Rights International sues foreign governments before international tribunals on behalf of people throughout the world whose human rights have been violated by their governments. We litigate cases addressing a variety of human rights issues, including torture, censorship, police abuse, "disappearances," and racial/gender/religious discrimination. We sue countries for money damages and injunctive relief before the following international tribunals:
We fight for those rights recognized by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights treaties. We operate independently of any political ideology, government, economic interest, or religious creed.
Rights International was established in 1994 by human rights lawyers and international policy analysts in response to the increasing power of international human rights tribunals and their parent organizations: the Council of Europe, the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, and Organization of American States.
Over 100 countries now recognize the jurisdictions of these tribunals. Human rights advocates must take advantage of the transnational impact that decisions of these tribunals have. Using an analogy, these cases have greater impact than U.S. Supreme Court cases because they affect the lives of millions of more people and dozens of other countries. Unlike previous years, countries now are complying with these courts' orders. These courts not only compel governments to stop human rights violations, but also make them pay money damages.
Rights International collaborates with and assists human rights advocates in other countries by providing legal assistance. In order to train human rights advocates for this emerging area of law, we organize continuing legal education programs on international human rights law practice.
