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Human Rights in the U.S. A Test of Justice for Rape Victims By Sarah Tofte, US Program researcher Published in The Washington Post Every two minutes, someone is raped in the United States. Every year, more than 200,000 rape victims, mostly women, report their rapes to police. Most consent to the creation of a rape kit, an invasive process for collecting physical evidence (including DNA material) of the assault that can take up to six hours. What most victims don't know is that in thousands of cases, that evidence sits untested in police evidence lockers. July 22, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version US: Respect World Court Order to Halt Texas Executions Bush Should Intervene to Uphold International Law President George W. Bush should publicly urge Texas to respect the order of the International Court of Justice and stop the executions of five Mexican nationals. July 21, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Sabotage in Guantánamo How the 9/11 suspects are trying to exploit the major flaws in the military commissions implemented by the Bush administration By Stacy Sullivan, counterterrorism advisor Published in Salon When Mustafa Ahmed al-Hawsawi, the 39-year-old Saudi alleged to have been al-Qaida’s financial manager, appeared before the military commissions at Guantánamo Bay last month, his lawyer, Major Jon S. Jackson, intended to defend him on multiple charges. Al-Hawsawi is accused, in a group indictment with four others, of planning the 9/11 attacks. Jackson, a lumbering 6-foot-4 Army lawyer from Memphis, Tenn., had met repeatedly with al-Hawsawi and built a rapport with him. July 15, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Respect Human Rights in School Discipline Policies Letter to the Jackson, MS Public School District Board of Trustees from Human Rights Watch and the National Economic and Social Rights Initiative As national and international human rights organizations, we urge the Jackson Public School District to adopt a new policy that utilizes Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) and restorative practices in school discipline. These methods are effective for reducing disciplinary incidents and improving learning in schools, and are consistent with international human rights standards. July 14, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version In Support of Provisions on Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in US Juvenile Justice Legislation Letter to Senators Leahy and Specter of the US Senate Judiciary Committee Human Rights Watch urges the Senate Judiciary Committee to incorporate language in the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act to promote early identification of mental health and substance abuse disorders among juveniles in the justice system, increase training for staff and juvenile justice stakeholders on mental health and substance abuse problems, and provide an increased focus on rehabilitating young people in home- and community-based care. July 14, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version Beware Bush's preemptive strike on torture The president might issue a blanket pardon to block prosecution of top U.S. officials behind brutal interrogations – including himself. By James Ross, legal and policy director Published in Salon New revelations of the U.S. government's systematic use of torture in the "global war on terror," including communist Chinese "brainwashing" methods from the 1950s, have brought renewed calls from lawmakers and human rights advocates for the prosecution of senior Bush administration officials. While the legal and political obstacles to such prosecutions are steep, those implicated will not want to leave the enjoyment of their retirement years to the mercy of the federal judiciary. July 10, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Human Rights Watch Supports the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 Letter to Senators Leahy and Specter of the US Senate Judiciary Committee Human Rights Watch is pleased to offer strong support for S. 3155, the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act of 2008 (JJDPA). In supporting this legislation, we encourage the Senate Judiciary Committee to continue to work on strengthening the JJDPA core protections for children and youth as this critical legislation moves through the Committee. In particular, we hope the Committee will amend the legislation to gradually eliminate all statutory authority for the incarceration of status offenders. July 3, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version Reforming Juvenile Injustice By Carol Chodroff, advocacy director, US Program Published in The Huffington Post Juvenile justice policies in the United States are replete with contradictions between practices proven to prevent crime, and punitive laws politicians promote to get elected. Juvenile and criminal justice principles, scientific research on prevention, intervention, and adolescent brain development, and US treaty obligations argue against the "lock 'em up and throw away the key" policies that harm children, increase recidivism and exacerbate crime. Next week, the US Senate should act on reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Reauthorization Act (JJDPA) and amendments to improve juvenile justice in this country. Improvement is long overdue. July 2, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Lost promise for rape victims A backlog in the testing of rape kits in Los Angeles means that many crime victims still wait for answers. By Sarah Tofte, US Program researcher Published in The Los Angeles Times At the Rape Treatment Center at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center, where women (and men and children) get emergency medical care and counseling immediately after they have been raped, Human Rights Watch was researching how the center's nurse practitioners collect evidence for a "rape kit." The process – which can last more than four hours – is careful and meticulous. But the truth is, the police may never open the rape kit, much less send it in for testing. June 30, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Uighurs at Guantanamo By Joanne Mariner, terrorism and counterterrorism director Published in FindLaw In a ruling that is years late, but is nonetheless brave and important, a federal appellate court held last week that a prisoner at Guantanamo has been wrongly deemed an “enemy combatant.” Huzaifa Parhat – one of 16 Uighurs who remain in military detention at Guantanamo – was reportedly determined eligible for