International Attorney Almudena Bernabeu is interviewed about CJA’s work with the case against one of the alleged perpetrators of Víctor Jara’s death (video in Spanish).
CJA Deeply Saddened by Loss of Human Rights Champion Robert E. White
- January 14, 2015
Robert E. White was the ambassador to El Salvador from 1980 to 1981, as the Salvadoran civil war began. He was critical of the Salvadoran military, regularly meeting with top commanders to confront them about killings, massacre and torture of civilians. White testified in three CJA civil cases against three of the highest level commanders of the Salvadoran military, and his persuasive voice lent credibility and gravitas to all of our work. Read more in this tribute by Senior Legal Advisor Carolyn Patty Blum on behalf of CJA.
Op-ed: Letting a war criminal off the hook
- January 14, 2015
With the recent capture of LRA commander Dominic Ongwen, CJA Executive Director Dixon Osburn discusses the United States’s inability to criminally prosecute a war criminal in its custody.
Sri Lankans Vote for Change
- January 13, 2015
On January 8, 2015, Maithripala Sirisena defeated incumbent Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sirisena, who served as Health Minister and acting Minister of Defense under Rajapaksa, ran on a platform of good governance and the rule of law. The ro
Declaration of Archbishop Romero’s Martyrdom Powerful Step for Honoring Human Rights Leader
- January 9, 2015
CJA applauds the news that Vatican theologians reportedly have declared Archbishop Óscar Romero a martyr, a move which is seen as a step towards beatification. Click here to read more.
Congress Should Pass Proposed Legislation to Ban Torture
- January 6, 2015
CJA welcomes Senator Feinstein’s proposed legislation to deter torture by the United States outlined in a letter sent to President Obama. CJA’s Executive Director Dixon Osburn said, “The United States strives to ensure that dictators and terrorists around the globe do not commit crimes against humanity, including torture; the United States should live up to those standards at home.” Click here to read more.
Genocide Trial of Guatemalan Military Dictator Should Proceed Expeditiously
- January 5, 2015
The genocide trial against former Guatemalan military dictator General Efraín Ríos Montt resumed briefly on January 5, 2015. The court suspended the trial after one of the judges recused herself. CJA stands with the Mayan-Ixil community and calls on the court to resume the trial expeditiously. Click here to read more.
Why Bush won’t be prosecuted over CIA torture
- December 11, 2014
CJA Legal Director Kathy Roberts discusses the new evidence presented in the Torture Report executive summary released by the Senate Intelligence Committee.
CJA Staff Attorney Nushin Sarkarati Speaks at UN Event
- December 10, 2014
CJA Staff Attorney Nushin Sarkarati took part in a panel discussion on victim participation in criminal proceedings at a side event for the Assembly of State Parties at the UN headquarters in New York. Drawing on CJA’s long history of representing victims directly in universal jurisdiction claims, Sarkarati explained how victim participation and testimony is essential to understanding the full breadth of human rights abuse and how participation in justice mechanisms is an integral part of the healing process for victim communities.
CJA Urges Department of Justice to Open Criminal Investigation of U.S. Torture
- December 10, 2014
On December 10, 2014, CJA sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder urging the Department of Justice to open a criminal investigation to determine whether charges should be filed against any official who committed or authorized torture, or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment based on the findings contained in the Senate Intelligence Committee’s study of CIA interrogation and detention practices after 9/11. Read the letter here.
