|
Law Professor Questions Political Motives Behind HRW Report |
|
|
|
|
Friday, 24 June 2005 |
 LettersProfessor Steven Schneebaum, former member, Board of Directors of International Human Rights Law Group
“I served for 14 years on the Board of Directors of the International
Human Rights Law Group, as it then was called and have taught,
published, and lectured widely in the field of international human
rights law.
I must confess that I have never before had to censure a human rights
organization for procedural flaws and substantively incorrect results
in its work. But I cannot conceive of how either the procedures used,
or the conclusions reached, in the report on the PMOI can be justified.
And the fact that something similar occurred in 1994, when HRW last
reported on the PMOI, makes me suspicious that there is a hidden agenda.
… No efforts was made to interview U.S. military officials who oversaw
operations at Ashraf over months at a time and who had looked into
rumors about abuses at the Camp, and found not a shred of evidence to
support the very charges the HRW makes.
I myself visited Camp Ashraf in early 2004. I spoke freely with many of
them. I do not pretend to have expertise in interrogation, nor was that
part of my mission, but I certainly observed nothing that implied to me
anyone was at Ashraf against his or her will.
As an American lawyer involved in the development of human rights NGOs
over 25 years, I would regretfully add this thought, which I never
thought I would find myself putting on paper: I am deeply disappointed
in Human Rights Watch.”
|
Pagina principale 
English
Francais
Deutsch
Italiano
العربيّة
