Our Voices
-
RFK Human Rights celebrates Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora’s parole decision and his recognition with the Gabo Award
Tags Share Washington, DC. May 15, 2024. RFK Human Rights celebrates the resolution issued by the Ninth Criminal Sentencing Court in Guatemala in favor of prominent Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora, ordering his conditional release. This resolution represents a significant step towards the respect and protection of freedom of expression in Guatemala. We hope that
-
Defenders in the Climate Emergency: The Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Tags Share On April 26th, RFKHR partnered with the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Fundeps to hold a virtual side event at the Third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement. The event, titled “Defenders in the Climate Emergency: The Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,”
-
RFKHR Book Club: Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond, discussed with Mark Gearan
Tags Share This month, the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Book Club spotlighted Poverty, by America by acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond, a powerful and unflinching examination of the systemic forces that sustain poverty in one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Drawing from history, original reporting, and personal experience, Desmond explores how affluent Americans—often
-
USA Unveiled: Human Rights in the United States
Tags Share John Lewis Young Leader Profile: Mya MacNeil Numerous human rights activists and organizations, including RFK Human Rights, continue to bring attention to alarming human rights concerns in the United States. From the inhumane treatment of prisoners and immigrants, to the exploitation of child labor and the growing challenges to freedom of the press,
-
Heat, Humidity, and Inhumanity: Inside Florida’s Heat Protection Preemption Law
Tags Share Florida is the hottest state in the US. Yet, Governor Ron DeSantis just signed a bill banning local measures aimed at protecting outdoor workers from extreme heat exposure. This decision displays not only cruelty but also reflects a shortsightedness that harms the well-being of Floridians. The evidence is extensive: extreme heat poses severe
-
Charting the Course: Interviews with David Brand, Jeremy Heer, Scott Pittman, Robert Q. Holley, and Daniel Gottlieb
Tags Share David Brand, Chair, Investment Committee, City of Atlanta The City of Atlanta has been firm about its commitment to closing gaps in capital allocation to women and people of color—and has been recognized by the DEIC Power 100 for its work. Can you share about how your commitment to embedding diversity, equity, inclusion,
-
Egypt: RFK Human Rights Condemns the Arrest of HRA Laureate Ragia Omran and other 15 Defenders and Calls for the Charges Against Them to be Dropped
Tags Share RFK Human Rights strongly condemns the arbitrary arrest and detention of our 2013 Human Rights Award Laureate Ragia Omran – along with 15 other human rights defenders – and demands the Egyptian authorities immediately and unconditionally drop the unfounded charges against them. Omran is a lawyer, feminist, and human rights activist who founded
-
Ballooning immigrant detention enrages advocates
Tags Share Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights joins 200 organizations nationwide in calling on the Biden administration to end our country’s cruel and unnecessary immigration detention system. Read The Hill piece in full here.
-
Fighting poverty as a personal and political imperative
Tags Share According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Matthew Desmond, poverty is more than an income level. It’s a lived experience – one that often strips individuals of their inherent dignity. “Poverty isn’t a line, it’s a constellation of social maladies and humiliations,” he said. “It’s the eviction notice, the debt collectors blowing up your phone,
-
Egypt: RFK Human Rights Welcomes the Release of Mahmoud Hussein and Calls on the Government to Drop the Case Against Him
Tags Share RFK Human Rights welcomes the physical release of anti-torture protestor Mahmoud Hussein, who we represent before the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention. Mahmoud was released on bail today after the authorities arbitrarily arrested and unlawfully detained him for a cumulative 1,026 days. The next trial hearing will be held on June
-
Behind The Headlines: Proposed Rollbacks Of Criminal Legal Reforms Disconnected From Reality
Tags Share In California, the nation’s most populous state, opponents of criminal legal reforms are supporting a ballot initiative that aims to overturn a decade’s worth of previous ballot initiatives that reduced jail time for a number of property and drug crimes. The proposed rollback is the latest pro-prison initiative to gain steam in recent
-
Dispatches from Detention: Detaining the Mentally Incompetent
Tags Share Dispatches from Detention shares stories of people encountered by RFK Human Rights attorneys in legal outreach trips to the country’s most isolated immigration detention centers. Names have been changed to protect privacy. South Louisiana Immigrations and Customs (ICE) Processing Center, Basile, Louisiana February 2024 “I don’t understand why I’m being tortured.” – Camila,
Share