2004/05 Annual Report

Transcription

A More Secure World
Court TV movie based on Human Rights First
case highlights difficulties faced by asylum
seekers. P7
Tibetan artist, Samten Dakpa, finds safety and
creative freedom in America. P9
General Hoar talks about why he works with
Human Rights First. P14
UPFRONT
2004/05 At a Glance ....................................2
Holding the Line – An interview with
Mike Posner: Human Rights First’s Executive
Director talks about three decades of human
rights work and how things have changed
since 9/11......................................................4
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
Opposing Abuse: Promoting greater respect
for human rights in U.S. national
security policy ...............................................10
End Torture Now: The campaign to ensure
that no one is tortured in America’s name.....10
Case Study of a Public Campaign:
The Gonzales Nomination..............................11
Inside HRF: Avidan Cover talks about what
it’s like to argue with ideologues about
human rights abuses.....................................12
Taking Abuse to the Courts..........................13
Outlook: General Joseph P. Hoar, former
Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command,
talks about why he works with HRF................14
Just the Facts: A visual overview of abuse and
torture in U.S. facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan
and elsewhere...............................................15
HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
Defending the Defenders: How HRF supports
local activists around the world.....................18
Human Rights Defenders Policy Forum .......19
Profiles: Stories of human rights defenders
from Cuba, Indonesia, Iran, Russia
and Sudan ....................................................20
Inside HRF: Archana Pyati talks about
meeting with human rights defenders in
Russia and Kazakhstan .................................22
ASYLUM & REFUGEE PROTECTION
Securing Safe Haven: HRF’s Asylum Program
and the ongoing effort to ensure that the
U.S. asylum system respects the rights
of refugees ......................................................6
1,200+: A world map of HRF asylum clients
who can now live in safety...............................7
Chasing Freedom: HRF teams up with Court
TV to expose unfair detention practices in the
United States asylum system ..........................7
Asylum Today ..................................................8
Inside HRF: Erin Corcoran talks about the
rewards of representing refugees .....................8
Profile: Samten Dakpa ...................................9
A MORE SECURE WORLD
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE &
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Fighting Fear and Injustice .........................16
Inside HRF: John Stompor talks about the
human rights emergency in Darfur and
the importance of the international criminal
court system .................................................16
Bias Crimes on the Rise ..............................17
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST – WHO WE ARE
Our Board of Directors & Council ...............24
Our Staff ......................................................25
2004 Marvin Frankel Award Winners ..........26
Pro Bono Support ........................................26
Our Donors ...................................................28
E N D N OT E S
Looking Ahead: Mike Posner and Bill Zabel,
the Chair of the Board of Directors, on the
challenges ahead..........................................30
2003/04 Financials ....................................31
Recent Reports ............................................32
Crisis in Darfur cries for international
attention. P16
Archana Pyati of Human Rights First travels
to Kazakhstan and Russia to meet with human
rights defenders. P22
Bill Zabel, Chair of the Board of Directors, and
Mike Posner, Executive Director, discuss the
challenges ahead. P30
Human Rights First is a leading
human rights advocacy organization
based in New York City and
Washington, DC. Since 1978, we
have worked in the U.S. and abroad
to create a secure and humane
world – advancing justice, human
dignity, and respect for the rule of
law. We support human rights
activists who fight for basic
freedoms and peaceful change
at the local level; protect refugees
in flight from persecution and
repression; help build a strong
international system of justice and
accountability; and make sure
human rights laws and principles
are enforced in the United States
and abroad. All of our activities are
supported by private contributions.
We accept no government funds.
Representing asylum seekers can be the most
rewarding work an attorney can do. Tsering
Yangzom (left) of Tibet with pro bono attorney
Olga Akselrod of Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver &
Jacobson LLP. P8
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
1
2004/05 At a Glance
Our Name Changed but Our
Mission Remains the Same
In 2004, we changed our name from
Lawyers Committee for Human Rights
to Human Rights First. Our new name
reflects the fact that the organization
and the work we do is driven not just
by attorneys, but also by people from
all walks of life – including academics,
scientists, journalists, doctors,
students and others. Going forward, we
will expand and intensify our advocacy
work, while continuing to provide the
thorough research and analysis our
organization has been known for since
its founding nearly 30 years ago.
2
A MORE SECURE WORLD
Supreme Court Victories
Human Rights First fought to win
significant Supreme Court victories
for the rule of law in the central cases
involving the incommunicado and
indefinite detention of security
detainees in U.S. custody.
● In Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, a U.S.
citizen detained without charge and
held in a South Carolina military brig
successfully challenged his confinement and was released.
● In Rasul v. Bush, the Court rejected
the Bush Administration’s assertion
that detainees have no right to contest,
in U.S. courts, the basis for their
detention.
HRF wrote friend-of-the-court briefs,
organizing coalitions of humanitarian
groups, former American POWs,
physicians, and law enforcement
officials in support of the rule of law.
The Court mentioned both of HRF’s
briefs in its majority opinions.
Abuse of Prisoners
in the Spotlight
Human Rights First was a leader in the
international effort to protest abusive
treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody.
Key initiatives included:
● Filed suit against United States
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld
for the abuse of Iraqi and Afghan
prisoners in military custody.
● Organized retired admirals and
generals to call for an independent
commission to investigate U.S. interrogation policy and to protest the abuse
of prisoners in U.S. custody.
● Launched a campaign to engage
the public in calling on the United
States government to reform its unlawful detention and interrogation policies.
● Generated widespread debate in
the media and Congress on “ghost
detainees” – prisoners in U.S. custody
who are kept off prison records and
away from international inspectors.
● Led the campaign to use Senate
confirmation hearings of Attorney
General nominee Alberto Gonzales
as a vehicle to challenge the
Administration’s detention and
interrogation policies.
Asylum & Refugee Protection
Human Rights Defenders
Human Rights First’s Asylum Program
is among the oldest and most successful legal representation programs for
refugees. 2004/05 continued our
long-standing record of achievement
and advocacy.
● Provided legal representation
for more than 1,000 clients in
2004/2005. Through our asylum
representation program, pro bono attorneys contributed more than 67,500
hours of work, valued at $19 million.
● Fought to ensure that genderbased persecution is recognized as a
valid claim for asylum in the United
States. This work included an
important victory in the case of Rodi
Alvarado, a domestic abuse survivor
from Guatemala whose husband,
a former soldier in the Guatemalan
military, brutally beat her over a period
of 10 years while the Guatemalan
police and courts ignored her pleas
for help.
● Formed coalitions with conservative religious organizations to oppose
anti-immigrant provisions in H.R. 10, a
major intelligence reform bill, and to
minimize their impact on refugees
seeking asylum.
Human Rights First supports local
human rights activists around the
world, protecting them when they are
targeted or harassed, working to free
them when they are imprisoned, and
drawing attention to their vital work. In
2004/05, our interventions contributed
to the release from prison of a number
of defenders, including:
● Iranian women’s rights activist,
Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh;
● 14 out of 75 of the Cuban activists
imprisoned in a crackdown on dissent
in March 2003;
● Father Gerard Jean-Juste, a prominent Haitian human rights activist.
International Justice &
Anti-Discrimination
Human Rights First has helped lead the
effort to build the capacity of national
legal systems to deal with discrimination, hate crimes and human rights
abuses, and to support the emerging
global system to deal with the worst of
these crimes.
● Worked with the U.N. Security
Council to reach consensus on how to
bring to justice those responsible for
crimes against humanity in Darfur;
● Released Everyday Fears: A Survey
of Violent Hate Crimes in Europe and
North America, a groundbreaking
analysis of the alarming increase in
antisemitic, anti-immigrant and antiMuslim hate crimes;
● Led the successful effort to establish three Special Representatives to
the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to combat
antisemitism, discrimination, hate
crimes and xenophobia;
● Worked with the Leadership
Conference on Civil Rights to build a
broad rights-based coalition to address
hate crimes.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
3
UP FRONT
“To me, the most remarkable development has been the growth of a vibrant
indigenous human rights movement around the world.”
An Interview with Mike Posner
Holding the Line
You helped to start Human Rights
First nearly three decades ago.
How have things changed since
you started?
The good news is that it’s a lot less
lonely than it was 30 years ago. In the
late 1970s the human rights movement
was still a bit of an unknown enterprise. There were many fewer local
advocacy groups, especially in Africa,
Asia and the Middle East – and it was
more difficult to figure out what was
happening there and how to work for
change. I remember visiting Uganda in
the early 1980s. There was only one
person monitoring human rights violations. He would get on his motorcycle,
ride out to the local morgue and ask
the coroner, “Who died last night?”
So to me, the most remarkable
development has been the growth of a
vibrant indigenous human rights movement around the world. Media and
technology have certainly helped this
movement, giving local activists a lifeline, broader resources and a way to
publicize human rights violations. And
4
A MORE SECURE WORLD
more people seem to understand that
what happens in one part of the world
affects all parts of the world.
The emergence of new global
enforcement mechanisms, like the
International Criminal Court, is another
big change. Human Rights First has
supported the creation of these new
mechanisms, which we hope will help
individual nations and the international
community hold people accountable for
human rights abuses and give victims a
measure of justice.
How have things changed since
September 11?
September 11, 2001 certainly
brought home the fact that violent
extremist groups pose real threats to
the United States and to the global
community and that governments do
need to adopt effective measures to
reduce these threats.
But the course the U.S. government
has taken has gone well beyond these
needed steps. Its counterterrorism
policies have resulted in a serious
erosion of human rights, civil liberties
and the rule of law. And it is not clear
that these new policies have made us
safer. In fact, many of the new policies
– together with the abandonment of
long-standing prohibitions against
abuse of prisoners – have fueled
anti-American sentiment and put
Americans, and especially American
troops, at greater risk.
What effect are these policies having
internationally?
The global impact is devastating. The
world is watching the United States and
often following what we do. When our
own standards slip – such as what
happened at Abu Ghraib and elsewhere
– it basically gives license to countries
that already have poor human rights
records to resort to torture with
impunity.
One of our most serious concerns
is that the “war on terrorism” is being
used as a pretext to silence dissent
in many countries. Governments now
charge that dissenters are supporting
al Qaeda and other violent groups. In
other words, dissent is now being
equated with terrorism. We see this
more and more in our work with human
rights defenders who work at the
country level around the world. Legitimate criticism of government policies
is now seen as a legitimate reason to
persecute, imprison and abuse
advocates for human rights.
