Crimes against humanity are certain acts which are committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population or an identifiable part of a population. Crimes against humanity have been prosecuted by International Courts – such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Criminal Court, as well as in domestic prosecutions. The law of crimes against humanity has primarily developed through the evolution of customary international law. Unlike war crimes and genocide, crimes against humanity are not codified in an international convention, although there is currently an international effort to establish such a treaty, led by the Crimes Against Humanity Initiative.
Unlike war crimes, crimes against humanity can be committed during peace or war. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority. Murder; massacres; dehumanization; (State-organized dehumanization has historically been directed against perceived political, racial, ethnic, national, or minority groups.) extermination; human experimentation; (physical and/or mental) extrajudicial punishments; death squads; forced disappearances (banishment); military use of children; kidnappings; unjust imprisonment; slavery; cannibalism; torture; (physical and/or mental) rape; enforced sterilization; political, racial, or religious persecution that may include the use of blasphemy laws or laws against defamation of religion or other similar wording, or inappropriate hate speech laws; and other inhumane acts may reach the threshold of crimes against humanity if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice.
The United States Government has systematically and without any empirical evidence, chosen a path of persecution of a group of US citizens after their crimes against society, as set out by the Judicial Branch, have been paid in full. The Legislative and Executive Branches of government have chosen to force people into experimental mental health programs without due process. Those branches of government have denied them rights that are unrelated to their crime in violation of judicial processes. The Legislative Branch has passed laws, rules and regulations placing restrictions and obligations upon a disfavored group of American citizens, denying them many privileges that are afforded to all other American citizens.
In the United States as part of our Constitution our forebearers saw the need to limit the power of government. One of the ways that they did this was within our Constitution where they placed some specific constitutional bans. The United States Constitution forbids Legislative Bills of Attainder under Article I, Section 9. The provision forbidding State Law Bills of Attainder, Article I, Section 10, reflects the importance that the framers attached to this issue.
Within the U.S. Constitution, the clauses forbidding Attainder Laws serve two purposes. First, they reinforced the separation of powers, by forbidding the Legislature to perform Judicial or Executive functions—since the outcome of any such acts of Legislature would of necessity take the form of a Bill of Attainder. Second, they embody the concept of due process, which was partially reinforced by the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution. The text of the Constitution, Article I, Section 9; Clause 3 is “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto law shall be passed”.
Now the Legislative Branch without any empirical evidence to justify the laws, nor thought to the damage socially, mentally or physically that their discriminatory laws have on this disfavored group as well as their family members have again chosen a path that not only is unconstitutional (remember a person’s reputation is a constitutionally protected liberty interest), but also appears to fall into the range of crimes against humanity, except this time, a group of people are looking to challenge the law in hopes returning constitutional sanity to our country. They are looking for plaintiffs to join them in a law suite.
Looking for Plaintiffs – International Megan’s Law Challenge
:
If you’re getting this message it’s because I believe you can help me. A number of lawyers are working with me to lay the foundations for a legal challenge to International Megan’s Law if it is signed into law. H.R. 515 passed the House this Monday and be sent to President Obama’s desk.
We’re looking for ideal plaintiffs and we need your help to find people who meet one of these criteria:
Does not have a passport, but wants one
Has a passport about to expire
Travels internationally a number of times per year (especially for work)
Has been harassed while traveling in or out of the US based on registration status
If you think you fit any of these four categories, please write to me with the following information:
Name
Age
Age at time of offense
Offense(s)
Which of the four (4) categories you fit into
Would you be willing to be a name plaintiff to challenge this law?
State you live in
All responses will be treated as confidential by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights & Urban Affairs and Human Rights Defense Center.
Time is of the essence. Please respond soon and share this with your networks.
Galen Baughman
Soros Justice Fellow
Human Rights Defense Center
11 Dupont Circle, NW
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 681-8121
“Are We All Sex Offenders?” | TEDx Talk
gbaughman@humanrightsdefensecenter.org
10 comments for “H.R. 515 and Crimes Against Humanity.”