The following is a Radio Free Europe article by Richard Solash: The chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission has pledged to call on the Obama administration to push for the indictment of hard-line Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka by the International Criminal Court (ICC). While the chances of an indictment are unlikely, the pledge by Representative Chris Smith (Republican, New Jersey) was a clear sign that U.S. lawmakers have not forgotten the egregious human rights situation in the co... Read more

An investigation into the Obama Administration's use of $18 million in U.S. taxpayer dollars to influence constitutional changes in Kenya reveals that at least one Obama grantee openly pushed to expand abortion access in Kenya despite a long-standing, annually renewed law that prohibits U.S. tax dollars from being used to lobby for or against abortion in other countries (known as the Siljander Amendment). The investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of C... Read more

Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the House congressional panel that oversees international human rights and African issues, held a gathering today of countries from across the African continent to discuss complex issues such as trade, likely reductions in U.S. aid and other topics the continent faces. Joining Smith were Ranking Democrat Rep. Donald Payne (NJ-10) on the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health and Human Rights, and Senators Chris Coons (D-Del) and Johnny Isakson (R... Read more

"The world watched with great hope and anticipation as events unfolded in Tahrir Square earlier this year," said Congressman Chris Smith, chairman of the House panel that oversees human rights, on Tuesday at a congressional hearing of the Helsinki Commission which he also chairs. "This spring we saw Christians standing guard over Muslims during Friday prayers in the middle of the square. We saw Muslims standing guard over Christians as they celebrated mass in Tahrir... ." Click here to read Cong... Read more

"It is an honor and privilege to join these courageous 'nurses of conscience' who at great risk of being fired, demoted or otherwise retaliated against, have asserted their fundamental civil rights guaranteed by both federal and state law by saying “no” to coerced participation in the killing of unborn children at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)," said Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) this afternoon as he stood side-by-side with eight nurses from an obstetrics unit... Read more

Cong. Smith meets American Council of Young Political Leaders' Israeli delegation. From left are Shay Even, Linor Deutsch, Dore Bloch, Assemblywoman Caroline Casagrande and Mordechai Ruham. Read more

(WPVI) -- With Veteran's Day right around the corner, a POW during World War II was honored in South Jersey. Private Alan Hayden received a special medal Monday, honoring him as a prisoner of war in Germany. It's an honor he says that he'll share. "I am accepting the award, honoring all the men who, at that time, were prisoners of war," said Hayden. To watch the ABC 6 report, click here. That memory includes a buddy that Hayden, at age 18, saw shot down at point blank range, moments after captur... Read more

A World War II U.S. Army veteran who was captured in France and marched to Germany to be held prisoner for two months until liberated by American forces was presented with the Prisoner of War Medal today by Congressman Chris Smith. Alan Hayden was only 18 when he was captured in an intense artillery exchange between U.S. and German forces in the Alsace Lorraine on Feb. 22, 1945. His close Army buddy was shot by a German soldier during the march to Germany. He and other soldiers were sparsely fed... Read more

The following news report is from ABC News: Yeqing Ji from Shanghai, China, will most likely not be able to have children after she said two forced abortions physically impaired her uterus. The story of Ji and others who say they sufferered from abuses were shared at three separate congressional hearings this week about human rights in China, including one hearing regarding a new bill to prohibit entrance to the U.S. of human rights offenders from China. If passed and enforced, such a law could ... Read more

"This year’s tenth annual human rights report by the Congressional-Executive Commission continues to be the most comprehensive, heavily documented review and analysis of China’s worsening human rights record. "The Report’s 225 pages of analysis and recommendations followed by another 119 pages of meticulously researched endnotes paints an extremely dire, frightening picture of escalating—human rights crimes, including torture, forced abortion, religious persecution, and ethnic discrimination—com... Read more