Credible reports are emerging from #Bahrain that detainee Mohamed al-Mosawi was tortured to death in custody a week after being arrested. We previously submitted evidence to the US gov't recommending that Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al Khalifa face sanctions for his role in torture.

The Trump administration's misuse of sanctions is eroding the U.S. government's ability to effectively and legitimately use these tools for positive impact against human rights abusers and corrupt actors. Facts, not favors, must shape U.S. decision-making. @npr.org www.npr.org/2026/03/17/n...

“To initiate a war of aggression, therefore, is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole.” Judgment of the international Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, Germany.

With SASSOUFIT and @rwchr.bsky.social we’re proud today to recommend targeted sanctions against two members of Congo-Brazzaville’s ruling Sassou Nguesso family for allegedly embezzling public funds and laundering them into U.S. real estate. @andreangombet.bsky.social

Human Rights First strongly supports UN Special Rapporteur Satterthwaite’s call for the U.S. government to lift its sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court and end its attack on those seeking justice for atrocities. Thank you for your leadership @unsr-judges.bsky.social.

The Trump admin's sanctions on Brazilian justice Alexandre de Moraes support impunity for political allies under the guise of protecting press freedom. Globally, journalists are facing the highest rate of killings ever recorded. How about starting there. humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...

This is why the Trump admin should not have ended sanctions against violent Israeli settlers. The U.S. govt should reinstate sanctions against Yinon Levi following reports he killed Palestinian journalist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank yesterday. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

🚨 NEW: The Trump admin sanctioned four ICC judges in a brute-force attempt to bully the court over its investigations into Palestine & Afghanistan. Our statement: humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...

BREAKING: We’re suing the Trump administration on behalf of #ICC attorney and U.S. Army veteran Eric Iverson, challenging its dangerous misuse of sanctions that threaten war crimes accountability and violate fundamental rights. Read more👇

Glad to testify @houseforeign.bsky.social on how U.S. human rights & humanitarian leadership bolsters American security, prosperity & well-being. Downgrading human rights & anti-TIP experts & eliminating offices that negotiate peace, fight GBV, and pursue war criminals — does exactly the opposite.

Happening now: our CEO @uzraz.bsky.social will testify before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on the importance of an empowered, authorized State Department to advance peace, stability, and human rights. Tune in here: foreignaffairs.house.gov/hearing/the-...

Today we joined @aclu.org and @nyclu.org in an amicus brief to protect the 1st Amendment rights and interests of civil society groups that advocate for U.S. human rights and corruption sanctions. Read more: humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...

Today @humanrights1st launched a new comparative chart on how Magnitsky-style sanctions are used to hold human rights abusers & corrupt actors accountable in the U.S., U.K., EU, Canada, and Australia. Learn more: humanrightsfirst.org/library/what...

Not surprised that it turns out Rogán’s removal from the OFAC list is illegal. According to Senators @shaheen.senate.gov and @warren.senate.gov this wasn’t just a whopsie-daisy — it was a direct violation of U.S. sanctions law. But sure, let’s keep pretending this is all normal.

“Today’s action sets a damaging precedent that will entice every other sanctioned oligarch, kleptocrat, money launderer, and criminal to line up for their turn at relief next.” @adamofkeith.bsky.social on today’s unjustified delisting of a Hungarian official from the GloMag sanctions list.

“The U.S. should be holding Bukele’s government accountable, but instead the Trump admin is cozying up to & copying Bukele’s authoritarian playbook — rounding up people with no evidence, denying them any due process & disappearing them in abusive Salvadoran prisons indefinitely.”

85K people in El Salvador have been detained in abusive prisons without due process in just 3 years. What happened in the Oval Office today was a clear promise from Trump and Bukele to defy US courts and wrongfully send even more people to indefinite detention there. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/14/u...

The United States should be holding Bukele’s govt accountable for serious violations. Instead, the Trump admin is cozying up to and copying Bukele’s authoritarian playbook - rounding up people with no evidence, denying them any due process, and disappearing them in Salvadoran prisons indefinitely.

While multilateral #Magnitsky sanctions are ideal, sometimes countries must use them independently to ensure accountability for human rights abuses & corruption. That's why we & @redress.org are asking the #UK to build on its leadership in using such sanctions.

Let this sink in. The lawyers of US greencard holder Mahmoud Khalil have not been able to have A SINGLE PHONE CALL with their client since he was arrested on Saturday night. Today, the court had to order that Khalil be allowed calls. This is not normal. www.cnn.com/2025/03/12/u...

In our latest periodic report, @humanrights1st.bsky.social tracked how the U.S. gov't used #Magnitsky-style sanctions and visa restrictions to hold human rights abusers and corrupt actors accountable in the second half of 2024. humanrightsfirst.org/library/us-g...

The Treasury Dept announced it is no longer enforcing a key provision to fight money laundering in the bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act. This rolls back progress in combating corruption and offers criminals a safe harbor in the United States. thefactcoalition.org/treasury-reo...

The morning after another night of Russian missile attacks on Kharkiv, #Ukraine, locals react with fury after Trump & Vance attacked President Zelenskyy at yesterday’s press conference in DC. Our Sr Advisor @dooleydooley.bsky.social reports from Kharkiv: humanrightsfirst.org/library/khar...

Yesterday, President Trump issued an executive order to pause all enforcement of the FCPA. This is a betrayal of U.S. leadership in global anti-corruption efforts & sends a dangerous signal that bribery is back on the table.

Follow us @humanrightsfirst.bsky.social to learn more about our work and learn how you can take action to defend civil and human rights.

Corruption demands accountability. Human Rights First recommends Global #Magnitsky sanctions against an Egyptian intelligence official & U.S. company for their alleged role in bribing fmr Sen. Menendez to ensure U.S. support for Egypt despite human rights abuses. humanrightsfirst.org/library/huma...

Tomorrow Human Rights First’s @adamofkeith.bsky.social and Sir @billbrowder.bsky.social will testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the implementation of Global #Magnitsky sanctions. Watch it live at 10:30am here: www.foreign.senate.gov/hearings/imp...

Join Human Rights First on Nov. 21 for a #MagnitskyMonth panel on the Biden admin's use of #Magnitsky sanctions and what to expect in the coming years, with: - Brad Brooks-Rubin, Arktouros - Chloe Zoeller, PADF - Natalia Kubesch, REDRESS Register here: humanrightsfirst.org/events/2024-...

In our latest for @justsecurity.org, @amandalstrayer.bsky.social, Suchita Uppal & I argue that the U.S. gov't should extend the use of Global #Magnitsky sanctions to address all cases of #humantrafficking, including those without physical abuse. The examples are many - read below for more.