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SOLITARY CONFINEMENT: VP ANTHONY ENRIQUEZ ON ALARMING TRENDS, MISCONCEPTIONS, AND WHY THE PRACTICE SHOULD BE BANNED
The United States locks up over 122,000 people in solitary on any given day, at odds with international legal guidance like the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (also known as the “Nelson Mandela Rules”), which call for a permanent ban on solitary confinement in most cases. Among the victims of solitary confinement in the United States are vulnerable populations such as juveniles, the elderly, and those with mental or physical illnesses. While many believe that solitary confinement is necessary for prison safety, studies show it actually “makes prisons less safe by inflicting psychological torture that can lead to increased aggression.” In just over a minute, our Vice President of U.S. Advocacy and Litigation Anthony Enriquez explains why it is imperative that the United States join the international community in ending the practice of solitary confinement.
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ALEXEI NAVALNY WROTE LETTERS TO KERRY KENNEDY: AN INTERVIEW WITH CNN’S ANDERSON COOPER
Alexei A. Navalny, Russian opposition leader and activist, was killed in the remote Russian prison known as Polar Wolf on February 16th. Throughout his life, he stood bravely against oppression and corruption, and the letters he sent from prison were another example of his continued resistance and courage. On February 20, Kerry Kennedy joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to discuss letters she received from Navalny while he was in prison.
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ROBERT F. KENNEDY HUMAN RIGHTS WELCOMES NEWS THAT CHARGES HAVE BEEN DROPPED AGAINST JOURNALIST OMOYELE SOWORE
On February 15th, the Nigerian government dropped the treason case against Omoyele Sowore, founder of Sahara Reporters, a citizen journalism news site focused on exposing corruption, human rights abuses, and other political misconduct in Nigeria. When Sowore was first arrested on August 03, 2019, and unlawfully detained for 143 days, RFK Human Rights submitted a petition to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which found that Sowore’s detention violated international human rights law. Though he was released, Sowore suffered additional human rights violations, including the seizure of his passport and separation from his family. While covering peaceful protests as a journalist, he was beaten, detained, and, on another occasion, shot and injured by government authorities. While news that the charges have been dropped is a victory, the Nigerian government must now investigate the human rights violations Sowore suffered and hold those responsible accountable.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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March 10—Application Deadline for the John Lewis Young Leaders Fellowship: The John Lewis Young Leaders program is a year-long fellowship that prepares college students for a future in community organizing and civic engagement. The fellowship application portal for the 2024–2025 academic year is now open! Learn more and submit your application today.
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April 24, 2–3 pm ET—RFK Book Club: Poverty, by America with Matthew Desmond: Our April book club selection is Poverty, by America by acclaimed sociologist Matthew Desmond. Desmond draws on history, research, and original reporting to better understand why the United States, the richest country on earth, has more poverty than any other advanced democracy. This compassionate book gives us new ways of thinking about a morally urgent problem. It also helps us imagine solutions. Desmond builds a startlingly original and ambitious case for ending poverty. He calls on us all to become poverty abolitionists, engaged in a politics of collective belonging to usher in a new age of shared prosperity and, at last, true freedom. Register today!
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April 26—Speak Truth to Power Video Contest Submission Deadline: For more than ten years, students from around the world have submitted films that address the full spectrum of human rights issues through our Speak Truth to Power video contest. This year’s competition, in addition to the high school and middle school categories, will include a new category for post-secondary students. Films will be judged by a panel of film industry experts, actors, and educators, and winning films will be featured at a special showcase in conjunction with the annual Tribeca Festival event in New York City. Learn more and submit today!
- June 10–13—RFK Compass Flagship Summer Investors Conference: This invitation-only event, which will take place from June 10-13 on Cape Cod, convenes key decision makers—from leading institutional investors and fund managers—for three days of unparalleled thought leadership and insightful programming on fostering a more equitable investment environment and world. From the state of the financial sector, baby bonds, and responsible tech, our programming will be centered around investor trends and key human rights issues impacting the industry today. Learn more and fill out our interest form.
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RFK HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE NEWS
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Trans murder in Honduras—VP of Int’l Advocacy & Litigation Angelita Baeyens discusses details of the case of Vicky Hernández, a 26-year-old Honduran trans woman and LGBTQ+ rights activist who was murdered during a coup d'etat, with BBC’s “Witness History.” For years, the legal team at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights fought for accountability in Vicky’s case before the IACHR’s 2021 landmark ruling found the Honduran state responsible for the crime.
- Lawyer in the Guillermo Cano case—Over three decades after the brutal murder of journalist Guillermo Cano, the government of Colombia has finally accepted responsibility for the lack of justice in Cano’s case and offered a public apology to his family. VP of International Advocacy & Litigation Angelita Baeyens explains to Colombian newspaper El Espectador the significance of this long-awaited moment.
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