Torture. Violence against women. Arbitrary detention. Despite international condemnation, these abuses are rampant in our world. There is a reason they shock our conscience, and compel us to action. They constitute assaults on human dignity, and offend the basic principles of our free society.

To what extent, then, are we obligated to act when the survivors are within our own borders ? When our own government is involved? When U.S. corporations are responsible? What do we owe the survivors? At the World Organization for Human Rights USA, we believe we owe the survivors everything: effective intervention, powerful litigation, and total restoration.

For thirteen years, Human Rights USA has sought an end to torture, security for our clients from gender-based persecution, and accountability for abuses of power through fast and creative impact litigation. We demand nothing less than justice for our clients.

In case after case, we have achieved that goal. This year the first criminal case under the Convention Against Torture in the United States, in which we served as amicus, resulted in Chuckie Taylor receiving 97 years in prison for torture. In 2008, we gave hope to hundreds of women fleeing forced marriage and in 2002 we set precedent in extending refugee status to women protecting their daughters from female genital mutilation. In 2007, our innovative litigation against Yahoo! Inc, who we accused of enabling the arbitrary detention of two Chinese journalists in China, resulted in a settlement for the families of the victims.

At Human Rights USA, we bring justice to the survivors of these and other major human rights abuses, working to bring the U.S. laws in line with universal human rights standards. Please read on, to find out more about our issues, our clients, and opportunities you have to support our groundbreaking work.

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