Tag

#secret agreement

Undisclosed agreements between the U.S. government and foreign states, particularly for detention, deportation, or military cooperation. Secret deals circumvent congressional oversight and public accountability.

2 incidents

Grade 3 of 5: Serious Rights Violation

Secret Cameroon Deportation Agreement and Torture of Deportees

The US secretly deported 17 people from 9 African countries to Cameroon under a covert agreement, including people with US court protections against return to their home countries. Cameroon detained them without legal basis, and journalists attempting to document conditions were arrested. HRW says the transfers to a country with a record of torture in detention breach the prohibition on refoulement.

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Secret $6 Million Contract to Outsource Detention to El Salvador's CECOT

A secret $6 million contract enabled the US to outsource detention to El Salvador's CECOT mega-prison, where HRW documented systematic torture. The unreleased agreement created an unprecedented mechanism to evade domestic legal protections by transferring detainees to a foreign torture facility.