PRESS RELEASE:
UNPRECEDENTED REQUEST BY UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE ON ABUSES BY U.S. GOVERNMENT SINCE 9/11

August 29, 2005
Reports of 70 alleged human rights violations by the U.S. Government in its "war on terrorism" in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo were sent today to Mylene Bidault, at the Secretariat of the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva.

Meiklejohn Civil Liberties Institute, a center for peace law and human rights in Berkeley, California submitted the reports from its comprehensive new book, "Challenging U.S. Human Rights Violations Since 9/11."

This was the third step in 2005 by UN bodies seeking to hold the U.S. Government to its treaty commitments to uphold human rights in the U.S. and elsewhere.

On April 21, after hearing reports of mistreatment of nationals of many nations by the U.S. Government, the 53 ambassadors on the UN Human Rights Commission appointed a Special Rapporteur to investigate charges of human rights violations in the war on terror. This unprecedented step will lead to reports back to the Commission for the next three years.

On May 6, the U.S. Government refused to discuss allegations of human rights violations at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo in its second report to the UN Committee that enforces the Convention Against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Then a third UN body, the UN Human Rights Committee, acted. At its summer meeting on enforcing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Committee responded to the failure of the U.S. Government to keep its treaty commitment to send reports to the Committee every five years on human rights concerns in the U.S.

"The action of the UN Human Rights Committee in seeking information from U.S. NGOs on human rights violations specifically at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and under the PATRIOT Act indicates a determination by many nations to stop the U.S. Government from continuing to deny basic human rights," said Ann Fagan Ginger, editor of the Meiklejohn Institute report.

"The UN's method of enforcing human rights is the Mobilization of Shame. When nations file reports on their problems in enforcing human rights, and the media covers their meetings with UN committees, this often leads governments taking steps to change their actions," according to Ginger. "This helped in South Africa, and in East Timor. Why not in the U.S.?

"In fact, on reading the 'Challenging' book, the City Council of Berkeley voted to submit this report to the U.S. State Department and to three UN committees that enforce human rights treaties."

FOR MORE INFO: Call Ann Fagan Ginger 510) 848-0599, or 2005@mcli.org