UP FRONT
What about in the United States?
The effects are equally, if not more,
dramatic. Homeland security has, in
many instances, resulted in homeland
anxiety – from the Patriot Act’s erosion
of privacy rights, to draconian immigration policies which brand refugees
fleeing persecution, imprisonment,
torture and even death as threats to
national security. There is a growing
ripple effect on our everyday lives.
How have Human Rights First’s
methods changed to meet these new
challenges?
We have focused our energy over the
past several years on holding the line –
fighting bad legislative proposals,
showing how the new policies undermine human rights and violate the
ideals upon which the United States
was founded. And we have continued
to focus attention on research and
analysis. But I believe it’s our increased
willingness to engage and focus on
results – not just to offer opinions –
that sets us apart. We’re determined
to make a difference, not just to
make a point.
This means working harder to build
coalitions with people across a broad
political and ideological spectrum. For
instance, we are continuing to work
with religious conservatives who share
our concern that the right to asylum is
in jeopardy. We are continuing to work
with retired military leaders to protest
U.S. interrogation policies.
It means using media to greater
effect, framing issues in new ways for
people who might not otherwise have
access to vital information, and using
the internet to intensify our public
campaigns. During the Senate hearings
to confirm Alberto Gonzales as U.S.
Attorney General, we organized a
massive email campaign that many
Senate staffers told us was highly
effective.
These new ways of working are
strengthening our advocacy and broad-
In light of the new threats to due
process and the rule of law, it sometimes feels as if the human rights
movement is in jeopardy; can you offer
any encouragement?
Until the founding of the United
Nations, the notion that there was a
global obligation of universal rights
“It’s important to take the longer view and say, look how far we’ve come.
In the end we’re going to prevail.”
ening our reach. We’re making progress
because our methods are adapting to
the changing circumstances. Regarding
asylum, for example, we were disappointed that Congress passed the Real
ID Act, legislation that makes it harder
for refugees to gain asylum – but the
networks we have built to oppose the
worst provisions will make it easier
for us to monitor the effects of this
legislation and minimize its impact. In
the end, we think these challenges are
making us stronger.
Can you describe some recent
successes?
The case of Yaser Hamdi, a U.S.
citizen who was labeled an enemy
combatant and denied due process,
was a big success. The Supreme Court
ruled that the government cannot put
the “war on terrorism” before the rule
of law. Despite the new scrutiny, our
asylum team continued to win a high
percentage of its cases. We were very
involved in the process that led to the
U.N. Security Council’s decision to
support the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the matters of
mass murder in Darfur. And we have
drawn much greater public attention to
the fact that human rights defenders
are coming under fire around the world
for their very peaceful advocacy.
owed to everyone simply did not exist.
That was only 60 years ago.
I say this because it’s very easy to
get discouraged, especially given the
erosion of rights we’re seeing. Yes, we
face a lot of new challenges; yes, there
are a lot of people still fighting for
basic human rights around the world.
But it’s important to take the longer
view and to recognize how far we’ve
come. In the end we are going to
prevail.
I think when we look back on this
period, the headline will be that we
faced and ultimately overcame serious
challenges, reinforcing the essential
importance of human rights and
the rule of law. In the end I believe it
is as the Reverend Martin Luther King
famously said, “The arc of the
moral universe is long but it bends
toward justice.”
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
5
In the United States of America – a nation founded by those fleeing
religious persecution – the right to seek asylum should be certain and secure.
Securing Safe Haven
6
Xu Jin (China), a participant in political protests
and the daughter of a dissident, was banned
from attending university.
Lawyer (Cameroon) was harassed, arrested and
beaten (name withheld at client’s request).
Dr. Baiev (Chechnya) was accused of
collaborating with the enemy for adhering to
the Hippocratic Oath during war-time.
Victims of religious persecution in
Sudan … torture survivors from
Iraq … pro-democracy activists fleeing
a repressive regime in Congo …
victims of coercive population control
policies in China … women fleeing
“honor killings” in Pakistan and
domestic violence in Guatemala …
gay men attacked in Colombia because
of their sexual orientation. These are
the asylum seekers of the 21st Century.
In the United States of America –
a nation founded by those fleeing
religious persecution – the right to
seek asylum should be certain and
secure. And in theory, it is. But the
reality falls far short of the ideal.
Every year thousands of the world’s
most vulnerable people seek refuge in
the United States, hoping they have
reached a place where they will be safe
and treated fairly.
The welcome they receive at U.S.
borders can be a devastating surprise.
Years of anti-immigration policies have
created administrative hurdles so high
that most asylum seekers cannot hope
to find a permanent home here. Many
languish for months and even years in
large detention facilities, cut off from
family, friends and legal assistance.
Others are returned to their home
countries, where they face certain persecution, imprisonment, and even death.
Legal Representation
Human Rights First steps into this
breach to provide free legal services to
refugees seeking asylum from violence
and persecution. Our Asylum Legal
Representation Program is the largest
in the United States, matching extraordinary attorneys from leading law firms in
New York City, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. with refugees from countries
around the world.
In 2004, over 500 attorneys
represented more than 1,000 clients
from over 80 countries around the
world, providing $19 million in free legal
services. While these statistics are
impressive, the real results of this work
are impossible to quantify, for how do
you measure the value of living
in freedom?
Asylum Advocacy
Our work does not end with client legal
services. For nearly 30 years, Human
Rights First has been a tireless advocate for a fair, effective and transparent
immigration system that honors our
nation’s historic commitment to asylum.
It has often been an uphill battle –
and the struggle to preserve refugee
rights has only intensified since
September 11. With each new assault
on the institution of asylum, Human
Rights First has helped lead the effort
to defeat unfair provisions and oppose
regulations that impose greater
burdens on refugees. We regularly file
comments on proposed changes to
regulations, meet with U.S. government
officials to voice our concerns, and file
friend-of-the-court briefs in federal court
cases that raise significant issues in
U.S. asylum law.
Just as important, we bring together
coalitions that unite people and organizations of all political and ideological
perspectives in the effort to keep our
asylum system open and fair. We
provide the public with information that
tells the real stories of asylum seekers,
people who come here not to game the
system, but to gain a safe haven. We
create networks and new opportunities
for people to engage policy makers and
express their concerns. And we will
continue our efforts, whatever the
challenges ahead, to ensure that the
United States remains a refuge for
those who need it the most.
A MORE SECURE WORLD
1,200+
Asylum Grantees from Around the World
Sierra
Leone
Makani Jalloh sought refuge in
China
Hua Zhen Chen was forced by government
the United States after she was
attacked and her husband and son
were murdered by rebel forces.
officials to undergo an abortion.
Chasing Freedom
Scene from Court TV movie, starring
Layla Alizada and Juliette Lewis.
Afghanistan
Mina Burhani was persecuted by the Taliban
for running a school for young girls.
CLIENTS GRANTED ASYLUM IN THE LAST 10 YEARS
1-5
6-10
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Angola
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bangladesh
Belarus
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Chad
China (including Tibet)
Colombia
Congo (Brazaville)
Cote D’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Democratic Republic of Congo
Dominican Republic
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
11-20
32
18
21
6
1
6
1
7
4
1
13
3
30
1
2
12
3
44
4
170
21
21
16
1
1
74
1
7
3
1
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Haiti
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Lebanon
Liberia
Malawi
Malaysia
Mali
Mauritania
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Morocco
Myanmar (Burma)
Nepal
Niger
Nigeria
21-40
41-100
3
41
10
6
5
1
39
5
23
2
1
13
9
14
3
1
1
65
1
1
6
35
1
2
2
3
17
4
2
28
Pakistan
Palestinian Territories
Peru
Romania
Russia
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Syrian Arab Republic
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Uganda
Ukraine
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Western Sahara
Yugoslavia
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Grand Total
101+
14
1
3
5
17
15
4
31
95
2
89
2
1
3
52
1
8
2
15
6
2
1
1
37
1
6
When a team of attorneys at Debevoise &
Plimpton took on the case of a young Afghan
woman seeking asylum in the United States,
they never imagined they would see their work
on television.
But the filmmakers of Court TV found their
client’s story as compelling as they did.
Persecuted by the Taliban for running a girls’
school, the young woman fled Afghanistan in
fear for her life, only to find herself incarcerated
in a U.S. detention center, where she eventually
contacted Human Rights First.
The film her story inspired, Chasing Freedom,
provides a sobering depiction of the nearly
insurmountable obstacles refugees face when
they arrive in the United States. Starring Layla
Alizada as the young Afghan woman and Juliette
Lewis as the pro bono attorney who helped her
win asylum, the film has won numerous awards
since its premiere on Court TV in January 2004.
Human Rights First sponsored screenings of the
film around the country, and simultaneously
released a new report, In Liberty’s Shadow (see
p. 32), which documents the plight of asylum
seekers who fall victim to unfair U.S. detention
practices in the new era of “homeland security.”
Together, the film and the report gave Human
Rights First a chance to educate the public
about the U.S. asylum system – and the
importance of ensuring that it respects the rights
of refugees.
1,284
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
7
“Having an impact on someone’s
life is an inherently exciting idea
to young attorneys.”
Inside HRF
Asylum Today
Mandatory detention. Expedited deportation
procedures. Inconsistent parole practices. Lack
of legal representation. Fear, suspicion, bigotry.
These are just a few of the hurdles refugees face
when they seek asylum in the United States.
And, with the recent passage by the U.S.
Congress of the Real ID Act, these restrictions
will increase.
Human Rights First led the effort to oppose
provisions that put refugees at the greatest risk
of harm. To do so, we formed a coalition of
groups from across the political spectrum – from
faith-based groups to immigrants’ rights
organizations. Together, we were able to strip
from the bill its most disturbing provisions.
The battle to keep our asylum system open
and fair is far from over. Going forward, we will
continue to closely monitor the law’s effects and
work to minimize the impact on those seeking
asylum in the United States.
As Ann Buwalda, Director of Jubilee
Campaign USA, a faith-based organization that
promotes religious liberty, said, “The coalition
Human Rights First spearheaded enabled
groups with different – even opposing – interests
to rally together for a common cause. We will
continue to work together to ensure that Real ID
does not strip the U.S. asylum system of
humanitarian concerns.”
