/04/07
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Limits on Guantanamo Lawyers Would be a Step Back into Legal Abyss
N.Y. Times: Court Asked to Limit Lawyers at Guantanamo (external link)
More about Guantanamo
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04/26/07
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Guantanamo Hunger Strikes: 'Symptoms of a Failed System'
HRF Statement
HRF Tells Congress: Guantanamo Policy "Doubly Pernicious"
Read March 29 Testimony
Read more about Guantanamo Bay detainees
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04/10/07
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First Conviction of Guantanamo Detainee Under New Rules Not Full, Fair or Transparent
HRF Statement on Plea Agreement of David Hicks
Read updates by HRF observer who was in Guantanamo
Military Commissions Background
HRF Tells Congress: Guantanamo Policy "Doubly Pernicious"
Read March 29 Testimony
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04/1/07 - Updated
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Ruling in Rumsfeld Torture Case 'Leaves a Gap' in Accountability
Human Rights First and ACLU express disappointment at dismissal
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03/28/07
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New House Bill would Ban U.S. Renditions to Torture
HRF Letter in Support (PDF-93KB)
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03/06/07
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Yet Again U.S. Special Forces Escape Criminal Punishment for Torture and Death of Afghan Detainees
HRF Statement
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01/29/07
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Military Commission Rules for Detainee Trials Fall Short of Fair Standards
HRF calls for congressional hearings
Statement
Read HRF's Analysis of the Rules (PDF-106KB)
Military commissions background
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01/29/07 - Updated
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HRF Welcomes the Apology of Charles D. Stimson for His Remarks Against Lawyers Representing Detainees Held at Guantanamo Bay
Statement
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01/17/07
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 "Enemy Combatant" Held in U.S. Challenges Indefinite Government Detention
More About the Case
HRF's Friend of the Court Brief on Why the Government's Proposals Violate International Human Rights Law
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12/13/06
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 First Court Hearing in Landmark Case Against Rumsfeld
Press Release
More on the Case Against Rumsfeld
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12/08/06
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Only "Enemy Combatant" Held in U.S. Seeks His Day in Court
Read more about the case
Read Human Rights First's Friend of Court Brief
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11/21/06
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Human Rights First Welcomes Resignation of Defense Secretary Rumsfeld
Read Statement
Where Are They Now? US Officials Involved in Torture Scandal
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11/09/06 -Updated
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Military Commissions Act Faces Court Challenge
More on Guantanamo Detention Cases
More on the Military Commissions Act
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11/13/06
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President Signs Military Commissions Act; Human Rights First Urges Congressional Vigilance
Questions and Answers About the Military Commissions Act
Press Release
Read More
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10/24/06 - Updated
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New Concerns About Due Process and Rule of Law Surface in Last-Minute Changes to Military Commissions Act
Congress Should Reject Ill-Considered Legislation
More Information
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09/26/06 - Updated
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Retired Admirals and Generals - Including Five Former Joint Chiefs - Urge Congress to Preserve Geneva Conventions
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09/29/06 - Updated
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Human Rights First Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of September 11
HRF Statement
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09/08/06
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CIA Contractor Guilty Of Abusing Detainee
Clear Guidance Needed to Prevent More Abuse in U.S. Custody
Press Statement
Read LA Times Op-Ed "The CIA Torture Loophole" by Priti Patel
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08/18/06 - Updated
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In Sweeping Victory for Rule of Law, Supreme Court Rejects Guantanamo Military Commissions
Press Release
HRF Critique of the Military Commissions (PDF-344KB)
More on Military Commissions
Read "Advantage, Rule of Law" by Deborah Pearlstein
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06/30/06 - Updated
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Human Rights First Calls Guantanamo Detention Center Policy an Invitation to Disaster
Press Release
Read About Military Commissions
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06/10/06
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 Pentagon's Role in Question in Abu Ghraib Dog Handler Trial
Dog Handler Convicted of Abu Ghraib Abuse
At the Trial: HRF Monitor's Blog
HRF's Landmark Report: Command's Responsibility for Detainee Deaths
Commanders Implicated in Abuse: Where Are They Now
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06/02/06 - Updated
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 UN Anti-Torture Experts Urge United States to Stop Illegal Conduct
Media Alert
UN Committee Report
HRF Responds to U.S. Positions Before the UN Committee Against Torture
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05/19/06 - Updated
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 Groundbreaking Research Shows Over 600 U.S. Personnel Implicated in Widespread Abuse
Briefing paper on comprehensive accounting of torture and abuse in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo
Media Alert
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04/26/06
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Supreme Court Declines, For Now, to Review Enemy Combatant Case
HRF's Statement on the Decision
About Jose Padilla's Case
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04/03/06
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 Command Role Still in Question After Dog Handler Guilty Verdict
Press Release
At the Trial: HRF Monitor's Blog
HRF's Landmark Report: Command's Responsibility for Detainee Deaths
Commanders Implicated in Abuse: Where Are They Now?
