Andrea J. Prasow

rdf:langString Andrea J. Prasow

rdf:langString Andrea J. Prasow

rdf:langString Andrea J. Prasow

rdf:langString American, Canadian

rdf:langString human rights advocate, attorney

rdf:langString Andrea J. Prasow is an American attorney and global human rights advocate. She leads The Freedom Initiative, a U.S.-based organization whose mission is "to bring international attention to the plight of political prisoners in the Middle East and advocate for their release." Prasow was appointed as The Freedom Initiative's executive director in November 2021. She previously worked for 12 years with Human Rights Watch and before that served as an attorney with a focus on the rights of individuals detained in the "War on Terror". When she was with the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, Prasow represented Saudi detainees in their petition for habeas corpus.Later as a defense attorney with the Office of Military Commissions, Prasow worked on behalf of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, one of the first Guantanamo captives to face formal charges before the Guantanamo military commissions.Subsequently, Prasow became a senior counsel with the Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program at Human Rights Watch.In that capacity Prasow investigates and analyzes U.S. counterterrorism policies and practices, and leads advocacy efforts urging the U.S. to implement policies that respect international standards of human rights. Prasow has written several pieces about the current military commission proceedings and her travels to Afghanistan to observe the newly public held at the Detention Facility in Parwan.