Supreme Court Decision Delivers Blow to Human-Rights and Aid Groups

Human-rights and humanitarian organizations lost a Supreme Court case Monday when the justices upheld a federal law that prohibits U.S. organizations from providing “material support” to designated terrorist groups. Some nonprofit groups had argued that the law prevents them from engaging in peace-building work and jeopardizes aid in conflict zones.

The challenge was brought by the Humanitarian Law Project, a nonprofit organization in California that sought to provide training in conflict resolution to the Kurdistan Workers Party, which the U.S. government considers a terrorist group. A 1996 law that was revised under the Patriot Act made it a crime to provide “material support”—including services, training, expert advice, and personnel—to terrorist groups, even if the work has legal and peaceful goals.