Capitol Hill Event

Rayburn House Building – Room 2075

45 Independence Ave. SW

Washington, D.C. 20515

U.S. Policy on Human Rights in the Middle East

Remarks by Congressman Gerry Connolly (D – Virginia),

House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Panel I: “Human Rights in the Middle East”

11:00 AM – 12:30 PM

– Areej Al Sadhan, Human Rights Activist

– Matthew Hedges, Durham University (UK)

– Amel Ahmed, Nala Films for HBO

– Abdullah Alaoudh, Georgetown University

– Moderator: Kelley Beaucar Vlahos, The American Conservative

Panel II: “U.S. Foreign Policy and Human Rights”

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

– Sarah Leah Whitson, Human Rights Watch

– Doug Bandow, Cato Institute

– Mohamed Soltan, The Freedom Initiative

– Congressman Nick Rahall, D – West Virginia 

– Moderator: Bruce Fein, Fein & DelValle PLLC

Lunch will be served from 12:30 PM – 1:00 PM

We invite you to join us on November 21, 2019 on Capitol Hill for a panel discussion on human rights issues in the Middle East, and how western powers could spearhead the change for freedom in a region of turmoil and conflict.

Issues of the validity of democracy in the region and human rights are at the very center of the challenges facing Middle Eastern society today. The international community’s chilling complacency towards wide-scale human rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa has emboldened governments to commit appalling violations by giving them the sense that they need never fear facing justice.

“Too many times western allies of governments in the MENA region have put lucrative business deals, security co-operation or billions of dollars’ worth of arms sales before human rights, fueling abuses and creating a climate where MENA governments feel ‘untouchable’ and above the law” says Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

Limited space is available. Registration is required.