American Civil Liberties Union

The ACLU Human Rights Program works to ensure that the U.S. government complies with universal human rights principles in addition to the U.S. Constitution. The Program uses human rights strategies to complement existing ACLU advocacy on national security, immigrants' rights, women's rights and racial justice. Learn more about the Human Rights Program.


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Human Rights : National Security : Press Releases view all

ACLU Marks 60th Anniversary Of Landmark Human Rights Document (12/10/2008)
NEW YORK – On the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the American Civil Liberties Union is calling on the incoming Obama administration to recommit to the rights and principles laid out in the document and use it as a guidepost for setting policy at home and abroad. The UDHR was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 to codify the basic human rights of all people, and is widely considered to be the founding document of the modern human rights movement.

Government Defies Recommendations of U.N. Committee on Torture (11/07/2007)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today blasted the government's one year follow-up report to the U.N. Committee Against Torture. The report was recently submitted to the committee in Geneva and was made public Tuesday. Following a 2006 committee review that found widespread evidence of U.S sponsored policies involving torture and abuse, the committee gave the U.S. one year to report on its progress in ending these practices. But the new report proves the U.S. is still not in compliance with the treaty, said the ACLU.

Federal Appeals Court Denies Day in Court for Victim of CIA Kidnapping, Citing “State Secrets” (03/02/2007)
NEW YORK – The American Civil Liberties Union today expressed its disappointment in an appeals court ruling upholding the dismissal of the case of Khaled El-Masri, an innocent victim of the CIA’s policy of “extraordinary rendition.”

U.S. Welcomes First-Ever Visit of U.N. Expert on Human Rights and Counter-Terrorism (01/17/2007)
NEW YORK - The American Civil Liberties Union today welcomed the U.S. government’s decision to accept a request from the United Nations’ top expert on human rights and counter-terrorism to visit the United States in the spring.

ACLU Calls for U.S. Accountability Before the U.N. Committee Against Torture (05/08/2006)
GENEVA -- Today the American Civil Liberties Union delivered a petition with more than 51,000 signatures calling for the enforcement of the universal prohibition against torture to the U.S. State Department delegation at the meeting of the U.N. Committee Against Torture in Geneva. The ACLU has been monitoring the committee proceedings and providing information about U.S. sponsored policies and practices of torture and abuse at home and abroad. The U.S. delegation denied on Friday that incidents of detainee abuse are systemic.

Human Rights : National Security : Legal Documents view all

Letter to Chairman of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (03/30/2006)
Letter to Chairman of UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

ACLU response to HRC's request of August 3, 2005, for information on counter-terrorism measures adopted by the United States following the events of September 11, 2001 (09/19/2005)

Habeas Petition in Al Kaby v. Bush (08/31/2005)

ACLU v. DoD, Declaration of Ronald Schlicher (08/29/2005)

ACLU v. DoD, Second Amended Declaration of Richard B. Myers (pt 1) (08/29/2005)

Human Rights : National Security : Resources

ACLU Statement to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Human Dimension Implementation Meeting on Unfair Trials at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (09/29/2008)
Statement delivered by Jamil Dakwar, Director, ACLU Human Rights Program, in Warsaw, Poland, on September 29, 2008.

Torture FOIA (04/29/2005)

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