We are very disheartened by the United States Senate’s failure to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). We had high hopes that the Senate would harness much needed bi-partisan momentum to ratify this critically important treaty which has enjoyed broad support across the political spectrum. Approval by the Senate would have been the right decision on behalf of all Americans with disabilities, their families and veterans of various armed conflicts. We applaud those Senators who ignored the campaign of misinformation and distortion advanced by some opponents. We hope that this setback will be short-lived and we urge the Senate to reconsider the ratification of CRPD in the new year. The worldwide community of people with disabilities is watching and history is watching as well.
Lantos Foundation Hails Passage of Magnitsky Act
CONCORD, NH – The Lantos Foundation hails the passage of the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act. We have long advocated for this legislation and are extremely pleased that the United States Congress has sent a clear signal to Russia at a time when Putin’s government is rapidly retreating from democracy and respect for the rule of law. Passage of this important legislation sends a critical message; the government of the United States is watching, and there will be consequences for the kind of criminality uncovered in the Magintsky murder. Human rights and democracy activists across Russia are looking to the United States for moral support and leadership as they fight for a democratic future for their country. Today’s passage of the Magnitsky Act is a step in the right direction.
Lantos Foundation to Honor Chinese Activist Chen Guangcheng with Annual Human Rights Prize
WASHINGTON – Chen Guangcheng, the blind Chinese legal activist, will be honored by the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice as the 2012 recipient of the Lantos Human Rights Prize, the organization’s highest honor, for his tireless work promoting human rights and the rule of law in China. The award ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C. in January 2013.
“I am humbled to receive this important honor that is named after Tom Lantos, a legendary human rights hero,” said Chen Guangcheng. “I have dedicated my life to being a voice for the millions of my fellow countrymen standing up for their basic human rights. By raising the profile of this struggle, the Lantos Foundation brings the attention of the world where it is needed most.”
“Chen Guangcheng embodies the fight for human rights in China on so many different fronts – environmentalism, property rights, justice for those with disabilities, and women’s rights,” said Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation. “Chen is the ultimate example of a courageous David facing down the Goliath of the Chinese state armed only with the smooth stones of justice and truth. This self-taught lawyer came from humble beginnings and took on the fights that affected his family, then his community, and finally the whole of China. Chen and his family have paid, and continue to pay, a high price for his bravery and his resolve. I know my father would have been proud to honor this important figure in China’s continuing fight for human rights and justice.”
In April 2012, Chen, a blind self-taught lawyer, dramatically escaped house arrest in China and fled to the U.S. Embassy. He and his immediate family left China and currently reside in New York City where he is a Scholar in Residence at NYU. He is best known for a 2005 class action lawsuit against officials of the Shandong Province for abuses related to enforcement of China’s one-child policy. The lawsuit exposed official abuse of thousands of people who were subjected to late-term forced abortion, mandatory sterilization, and late-night beatings. Chen also worked to stop environmental damage and end land-use policies that illegally enriched officials. In 2005, he was placed under house arrest for seven months, was disappeared for three months, then arrested and sentenced to jail for four years and three months. In September of 2010 he was released from prison but continued to be illegally detained at home, during which time he suffered inhumane and cruel treatment, until his escape earlier this year.
The Lantos Foundation established the Lantos Human Rights Prize in 2009 to honor and bring attention to heroes of the human rights movement. It is awarded annually to an individual or organization that best exemplifies the Foundation’s mission, namely to be a vital voice standing up for the values of decency, dignity, freedom, and justice in every corner of the world. The prize also serves to commemorate the late Congressman Tom Lantos, the only Holocaust survivor ever elected to the U.S. Congress and a prominent advocate for human rights during his nearly three decades as a U.S. Representative. Former recipients of the Lantos Prize include His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel and Rwandan humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina.
Additional information about the time and location of the awards ceremony honoring Chen Guangcheng will be announced closer to the event.
Front Line Fund Grant Recipient Lapiro De Mbanga Starts New Life in U.S.
Liberal Mormon and conservative Catholic join forces for religious freedom
LANTOS SWETT STATEMENT ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL
CONCORD, NH – October 11th, 2012 marks the first annual International Day of the Girl, which was established by a United Nations Resolution in December 2011. The resolution stated that the purpose of the day was “to help galvanize worldwide enthusiasm for goals to better girls’ lives, providing an opportunity for them to show leadership and reach their full potential.”