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A MORE SECURE WORLD
Erin Corcoran
Erin Corcoran is a staff attorney in
Human Rights First’s Asylum Program.
“The work we do helps people put their
lives back together and start again,”
says Erin Corcoran, a staff attorney for
Human Rights First’s Asylum Program.
“Gaining legal status is one of the first
and most important steps in providing
some stability in this new country.”
And Erin should know – she sees
it happen again and again in her role
working with refugees and training
the volunteer attorneys who
represent them.
“Having an impact on someone’s life
is exciting to young attorneys,” says
Erin. Many of these lawyers work in
corporate law or other fields. Volunteer
attorneys quickly see that the work
they are doing can determine whether
refugees will live in safety or be
returned to a home country where they
face certain persecution. Many lawyers
are concerned about the weight of
this responsibility.
“The trick is to make them see that
they’ve got the skills they need to help
these people, and that our program is
going to support them to make sure
they do the best job they possibly can.”
That support includes training, advice
and legal updates on asylum and
immigration law.
Erin especially enjoys watching attorneys become invested in their clients.
She recalls how volunteer attorneys for
a client from Cameroon traveled to his
home to bring him to appointments
because he couldn’t afford the subway
fare. When he was granted asylum, they
all went out to celebrate.
“The client was such an appreciative,
wonderful person that one of his attorneys said it was the most rewarding
legal experience she’d ever had – and
she’d been practicing law for more
than 20 years,” Erin says.
Above all, Erin loves to see the
people she helps move beyond the
asylum process and the often-horrific
experiences they have endured. When
she first met one of her clients from
Sierra Leone, the young woman had
lost her entire family and miraculously
escaped her kidnappers.
“She weighed 80 pounds at the
most, and was terrified of the world,”
says Erin. “Now she’s in nursing
school, recently got married and has
lots of new friends. Stories like hers
get me up in the morning.”
Profile
Samten Dakpa
When prison guards forced Tibetan artist
Samten Dakpa’s hands over burning coals, he
doubted he would ever paint again. That was
exactly what the Chinese authorities wanted.
Samten painted in the ancient Tibetan
Buddhist tradition called Thanka, but he also
used his art to explore Tibetan independence,
history and culture. For this, he was arrested,
beaten and sentenced to eight years of house
arrest and political re-education. Worse, he was
forbidden from painting or writing about Tibet.
He was also forbidden to travel to his
mother’s funeral. When he defied the order,
Samten was imprisoned, beaten and tortured so
severely that his hands were rendered nearly
useless. Miraculously, he escaped to India and
then to the United States, where he applied for
asylum with the help of Human Rights First.
"When we first met Samten he was
weighed down by his horrifying experiences in
Tibet and the uncertainties of his future,”
says Anjna Kapoor, one of several pro bono
attorneys from Kelley Drye & Warren LLP who
represented Samten.
With their help, Samten was granted asylum
in 2004. He has since undergone reconstructive
surgery on his hands and can paint once again.
Someday, he hopes to start a school to teach
Thanka painting to young artists. And his vibrant
work is on display around the world.
“Samten has become more carefree and sure
of himself,” says Kapoor. “He has been
empowered with the opportunity and ability to
express himself freely and accomplish all his
goals and dreams.”
Painting by Samten Dakpa
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
9
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
End Torture Now
For nearly three decades, Human Rights First
has worked to abolish the use of torture and
abusive interrogation techniques by any
government. Since 9/11, that job has become a
lot harder, as governments around the world,
including the United States, have resorted to
everything from arbitrary and unlimited
detentions and abusive interrogation techniques
to outright torture, claiming that such methods
are justified by the fight against al Qaeda and
other extremist groups.
Such abusive practices are not only
ineffective means of eliciting credible evidence;
they also violate rights secured by both the
Scenes from our online movie
“How Did We Get Here?”
Geneva Conventions and the United States
Constitution. They may even endanger captured
U.S. military personnel, when the same techniques are turned against them in retaliation.
In response, Human Rights First launched
“End Torture Now,” a new public campaign that
calls for an independent commission to
investigate the hundreds of allegations of abuse,
torture and other illegal detention practices by
the United States. The Campaign also advocates
for the abolishment of the policies and practices
that give rise to such abusive treatment, and
educates and mobilizes concerned citizens.
Human Rights First has also proposed a
10-point plan of action to ensure an end to
torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading
interrogation methods.
10
A MORE SECURE WORLD
Opposing Abuse
Almost immediately after the events of
September 11, 2001, Human Rights
First began working to ensure that civil
liberties and human rights were not
unnecessarily compromised in the rush
of fear and anger that followed the
attacks. More than three years later, it
is clear that our fears were well
founded. In its ongoing “war against
terrorism,” the United States government has put in place policies and
engaged in practices that undermine
universal human rights principles –
changes that have had a measurable
and serious impact on the protection of
human rights around the world.
The goal of our U.S. Law and Security
Program is to challenge these changes,
bringing the worst practices to light,
tracking their impact, and engaging the
public in calling for their reform. More
broadly, we are working to promote a
greater understanding of and respect
for human rights in U.S. national
security policy.
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
The campaign succeeded by drawing attention to the Bush Administration’s
detention and interrogation policies, and by giving concerned citizens the
opportunity to make their voices heard.
Case Study of a Public Campaign
The Gonzales Nomination
In late 2004, President George Bush
nominated White House Counsel
Alberto Gonzales to replace John
Ashcroft as U.S. Attorney General.
As White House Counsel, Gonzales
was responsible for devising the U.S.
interrogation policy that relaxed the
telephoning could change the outcome
of events in support of human rights.
The result was remarkable. Senate
staff reported that they’d received a
deluge of concerned emails – tens of
thousands – urging Senators to
scrutinize Gonzales’ record on torture
prohibition against torture and cruel
treatment of detainees. Human Rights
First launched a public campaign
around his nomination, focusing on
his role and his record to draw greater
public attention to these issues.
This public campaign drew on all
of our traditional strengths: our
long-standing contacts on Capitol Hill;
our reputation for providing excellent
research and analysis; and our
willingness to engage in a focused,
results-oriented way. We prepared
memoranda for Senators and their
staff, met with confirmation committee
members, and reached out to people
around the country and the world to
enlist their support.
But this campaign also added new
advocacy tools – using the power of the
Internet to reach out to an increasingly
large numbers of supporters, precisely
at moments where such large-scale
letter writing, faxing, emailing and
policy, and ask tough questions during
his testimony. These emails even
helped some Senators make
the decision to oppose Gonzales’
nomination.
The campaign also included two new
and highly effective tactics. First, we
produced a web-based movie that
condensed hundreds of pages of
technical memos to explain Gonzales’
complicated record on torture in
straightforward terms. The movie was
featured on dozens of web sites and
circulated widely on the Internet,
enhancing our ability to educate a
broader public and to urge them to
take action. Second, we launched
Human Rights First’s first “blog,” which
provided live, running commentary on
the hearings when the facts and
Gonzales’ testimony didn’t match up –
and included “fine print” explanations
of many of his answers.
Finally, this public campaign drew
on the strengths of an unlikely but
powerful coalition. On the eve of
Senate hearings regarding Alberto
Gonzales’ confirmation, Human Rights
First released a letter signed by 13
retired high-ranking military officers –
including former Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff General John
Shalikashvili, which urged Members
to sharply question Gonzales about his
role in shaping legal policies on torture
and interrogation methods. Virtually
every mainstream media outlet
covered the military leaders’
unprecedented message.
Though Alberto Gonzales was
confirmed as Attorney General, our
public campaign helped to draw
attention to the Bush Administration’s
detention and interrogation policies by
providing the Senate with Gonzales’ full
record and explaining inconsistencies
in his testimony; by making critical
information widely available to the
public; and by giving concerned citizens
the opportunity to make their voices
heard and engage directly with decision
makers on a matter of national and
international importance. This is
advocacy in action.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
11
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
“The problem with this ‘ticking bomb’
scenario is that it assumes that if you
just smack a prisoner around long
enough, he’ll give you the information
you need.”
Inside HRF
Avidan Cover
Avidan Cover, a Senior Associate in Human Rights First’s U.S. Law and Security
Program, is an expert on how U.S. policy on interrogation and detention has
changed since 9/11. Avidan regularly represents Human Rights First’s viewpoint
in the media. Here, he describes the experience of arguing on talk radio about
torture and ticking time bombs.
You have appeared on a number of
programs with an ideological edge,
including Fox News. How do you make
your case to someone who doesn’t
really want to hear it?
When you’re dealing with people who
are fundamentally ideologues, you’re
not going to disabuse them of their
views. They are often starting from
the point that every detainee in U.S.
custody is Osama bin Laden and,
therefore, any kind of treatment is
justified. And some people didn’t think
Abu Ghraib was that bad. Rush
Limbaugh, I believe, likened it to a
“fraternity hazing.”
So one thing I try to do is educate.
I think Human Rights First was very
good, from the beginning, about
pointing out that the military’s own
reports were estimating that 80 to 90
percent of the people in custody didn’t
belong in these detention facilities –
either because they had no intelligence
value, or because they were innocent of
any wrongdoing, or because they were
simply common criminals.
When you point this out, it
immediately pulls the rug out from
12
A MORE SECURE WORLD
under those who would posit that any
individual detainee would behead an
American or fly a plane into the World
Trade Center.
Do the hosts of these programs try to
goad you into agreeing with them?
All the time. The typical question is
something like: “The terrorists have
your sister and they’re gonna kill her.
What are you gonna do, Avi? Talk to
them?”
The problem with this “ticking bomb”
scenario is that it assumes that if you
just smack a prisoner around long
enough, he’ll give you the information
you need. The most useful way to
counter this argument is to quote the
interrogators themselves, who say that
successful interrogations depend on
understanding the language, culture
and psychology of the subject; and that
it is about talking.
Can you talk about some of the
other challenges you encounter in
your work?
I am often told that the work Human
Rights First is doing is unpatriotic,
particularly the suit against Defense
Secretary Rumsfeld. They say, “You’re
hampering the war effort. You are
endangering American troops.”
