International League for Human Rights
The International League for Human Rights is a human rights organization with headquarters in New York City.
Claiming to be the oldest human rights organization in the United States, the ILHR defines its mission as "defending human rights advocates who risk their lives to promote the ideals of a just and civil society in their homelands."
The ILHR had its origins in the Ligue des droits de l'homme et du citoyen, founded in France in the late nineteenth century. The group was reconstituted in New York City in 1942 by European refugees and Roger Nash Baldwin, founder of the American Civil Liberties Union, and was known until 1976 as the International League for the Rights of Man. In 1947, the league was granted consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, giving it the right to testify before that body about human rights abuses. The ILHR is also a member of UN's International Coalition to Stop Crimes Against Humanity in North Korea, a committee composed over 40 Human rights organizations around the world.
The President is Robert Arsenault, and the Executive Director is Louise Kantrow.
The ILHR's Internet domain name expired on 3 June 2014 and was not renewed. Its old web address is now a page that features coupons for consumer goods. However, the organization appears to continue to function, as it has been reported in the press as recently as 2018 that the ILHR continues to award its "Carl von Ossietzky Medal" "to individuals who are engaged in civilian society and human rights. "The League issued a written statement and announced that the 2018 Medal was awarded to Cizre Co-mayor Leyla Imret and human rights defender Ottmar Miles Paul." The von Ossietzky Medal has also been awarded in recent years to whistleblower Edward Snowden and lawyer/journalist Glenn Greenwald.
