“Publicity surrounding this incident has rightly centered on the discriminatory nature of the materials,” stated Human Rights First’s Gabor Rona in the letter.  “But we are equally distressed by an aspect that has received less attention: the cavalier and ignorant dismissal of the principles and rules of distinction and proportionality reflected in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols.  In a nation committed to equality under the rule of law, this aspect of the materials is as disturbing as their anti-Islamic nature. Military personnel are supposed to be well trained in the applicability of the law of armed conflict, even if the military cannot train away their personal prejudices. The military must also reinforce the point that law trumps any personal religious beliefs of members of the military.”

Human Rights First  asks that the investigation into the materials, led by Major General Rudesheim, address rule of law violations presented by the publications as well as their discriminatory nature.  The investigation should confirm the U.S. military’s commitment to train its personnel to comply with humanitarian law. It should identify and lead to the removal of materials and courses in which adherence to the fundamental principles and rules of international humanitarian law is questioned and assure appropriate measures of accountability for individuals who are found to be responsible.

“Particularly in light of President Obama’s assertion that we should ‘look forward not backwards’ on the issue of torture, it is imperative that the military not create yet another example of impunity in this matter,” Rona concluded.

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“This sale is completely out of step with the United States’ stated commitment to reform in Bahrain,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley, who recently returned from the Kingdom and authored a new report released this week, Bahrain’s Reforms: No Backdown on Crackdown.

The arms sale – the full details of which have yet to be made public, but which supersedes a $53 million announced last year – is now to proceed despite the lack of human rights reform in Bahrain. The previous $53 million sale was halted last October when members of Congress expressed concern about rewarding the dictatorship with weapons. At that time, the State Department assured Congress that it would take into account progress of human rights reforms in Bahrain before proceeding with the sale. Dooley’s new report reveals how attacks on human rights activists are continuing and the regime’s commitment to reform is superficial at best.

“The U.S. can be in no doubt about the reality of the repression in Bahrain,” said Dooley. “Prominent human rights defenders are being harassed and jailed. Trials of medics convicted for treating injured protestors continue after tortured confessions. The police are still beating and tear gassing people. Where is the progress that warrants the reward of arms? This new sale will only damage U.S. credibility among those working for democracy in Bahrain and across the Middle East.”

To speak with Dooley about today’s sale, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at bowsersoderb@humanrightsfirst.org or 202-370-3323.

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“Prominent human rights defenders Zainab Al Khawaja and Nabeel Rajab, President of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, have been detained in recent weeks. Tomorrow sees another court hearing in the notorious case of the 20 medics convicted after treating injured protestors. The Bahrain regime seems to be ramping up its repression,” said Human Rights First’s Brian Dooley.  “Bahrain can talk a good game, but the facts are that the crackdown continues. By not publicly denouncing the repression the United States is quickly losing credibility in Bahrain. It is time they make clear that these abuses must stop.”

Among the key abuses detailed in today’s report are the following:

• JUDICIAL HARASSMENT: Bahrain’s National Safety Court, presided over by a military judge, convicted 502 people in 2011. Though the court no longer convenes and appeals have been moved to civilian court, the government continues to pursue charges against those initially convicted in the unfair venue. Among these cases is that of the 20 medics. Also included in this number are 21 prominent dissidents, such as Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, who were convicted in military proceedings and sentenced to long prison terms. On April 30, 2012, the highest appellate court in Bahrain announced what it described as a “retrial” for this group. Human Rights First has urged that all those detained be immediately and unconditional released and that the charges against them be dropped.  Several prominent human rights defenders have also been arrested and charges in the last few weeks.

• ABUSE BY THE POLICE:  During Dooley’s trip to Bahrain, he met more than a dozen people who reported being severely beaten by policy in February and March 2012. Local human rights activists say that hundreds of young men have been taken by policy to secret torture centers during the past few months. These victims explained that instead of being formally arrested, booked into a policy station an then mistreated, they were grabbed by a group of riot policy and taken to an alternative site or nearby house to be beaten for several hours. After the beating, police take the victims’ cell phones and money and then abandon the in a remote location. Today’s report provides first-person accounts of these police attacks.