Tell President: Torture Should Not Be Tolerated
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03/21/06 - Updated
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Military Trials Resume Amidst Growing Concerns Over Guantanamo
Military Commissions Overview
Daily Reports from HRF's Monitor at the Base
More on Guantanamo Bay
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03/02/06 - Updated
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House Whistleblower Hearings Shed New Light on Command Response to Reports of Torture and Abuse
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02/14/06
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Human Rights First Disappointed in Latest Failure of Congressional Oversight on U.S. Torture Practices
Read Human Rights First's Latest Statement
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02/09/06
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Deteriorating Health of Guantanamo Hunger Strikers Raises Growing Cause for Concern
Read Human Rights First’s Latest Statement
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02/09/06
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Domestic Spying Hearings Challenge Sweeping Claims of Executive Power
Read HRF's Deborah Pearlstein on Why Unlimited Executive Power is Bad for National Security
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02/06/06
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Retired Military Leaders Say Implement McCain Torture Ban
Media Alert
Letter from Retired Military to the President
HRF Letter on Key Steps to Make Sure Intent of Congress Is Realized
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01/19/06
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Human Rights First Disappointed with Lack of Accountability in Case of Detainee Death in U.S. Custody
Media Alert
Read HRF’s trial monitoring journal
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01/24/06 - Updated
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 President Bush Signs Amendment Banning Abusive Interrogation Techniques
HRF Applauds Passage of McCain Ban on Abuse
Joint Statement on the McCain Anti-Torture Amendment Prohibitions (PDF-24KB)
"Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading" What the McCain Amendment Bans (PDF-16KB)
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12/22/05
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Human Rights First Urges Supreme Court to Review U.S. Citizen’s Indefinite Detention
Amicus Brief filed by Human Rights First in Support of Padilla
Read HRF Statement
Read more on Padilla
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12/19/05 - Updated
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New Senate Amendment Treats Symptom -- Not Cause -- of Legal Problems for Guantanamo Detainees
Read statement of Sen. Specter (R-PA) on the Graham amendment (PDF-17KB)
Read letter from Ret. Rear Admiral John Hutson to Sen. Specter opposing the Graham Amendment (PDF-371KB)
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11/15/2005 - Updated
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 Human Rights First Welcomes Supreme Court Review of Military Commissions
Media Alert
Read HRF Brief Seeking Court Review
Read about Military Commissions
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11/08/05
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 HRF Welcomes DOJ Nominee Withdrawal
HRF had expressed concerns to the Senate (PDF - 65KB)
Read "Where Are They Now?"
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10/07/05 - Updated
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Guantanamo Bay Hunger Strikes Deeply Troubling
Media Alert
Read HRF Friend of the Court Brief on Physical and Psychological Effects of Detention (PDF-1.5MB)
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09/30/05 - Updated
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On Friday, June 10, Deborah Pearlstein, Director of the U.S. Law and Security Program, testified before the House Judiciary Committee on the need for greater accountability and policy changes in the wake of worldwide detainee abuse.
“This unsought conclusion unhinged those responsible for the treatment of the detainees in Guantanamo from legal guidelines for interrogation of detainees reflected in the Conventions, and embodied in the Army Field Manual for decades. Set adrift in uncharted waters, and under pressure from their leaders to develop information on the plans and practices of al-Qaeda, it was predictable that those managing the interrogation would eventually go too far, and news reports now indicate that, from time to time, that happened.”
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld bears direct responsibility for the torture and abuse of detainees in U.S. custody, Human Rights First, the ACLU and military leaders charged, in the first federal court lawsuit to name a top U.S. official in the ongoing torture scandal in Afghanistan and Iraq. The lawsuit was filed March 1, 2005 and announced at a press conference in Washington, DC.
On
January 24, Human Rights First and fifteen other leading human rights organizations
and bar associations submitted a ‘friends of the court’ brief to
the U.S. Supreme Court in Medellin v. Dretke, arguing that the United States
has a binding obligation to comply its international legal obligations.
The Supreme Court rules against the administration on foreign detainees. Again.
Torture: A Pattern of Abuse
Senior
Officials Not Held Accountable for Torture
Former State Department Legal Adviser Says Torture and Abuse was Predictable; Blames Decision to Deny Geneva Protections
Human Rights First, Military Leaders and ACLU Sue Defense Secretary Rumsfeld Over U.S. Torture Policies
Human Rights First Calls for Full Examination of CIA Interrogation Practices
New Legal Brief Urges Supreme Court to Uphold
U.S. International Legal Obligations, Advance Respect for Rule of Law
