Links for Human Rights Organisations
Lead Investigating Organisations
The following organisations have led the way in investigating rendition and secret detention, and in some cases, litigating on behalf of detainees.
Access Info is a human rights organisation that seeks to protect and promote the right of access to information in Europe and around the world as a tool for defending civil liberties and human rights. It has played a key role in securing access to data on the flights of aircraft thought to have been involved in rendition.
American Civil Liberties Union
The National Security project of the American Civil Liberties Union seeks to ensure the national security policies of the USA are consistent with the Constitution, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights. The Project is involved in litigation on behalf of individuals that allege they are victims of detention and torture. It has been involved in a number of high profile cases on behalf of Guantánamo detainees, where the policies of the US administration have been challenged in the District and Supreme Courts in the USA.
American Civil Liberties Union
The National Security project of the American Civil Liberties Union seeks to ensure the national security policies of the USA are consistent with the Constitution, the rule of law, and fundamental human rights. The Project is involved in litigation on behalf of individuals that allege they are victims of detention and torture. It has been involved in a number of high profile cases on behalf of Guantánamo detainees, where the policies of the US administration have been challenged in the District and Supreme Courts in the USA.
Amnesty International UK: Security with Human Rights Campaign
The 'Security with Human Rights Campaign' from Amnesty International calls for an end to human rights violations perpetrated by governments in the name of national security, and insists that those responsible must be held accountable. Its work includes drawing attention to rendition and secret detention, and challenging these practices, as well as advocating for its victims. In the UK, it has campaigned for British citizens held in US detention, and has challenged the complicity of UK security agencies in the detention, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture of detainees in the 'War on Terror'.
Amnesty International USA: Security with Human Rights Campaign
Amnesty International USA describes its Security with Human Rights Campaign as working to ensure security for all by breaking the cycle of terror and torture between armed groups and states. As part of this campaign, Amnesty USA focuses on ending unlawful detention, demanding accountability for torture, securing rights for victims of armed groups, securing fair trials for detainees in the 'War on Terror', and closing down the Guantánamo Bay detention facility.
Cageprisoners Ltd is a human rights organisation, launched in 2003, and aimed at raising awareness of the plight of detainees at Guantánamo Bay, and other detainees in the 'War on Terror'. It was one of the first human rights organisations to undertake detailed research on rendition and secret detention. Its 2006 'Beyond the Law' reports identified a number of the detention sites that the US was using around the globe to secretly detain terror suspects, either itself, or by proxy. Cageprisoners has recently partnered with Defence of Human Rights in Pakistan to investigate enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, detention without charge and torture.
Center for Constitutional Rights (US)
The Center for Constitutional Rights has been one of the main advocates for the right to due process for individuals detained as terror suspects. It has filed many cases in the District and Supreme Courts on behalf of the Guantánamo (and other) detainees, winning some notable victories in challenging the policies and practices of the Bush administration.
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights
The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights established Human Rights House in Warsaw, Poland, in 1993. It has been heavily involved in investigating the role of Poland in the global rendition system, through its provision of detention facilities for CIA detainees.
Human Rights First: Law and Security Campaign
Through its Law and Security Campaign, the Washington DC based Human Rights First has focused on securing accountability for those complicit in torture in the ‘War on Terror’, and on closing Guantánamo Bay, through. Its main activities include litigation, advocacy, research and reporting.
Human Rights Watch : Counter-Terrorism Campaign
Under its Counter-Terrorism Campaign, Human Rights Watch has investigated CIA activities, detentions without trial, the problematic nature of diplomatic assurances when transferring detainees between states, and Guantánamo Bay. It has produced a number of detailed reports on these issues. It has an ongoing campaign to bring former President Bush and his associates to justice for their complicity in torture.
The US-based International Justice Network partners with law firms, grass roots organisations and educational institutions to develop initiatives aimed at protecting and promoting human rights and the rule of law. It is involved in litigation on behalf of various Bagram detainees, specifically to secure their habeas corpus rights. Some of the detainees represented by the International Justice Network have been held incommunicado in Bagram airbase for eight years.
The International Centre for the Legal Protection of Human Rights (Interights) works to promote respect for human rights through litigation. It focuses on bringing cases where there is potential for human rights standards to be developed or where existing standards are under threat. Under its Security and Rule of Law Programme, it is involved in litigation on human rights violations including torture, arbitrary detention and transfer, rendition, and violations of the right to life. For example, Interights made an intervention in the case before the European Court of Human Rights of El-Masri v the Former Republic of Macedonia, for Macedonia's participation in El-Masri's rendition. Interights addressed the various rights that were violated by rendition, and the obligations of states not to get involved in such actions.
Through its No Torture, No Compromise campaign, British NGO Liberty is lobbying for an independent inquiry into British complicity in rendition and torture in the 'War on Terror'. It has also engaged in detailed correspondence with successive UK Foreign Secretaries about the use of UK airspace for rendition flights.
One World Research is a research, investigating and consulting firm which provides assistances to law firms, universities, governmental agencies, NGOs, advocacy groups and journalists on human rights issues. They have been involved in interviewing detainees about the conditions of their detention and have investigated illegal activities by governments.
Open Society Justice Initiative
Funded by the Soros Foundation, the Open Society Justice Initiative is aimed at using law to protect human rights, through litigation, advocacy, research and technical assistance. Under its National Security and Counterterrorism programme it has been involved in efforts to secure justice for individuals caught up in rendition and secret detention, and has been involved in using freedom of information requests to investigate the complicity of European and African states.
REDRESS works with torture victims to obtain justice and reparation. Through its 'Countering Terrorism without Torture' campaign, REDRESS published a study in 2004 into the relationship between counter-terror measures and the absolute prohibition of torture. REDRESS is also involved in several legal challenges in the UK concerned with counter-terrorism and human rights. It is particularly concerned with rendition, deportation, torture, and the actions of UK troops overseas.
Reprieve is involved in litigation for prisoners denied their human rights, either because they are on death row, or because they are subjected to violations of their rights in detention. It also investigates and seeks to educate on these practices, and lobbies for the rule of law. It focuses on cases involving the world's most powerful governments, especially those that it argues should be upholding the highest standards when it comes to fair trials. Currently Reprieve works to defend those on death row and those detained in the 'War on Terror', either in Guantánamo or in other secret prisons. 65 of Reprieve's clients have been released from Guantánamo to date; it currently represents 15 others; it provides assistance for many more. Reprieve has undertaken a great deal of research on rendition and secret detention.
Statewatch Observatory on Rendition
Statewatch has been gathering data on the use of European countries for the transport and illegal detention of prisoners. The Statewatch website provides links to key documents and reports, including on legal proceedings.
Pressure Groups
The following are civil society organisations or pressure groups that have investigated aspects of the global rendition system and that have lobbied governments on these issues.
Shannonwatch have carried out continuous monitoring of all military flights and rendition-linked aircraft in and out of the Shannon airport and throughout Irish airspace. They have lobbied the Irish government over alleged Irish complicity in rendition. They have made a substantial contribution to research through their detailed records of flights linked to the rendition of terror suspects.
North Carolina Stop Torture Now
Founded in 2005, North Carolina Stop Torture Now have worked to investigate the role of private companies in the global rendition system, particualrly their role in providing aircraft for the transfer of detainees.