This is where we invoke people like
Colin Powell who said that abusive
treatment of prisoners is the thing that
is endangering U.S. troops, that it’s
anti-American and is not what this
country stands for.
But I think our greatest challenge is
communicating the severity of these
interrogation techniques. Take “sleep
deprivation.” People’s response is
often, “So they made a guy pull an allnighter. Big deal.” Our job is to convey
that it is a matter of medical fact that
forced sleep deprivation as an interrogation technique is both physically and
psychologically debilitating. It’s not like
staying up all night to study for exams.
It’s extremely harmful treatment
inflicted on captive victims who have
every reason to fear their captors may
further harm or even kill them.
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
Taking Abuse
to the Courts
What other issues frequently arise?
People often accuse me of singling
out the United States for criticism. This
is where Human Rights First’s long
history of international work is great to
draw on; our U.S. Program is, in fact, a
relatively new development. So I can
respond to people by saying that
Human Rights First has just called for
people to speak out against brutality in
Sudan or in Russia. On call-in shows, it
has been very helpful to be able to
point out that we regularly – and
roundly – criticize other countries for
bad behavior. It neutralizes those who
would characterize us as U.S.-bashers.
Obviously, your work goes well beyond
contending with ideologues on TV.
What have been some of the highlights for you this year?
Human Rights First was one of the
few organizations able to monitor firsthand the military commissions in
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I was a trial
monitor there when a U.S. district court
declared that the commission process
was unlawful; that the Constitution
doesn’t permit the government to deny
evidence to the defendant; that the
Geneva Conventions don’t permit this;
and that the President is not a tribunal.
It was an amazing experience to see
the power and effect of the rule of law
in action. There are a lot of problems in
our system right now in the way the
government is confronting terror, but at
the same time it was inspiring to see
how law can work.
What’s the greatest reward of
your work?
My daughter was born just before I
came to work here. Wanting your child
to be proud of what you do, being able
to come home and say this is what I’ve
done, this was so important to me. It
may be a cliché, but Human Rights First
really does make a difference, and it’s
a privilege to be a part of that.
Executive Director Mike Posner speaking at
press announcement of litigation on detainee
abuse, March 2005.
Over the past three years, Human Rights First
has relied on U.S. federal courts to provide legal
remedies to those whose rights have been
violated by U.S. detention and interrogation
policies.
In 2004, Human Rights First filed a series of
amicus briefs in three important Supreme Court
cases: the cases of Jose Padilla and Yaser
Hamdi, both U.S. citizens detained without
charge or trial in the United States, and a case
involving a number of “enemy combatant”
detainees at the U.S. Naval Base at Guantánamo
Bay, Cuba. The Court reaffirmed in each of these
cases that the rule of law must be respected.
In 2005, Human Rights First turned to the
federal courts again to secure accountability for,
and correction of, unlawful U.S. interrogation and
detention policies. On March 1, 2005, Human
Rights First filed suit in federal court against U.S.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld for the
abuse and torture of eight Iraqi and Afghan
detainees in U.S. custody.
Hundreds of such incidents have been
reported over the past three years. According to
the Pentagon’s own figures, 108 detainees have
died in U.S. custody – deaths the U.S. government classifies as “criminal homicides.”
To date, not one top U.S. official has been
held accountable for these crimes; this suit,
brought together with the ACLU, is the first
federal lawsuit to attempt to do so.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
13
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
“The Geneva Accords are central to the protection of American men and women
serving in the armed forces. If we don’t uphold our responsibilities under the
Geneva Accords, how can we expect our enemies to honor theirs?”
Outlook
General Joseph P. Hoar
General Joseph Hoar served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Central Command. After the first Gulf War, he led the effort to
enforce the naval embargo in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and to enforce the no-fly zone in the south of Iraq. He
oversaw the humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Kenya and Somalia, and also supported operations in Rwanda,
and the evacuation of U.S. civilians from Yemen during the 1994 civil war. He was the Deputy for Operations for the Marine
Corps during the Gulf War and served as General Norman Schwarzkopf's Chief of Staff at Central Command. Here, General
Hoar talks about Abu Ghraib, the nomination of Alberto Gonzales as U.S. Attorney General, and why coalitions are so important to protecting human rights.
As a career military officer, I was
not only horrified by the torture of
prisoners of war at Abu Ghraib; I was
appalled by the lack of leadership and
accountability.
Once we’ve discovered a scandal of
this nature, we can’t just go after the
enlisted people who committed the
specific acts; we have to go up the
chain of command to those who
created the environment in which such
acts could occur. We need to look at
the policies and practices that make
such unthinkable crimes possible.
But, to date, only the young men and
women who were on the ground where
this abuse took place have been
punished – and there is no indication
that anyone up the chain of command
will ever be held accountable. This
is simply wrong.
When the government oversteps,
when there’s a cover-up or an
unwillingness to hold people accountable, the truth can’t come to light
14
A MORE SECURE WORLD
unless we break down the walls and
work together, putting politics aside.
This is very difficult to do. But Human
Rights First managed to do it.
In fact, as the full scandal at Abu
Ghraib was unfolding, Human Rights
First was the only organization out
there that seemed interested in making
this happen. Human Rights First
reached out to military personnel,
political conservatives, religious leaders, and many others of enormously
diverse backgrounds who shared the
same concerns. Among other things,
they coordinated a joint letter to
President Bush from eight retired
military leaders calling for an
independent investigation into these
abuses. I was honored to sign my
name to that letter.
A few months later, Alberto Gonzales
was nominated for U.S. Attorney
General. Human Rights First helped
to publicize a memorandum in which
Mr. Gonzales declared the Geneva
Accords outdated. This document
troubled me enormously. The Geneva
Accords are central to the protection
of American men and women serving in
the armed forces. If we don’t uphold
our responsibilities under the Geneva
Accords, how can we expect our
enemies to honor theirs? And how can
a person who would be charged with
upholding the rule of law promote
such an opinion?
Here again, Human Rights First
reached out to a broad range of people
to publicly call for a full investigation
into Mr. Gonzales’ fitness to become
the Attorney General. Together with
12 other retired military leaders,
including General Shalikashvili, the
former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, I signed my name to a letter that
urged Senators to scrutinize Mr. Gonzales’ record at his nomination hearings.
I suspect that there are more than a
few people at Human Rights First who
are a bit taken aback at finding themselves agreeing with a retired four
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
Just the Facts [As of July 2005]
13,000+
PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY IN U.S. DETENTION IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN AND GUANTANAMO BAY.
100 “GHOST DETAINEES”
IN IRAQ – INDIVIDUALS KEPT OFF RECORDS AND HIDDEN FROM RED CROSS INVESTIGATORS.
127 DEATHS
OF PRISONERS IN U.S. CUSTODY IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN, INCLUDING:
star General. The point is that people
of good will who are interested in
fairness, the rule of law and the
protection of individual rights exist
in all walks of our society. Human
Rights First unites these people in a
way that enables them to influence
public policy. Someone has to act
as a catalyst and help to move the
agenda forward. I think that’s the role
Human Rights First plays.
54 HOMICIDES
AT LEAST 26 OF THESE HAVE BEEN CLASSIFIED BY THE PENTAGON AS “NON JUSTIFIED.”
100-150 PEOPLE “RENDERED”
FROM U.S. CUSTODY TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES KNOWN TO TORTURE PRISONERS.
24 SECRET U.S. PRISONS
HOLDING DETAINEES (SUSPECTED SINCE SEPTEMBER 2001) IN:
AFGHANISTAN
PAKISTAN
GUANTANAMO BAY
DIEGO-GARCIA ISLAND
U.S. SHIPS AT SEA
General Hoar was joined by other retired
military leaders in expressing deep concern
about the nomination of Alberto Gonzales to
be Attorney General. Those leaders were:
Gen. John Shalikashvili (Ret. USA)
Gen. Merrill A. McPeak (Ret. USAF)
Lt. Gen. Robert Gard (Ret. USA)
Vice Adm. Lee F. Gunn (Ret. USN)
Lt. Gen. Claudia Kennedy (Ret. USA)
Vice Adm. Ralph Weymouth (Ret. USN)
Maj. Gen. Melvyn Montano (USAF Nat. Guard)
Brig. Gen. David M. Brahms (Ret. USMC)
Rear Adm. Don Guter (Ret. USN)
Rear Adm. John D. Hutson (Ret. USN)
Brig. Gen. James Cullen (Ret. USA)
Brig. Gen. Evelyn P. Foote (Ret. USA)
For more information on the global network of U.S. detention
facilities please see Human Rights First’s Behind the Wire,
published in early 2005 (see p. 32 for details).
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
15
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE & ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
“We’re doing everything we can to push governments to support the emerging
system of international criminal justice. And we’re just going to keep pushing.”
Fighting Fear & Injustice
Human Rights First’s commitment to
establishing an effective international
justice system goes back to the early
1990s, when we played a leading role
in establishing the criminal tribunals for
the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
Since then, we have helped lead
the effort to lay the foundations for a
permanent international justice system.
Our approach focuses on building coalitions and consensus to solve complex
problems of international justice. To
this end we support the International
Criminal Court (ICC), work closely with
other international and national
tribunals to address specific war crimes
and crimes against humanity, and help
build the capacity of national justice
systems to deal with discrimination,
hate crimes and other bias violence.
Inside HRF
John Stompor
John Stompor is a Senior Associate in Human Rights First’s International Justice Program. Here, he talks about the human
rights emergency in Darfur, the fight to bring to justice those responsible for the atrocities, and the importance of an
international justice system.
Can you summarize the situation in Darfur?
Since 2003, the Sudanese government and its proxy militia, the Janjaweed,
have waged a campaign of violence
against civilians. It’s estimated that
more than two million people have fled
for their lives and nearly 400,000 people
have died. The violence is directed at
people of specific ethnic groups, but
also at human rights activists for
attempting to bring news of these mass
atrocities to the rest of the world.
16
A MORE SECURE WORLD
What is being done now to bring
protection and justice to the victims
of these crimes?
First, the African Union has pledged
to double its independent force in
Darfur, but to get those forces deployed
we need to pressure the African Union
and the United States and European
governments to provide necessary funding and logistical support, and to give
those troops a stronger mandate to
protect civilians.
