| LCHR HOME PAGE | | | PROGRAMS | | | CONTRIBUTE | | | CONTACT US |
March 19, 2025
In this issue:
- Egyptian Advocate Saad Ibrahim Acquitted
- "Operation Liberty Shield" Targets Refugees for Detention
- New LCHR Report Tracks Erosion of Civil Liberties in U.S. Since 9/11
- Update on Attorney General and Gender Regulations on Asylum
- LCHR Urges U.S. to Address Allegations of Mistreatment of Detainees
Egyptian Advocate Saad Ibrahim Acquitted
| Egypt’s
highest criminal court acquitted renowned democracy advocate Saad
Eddin Ibrahim and two of his co-defendants of all charges in a case
that began with Dr. Ibrahim’s detention from his home on a summer
evening almost three years ago. The verdict was delivered Tuesday,
March 18, in Cairo. Read "Letter from Cairo" by LCHR's David Danzig, who attended the trial Read LCHR Media Release on Ibrahim verdict |
 |
A new Department
of Homeland Security plan includes mandatory detention for all asylum
applicants seeking refugee from a certain group of countries, including
Iraq. LCHR Statement ACT: Urge Secretary Ridge to Repeal Detention Policy |
| Basic human
rights protections and civil liberties have steadily eroded since
the Sept. 11 attacks, LCHR said in a new report - called “Imbalance
of Powers” - released on the 18-month anniversary of the attacks.
Read Full Report (96 pages) Read Digest of Full Report (27 pages) Michael Posner on the erosion of civil liberties since 9/11 (3 minutes) Download Real Player» |
on Asylum
| The
Lawyers Committee offers its deepest appreciation to all of our supporters
who responded to recent calls for action to write the Attorney General
urging him to preserve asylum for women who have suffered gender-based
harms. More than 1,000 of you took action.
Unfortunately, the Justice Department has been unmoved. Initial reports had indicated that the Attorney General was planning to take steps limiting gender-based asylum prior to the March 1st transfer of immigration functions to the Department of Homeland Security. It now appears that the Attorney General intends to retain an arrangement of concurrent jurisdiction with the Department of Homeland Security, in matters relating to asylum. In fact, in the last few weeks, the Department publicly confirmed that it is examining this issue, and the Attorney General has reportedly taken steps to retain authority over Ms. Rodi Alvarado’s case so that he can issue a new decision in the matter. It is still timely - and necessary - to encourage others to contact the Attorney General to urge that he preserve asylum for the victims of gender-based persecution. March
19 editorial on the Alvarado case from the New York Times |
LCHR Urges U.S. to Address Allegations of Mistreatment
of Detainees
| Last
week LCHR sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, urging
him to state publicly the U.S. prohibition against all forms of torture
and other cruel or inhuman treatment of suspects in U.S. custody or
who have been handed over by the U.S. to foreign intelligence services
in countries known for engaging in torture. Read LCHR Letter to Secretary Rumsfeld ACT: Urge Secretary Rumsfeld to make a public statement against torture |
 |
| Support
the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights |
|
 |
Send
this issue of RightsWire to a friend
Visit Our Take-Action Center
|
 Copyright © 2003 Lawyers Committee for Human Rights. All Rights Reserved 333 Seventh Ave., 13th Floor New York, NY 10001 www.lchr.org Rights Wire is a free service. You may subscribe or unsubscribe at anytime. |