There are nightly reports of tear gas being used against peaceful protests and shot directly into people’s houses. The excessive use of tear    gas has prompted The Office of the U.N. High Commission for Human Rights to call for the Bahraini government to investigate the use of such excessive force. To date, it is unclear how the police account for the number of canisters they take per shift or how they report the number they use and why.

•  RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS: Since the publication of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry report in November 2011, it has been difficult for representatives of human rights organizations and other international observers to operate in Bahrain. In January 2012, Human Rights First and other non-government organizations (NGO) were denied access to Bahrain. HRF was admitted in March 2012 under a “new policy” that allows for only a five day visa that requires a local sponsor. Just weeks ago, in a reversal of an early decision, several NGO observers were told they would not be allowed access to Bahrain under a new guideline allowing only one organization to visit at a time.

“Bahrain should protect its human rights defenders, not attack and imprison them.” said Dooley. “The Bahrain regime can produce as much paper as it wants detailing new guidelines and policies and call it reform, but its actions show that its commitment to change is paper thin.”

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“This amendment is an excellent first step in the right direction,” said Human Rights First’s Raha Wala.  “Americans were rightly outraged to find out that the military may be used to indefinitely detain individuals far from the battlefield, including here at home.  This amendment makes clear that the United States will not use national security threats as an excuse to turn its back on the protections enshrined in our Constitution.”

In addition to banning indefinite detention within the United States, the amendment would repeal a requirement, embedded in the Fiscal Year 2012 NDAA, designed to force a category of foreign terrorism suspects into military custody.

“National security experts from across the political spectrum agree that it’s a bad idea to force the military to take custody of terrorism suspects,” added Wala.  “This amendment would repeal mandatory military custody for terrorism suspects, a provision that was opposed by the FBI Director, CIA Director, Director of National Intelligence, and Secretary of Defense.”

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Washington, DC – Human Rights First is hopeful that the Chinese Government will allow Mr. Chen and his family to come to New York as the reported agreement between American and Chinese officials stipulates. “The fact that Mr. Chen looked to the United States for help and protection places a special obligation on us to make sure that he and his family remain safe,” said Human Rights First President and CEO Elisa Massimino.

Until he leaves China, the Chinese government must allow members of the U.S. embassy and medical personnel to visit him.  Human Rights First urges American officials to press the Chinese Government for assurances that the network of activists who assisted Mr. Chen and his extended family will not suffer retaliation.  It is imperative that U.S. embassy officials in China remain in communication with these individuals.  If this job requires more personnel at the American embassy, the State Department should assign the appropriate people and resources.

“The recent events should end once and for all the myth that human rights can be kept from the core of the strategic dialogue between the United States and China,” said Massimino.  “Secretary Clinton’s assertion today that human rights are ‘at the heart of our diplomacy’ with China is a welcome change from her claim in 2009 that China’s miserable rights record could not interfere with negotiations over other issues. If human rights really are to be at the heart of our diplomacy, Secretary Geithner should make clear that he shares Secretary Clinton’s concerns.”

“The United States Government shouldn’t have needed to rely on Mr. Chen’s bravery to put human rights back on the agenda,” concluded Massimino. “It’s time that we realize that our bargaining position with China isn’t improved by discarding human rights.  Staying strong on rights strengthens our hand overall.  America is strongest when it’s actions match it’s values.”

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“While the ruling could have been much worse and we are relieved that Karoui did not receive a prison sentence, ultimately this was not a positive verdict for freedom of expression,” said Human Rights First’s Pamela Kling Takiff. “Unfortunately, while vague, sweeping  laws remain on the books,  cases like this will persist.  We encourage the Tunisian parliament to revise its laws to protect freedom of expression, as it is obliged to by international treaty, and to end the possibility for such divisive suits to be brought in the future.”

Persepolis is an award winning animated French film in which the 1979 Iranian revolution is viewed through the eyes of a young girl.  In the film, God is portrayed as a bearded old man.  Some Muslims believe that images depicting God in human form are blasphemous and should be forbidden.  Karoui, who faced a maximum sentence of five years in prison, has been ordered to pay 2,400 dinars ($1700) for “broadcasting a film that disturbs public order and threatens proper morals.” Two members of his staff were also fined.