Most important, the U.N. Security
Council authorized the International
Criminal Court, also called the ICC, to
investigate and prosecute the crimes
in Darfur. The Court has already begun
its work, but the big push now is to
press the countries of the African
Union, Europe and the United States
to support the ICC’s efforts and pressure the Sudanese government to
cooperate.
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE & ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Bias Crimes
on the Rise
Human Rights First has helped to
lead the effort to ensure that the
crimes in Darfur can be investigated
and prosecuted by the International
Criminal Court. Why is this goal so
important and what has Human Rights
First done to achieve it?
Without justice, there can be no
peace in Darfur. Millions of people
have been displaced from their homes.
They are too terrified to return until they
know that those responsible for these
atrocities have been captured
and punished.
The International Criminal Court is
a permanent, impartial and credible
court, uniquely capable of investigating
and trying these crimes. The sooner it
can begin its work, the greater the
chances that it can deter future crimes.
Human Rights First has worked in
partnership with the Darfur Consortium,
a group of 40 predominately African
organizations, to advocate for
protection and justice for the victims
in Darfur. We have supported their
efforts to present their concerns to
international policy makers and to
make clear that influential Africans
support the International Criminal
Court. We have worked with groups in
the United States to promote awareness of this human rights emergency.
Finally, we have worked to convince the
U.S. government to raise no objection
to the ICC’s jurisdiction.
Africa has been the site of several
attempts to bring the perpetrators of
human rights crimes in Rwanda, Sierra
Leone, Uganda, Congo and Sudan to
justice. How successful have these
efforts been and what progress has
been made in the world’s attempt to
prosecute those who commit crimes
against humanity?
We can’t declare victory yet, but it
is no longer the case that those who
carry out policies of brutal violence
against innocent civilians can feel
confident that they will get away with
mass murder.
Human Rights First believes strongly
in building the capacity of national
justice systems to deal with the most
serious crimes under international law;
we are also forceful advocates for the
emergence of an international justice
system to investigate and prosecute
the worst of these crimes.
International courts can help to stop
cycles of violence motivated by revenge
and retribution; they can increase the
effectiveness of other international
efforts to end conflicts; and they can
help to lay a foundation for the return
of the rule of law in countries that have
been dominated by brutal, violent use
of force. The stronger these courts are,
the greater our chances of deterring
future crimes.
We’re doing everything we can to
push governments to support the
emerging system of international
criminal justice. And we’re just going
to keep pushing.
School children assaulted, cemeteries desecrated, violent assaults increasing: across
Europe and North America, disturbing outbreaks
of ethnic, racial and bias violence are sounding
the alarm that bias crimes are on the rise. Antisemitic violence has risen dramatically across
Europe, and people identified as Muslims have
been singled out for particularly virulent attacks.
Such crimes are not individual acts: they
reflect an environment of growing intolerance,
violence and fear which, in the aggregate,
constitutes a serious assault on basic human
rights. Human Rights First works to bring these
crimes to light, and advocates for better tracking
mechanisms and stronger laws to address and
combat this disturbing trend. We recently led the
successful effort to establish three Special
Representatives to the Organization for Security
and Co–operation in Europe (OSCE) to combat
antisemitism and other discrimination. In the
United States, we continue to work closely with
the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to
build a broad rights-based coalition to address
hate crimes.
Most recently we released a groundbreaking
new report, Everyday Fears: A Survey of Hate
Crimes in Europe and North America (see p.32).
The first in–depth analysis of its kind, the report
examines the law and practices in all 55
countries of the OSCE. It reveals the pervasive,
everyday-nature of hate crimes and addresses
new trends that include exclusion, stigmatization, and the denial of fundamental rights to
minorities, as well as crimes motivated by sexual
orientation, gender, and disability bias.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
17
Lasting positive change comes from within a society. Around the world, local
activists work to promote and defend human rights, often in the face of enormous
risks to themselves and their family members.
Defending The Defenders
18
Hector Palacios – sentenced to 25 years
in prison.
Oksana Chelysheva – threatened in her
hometown.
Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh – arrested.
Desire for social change must come
from within a society; it cannot be
imposed. In countries around the world,
local activists promote and defend
human rights – often at enormous risk
to themselves and their families.
Human Rights First has a long
history of supporting the work of
human rights defenders around the
world – providing a much-needed
lifeline to those on the front lines of
the human rights movement, helping
them to pry open closed societies, and
shining a light on those who do this
important work.
Unfortunately, since 9/11, the
counterterrorism policies and practices
of many countries, including but by no
means restricted to the United States,
have severely undermined the universal
acceptance of international human
rights standards. And human rights
defenders are often among the most
vulnerable.
In response to this increasingly
complex and difficult environment,
Human Rights First has stepped up our
efforts to support the work of human
rights defenders.
In 2004/05, we advocated for the
repeal of repressive national security or
counterterrorism measures, working to
lift restrictions on the activities of
specific human rights defenders and
human rights organizations.
We drew attention to the impact of
these policies and practices and
documented their effects on individual
defenders and more generally. In early
2005 we published The New Dissidents
A MORE SECURE WORLD
The Human
Rights Defender
Policy Forum
2005 Policy Forum (left to right); Hina Jilani,
U.N. Special Representative to the Secretary
General on Human Rights Defenders, Louise
Arbour, U.N. High Commissioner for Human
Rights and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam – arrested three
times in 18 months.
Munir – poisoned to death.
and Reformasi & Resistance, the first
and second reports in a new series on
counterterrorism and the situation of
human rights defenders, focusing on
Russia and Indonesia respectively
(see p.32).
We pressured governments around
the world to reaffirm their commitments
to the 1998 U.N. Declaration on
Human Rights Defenders by ensuring
the basic rights and freedoms human
rights activists need to carry out
their work.
Finally, Human Rights First continued
our work to ensure that counterterrorism policy does not sacrifice human
rights in the name of security, in the
United States or any nation.
Immersed in daily emergencies, local human
rights advocates often have little time to learn
from the best practices of their colleagues
around the world or to consider the global status
of human rights defenders.
The Human Rights Defender Policy Forum was
created to provide local activists with just such
an opportunity. Chaired by President Jimmy
Carter and jointly sponsored by Human Rights
First, the Forum is an ongoing program of events,
dialogues and meetings that explore specific
topics of concern to human rights activists
around the world. Importantly, the Forum events
also enable defenders to present their concerns
and recommendations directly to major
international news organizations and senior U.S.
policy makers.
The Forum project grew out of a November
2003 conference convened by the Carter Center
that examined the effect on human rights of the
“war on terror.” It culminated in the release of the
Atlanta Declaration, which called upon
governments, international organizations and
the private sector to embrace the principles
of the U.N. Declaration on Human Rights
Defenders.
The most recent Forum, “Human Rights
Defenders on the Frontlines of Freedom:
Advancing Security and Rule of Law,” brought
together, in June 2005, activists from 14 nations
and representatives from major human rights
organizations.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
19
Defender Profiles
from Around the World
Sudan
Dr. Mudawi
Ibrahim Adam
[As of July 2005]
Cuba
Hector Palacios
In Cuba, even librarians are at risk.
Until 1980, Hector Palacios was a model
Cuban. But as the Castro regime’s efforts to
stem emigration and repress dissent grew
increasingly harsh, Palacios resigned from the
party and became an advocate for human rights.
A so-called “independent librarian,” he provided
access to banned literature
by such leaders as Václav
H ave l a n d D r. M a r t i n
Luther King, Jr., and he
joined a group of other
activists in calling publicly
for democratic reforms.
Palacios’ activities did not go unnoticed by
the authorities – and he was aware of the risks
of human rights work. Between 1994 and 2000,
he was arrested three times, for reasons ranging
from “disrespecting” the Cuban government on
German television to meeting with heads of
state to discuss human rights during the IberoAmerican Summit in Havana.
But even he did not expect the massive crackdown that led to the arrest and imprisonment
of 75 human rights advocates, independent
journalists and librarians, himself included.
Today, Hector Palacios is 63 years old, serving
a 25-year jail sentence. His heart is failing,
a condition that is exacerbated by prison
conditions. In a letter to his wife, Palacios wrote,
“Fighting for what is just is the only way to experience happiness.”
But his freedom – and his life – remain in
the balance.
20
A MORE SECURE WORLD
Mudawi Ibrahim Adam is not a spy. But that
hasn’t stopped the Sudanese government from
arresting him for espionage.
In reality, Dr. Mudawi is
Chairperson of the Sudan
S o c i a l D eve l o p m e n t
Organization, a group
that monitors human
rights abuses in Darfur – a
human rights emergency that
has already claimed the lives of hundreds of
thousands of people and displaced millions
more. He and his colleagues have worked
tirelessly to put a stop to the violence, to provide
assistance to its victims, and to make the world
aware of the atrocities before more crimes can
be committed.
But reality is a relative concept in a nation
whose government actively supported the
slaughter of its own people. As international
pressure mounts to bring protection and justice
to the victims and to stop the violence, the
Sudanese government has stepped up its own
efforts to cover up its role in the crimes and to
silence all dissent.
Chief among its targets are human rights
defenders like Dr. Mudawi, and it is bringing the
full weight of its corrupt criminal justice system
to bear against them.
On the day of his most recent arrest,
Dr. Mudawi was preparing to travel to Ireland to
accept a prestigious human rights award.
Instead, he was detained by authorities and
charged with espionage, for which he could be
sentenced to death. Due to international pressure, Dr. Mudawi was released. However, the
charges against him have not been dropped.
Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court
is preparing to investigate and prosecute
t h e S u d a n e s e gove r n m e n t f o r c r i m e s
against humanity.
Russia
Oksana
Chelysheva
Iran
Dr. Mahboubeh
Abbasgholizadeh
As a woman living in Iran, Mahboubeh
Abbasgholizadeh has always known her place –
although she disagrees with the Islamic
Republic about what that place should be.
Dr. Abbasgholizadeh has
spent her career working for
women’s rights, human
rights and civil society, as
the highly respected
director of the Iranian NGO
Training Center and as editorin-chief of the feminist journal, Farzaneh.
The NGOs Dr. Abbasgholizadeh trains focus
on issues that impact women’s lives, like child
custody, inheritance, domestic violence and
divorce. These are issues women can tackle
without confronting the repressive force of the
state head on.
