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The Be Heard Project is a voice for the persecuted Church. Through law, public policy, and grassroots action, we amplify your voice to demand that world governments respect the most basic human rights and human dignity of persecuted believers. Join with us today and Be Heard.

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2023 Victories for ACLJ's Affiliate in Pakistan

Jan. 032023 Victories for ACLJ's...

As we begin the new year, let us share with you some victories that our affiliate office, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), has been able to secure for persecuted Christians in Pakistan. We began our work about 14 years ago and soon received a case that has been going on since then. In Samuel Masih v. Niaz Ahmed Jutt , Jutt had fraudulently...More

Urging Pakistan High Court To Expedite Hearing Case of Christian...

Dec. 14Urging Pakistan High Court To...

Even on Death Row for Their Faith, Christians Form Bible Study

Dec. 06Even on Death Row for Their Faith,

Four Israeli Hostages Represented by the ACLJ Released, Including Mom...

Nov. 27Four Israeli Hostages Represented...

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Active Cases

Save Shahzad Masih From Death

Save Shahzad Masih From Death

A trial court in Pakistan sentenced a young Christian man to execution by hanging over a false allegation of blasphemy against him (a MINOR at the time of the alleged offense). Our Pakistani affiliate, the Organization for Legal Aid (OLA), is representing Shahzad Masih, the young Christian man, who was a 16-year-old...More

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Suffering Women and Christians in Iran

Suffering Women and Christians in...

Save Christian Ayub Brothers

Save Christian Ayub Brothers

Save Christians in Afghanistan

Save Christians in Afghanistan

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Decorated War Hero Who Saved a Child from Abuse

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Charles Martland, a Bronze Star Medal recipient, is about to be expelled from the Army...

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SFC Charles Martland

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Exonerated

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Decorated War Hero Who Saved a Child from Abuse

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Charles Martland, a Bronze Star Medal recipient, is about to be expelled from the Army...

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Petition

OCT // 2015

Defend a Hero; Stop Child Sexual Abuse

345,117

Signatures //

It’s shameful and despicable.

The U.S. Army is threatening to kick out a Green Beret war hero for defending a child from rape.

What’s worse are reports that the military has allowed Afghanistan forces to sexually abuse young children on U.S. bases.

Children – young boys and girls – are being raped and abused, and Sergeant Charles Martland said, “We felt a moral obligation to act.”

For his action, he faces expulsion from the Army.

As his case is reviewed, we’re sending a critical legal letter to the Secretary of Defense demanding direct action to stop this moral outrage and reinstate the brave Green Beret who exposed it. Add your voice now.

Petition to Stop Child Sexual Abuse and Defend Sergeant Martland

To the Secretary of Defense & Secretary of the Army:

The U.S. military has a moral obligation to stop child sexual abuse on our bases and exonerate Sergeant Martland for defending a child from rape.

In the News

MAR // 2024

Major Victory: Sergeant First Class Martland Exonerated, Will Remain...

Jay Sekulow  //

Apr 29, 2016

It’s a massive victory more than six months in the making. Sergeant First Class Charles Martland – a decorated war hero who faced expulsion from the Army for defending a child – has been exonerated and will be...

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ACLJ Sends 66,845 Letters to Save SFC Martland

ACLJ.org  //

Apr 26, 2016

You’ve spoken out in a powerful way. In less than two weeks, 66,845 of you signed on to our letters or wrote letters of your own to save Sergeant First Class (SFC) Charles Martland – a decorated war hero...

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Write a Letter to Save Sergeant Martland

ACLJ.org  //

Apr 08, 2016

Over 337,000 of you have signed our petition to defend a war hero, Sergeant First Class (SFC) Charles Martland. But now, as his fate hangs in the balance of his final appeal to save his career, the ACLJ is...

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Story

Sergeant First Class (SFC) Charles Martland is set to be expelled from the United States Army because he was willing to defend a child from horrific sexual abuse and torture.

