Our Voices
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Guards at Louisiana ICE facility accused of illegally pepper-spraying protestors
Tags Share In January 2024, ICE officers at Winn Correctional Center in Louisiana pepper-sprayed hundreds of detainees who were participating in a peaceful demonstration and hunger strike. Guards retaliated by indiscriminately deploying pepper spray – an attack that blatantly violated individuals’ rights under the U.S. constitution, federal and state law, and ICE’s own legal standards…
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Egypt must immediately and unconditionally release anti-torture protester Mahmoud Hussein
Tags Share The Egyptian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mahmoud Hussein who is facing 25 years in prison simply for wearing a T-shirt with an anti-torture slogan, 15 Egyptian and international human rights organizations said today. Mahmoud Hussein has been arbitrarily detained since August 2023. Since then, his mental and physical health has seriously…
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Increasing Student Engagement and Empowerment Through Theater: Voces Contra El Poder in Sonora
Tags Share According to a recent poll, 50% of students say they are not engaged in what they are learning and 80% of educators are worried about students’ lack of engagement. Theater work, like the recent theater workshop in Sonora, Mexico, can increase student engagement and empower them to become human rights defenders. In March,…
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Empowering Local Leadership: Transforming Development Aid with Bottom-Up Solutions
Tags Share Coinciding with World Water Day on March 22, John Lewis Young Leader Hana Kebede shared commentary about the challenges that persist in her native Ethiopia surrounding access to clean water. Having seen firsthand how millions of Ethiopians are still living without essential infrastructure like clean water and electricity, Kebede, a senior at Tufts…
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Cornell Law School: Immigration Clinic Visits Batavia Detention Center
Tags Share In March 2024, Cornell Law students and faculty from the 1L Immigration Law and Advocacy Clinic visited the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility in Batavia, NY, to provide legal assistance to detained immigrants. Partnering with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, the NYCLU, and Prisoners’ Legal Services of NY, the team met with detainees to…
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Author and journalist Jonathan Karl on civic space protection, the free press, and Donald Trump
Tags Share “Retribution” has been Donald Trump’s rallying cry throughout his 2024 presidential campaign. According to author and political journalist Jonathan Karl, that rhetoric is disturbingly similar to past regimes. “The dictatorial assaults on human rights that we’ve seen throughout history and around the world are often rooted in the very language we hear from…
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Ending Violence Against Women and Gender Inequality: Our Work and Impact
Tags Share Claudina Isabel’s body was discovered on August 13, 2005 with signs of sexual violence. The Guatemalan government’s impunity and ineffective investigation into her murder is, unfortunately, representative of a broader failure of the government to stem the tide of femicide and violence against women in the country. Read more about our work on…
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RFK Human Rights Calls for Stronger Response to Arbitrary Detention on US Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day
Tags Share On US Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day, RFK Human Rights calls on the US government to take urgent action to address arbitrary detention globally. Increased coordination within the government; transparency of processes and clear communication with family members; as well as support for global efforts to address arbitrary detention will make for a…
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Mexico to officially recognize responsibility in emblematic, decades-long femicide case
Tags Share Today, the Mexican government is signing a compliance agreement, issuing a public apology, and recognizing their responsibility for the inaction, impunity, and negligence in the case of Silvia Elena Rivera Morales et al. v. Mexico. Ahead of the ceremony, here are five things to know about the key case. Femicide—the murder of women…
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Nearly 20 years after murder of Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz, Guatemalan government to publicly acknowledge responsibility March 8
Tags Share On Friday, March 8, Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo and members of his government will hold a public act to acknowledge responsibility for the murder of 19-year old Claudina Isabel Velásquez Paiz in 2005 and subsequent impunity. Here are five key things to know about the case: 1. On August 12, 2005, when Claudina…
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Behind the Headlines: A Leadership Vacuum at Border Patrol Exposes Flawed Migration Management Strategy
Tags Share Last week, President Biden and Donald Trump made separate visits to the border, highlighting the political importance of an issue that 80% of Americans say the U.S. government is doing a bad job handling: the arrival of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. It’s no secret that the United States, just like other wealthy…
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La Sala de Apelaciones de la Corte Penal Internacional Confirma la Autorización para Reanudar Investigación sobre Crímenes de Lesa Humanidad en Venezuela
Tags Share RFK Human Rights y Foro Penal celebran la reciente decisión tomada por la Sala de Apelaciones de la Corte Penal Internacional (CPI) respecto a la investigación relacionada con la situación en Venezuela I. Los hallazgos de la Sala indican que el Estado de Venezuela no ha iniciado, y no parece inclinado a iniciar,…
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