But on a November morning in 2004,
disciplinary forces arrested Dr. Abbasgholizadeh.
For the next 40 days, she remained in
prison, incommunicado and without legal
representation, separated from family and
friends, and subjected to extreme mental and
emotional pressure.
Her arrest was meant to send a message to
Iranian activists and human rights defenders –
no reform effort will be tolerated.
Thankfully for Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh,
the Government’s message unleashed a massive
international effort on the part of Human Rights
First and many others to pressure the Iranian
government for her release.
These efforts were successful, and today
Dr. Abbasgholizadeh is free. But her struggle is
far from finished.
Oksana Chelysheva was accustomed to threats.
As the Deputy Director of the Society for
Russian-Chechen Friendship and
an editor of Pravozashchita
(Human Rights Defense),
she was well aware that
her work was not without
risks. But the day she
came home to find a flyer on
her own doorstep labeling her a
terrorist, disclosing her address and urging
people to take action against her, she knew the
stakes had grown alarmingly high.
Branding as terrorists those who support
human rights and seek peace in Chechnya is
becoming increasingly common in post 9/11Russia, as the government employs the rhetoric
of counterterrorism to silence those who criticize
its policies in Chechnya and to justify its use of
violent measures.
Already, the net is tightening around
Chelysheva and her colleagues. SRCF, which was
recognized for its human rights work by the
International Helsinki Federation, has been
targeted by the Russian security service and the
media. The organization is being prosecuted
under anti-extremist laws – for which the director
could be sentenced to at least five years in
prison. Both television and radio stations have
associated SRCF with terrorist activities.
Chelysheva’s colleagues have been interrogated
and she fears for the safety of her family.
This is the climate of mounting persecution
and threatened violence in which Chelysheva
and her colleagues live and work. And it is only
getting worse. But they continue.
Indonesia
Munir
On September 6, 2004, Munir, an Indonesian
human rights activist, said goodbye to his family
and boarded a jet bound for Holland. Before the
flight landed, he was dead from poisoning, and
his murder appears to involve Indonesian
intelligence, and even Garuda, Indonesia’s
national airline.
Munir was an outspoken critic of the
Indonesian military in the chaotic years
surrounding President Suharto’s fall from power.
When he was named by Asiaweek as one of
20 leaders for the new millennium, a fellow
activist said, “Those who are brave enough to
speak out in the face of death inspire the
courage of others.”
In one of his last public
speeches, Munir blasted
I n d o n e s i a ’s m i l i t a r y
leaders. “They’ve seized
power, they carry guns.
They kill people and hide
behind those in power. Should we
let these cowards keep acting tough? No.”
Munir’s wife, Suciwati, a former labor activist,
is determined to bring her husband’s killers to
justice, despite ongoing death threats. “We have
to keep up the pressure,” she insisted. “We can’t
allow any more human rights defenders to
become victims.”
The investigation into Munir’s death continues.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
21
“Government representatives argued that human rights are irrelevant
to counterterrorism.”
Inside HRF
Archana Pyati
Archana Pyati is a Senior Associate in Human Rights First’s Human Rights
Defenders Program. She is the co-author of The New Dissidents: Human Rights
Defenders and Counterterrorism in Russia, (see p.32 for details). Here, she
shares her impressions from a recent trip to Kazakhstan and Russia.
22
explained that during Soviet rule, the
United States loudly condemned the
imprisonment of dissidents – with little
result. Things are different now, but not
the way you’d think. When critics of the
government are threatened, the United
States and the international community
could really have an impact – but instead
of speaking out, nobody complains.
Ludmilla confirmed what we thought: it is
becoming more and more difficult to do
this work here – and more important to
have organizations like ours speaking up
and reminding the United States and
others of these injustices.
March 29 – Almaty, Kazakhstan
I just arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan
at 3 a.m., after a long and arduous trip.
I’m here to attend the Organization for
Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) conference on Central Asian
laws affecting human rights defenders.
I’m hoping to meet with defenders from
the region, who work here under difficult and often dangerous conditions.
April 3 – Moscow, Russia
I’ve moved on to Moscow. Two of the
activists I met today were especially
inspiring. One ran a human rights organization in a small city far from Moscow. I
can’t mention his name here, because
that could put him in danger. After he
published a paper about police abuse of
civilians, his parents found a grenade on
their doorstep. In the provinces, where
Delegates at the OSCE Conference in Almaty,
Kazakhstan, Discuss Laws Restricting Human
Rights Defenders in Central Asia.
Russian Human Rights Defender
Tanya Lokshina.
Sakharov Museum and Public Center, a human
rights center in Moscow. Translation: “Andrei
Sakharov, Thank You!”
March 31
Today was the second day of the
OSCE conference. Sadly, I think the
government presence put a damper on
discussions about problems human
rights defenders face in this region. I
suggested the conference’s final statement include a recommendation that
governments observe defenders’ rights
while fighting terrorism. My suggestion
made it in, but not before government
representatives argued that human
rights are irrelevant to counterterrorism. The process was a lesson in itself.
there is little chance of media or international attention, defenders are in even
greater danger. He worried that he was
jeopardizing his family, but he didn’t stop
working – he fled to Moscow. Now, he
helps defenders who stay in the
provinces to protect themselves.
I also met with Ludmilla Alexeyeva.
She has been a human rights defender
since the 1960s, and was a leading
dissident during the Soviet era. She’s
still working to protect human rights in
Russia, and the breadth of her perspective is amazing. In our meeting she
April 8 – Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
I just flew to Nizhny Novgorod, the
third largest city in Russia. I met with a
lawyer who told me about defenders
under immediate threat in Nizhny
Novgorod. They report and speak out
against violence in Chechnya – and pay
the price for it either by being prosecuted under counterterrorism laws or
by being called terrorist sympathizers
themselves. More and more this trend
is becoming clear – counterterrorism
is an excuse to silence human
rights defenders.
A MORE SECURE WORLD
Archana Pyati, in front of St. Basil’s Cathedral,
Red Square, Moscow.
April 10 – Moscow, Russia
I am leaving Russia today. This
trip has made it very clear to me that
attacks on human rights defenders are
increasing – not only in Russia and
Kazakhstan but also around the world.
The United States was once a beacon
for these activists – a model they could
hold up to their own governments, but
that standard has slipped. It saddens
and worries them because they need
the help of democratic governments
more than ever to advocate for their
rights. And it makes me realize that
we have to do more to ensure that
human rights defenders can do this
work without being branded as
terrorist sympathizers, without being
persecuted, and without risking their
lives and their families’ well-being.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
23
Who We Are
National Council
Board of Directors
Chair
William D. Zabel
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Vice-Chairs
Kenneth R. Feinberg
The Feinberg Group LLP
Robert D. Joffe
Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP
Treasurer
James Ziglar, Sr.
UBS Financial
Secretary
Barbara A. Schatz
Columbia University School of Law
Members
M. Bernard Aidinoff
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Tom A. Bernstein
Chelsea Piers Management Inc.
Raymond M. Brown
Brown & Brown PC
Lynda Clarizio
America Online Inc.
Donald Francis Donovan
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
A. Whitney Ellsworth
Publishing Consultant
Gail Furman
Psychotherapist
Executive Director
Michael H. Posner
Chairman Emeritus
Marvin E. Frankel (1920 – 2002)
Leslie Gimbel
Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation
R. Scott Greathead
Wiggin & Dana LLP
Louis Henkin
Columbia University School of Law
John D. Hutson
President and Dean, Franklin Pierce Law Center
Ret. Rear Admiral, JAGC, USN
Lewis B. Kaden
Davis Polk & Wardwell
Juliette Kayyem
Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs,
Harvard University
Kerry Kennedy
RFK Memorial Center for Human Rights
Harold Hongju Koh
Dean, Yale University
Philip A. Lacovara
Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw
Jo Backer Laird
Christie's Inc.
Robert Todd Lang
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Steven R. Shapiro
Chair
Talbot D'Alemberte
Members
Robert Bernstein
Jeffrey L. Bleich
Derek Bok
David Brink
James J. Brosnahan
Benjamin Civiletti
James P. Clark
William K. Coblentz
Robert F. Drinan, S.J.
Jerome B. Falk, Jr.
Frances Tarlton Farenthold
Larry A. Hammond
Mark I. Harrison
Donald Hubert
Paul H. Irving
Helene Kaplan
John W. Keker
Robert Kerrigan
Paul Liebenson
Abner J. Mikva
Samuel R. Miller
Patrick G. Moran
Steven A. Nissen
Duane C. Quaini
Bruce Rabb
Randall S. Rapp
Calvin P. Sawyier
W. Reece Smith
Jerold S. Solovy
Rose Styron
Stephen D. Susman
Steven T. Walther
Michael W. Zavis
American Civil Liberties Union
George A. Vradenburg
The Vradenburg Foundation
Sigourney Weaver
Actor
24
A MORE SECURE WORLD
D.C. Chair
Daryl Libow
The Power of Ideas
We asked our staff to share some of the ideas
that motivate them to do the work they do so
tirelessly. The results are a short
compendium of inspiration,
wisdom and wit.
“Be the change
you wish to see
in the world.”
Staff
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
Executive Director, Michael H. Posner
Susanna Emmet
WASHINGTON, D.C. OFFICE
Director, Elisa Massimino
Deputy Director, Eric Biel
Sandra Hall
Raj Purohit
Danielle Rosche
Cory Smith
COMMUNICATIONS
Director, Jill Savitt
Ron Bigler
Stephen Brownell
David Danzig
Jillian Gladstone
Sarah Graham
DEVELOPMENT
Director, Sherry Thomas
Robin Allen-Payne
Lesley Berson
Eulalia Brooks
Carol Henry
Kathy Jones
Gladys Kravitz
Karen Tumelty
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Director, Melvin Washington
Michael Greenberg
Toussaint Gauvin
Mildred Mata
Eli Wilson
HUMAN RESOURCES
Director, Bobbie M. Silvera
Lisa McClain-Freeney
Lourdes L. Taylor
Mahatma Gandhi
“Tears without
action are wasted
sentiment.”