SFC Martland, a Green Beret Bronze Star recipient, faces expulsion from the Army because he intervened to protect a child from an Afghan child-rapist – an Afghan commander allied with U.S. forces who worked on a U.S. military installation.

After the young boy's mother begged for help, SFC Martland and his superior officer, Captain (CPT) Daniel Quinn, confronted the man. The child-predator admitted the crime and then laughed. "It's just a boy," he mocked. Deciding to send the man – and others – a message, the soldiers forcibly removed the admitted sexual predator from the base. The message was clear: That sickening behavior by our supposed allies will not be tolerated.

But, unfortunately, Army brass did tolerate it; and even worse, the military took action against the protector, not the predator. Now, SFC Martland awaits his fate.

He is the consummate American warrior, hailed by those he served with as a man of honor, a soldier's soldier. He was decorated for his valor, respected for his courage, and feared by the enemy. This war hero is set to be thrown out of the Army for protecting a young child from grotesque sexual abuse.

It's not the enemy who may succeed in bringing him down. No, it's the bureaucracy of his own country. This is wrong and it must end.

The ACLJ has been directly engaged in the effort to defend SFC Martland and reinstate him for months.

Now, the Army has granted a two-month extension in SFC Charles Martland's case, until May 1st.

We are cautiously optimistic, and our work continues. This gives us more time to spread the word and generate support for SFC Martland, both on Capitol Hill and across the nation – and it could signal the Army is taking a closer look at whether to correct this injustice.

According to news reports, the Army has extended the deadline in SFC Martland's appeal until May 1st, saying the "extension was granted to allow consideration of his application to correct his records by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records."

Maybe, just maybe, common sense is beginning to breach the bureaucratic firewall.

The ACLJ has sent critical legal letters to President Obama, Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley, Army Deputy Chief of Staff General James McConville, the chairmen and ranking members of both the House and Senate Armed Services committees, two letters to Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, and most recently 19 letters to the leading veterans organizations in the country.

We also continue to raise this critical issue in the media, advocating for the exoneration of SFC Martland.

The pressure is mounting. Already 93 Members of Congress have joined the cause, demanding an investigation into the reports that the U.S. Military told our troops to ignore Afghan soldiers' sexual enslavement of young children. In response, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) – a Pentagon watchdog – recently announced a formal inquiry.

Now, Representative Duncan Hunter (CA-52) has introduced the MARTLAND Act, which "makes it the official policy of the United States that sex abuse of any kind by an American or foreign national is not permitted" on any U.S. military installation. As Rep. Hunter said, "Sgt. Martland had a moral obligation to intervene. Now we must intervene for Sgt. Martland."

Momentum is building, and our Government Affairs and legal teams continue to vigorously work behind the scenes in Washington, DC.

We've reached out to you and you've responded. It's working. But we can't let up.

Help us capitalize on the momentum. Stand up for SFC Martland today. Join over 300,000 others and make your voice heard. Write a letter directly to the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Army today. Share SFC Martland's story on social media with the hashtag #StandWithMartland. Be heard for SFC Martland before it's too late.

You can help save SFC Charles Martland

Sign the Petition

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American Center for Law and Justice | Washington D.C. | Copyright © 2024, ACLJ | Privacy & Security Policy | Annual Report

Be Heard Project is a project of the American Center for Law and Justice. American Center for Law and Justice is a d/b/a for Christian Advocates Serving Evangelism, Inc., a tax-exempt, not-for-profit, religious corporation as defined under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, specifically dedicated to the ideal that religious freedom and freedom of speech are inalienable, God-given rights. The Center's purpose is to engage legal, legislative and cultural issues by implementing an effective strategy of advocacy, education and litigation to ensure that those rights are protected under the law. The organization has participated in numerous cases before the Supreme Court, Federal Court of Appeals, Federal District Courts, and various state courts regarding freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Your gift is very much appreciated and fully deductible as a charitable contribution. A copy of our latest financial report may be obtained by writing to us at P.O. Box 90555, Washington, DC 20090-0555.