GENEVA (14 April 2021) – The United States’ anti-terrorism program “Rewards for Justice” is violating the human rights
of some of the individuals it targets, UN human rights experts* said.
The program, operated by the U.S. State Department, offers money for information about people outside the United States
whom the U.S. Government designates as being associated with terrorism, but who have not been charged with any crimes.
It also offers money to foreign individuals whom it claims are involved with terrorism if they cooperate with U.S.
authorities.
“Many of the people targeted by the Rewards for Justice program have had their due process rights denied,” said Alena
Douhan, the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights.
“Those rights entail the presumption of innocence and fair trial, and the United States is obliged by international law
to respect them. By offering money for information that can lead to the capture of these individuals, the program
encourages others to participate in the denial of these rights.
“Such offers are reminiscent of wanted posters that target fugitives from justice – fugitives charged with crimes or who
have warrants for their arrest,” said Douhan, whose call is supported by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
The offers of money to foreign individuals alleged to be involved in terrorist activity or associated with entities
qualified by the United States as being involved in terrorist activity – including institutions of Iran, Cuba and many
other States – comes with threats to impose sanctions on these individuals if they don’t cooperate with the U.S.
Government’s demands. Sanctions imposed against them violate a number of their rights, including the right to work, to
freedom of movement, right to reputation, right to life with no possibility to access justice to protect these rights,
as well as the right to be forgotten.
“Making an individual carry out tasks against their will under the threat of a penalty for not doing so amounts to
forced labour as defined by agreements made through the International Labour Organization, and the United States has
accepted that definition,” said Douhan. Forced labour is prohibited by treaties such as the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights, which the United States has ratified.
“I respectfully urge the U.S. Government to review its Rewards for Justice Program in order to ensure that its
activities are aligned with international law,” Douhan said. “Fighting terrorism is obviously necessary, but it shall
only be done with due respect to human rights, international humanitarian and refugee law, in line with the UN Global Strategy on Counter-Terrorism.”
The Special Rapporteur has raised this, along with other issues of concern to her mandate, with the US Government but
has thus far not received any response.
ENDS
*The experts: Ms. Alena Douhan, UN Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights; Ms. Leigh Toomey (Chair-Rapporteur), Ms. Elina Steinerte (Vice-Chair), Ms. Miriam Estrada-Castillo, Mr. Muma Malila, Ms. Priya Gopala, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.