Jodi Williams,
Nobel Laureate
INFORMATION SERVICES
Director, Gary Bond
Trish Bailey
Gilbert Hennessey
Deborah R. Stewart
PROGRAM
Director, Michael McClintock
Cynthia Burns
Director, Eleanor A. Acer
Heidi Altman
Carmen Cabrera
Giliane Cherubin
Erin Corcoran
Anwen Hughes
Candice Hunt
Magdalena La Battaglia
“Our government is the potent,
the omnipresent teacher.
For good or for ill, it teaches the whole
people by its example. Crime is contagious.
If the government becomes a law-breaker,
it breeds contempt for law; it invites
every man to become a law
unto himself; it invites anarchy.
Justice Louis D. Brandeis
Director, Neil Hicks
Matt Easton
Kristin Flood
Archana Pyati
Elena Steiger
INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE
Ana Ayala
Ken Hurwitz
John F. Stompor
U.S. LAW & SECURITY
Director, Deborah Pearlstein
Avidan Cover
Allison Johnson
Priti Patel
Hina Shamsi
Lauren Smith
“Never doubt that a
small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can
change the world. Indeed,
it’s the only thing
that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
25
2004
Marvin Frankel
Award Winners
Every year, hundreds of dedicated attorneys give their time and talent to support
Human Rights First in critical ways – from representing refugees in asylum
proceedings, to preparing amicus curiae briefs, to providing invaluable support to
our staff in all our endeavors. We could not fulfill our mission without their help.
Pro Bono Support
Marvin E. Frankel (1920-2002), Chairman
Emeritus of Human Rights First.
Law Firms
Judge Marvin Frankel – former U.S. District
Court Judge, law professor at Columbia University and a prominent lawyer – was one of the
country’s leading advocates for human rights.
Judge Frankel, who died in 2002, was also an
active member of Human Rights First’s Board for
more than 24 years, and served as its Chairman
for 16 years.
The Marvin Frankel Award, established in
2002, pays tribute to lawyers and law firms that
have carried on Judge Frankel’s dedication to
human rights by demonstrating an exceptional
commitment to pro bono service.
The 2004 winners of the Frankel award
are leaders in the human rights movement
and we thank them once again for their many
contributions.
● Davis Polk & Wardwell,
New York
● Howrey Simon Arnold & White,
Washington, D.C.
● Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler,
New York
26
A MORE SECURE WORLD
Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, LLP
Allen & Overy
Alston & Bird LLP
Arnold & Porter LLP
Baker & McKenzie
Baker Botts L.L.P.
Chadbourne & Parke LLP
Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP
Clifford Chance US LLP
Covington & Burling
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
Crowell & Moring LLP
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP
Dewey Ballantine LLP
Dickstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary US LLP
The Dontzin Firm LLP
Dow, Lohnes & Albertson, PLLC
Duane Morris LLP
Foley Hoag LLP
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP
Friedman Kaplan Seiler & Adelman LLP
Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.
Gibbons, Del Deo, Dolan, Griffinger &
Vecchione, P.C.
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
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Hinckley, Allen & Snyder LLP
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
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Howrey Simon Arnold & White, LLP
Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP
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Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein LLP
Linklaters
Lowenstein Sandler PC
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
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McCarter & English, LLP
McDermott Will & Emery
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP
Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo P.C.
Morgan & Finnegan, L.L.P.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
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The Results
Academic Institutions
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
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Wiggin & Dana LLP
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Georgetown University Law Center,
Center for Applied Legal Studies
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Others
Charlotte Allan
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Corbis
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Roosevelt Hotel
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Rayner Thwaites
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Lynn Witkowski
+34 COUNTRIES
+190 ATTORNEYS
+60,000 HOURS
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dollars in legal services
1200
refugees represented
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
27
Human Rights First is and always has been entirely supported in our work by
foundations and individuals from every walk of life and political persuasion, never
by government grants. We are enormously grateful to our many contributors, who
make our work possible and whose passion for justice, human dignity and the rule
of law energize and inspire us every day.
Our Donors
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MacArthur Foundation
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Open Society Institute
The Picower Foundation
FJC - A Foundation of Donor
Advised Funds
Deborah Miller and William
D. Zabel
Anonymous (4)
$50,000–$99,999
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at The New York
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28
A MORE SECURE WORLD
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Hartley
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Janet M. Clarke
Sharon Cohen
Joanna and Jonathan Cole
Rebekah T. Coleman
Cathleen Collins
Elaine Terner Cooper
George E. Cornelius
Jill and Steve Corriss
Robert W. Cowgill
Jim Cullen and Jesse
Cardinale
Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt &
Mosle LLP
Michael I. Davis
Steven Davis
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice A.
Deane
Del Laboratories, Inc.
Dewey Ballantine LLP
Anthony P. DiCaprio
Dickstein Shapiro Morin &
Oshinsky LLP
Charles M. Diker
Lee and Judy Dirks
The Walt Disney Company
Walter A. Eberstadt
Martin L. Edelman
John Elliott
Geraldine Fabrikant and
Tim Metz
Carmel M. Fauci
Alan D. Feld
Michael B. Ferdman
Barbara D. Finberg
Finnegan, Henderson,
Farabow, Garrett &
Dunner, L.L.P.
Bob and Pat Flynn
David A. Fogel
William P. & Mary Anne Ford
Austin T. Fragomen
Martin Franklin
Barry S. Friedberg &
Charlotte Moss
Friedman Kaplan Seiler &
Adelman LLP
Lesley M. Friedman
Roy L. Furman
Mr. and Mrs. Michael E.
Gellert
Richard Gere
John J. Gibbons
Sarah and Seth Glickenhaus
Goldin Associates, LLC
David S. Gottesman
Jean Vallely Graham
Paul R. Grand
R. Scott Greathead
Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Kathy and Alan C. Greenberg
Deborah M. Greenberg
Glenn H. Greenberg
Dawn Greene
Antonia M. Grumbach
Andrew Gurley
Ed and Barbara Hajim
Patricia Harris and
Mark Lebow
Craig Hatkoff
Terry Hermanson
Herrick, Feinstein LLP
Samuel J. & Ronnie Heyman
Jerry Heymann
Mary S. Holland
Hon. Howard M. Holtzmann
Robert N. Hornick
Elliot Horowitz
Howrey Simon Arnold &
White, LLP
Hughes Hubbard & Reed
LLP (DC)
Samuel Issacharoff
Yves-Andre Istel
Mr. and Mrs. William H.
Janeway
Jones Day
Daniel R. & Renee Kaplan
Katten Muchin Zavis
Rosenman
Stephen E. & Marina
Kaufman
Gershon Kekst
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Keller
David E. Kendall
Frank Kendall
Kerry Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
James Bryan King
John J. Kirby
George Klein
Frederick A. Klingenstein
Mary-Christy Fisher and
Harold Hongju Koh
Rabbi Emily Faust Korzenik
and Sidney Korzenik
Ruben Kraiem
Alice and Arthur B. Kramer
Larry D. Kramer
Bruce R. Kraus
Louis P. Kreisberg
Kathleen M. Kundar
Edward Labaton
Michael Lacovara and Carla
Foran
Emily Fisher Landau
Geraldine and Kit Laybourne
Lehman Brothers
Holdings Inc.
Pierre N. Leval
Steven L. Levin
Martin J. Levine
Noel & Harriet Levine
Richard and Amy Lipton
Louis Lowenstein
Jamie Alter and Michael
Lynton
Mary Ann and Stanley
Mailman
Bernice Manocherian
Markle Foundation
Ethel K. Marran
Jack and Joanne Martin
Asset Management Advisors
Nina B. Matis
McCarter & English, LLP
Gerald C. McNamara
David Meerschwam
Kathy and Joe Mele
Diane Mellen
Mendes & Mount, LLP
Richard and Ronay Menschel
Robert B. Menschel
Miller & Korzenik, L.L.P.
The Mindich Family
Foundation
Miriam Moran
Diana L. Morris
Morrison & Foerster LLP
Morton’s Restaurant
Group, Inc.
Henry S. Moyer
Peter P. Mullen
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
Robert S. Murley
The Nash Family Foundation
Joshua Nash and Beth
Goldberg Nash
The Nation Institute
Brooke and Daniel Neidich
Mark A. Neporent
Niagara Corporation
Matthew Nimetz
Fred & Donna Nives
Nixon Peabody LLP
Peter Nussbaum
Richard Nye &
Francesca Stanfill
Shirley Nye
Morris W. Offit
Peter F. Olberg
Liz and Gus Oliver
Nobuyuki Ono
Orans, Elsen & Lupert LLP
James Ottaway
Lawrence Ottinger
June and Richard Ottinger
Willard J. Overlock
Raymond Paretzky
Patton Boggs LLP
Perelson & Weiner
Edward B. Perlberg
Louis Perlmutter
Phillips Bros. Insurance
Agency, Inc.
Addie Pollis
Deborah Korzenik and
Michael Posner
Paul & Marjorie Possick
R.E.M./Athens, L.L.C.
Charles B. Renfrew
Andrew Richard
Robert S. Rifkind
Stephen Robert
Stuart Robinowitz
John J. Roche
Wendy Gordon and Laurance
Rockefeller
Anita and Yale Roe
George Rohr
Ronald S. Rolfe and Sara
Darehshori
Mrs. Frederick P. Rose
Mike Rosenbaum
Gillian and Eric Rosenfeld
James J. Ross
Howard J. Rubenstein
Donald & Shelley Rubin
George F. Russell
Arnold H. Rutkin
Richard E. Salomon
Louise S. Sams
The Fan Fox and Leslie R.
Samuels Foundation, Inc.
Ann and Leonard Sand
Pamela Sandler
Muneer Satter
Lynn and John Savarese
Linda S. Schejola
John and Wendy Schmidt
Ellen Schorr and
Nathaniel Polish
Elliot J. Schrage
Amy W. Schulman
Marc & Jeri Shapiro
Howard F. Sharfstein
Shaw Pittman LLP
Felice K. Shea
Sheresky Aronson &
Mayefsky, LLP
John E. Sherman
Stuart A. Shikiar
The Shubert Organization
Judith E. Siegel-Baum
Steve Simmons
Florence and Warren
Sinsheimer
Stacey B. Slater
Bruce and Francesca Slovin
Abraham Sofaer
Ezekiel Solomon
Melissa and Robert Soros
Michael I. Sovern
Nancy Olnick and
Giorgio Spanu
Kathryn Spence
Jared M. Spotkov
Lesley R. Stahl
Richard J. Stahl
Elliot Stein
Fred Stein
Michael A. Steinberg
Henry Steiner
Rose and William Styron
Susman Godfrey L.L.P.
