Husain Abdulla, MA
Director
Husain Abdulla, originally from Bahrain, is the founder and Director of Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain. As Director, Husain leads the organization’s efforts to ensure that US policies support the democracy and human rights movement in Bahrain. Husain also works closely with members of the Bahraini-American community to ensure that their voices are heard by US government officials and the broader American public. Husain graduated from the University of South Alabama with a Master’s degree in Political Science and International Relations and a BA in Political Science and Mathematics.
Colleen Costello, JD
Senior Advocacy Associate
As Senior Advocacy Associate, Colleen develops and implements ADHRB’s advocacy strategies, working closely with coalitions, partner NGOs, and legislative and executive branch officials to achieve ADHRB’s mission. Prior to joining ADHRB, Colleen served as Senior Policy Fellow with Physicians for Human Rights. She has also worked for the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission of the US House of Representatives, and for Congressman Michael Honda.
Prior to her work on the Hill, Colleen was Staff Attorney for the Human Rights & National Security Project at the World Organization for Human Rights USA. In that capacity, she led the organization’s efforts to seek accountability for US government officials who had authorized the use of torture and other serious human rights abuses against detainees during the “war on terror.” Colleen testified before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights on detainee abuse issues, and authored a report that carefully documents evidence of human rights violations committed against detainees and provides supporting legal justifications for criminal investigations into the abuse.
In addition to her professional experience, Colleen has also volunteered with several NGOs that work on human rights issues, including Amnesty International USA. She received a JD from Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law and a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from Washington College.
Rachel Hines, MA
Government Affairs Associate
As Government Affairs Associate, Rachel helps develop and implement the organization’s government relations and government advocacy initiatives. Rachel brings over five years of Capitol Hill and government affairs experience to this position. Prior to joining ADHRB, Rachel served as Senior Legislative Assistant to Congressman Russ Carnahan, former Ranking Member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Her legislative portfolio covered the Congressman’s foreign affairs committee assignment, as well as a wide range of international human rights issues, such as women’s rights, religious freedom, Internet freedom, and labor rights. Rachel worked to advance many human rights initiatives, including the Women, Peace, and Security Act, a bicameral and bipartisan bill to strengthen the international community’s resolve to include women in decision-making processes and protect them from some of the most egregious types of war crimes.
In addition to her role in Mr. Carnahan’s personal office, Rachel also served as Professional Staff Member on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight. Prior to taking on a policy portfolio, she was Congressman Carnahan’s Executive Assistant. Rachel received an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College and a BA in International Studies and French from Saint Louis University.
Rachel Burke Peterson
Communications Associate
As Communications Associate, Rachel leads ADHRB’s day-to-day media activities through interaction with media outlets and the public. Rachel also coordinates long-term communications strategies that help to raise awareness of the human rights situation in Bahrain. Prior to joining ADHRB, Rachel developed and helped to implement communications and advocacy strategies for the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED).
A recent resident of the D.C. area, Rachel moved from her home in Seattle, WA, where she served as Marketing Coordinator and Member-at-Large for the Arab Center of Washington. Rachel has traveled to Jordan, Syria, and Egypt, as well as a number of other countries in Europe and the Mediterranean. She received a BA in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from the University of Washington, and is proficient in Arabic.