Dearborn, Michigan – The American Center for Justice (ACJ) held its annual gala dinner in Dearborn, Michigan, bringing together a broad gathering of human rights advocates, members of the Yemeni and Arab communities, public officials, and individuals engaged in humanitarian and legal affairs. The event provided an opportunity to highlight the Center’s work and achievements over the past year and reaffirm its commitment to defending victims’ rights, advancing justice, and upholding human dignity.
The event opened with a comprehensive presentation reviewing the Center’s year-long efforts in monitoring, documenting, and pursuing legal action in response to human rights violations. It highlighted the key cases and issues addressed by the Center’s field and legal teams, particularly enforced disappearances, torture, and efforts to hold perpetrators of human rights violations accountable before international bodies. The presentation also outlined the Center’s work in producing well-documented human rights reports and research studies to preserve victims’ testimonies and experiences, establish a record of violations, and bring verified facts to the attention of policymakers.
The annual dinner also featured the screening of the Center’s annual documentary, under the theme “Together, We Protect Memory… and Help Advance Justice.” The film brought together firsthand testimonies and documentary evidence shedding light on the scale of the humanitarian tragedy in Yemen. It amplified the voices of victims and their families, bringing their stories to the international community and reminding the world that behind every documented violation are human lives and stories awaiting justice and redress.
In her address, Dr. Latifa Jamel, President of the American Center for Justice, emphasized the vital role of independent civil society organizations amid the current international climate. She noted that such organizations have become an indispensable line of defense in preserving respect for human rights, particularly in a world where justice is increasingly undermined and political interests too often take precedence over humanitarian values and international legal commitments.
Dr. Jamel further stressed that the lack of justice and meaningful redress at the international level places an even greater responsibility on human rights organizations to sustain moral and legal pressure and ensure that victims’ cases remain visible and firmly present in the international community’s conscience.
For his part, ACJ Executive Director and attorney Abdulrahman Barman provided an overview of the deteriorating human rights situation worldwide, highlighting the alarming decline in human rights protections. He also addressed the difficult circumstances facing Yemeni refugees in displacement settings and across the diaspora, including the legal and humanitarian challenges that threaten their security and stability.
Barman also drew attention to the plight of detainees and victims of enforced disappearance held in prisons across Yemen, as well as Yemenis subjected to arbitrary detention in multiple countries around the world without lawful justification or fair judicial proceedings.
He emphasized that the continued ability of human rights organizations to fulfill their mission depends largely on public awareness and sustained community support. Such solidarity, he explained, provides these organizations with the means to continue documenting violations, advocating for victims of injustice, and working to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable rather than allowed to act with impunity.
Dr. Amir Ghalib, former mayor and current adviser to President Donald Trump, also addressed the gathering. He expressed his appreciation to the American Center for Justice and its team for their sustained efforts and dedication to advancing justice and defending legitimate causes.
Ghalib underscored the critical importance of institutional human rights advocacy, particularly at the present time. He noted that professional organizations committed to monitoring violations and defending fundamental freedoms play an essential role in bringing the voices of victims and marginalized communities to the attention of U.S. and international policymakers. He also emphasized the importance of ensuring that victims’ rights are not forgotten or sidelined amid political crises.
The gala concluded with an open discussion between attendees and the Center’s leadership on ways to broaden human rights advocacy efforts across the United States and strengthen the role of diaspora communities in supporting human rights monitoring, documentation, and the defense of fundamental freedoms.
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