Susman Family Foundation
Laurie Tisch Sussman
Sutherland Asbill &
Brennan LLP
Dorothy and Andrew
Tananbaum
Nicki and Harold Tanner
Michael L. Tarnopol
Lesley E. Taylor
Franklin A. Thomas
Andrew H. Tisch
James S. Tisch
Jonathan M. Tisch Foundation
Laurence A. Tisch
Darius and Faith Toraby
Venable LLP
Philippe Villers
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (DC)
Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. (NY)
Jeanette and Paul Wagner
Kenneth L. and Susan
Wallach
Lulu and Anthony Wang
Philip J. Ward
Mel Washington
Christine Wasserstein
Bradley J. Wechsler
William H. Weigel
Marie-Helene and Guy Weill
Roger E. Weisberg
Llewellyn Wells and Christina
Grandy
Wiggin & Dana LLP
John H.T. Wilson
David A. & Shoshanna
Wingate
Benjamin J. Winter
Sheldon Baskin and
Judy Wise
WNYC Radio
Wyeth
John O. Wynne
Mortimer B. Zuckerman
Anonymous (6)
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
29
ENDNOTES
“Going forward, we will concentrate our efforts and resources where we know
we can make the greatest difference.”
Mike Posner & Bill Zabel
Looking Ahead
From the beginning, Human Rights First
has worked to advance justice, human
dignity and the rule of the law. We have
always believed that a world in which
human rights are respected, protected
and preserved is also a world in which
freedom and security can flourish.
We still believe this, more than ever.
But the climate in which we work has
changed dramatically since 9/11.
Today, many governments, including
the United States, assert that they
have vast new powers that trump
existing legal standards – powers that
have the potential to violate human
rights, silence dissent, and
undermine democracy.
Human Rights First is actively
engaged in challenging these assertions around the world. When we do
so in the United States, we are fighting
for what the United States stands for
in the world. To be a credible and
effective global leader, the United
States must respect human rights and
the rule of law – at home and abroad.
We are joined in our work by people
from across the political spectrum.
These coalitions are increasingly
30
A MORE SECURE WORLD
important, not only to our work but also
to all social progress. Going forward,
we will concentrate our efforts and
resources where we know we can
make the greatest difference.
Human Rights First will continue to
work aggressively to preserve core
human rights protections for everyone.
And, as Harry Truman once said,
“everyone means everyone.”
This means no one can be tortured
or held in secret detention. It means
there are no “law-free zones” anywhere
in the world. It means refugees cannot
be forced to return to countries where
they face certain persecution.
We will expand Human Rights First’s
capacity to support frontline human
rights activists from Egypt to Russia to
Zimbabwe, who are increasingly under
attack, especially in closed societies.
Our efforts to provide them a lifeline of
international protection – and to amplify
their voices on the world stage – is
more important than ever.
And we will continue to pursue
Human Rights First’s role as an innovator – pushing the limits of the human
rights agenda in the 21st century.
For a decade, we have worked to
promote workers’ rights as an element
of the growing demand for greater
corporate social responsibility. As a
Chair, Bill Zabel (left) and Executive Director,
Mike Posner at the Annual Human Rights
Awards Dinner.
leader of the Fair Labor Association,
we are working with consumer rights
groups, labor rights groups, international development organizations,
universities and leaders of the apparel
industry to combat sweatshop practices. Together we have developed
innovative monitoring and enforcement
methods and standards. In today’s
increasingly integrated global economic
environment, we are shaping the rules
of the road, and helping advance a
broader social justice agenda.
Similarly, we are breaking new ground
with our recent work exposing and
advocating for an end to antisemitic
and anti-Muslim hate crimes in Europe.
Our advocacy efforts focus on the
demand that European governments
monitor, publicly report on and
prosecute hate crimes. We view this
ENDNOTES
2003/04 Financials
Expenses
● Program Services (80% of total expenses)
● Fundraising & Development
● Management & General
Total Expenses
$5,661,315
$970,268
$520,396
$7,151,979
Contributed Income
initiative as part of an effort to integrate discrimination work more centrally
into the global human rights agenda.
Finally, our more ambitious public
campaigns are drawing on the power
of technology to build strong coalitions
and a larger constituency willing to help
us face the challenges to human rights
in the United States and around
the world.
At Human Rights First, we believe
that a more humane world is a more
secure world. We look forward to
continuing our work to achieve both
objectives – and to fulfilling our mission
of advancing justice, human dignity, and
respect for the rule of law.
●
●
●
●
●
Foundations
Individuals
Law Firms
Corporations
Other Income
Total
$4,007,342
$2,254,834
$549,600
$121,600
$296,637
$7,230,013
Total Income
● Total Cash
● Total In-Kind
● Total Income
$7,230,013
$19,000,000*
$26,000,000
* Reflects the
pro bono services of
lawyers and others
to the organization’s
programs.
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
31
ENDNOTES
Antisemitism
in Europe
US $15 / 2004
Recent Reports
Publications can be ordered online or by contacting (212) 845 5275
or Pubs@humanrightsfirst.org.
Publications are complementary with a donation of $250 or more by contacting
the Development Department at (212) 845 5280 or Members@humanrightsfirst.org.
Behind the Wire
US $10 / 2005
Everyday Fears
US $20 / 2005
In Liberty’s Shadow
US $15 / 2004
Antisemitism in Europe:
Challenging Official Indifference
Behind the Wire: An Update to
Ending Secret Detentions
This report tracks recent anti-Jewish
violence and government responses
across Europe. Only a handful of European governments systematically
monitor and publicly report on antisemitic violence. Few governments
have created official monitoring bodies
to track antisemitic acts. Instead most
European governments contribute to
the climate of escalating violence by
failing to monitor these crimes, and to
enact and enforce laws punishing hate
crimes. Official indifference has been
the norm.
This report focuses on the problem,
sets it in the context of other forms of
racism and discrimination, and makes
concrete recommendations on what
needs to be done to combat it.
This report assesses the nature and
scope of the United States’ worldwide
military and intelligence detention
system. While identifying a few positive
developments, the report concludes
that the number of detentions is on the
rise, as is the secrecy surrounding the
system. The scrutiny into military detentions over the past nine months, by
U.S. courts and the Pentagon, has still
failed to produce full answers to many
of the most basic questions regarding
the U.S. military and intelligence detention system. The report documents how
U.S. global detention practices have
failed to advance either the security
interests of Americans or the values
America seeks to protect.
Everyday Fears: A Survey
of Violent Hate Crimes in Europe
and North America
The New Dissidents
US $10 / 2005
Reformasi &
Resistance
US $10 / 2005
32
A MORE SECURE WORLD
The report is the first in-depth analysis
of the alarming increase in antisemitic,
anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim hate
crimes in the 55 member states of the
OSCE. It also underscores a disturbing
lack of response to hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation, gender,
and disability.
Human Rights First’s report reveals
the pervasive, everyday-nature of hate
crimes and provides an evaluation of
legislation and means of data collection on hate crimes in each country.
Members of the OSCE include the
United States, Canada, all members of
the Council of Europe, and five Central
Asian states.
ENDNOTES
Annual Report
In Liberty’s Shadow: U.S.
Detention of Asylum Seekers in
the Era of Homeland Security
Reformasi & Resistance:
Human Rights Defenders and
Counterterrorism in Indonesia
The United States has a long tradition
of providing refuge to victims of religious, political and other forms of
persecution. This tradition has been
eroded, beginning with harsh federal
legislation in 1996 and accelerating in
the aftermath of the September 11
attacks. Asylum seekers have been
caught up in a web of new laws, regulations and policies advanced in the
name of national security that have
transformed the immigration system –
and left refugees more vulnerable than
ever. The lack of basic safeguards in
the U.S. asylum detention system has
meant that victims of religious and
political persecution, rape and torture
are unnecessarily detained for months
and sometimes years in the
United States.
President Suharto’s fall from power in
1998 ushered in a period of reformasi,
or political reform. But democratization
has been met with resistance from
many of those in power. After September 11, 2001, rising military influence
in Indonesia was reinforced by an international environment that emphasizes
security concerns at the expense of
rights and freedoms. These convergent
forces contributed to renewed conflict
in the province of Aceh, antiterrorism
legislation that reversed hard-won
safeguards, and continued attacks
on human rights defenders.
The New Dissidents: Human
Rights Defenders and
Counterterrorism in Russia
Human rights defenders and other
nonviolent critics of the government
face growing repression in Vladimir
Putin’s Russia. This report questions
the Russian government’s justification
of ever increasing constraints on its
nonviolent critics, including defenders,
as necessary in the fight against
terrorism.
WRITER/EDITOR: Jordan Tamagni
RESEARCH & INTERVIEWS: Nicky Lazar
COORDINATOR: Lesley Berson
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN: Sarah Graham
CREATIVE CONSULTANT: Susan Mayer
Photo & Graphics Credits
FRONT COVER PHOTO
© Luc Gnago/Reuters/Corbis
INSIDE COVER
Left: Courtesy Court TV
PAGE 1
Left: © Scott Nelson/Getty images
Right: Elsa Ruiz
PAGE 2
Left: Sarah Graham
Middle: © Reuters/Corbis
Right: © Larry Downing/Reuters/Corbis
PAGE 3
Right: © AP/Interpress
PAGE 4
Sarah Graham
PAGE 6
Left & Middle: Elsa Ruiz
PAGE 7
Map design: Craig Bailey
PAGE 8
Rebecca Bloch
PAGE 10 & 11
Flash movie: Stephen Brownell
PAGE 12 & 16
Sarah Graham
PAGE 19
Right: Annemarie Poyo/Carter Center
PAGES 22 & 23
Archana Pyati
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES
ON 100% RECYCLED PAPER
HUMAN RIGHTS FIRST
33
Headquarters
333 Seventh Avenue
13th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Tel: (212) 845-5200
Fax: (212) 845-5299
Washington D.C. Office
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E.
Suite 500
Washington, DC 20002
Tel: (202) 547-5692
Fax: (202) 543-5999
www.humanrightsfirst.org

2004/05 Annual Report

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