Following the October 2011 airing of the film, an angry mob attempted to break into the offices of the Prime Minister while others set fire to the offices of Nessma  TV station.  Karoui’s home was also attacked by men with knives and Molotov cocktails who broke windows and tore out gas pipes.

Human Rights First documented this and more than 100 other cases involving the abuse of laws  to combat alleged blasphemy in our recently updated report Blasphemy Laws Exposed: The Criminalization of Defamation of Religions.

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“Due to its size and scope, how Facebook responds to government requests that affect user privacy and freedom of expression can have major implications for the entire sector,” said Human Rights First’s Meg Roggensack. “Along with millions of others, human rights activists in the Arab Spring and around the globe rely on Facebook as a platform to connect, organize and speak out. We welcome Facebook’s decision as a first step toward possible membership, which would involve adopting the GNI principles and opening themselves to assessment.”

The GNI was established in 2008 with the goal of protecting online freedom of expression and privacy in the face of government pressure on companies to comply with domestic laws which may run up against international human rights norms.  The multi-stakeholder group is comprised of companies, investors, academics, and civil society organizations, including Human Rights First, a member of GNI’s Board of Directors.

“Facebook, the largest social media website, has transformed how people connect online,” concluded Roggensack.  “We are encouraged by the company’s willingness to join GNI as an observer.”

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“The bravery of Chen Guangcheng, his family, and his friends for risking a dangerous escape from abusive local Chinese authorities is inspiring.  His daring defiance of a brutal regime gives courage to those in China and beyond who struggle for human rights.

“I commend the American diplomats who helped Mr. Chen get to the American embassy, sheltered him there, and negotiated on his behalf with Chinese authorities.  It is a credit to the United States that Mr. Chen looked to American diplomats for help and protection.  We now owe him our best efforts to ensure his safety.

“If China is prepared to live up to its end of the bargain and allow Mr. Chen to remain in China to study law, and him and his family to live unmolested, this would be a breakthrough for human rights in China. However, given his treatment at the hands of the Chinese government, Mr. Chen has good reason to fear for his safety.  If Mr. Chen and his family conclude that they do not have a secure future in China, the United States should grant him asylum.  Secretary Clinton’s plane surely has enough room to bring the family here when she departs from China.

“Let’s not forget that the situation in China is perilous for many.  The Chinese Government must not retaliate against the network of activists that assisted Mr. Chen as well as the others who put themselves in jeopardy in hopes of creating a freer China.  Their safety should remain at the top of the agenda between China and the United States long after Mr. Chen’s case is resolved.  As the events of the past days illustrate, there is no way to sequester human rights from the core of the U.S. –China relationship.”

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As the Honorable Robert A. Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit recognized last year, the state of immigration representation in our country is in a “dire crisis.” In December 2011, the Katzmann Study Group on Immigrant Representation reported that a large number of non-detained immigrants in New York are unrepresented in their immigration court proceedings.  Nationally, there is a particularly acute need for legal representation for detained individuals:  approximately 84% of immigration detainees are unrepresented in their immigration proceedings.

“We hope that this announcement will encourage more attorneys in New York to take on pro bono matters, including for indigent immigrants and asylum seekers who are often left to navigate immigration proceedings without the benefit of legal counsel,” said Human Rights First’s Lori Adams.  “Day in and day out, we see what a difference quality pro bono attorneys make in the lives of indigent refugees and immigrants.”

Human Rights First operates a pro bono representation program that supports volunteer lawyers who represent indigent asylum seekers in their immigration proceedings.  Other legal service providers that also operate programs matching pro bono attorneys with asylum seekers and immigrants in New York include The City Bar Justice Center, Immigration Equality, The Door, Kids In Need of Defense, and Sanctuary for Families.   Human Rights First is a proud participant in the Katzmann Study Group on Immigrant Representation, and a recipient of the Leon Levy Fellowship to increase quality pro bono representation of indigent asylum-seekers in New York.

For more information about Human Rights First’s pro bono program, click here.

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Human Rights First’s Melina Milazzo, advocacy counsel for our Law and Security Program, went on Al Jazeera English to debunk Rodriguez’ false claims that torture led to bin Laden.

Al Jazeera English