release more than four years ago, though the risk of persecution in his native China and the lack of alternatives has prevented his release. June 30, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version The war on teen terror The Bush administration's treatment of juvenile prisoners shipped to Guantánamo Bay defies logic as well as international law. By Jo Becker, children's rights advocacy director Published in salon.com Although most of the 20 juvenile detainees have now been released, three remain, having spent more than a quarter of their lives at Guantánamo. The US continues to turn a blind eye to their juvenile status at the time of capture, has not provided opportunities for their rehabilitation, and has subjected them to prolonged isolation and ill-treatment such as a sleep deprivation regime known as the "frequent flyer" program. June 24, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version “From Nuremberg to Darfur: Accountability for Crimes Against Humanity” Hearing before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law Human Rights Watch appreciates the invitation to submit a statement for the record on this important subject. Justice for serious crimes under international law – which include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and torture – is crucial. Accountability brings redress to the victims and signals that heinous abuses will not be tolerated. June 24, 2008 Testimony Printer friendly version Onward and Ever Upward – But Not in a Good Way By Jamie Fellner, senior counsel in the US Program Published in The Huffington Post The United States incarcerates the greatest number of people in the world (2.3 million), and at the highest rate (762 out of every 100,000 people). So why the never-ending prison growth? Three ill-considered policies drive it: the war on drugs, draconian sentencing laws, and punitive parole practices. The extraordinary rate of incarceration in the US is not necessary to protect the public – community-based sanctions and treatment for addiction would be even more effective at reducing most kinds of nonviolent crime and at far less cost. Meanwhile, the unnecessary incarceration of Americans damages individuals, families and communities. June 20, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Supreme Court to Bush: You're not above the law The court's latest rebuke of Guantanamo Bay won't close the prison down. But it's a step toward curbing Bush's unilateral tactics. By James Ross, legal and policy director Published in salon.com For the third time in four years, the US Supreme Court has slammed the Bush administration's detention policies at Guantanamo Bay – locking up terrorist suspects indefinitely and beyond the law. And this time, some real progress might even come out of it. In a 5-4 decision drafted by Justice Anthony Kennedy, the court ruled in Boumediene v. Bush that Guantanamo detainees have a constitutional right to habeas corpus – that is, to challenge the legal basis for their detention in a federal court. June 13, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version US: Landmark Supreme Court Ruling on Detainees Guantanamo Inmates Have Right to Challenge Detention The US Supreme Court ruling recognizing the right of Guantanamo detainees to challenge their detention in civilian courts deals a stunning blow to the Bush administration’s detention policies. The lead plaintiffs in the case are Bosnian Lakhdar Boumediene and Kuwaiti Fawzi al-Odah, who are both being held at Guantanamo without charge. June 12, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version US: Improve Prison Conditions at Guantanamo New Report Finds Treatment of Detainees Unnecessarily Harsh More than two-thirds of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, including many cleared for release or transfer, are being housed in inhumane conditions that are reportedly having a damaging effect on their mental health, Human Rights Watch said in a new report. June 10, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version The insanity inside Guantánamo A new report reveals that a number of prisoners – even some long ago cleared to leave – are spiraling into hallucinations, despair and suicide. By Jennifer Daskal, senior counterterrorism counsel, and Stacy Sullivan, counterterrorism advisor Published in salon.com Approximately 185 of the roughly 270 men still being held at Guantanamo – including many who have been cleared for release or transfer – are being housed in facilities akin to US “supermax” prisons. Such detainees spend 22 hours a day alone in small cells with little or no natural light or fresh air, extremely limited contact with other human beings, and little more than a book and the Koran to occupy their time. Several are reportedly suffering from depression and anxiety disorder, and some have reported having visions and hearing voices. June 10, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Arraigning the 9/11 suspects, Guantánamo-style Hearings for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and others here were marred by intimidation, partial censorship and a ruling that left justice in doubt. By Joanne Mariner, terrorism and counterterrorism director Published in salon.com It should have been a great day for justice. The alleged perpetrators of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were finally appearing in court. This was their arraignment, at which they were to be formally charged of conspiring to cause the death of 2,973 people in the United States. But this was no ordinary court at all: It was a military commission, taking place more than six years after the terrorist attacks. And the quality of justice that the defendants were due to receive was in serious doubt. June 7, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version US: Prison Numbers Hit New High Blacks Hardest Hit by Incarceration Policy New figures showing that US incarceration rates are climbing even higher, with racial minorities greatly overrepresented in prisons and jails, highlight the need to adopt alternative criminal justice policies, Human Rights Watch said today. June 6, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version US: Improve Treatment of Children in Armed Conflict UN Experts Criticize US Detention of Children in Iraq and Guantanamo The United States should immediately implement the recommendations of a new UN report calling on Washington to improve its treatment of children involved in armed conflict, Human Rights Watch said today. June 6, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version |
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