Clinic Statement

Families, Rights Groups Demand U.N. Investigate U.S. Police Brutality, Protest Suppression

Families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and Philando Castile Join Forces with Over 600 Groups from Over 60 Countries Calling For International Scrutiny GENEVA — In an unprecedented move, the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Michael Brown, and Philando Castile, together with over 600 rights groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union and U.S. Human Rights…

Black Lives Matter

Human dignity, equality, and freedom from discrimination are at the heart of human rights. We in the International Human Rights Clinic have been outraged by the unacceptable killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others. We condemn the systemic racism, violence, and impunity that enable this tragic loss of life and violate the human rights of Black people. We also condemn the government’s violent repression of protestors and journalists across the country. The excessive use of force and attacks on freedom of expression must end. Black lives matter. We stand in solidarity with those who are leading the fight…

Clinic co-directors sign joint submission to Pompeo’s “rights commission”

On May 7, 2020, Duke Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic made a joint submission to Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo’s Commission on Unalienable Rights. Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic Co-Directors Tyler Giannini and Susan Farbstein are among the signatories, which includes clinical faculty from over 20 U.S. law schools. The Commission on Unalienable Rights is tasked with revisiting questions about what…

Clinic Joins Coalition Urging Halt to Haitian Deportations

As 3 deportees to Haiti and 75 Deportees to Guatemala Test Positive for Coronavirus, 164 Organizations from the U.S. and Haiti Declare Deportations to be Trump’s Cruel, and Usual, Punishment of Haitians San Diego, California, April 20, 2020 – Today 164 human rights organizations, immigrants’ rights organizations, faith-based groups and academic institutions across the United States and Haiti submitted a letter to the…

Clinic Signs Letter Urging Bangladesh to Uphold Rohingya Refugee Rights During COVID-19 Pandemic

April 2, 2020 — The International Human Rights Clinic joined human rights organizations around the world today in urging Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to prioritize the safety and well-being of the Rohingya refugee population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The area of Cox’s Bazar District houses a significant population of refugees from Myanmar, more than 850,000 individuals who have fled…

Supporting our community and responding to COVID-19

We know it has been a difficult week, as the situation related to the COVID-19 virus changes by the minute. As decision-making around the virus evolves, we are thinking of the safety, health, and well-being of our community on campus and affected communities around the world. This is our top priority right now. We have always sought to build a supportive and inclusive space for our students, partners, and staff, and we realize that this has been an emotional and difficult time…

Statement from more than 35 Harvard Law School student groups on racially charged incident last week

November 6, 2017

In a statement released today, more than 35 student groups at Harvard Law School responded to a racially charged incident on campus last week. In solidarity, we reprint their statement below about what appears to have been a coordinated campaign: Dear Community, On the evening of October 31, stickers with the words, “IT’S OKAY TO BE WHITE,” were posted around…

UPDATED: New Information Conflicts with Syrian Human Rights Filmmaker’s Reported Assassination Attempt

October 13, 2017

UPDATE: Since we posted this statement, new information has come to light which appears to contradict the widely reported story that Muhammad Bayazid was stabbed in an assassination attempt. More on that in The Guardian and the BBC. The International Human Rights Clinic at Harvard Law School is shocked and saddened by news of the reported assassination attempt on Syrian filmmaker Muhammad…

Statement in Solidarity with Lambda and QTPOC on JAG Recruiting

September 12, 2017

As human rights advocates, we support the student groups Lambda and QTPOC (Queer and Trans People of Color) in their action today against Harvard Law School’s decision to allow JAG recruiting on campus, which is the school’s only exception to its anti-discrimination policy. We also support the students’ call for increased support and awareness for issues affecting the transgender, non-binary…

Statement On The End Of The In Re South African Apartheid Litigation

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a major corporate accountability case, Ntsebeza, et al., v. Ford Motor Co., et al., that represented the last opportunity for South Africans to achieve justice in U.S. courts for apartheid-era crimes. The U.S. corporations – Ford and IBM – were alleged to have purposefully facilitated violations of international law by enabling…