National Security & Human Rights

This New York Times article raises an excellent point on mass surveillance and the need for more transparency and accountability. 

“Over time, it becomes a question of what is it that we are protecting. Are we protecting simply physical security and our geographical boundaries, or are we protecting a system of political values? That includes open deliberation of national security policies…” – Steven Aftergood

“A U.S. spying program that systematically collects millions of Americans' phone records is illegal, a federal appeals court ruled on Thursday, putting pressure on Congress to quickly decide whether to replace or end the controversial anti-terrorism surveillance.”

On Feb.

On February 28th, the Media Consortium met in Chicago and spoke via Skype with Julian Assange in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London.

Dear GAP Supporters:

Journalists from around the country will meet in Chicago from Feb. 27 to March 1 to consider what the internationally coordinated state surveillance means to them. For more information, please see the information below.

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The following piece first appeared in the Huffington Post.

The following piece first appeared in the Huffington Post.

It's now been more than eight months since CIA/torture whistleblower John Kiriakou was imprisoned for telling the truth. Kiriakou, a GAP client, is the sole CIA agent to go to jail in connection with the U.S. torture program, despite the fact that he never tortured anyone.

This past Saturday, thousands of people protested massive, unconstitutional National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance in Washington, DC. Among the speakers at the rally were GAP National Security & Human Rights Director Jesselyn Radack, who relayed a statement that NSA surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden asked her to read on his behalf, and GAP client/NSA whistleblower Thomas Drake, who spoke to the crowd about his experience of being prosecuted by the federal government for telling the truth.

A coalition named "Stop Watching Us," made up of over 100 public advocacy groups, is organizing "The Rally Against Mass Surveillance" planned for Saturday, October 26, 2013 and meeting in front of Union Station in Washington, DC. Among the speakers will be Government Accountability Project (GAP) National Security & Human Rights Director Jesselyn Radack, who will read a statement that former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden asked her to read on his behalf. Snowden publicly expressed his support for the event in a statement published by the ACLU yesterday.