Intelligence & Surveillance

Just Security’s expert authors provide legal and policy analysis of intelligence and surveillance activities, focusing on their impact on national security and on civil liberties and privacy rights, and their oversight by Congress and the courts.

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A demonstrator protests outside of the Old Bailey court in central London on September 14, 2020, where the extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's has resumed. A billboard on a truck reads, "Don't extradite Assange. Journalism is not a crime." The demonstrator wears a Guy Fawkes mask and holds a sign reading, "Stop this political trial."

It’s Assange in the Dock, But It’s National Security Journalism on Trial

The Justice Department’s indictment of Assange under the Espionage Act was intended to deter journalism that is vital to American democracy.
People stand on the CIA symbol on the floor of CIA Headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

A Case for More Compassionate Leadership at CIA

A toxic work environment has taken hold at CIA. Leaders need to change the culture if they wish to attract and retain the best and brightest.

Don’t Blame Privacy for Big Tech’s Monopoly on Information

As the prospect of antitrust charges against Facebook by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) looms larger, regulators should challenge the concentration of data within Big Tech…
Former Salvadoran colonel and Defense Deputy Minister Inocente Montano wears a face mask before the start of his trial related to the murder of six Spanish Jesuit priests and two collaborators in 1989, in Madrid on June 08, 2020.

Breaking: Colonel Montano, Extradited from the United States, Found Guilty of the Jesuits Massacre by Spanish Court

UPDATE: The judgment is available here (in Spanish). A Spanish court has convicted Colonel Inocente Orlando Montano for his role in the 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests, their…
A protester holds a sign reading, “End Torture” at a rally to "demand Congressional action to stop torture" on Capitol Hill March 10, 2008 in Washington, DC.

Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: Uphold the Prohibition on Torture

A full reckoning for state-sanctioned American torture remains unfinished. The Obama administration took important steps towards fulfilling US obligations but fell short of what…

Toward a New Approach to National and Human Security: End Unlawful, Secret, and Unaccountable Use of Lethal Force

A core component of post-9/11 counterterrorism policy has been the use of secretive and unaccountable killings of terrorism suspects. The killings must stop. Here's how the president…
ODNI Seal

Time to Fix a Broken Declassification System

The government’s declassification system is broken, but there's a bipartisan solution in the works.
A protester watches federal officers through the gate in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility early in the morning on August 21, 2020 in Portland, Oregon.

Bringing Abolition to National Security

"Though far less explored, abolition may also be the most promising option for dealing with discriminatory national security laws and policies. Without understanding the historical,…

Two Regional Human Rights Tribunals Forge Ahead Despite Trump’s Attacks on International Institutions

Regional bodies have crucial opportunities in the coming months to address the violations imposed upon men subjected to the post-9/11 extraordinary rendition program.
The Memorial Wall and the "Book of Honor" are seen in the lobby of the Original Headquarters Building at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters February 19, 2009 in McLean, Virginia.

The Ties That Bind: The CIA in the Face of Presidential Attack

This is perhaps the most difficult time to be an intelligence officer since the creation of the CIA in 1947.
An engineer-virologist looks at 24 well plates adherent cells monolayer infected with a Sars-CoV-2 virus.

The Second Oxford Statement on International Law Protections of the Healthcare Sector During Covid-19: Safeguarding Vaccine Research

International lawyers who wish to append their name to the Statement should send an email to ...
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) arrives to attend a session during the Future Investment Initiative (FII) conference in the capital Riyadh on October 24, 2018.

US Suit Against Saudi Prince for Attempted Killing of Ex-Insider Faces Hurdles

Ex-Saudi intelligence official Saad Aljabri's claim over an alleged assassination attempt faces issues including jurisdiction and immunity.
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