Chairman Smith on the hearing: “Protecting the space for civil society is critical to preserve civil and political rights. As we learned in the U.S civil rights movement, groups like churches are the vanguard of the battle to protect civil liberties. Through sanctions and other tools, the international community can protect the space for civil society actors to operate in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

Witnesses

Panel I

Mr. Negussie Mengesha
Director
Africa Division
Voice of America
[full text of statement]

Panel II

Mr. John Prendergast
Co-Founder
The Sentry
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Ms. Nanythe Talani
Representative
The Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Mr. Steven Harris
Policy Director
The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission
Southern Baptist Convention
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

Mr. Emerson Sykes
Legal Advisor – Africa
The International Center for Not-for-Profit Law
[full text of statement]
[truth in testimony form]

____________________________

Hearing transcript (PDF)