Lantos Foundation President Katrina Lantos Swett issued the following statement in recognition of this important milestone:
“Today we celebrate the very first International Day of the Girl, which was established to promote gender equality and better opportunities for girls everywhere.
While women in many countries have made great strides and become incredible role models for young girls, there are still too many inequalities in the world. Just this week the international community collectively gasped when a 14 year old girl’s education rights activist, Malala Yousafzai, was brutally targeted and attacked by extremists in Pakistan. There continue to be untold numbers of reports of sex trafficking, gendercide, and mutilation in all corners of the world. We must all work together to end this rash of violence against girls and provide them the tools they need to flourish and succeed.”
Aung Suu Kyi receives Congressional Gold Medal, Mentions Tom Lantos in Remarks
"I would like to mention the name of one man who I so wish could have been with us today - Tom Lantos."- Aung Suu Kyi
ROLL CALL Opinion - Swett: Lautenberg Amendment a Lifeline for Iranian Refugees
By Katrina Lantos Swett
Special to Roll Call
Sept. 6, 2012, 11:44 p.m.
An unmarried Baha'i woman spent three years in Iran's notorious Evin Prison charged with being a spy for Israel and the United States. She was told: "To destroy you, we have to destroy your community, your meetings and your prayers." She hopes to live "as a free Baha'i in the U.S." and wants to be sure that "no one will look at me as someone who doesn't belong in society."
An unmarried Christian woman fled Iran after she was forced to join a mosque and develop a relationship with a mullah who stalked her daily. She fears the mullah would kill her if she were forced to return.
A husband and wife who are Mandaeans - religious followers of John the Baptist - fled Iran with their two children after enduring a lifetime of religious persecution. Suffering from physical developmental delays and epilepsy, the daughter had been denied medical care because of her religion.
What do these people have in common, besides fleeing Iran? They were able to seek safety and freedom in the United States thanks to a provision in U.S. law known as the Lautenberg Amendment. Authored by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), this law is a needed lifeline for religious minorities, including Jews, Christians and Baha'is, to escape religious persecution in former Soviet nations and now Iran.
They also share the fervent hope that the Lautenberg Amendment will continue offering a lifeline to others. It is now up to Congress to make sure that happens. Enacted as part of the 1990 Foreign Operations Appropriations Act, the Lautenberg Amendment has been reauthorized ever since. Unless Congress extends its life, it is set to expire Sept. 30.
The Lautenberg Amendment offers vital protections for historically persecuted groups seeking refugee status by establishing a presumption of eligibility and allowing fast-track processing to prevent undue backlogs in "third" countries that host their processing. Such processing is vital for those who flee countries, such as Iran, which do not have U.S. embassies. Without such assurances, "third" countries probably would not provide transit visas permitting persecuted individuals to be processed in safety on their soil.
The amendment neither increases the number of refugees the United States accepts each year nor requires any special appropriated funds. Rather, it recognizes the unique situations these groups continue to face. The small number of refugees who qualify each year are fully screened and vetted.
The Mandaeans, Christians, Bahai's and others who have fled Iran seek refuge from a country that the Secretary of State each year since 1999 has designated a "Country of Particular Concern" under the International Religious Freedom Act for egregious, ongoing and systematic violations of freedom of religion or belief.
According to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, which I chair, religious freedom conditions in Iran have regressed to a point not seen since the early days of the Islamic revolution more than 30 years ago. Religious minorities, including Baha'is, Christians, and Sufi Muslims, along with recognized non-Muslim religious minorities - Jews, Armenian and Assyrian Christians, and Zoroastrians - who are protected under Iran's constitution, face increased discrimination, arrests and imprisonment.
The Lautenberg Amendment enjoys strong support from both parties in Congress. Given the many issues that Congress must wrestle with in September, we urge lawmakers to put the Lautenberg Amendment at the top of the agenda and swiftly reauthorize this measure, sending the unmistakable message that religious freedom matters, as do the lives and safety of the persecuted.
Katrina Lantos Swett is chairwoman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.