ACTION ALERT FROM KERRY KENNEDY: HELP PROTECT THE LIFE OF A HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER

I need your help on an urgent matter. A dear friend and colleague of mine in Kenya, human rights attorney Paul Muite, has become a possible target of reprisal after criticizing the hundreds of extra-judicial killings taking place in his country.

While serving as a Member of Parliament, Mr. Muite was one of the first public figures in Kenya to speak out against the pattern of extra-judicial killings that emerged in 2006. Now Mr. Muite himself is in danger of being a victim of extra-judicial killing after calling for an investigation by the International Criminal Court. I have written a letter to Kenya's President Mwai Kibaki and requested that he ensure Mr. Muite's safety and security.

Please read my letter to President Kibaki and fill out the form below to add your signature.

Kerry Kennedy

His Excellency Mwai Kibaki
President
Republic of Kenya

H.E. President Kibaki:

On behalf of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice & Human Rights, I am writing to express grave concern over the recent targeting of a dear friend and colleague in Kenya, human rights attorney Mr. Paul Muite. I am in constant contact with Mr. Muite and am deeply disturbed to learn that he has become a target of extra-judicial killing because of his outspoken criticism of government impunity.

Mr. Muite has courageously condemned the over 600 extra-judicial killings that have taken place in Kenya since 2006, and today, Mr. Muite is himself a target. Given that it is precisely this method of silencing critics that Mr. Muite has strongly condemned, should anything happen to Mr. Muite, the motives will be abundantly clear. Under these circumstances, those responsible for carrying out, or turning a blind eye to, any further threats or harm to Mr. Muite, must be held accountable.

We must defend those voices that stand for fundamental rights and due process, especially when they do so at great personal risk. Thus, I respectfully request that every measure be taken to ensure the safety and security of Mr. Paul Muite and that the material and intellectual authors of these threats be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I ask that you please keep me informed of any progress in this case. I appreciate your attention to this very urgent matter and look forward to your prompt response.

Cordially,
Kerry Kennedy, Founder
Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights