USC Law International Human Rights Clinic

04/05/2024

USC law students with the International Human Rights Clinic are in Washington, D.C. this week to attend the American Society of International Law conference and engage in advocacy around the clinic’s human rights work.

The clinic also had the opportunity to visit the Center for Countering Human Trafficking where students engaged in a thoughtful Question & Answer session around anti-human trafficking efforts domestically and abroad.

03/15/2024

In December 2023, IHRC students, Mariam Daoud and Pieter Keushkerian, Interim Director Professor Pithia, and USC Dornsife Professor, Steve Swerdlow, travelled to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan ahead of the Clinic’s publication of a report about the detainment of Kamil Ruziev, a Kyrgyz human rights defender. The IHRC met with members of civil society and the government to learn more about the political and social circumstances surrounding Ruziev’s case. The Clinic has been monitoring Ruziev’s trial as part of the Clooney Foundation for Justice’s TrialWatch initiative since October 2020 and expects to publish its report in the coming weeks.

11/04/2023

IHRC students, Meg Czeisler and Charlie Murphy, and Interim Director, Professor Pithia, attended the Fifth Annual California Welcomes Statewide Convening on refugee resettlement and asylum in San Diego last week. The IHRC heard from speakers focusing on the equitable implementation of asylum and refugee protection and distribution of benefits at the State and Federal level.

06/20/2023

This week, the IHRC celebrates World Refugee Day, drawing attention to refugees all over the world who have fled their home to escape conflict or persecution. This year’s World Refugee Day focuses on the power of inclusion and solutions for refugees.

05/17/2023

The IHRC is grateful and honored to be featured in the American Society of International Law’s Africa Interest Group Newsletter for its human rights advocacy in Cameroon, Malawi, Morocco, and other countries in Africa. Read the full story through the link in bio.

09/08/2022

In an open letter to President Biden, the International Human Rights Clinic joins the Center for Constitutional Rights and over 290 social justice, civil rights, human rights, and faith-based organizations from around the world. We call on President Biden to condemn the Israeli government’s authoritarian assault on Palestinian civil society and take concrete steps to protect our colleagues.

Dear Mr.

07/31/2022

For years, together with the Clooney Foundation for Justice TrialWatch Initiative, USC Gould International Human Rights Clinic student attorneys Pablo Aabir Das, Celine Ang, Tomi Johnson, Krisha Mae Cabrera, Sophie Sylla, David Wright, and supervising attorney Prof. Henna Pithia have monitored criminal cases brought by the Moroccan government against investigative journalist Omar Radi in an effort to silence him. Our latest report details how these have been riddled with fair trial rights violations and as TrialWatch expert, Professor Garry notes how these are part of a deeply concerning trend in Morocco of using shame inducing charges to stifle critical reporting and political dissent. Read the report here:

Moroccan Journalist Subjected to ‘Abuse of Process,’ New TrialWatch Report Finds July 29, 2022 This statement can be attributed to the Clooney Foundation for Justice. For further inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Grade D Charges National Security Charges and R**e Outcome Convicted to Six ...

06/20/2022

The world recently hit a devastating milestone: the number of people forcibly displaced from their homes reached 100 million. That’s 100M friends, family and loved ones in search of safety. We must welcome them all. As we celebrate World Refugee Day, join us in making sure the U.S. honors its commitment to welcoming refugees by resettling refugees.

06/15/2022

An Afghan family, in hiding in Pakistan, turned to the University of Southern California Gould International Human Rights Clinic for help applying for humanitarian parole.

“The process hasn’t been easy,” says Henna Pithia, acting director. “What’s frustrating is that the method of accessing humanitarian parole has not been updated to reflect the current crisis for this particular community,” she says.

Read the full article on the USC Gould website here: https://bit.ly/3Gd5OA4

An Afghan family, in hiding in Pakistan, turned to the University of Southern California Gould International Human Rights Clinic for help applying for humanitarian parole. The process hasn’t …

03/16/2022

The International Human Rights Clinic welcomes this judgement with the hopes that it provides some measure of justice for the victims.

The International Human Rights Clinic welcomes this judgement with the hopes that it provides some measure of justice/satisfaction for the victims.

03/06/2022

Prof. Hannah Garry wrote an opinion piece published Feb. 4 in The Hill titled, “Senate can help Ukraine by confirming Beth Van Schaack now.”

In the op-ed, Garry explains why Dr. Beth Van Schaack should be confirmed as the first woman U.S. Ambassador at Large for Global Criminal Justice: “With Van Schaack in office, the U.S. can provide pragmatic, targeted support to the [International Criminal Courts] prosecutor on specific cases that align with U.S. interests, seeking accountability for massive crimes such as those currently happening in Ukraine. For example, the U.S. can support the prosecutor’s office as it seeks to preserve evidence of crimes being documented by courageous individuals on the ground in the face of devastating expansion of the conflict and reports of war crimes, including Russia’s use of illegal, indiscriminate weapons and killing of civilians. As it has done in the past, the U.S. can further facilitate the prosecutor’s work through diplomacy, surrender of ICC fugitives to the court, and sharing of expertise, among other things,” she writes.

Van Schaack is exactly the person the U.S. government needs to coordinate its efforts towards holding Russia accountable for its crimes.

02/17/2022

In a recent article, The Washington Post cited the International Human Rights Clinic’s report, “Over-Policing S*x Trafficking: How U.S. Law Enforcement Should Reform Operations”.

The article, which talks about how “increased s*x trafficking during the Super Bowl is a dangerous myth” according to L.A. s*x workers and advocates, refers to the Clinic in arguing that the myth gives law enforcement an excuse to crack down on s*x workers who aren’t being trafficked.

In a recent article, The Washington Post cited the International Human Rights Clinic’s report, “Over-Policing S*x Trafficking: How U.S. Law Enforcement Should Reform Operations”.