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The state of Ohio has announced new lethal injection procedures and plans to execute Kenneth Biros on December 8. Five other male prisoners in Ohio are scheduled for execution in the coming months.
A court in Bahrain upheld the death penalty against Jassim Abdulmanan, a Bangladeshi national. The execution is now awaiting ratification by the king. Abdulmanan could be executed within weeks.
Recent actions taken by the Moroccan government against the press and Western Saharan rights activists suggest backsliding on core human rights such as freedom of speech, press, association and movement. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was recently in Morocco but generally praised Morocco’s human rights record despite this disturbing trend. Call on the US government to press Morocco to quickly address these recent abuses
Not only do the deaths of women tarnish the image of the Mexican city of Juárez, but also the disappearance of soldier Miguel Orlando Muñoz Guzmán demonstrates the flaw in the state of rights and justice in this region of Mexico. Download the action Ensure a full and impartial investigation into the "disappearance" of Miguel Orlando Munoz Guzman in PDF format
Ibrahim Zautdinovich Mankiev, a Russian national, has been detained in Egypt since November 10, when he was allegedly beaten, tied in ropes and handcuffed. He could be forcibly deported from Egypt back to Russia, where he may face arbitrary detention and is at risk of torture.
Brazilian teacher, Rolindo Vera, has been missing since October 30 after he and other indigenous people were evicted from their land. His community fears he may have been abducted and taken to Paraguay. The body of another male teacher was found in a nearby river; Rolindo Vera's life is in grave danger.
Habibollah Latifi and Sherko Moarefi, allegedly both members of Kurdish organizations, have been convicted of "enmity against God" and are at imminent risk of execution. Ehsan Fattahian, a member of a Kurdish opposition group, was executed on 11 November without being given an opportunity to appeal against his death sentence.
A 75 year old woman along with two 24 year old males have had their sentences of flogging and imprisonment reimposed. If the Supreme Court upholds their sentences, they will be imprisoned and at imminent risk of flogging.
City authorities in Rome have forcibly evicted a community of about 400 Roma people. The majority of them are homeless and were living in an abandoned factory nearby.
Igor Koktysh is a 29 year old social activist that could be forcibly returned at anytime from Ukraine, where he is at risk of the death penalty for fabricated charges.
The home of Gertrude Hambria, a prominent female trade union activist in Zimbabwe, was attacked by three armed men. While Gertrude was not home, the men threatened her husband.
John Smith Porras Bernal, a Colombian man whose brother was killed by the army, has since received death threats at his home in Soacha. His life is in danger for helping his mother campaign for justice for her murdered son.
Five Indigenous communities in Itakyry district, eastern Paraguay, are no longer facing imminent eviction from their ancestoral lands. However, the Brazilian farmers who claim they own the land used an aeroplane to spray toxic substances over the community. Now, 200 people seek medical attention from the toxic spray.
Artist and community activist, Marlon Magwaza, was harassed and threatened by ZANU-PF youths after he organized a community cultural event that had prior clearance from the police. The event was conducted to promote peace and tolerance. He was shoved by the police before being taken to the police station where he was detained for about seven hours. The arrest took place after ZANU-PF youths alleged a participant at the event had 'insulted' President Mugabe. Download the action Stop Harassment of Human Rights Defenders in Zimbabwe in PDF format | Download the action Stop Harassment of Human Rights Defenders in Zimbabwe in RTF format
Five men under sentence of death in Yemen could be executed as cearly as Novemeber 11. They have exhausted their appeals and their death sentences have been ratified by the president.
Within days, about 900 students from a Christian college in Jakarta could be forcibly evicted from the place where they have been living and studying. Religious minority groups have frequently endured oppression by the Muslim authorities.
Three Iranian journalists, Bahman Ahmadi Amou'i, Kevyan Samimi Behbahani, and Saeed Laylaz, remain detained since the government's crackdown on freedom of expression after the June 12 elections. They are at risk of torture.
Yoab Syatfle, a political activist in the Indonesian province of West Papua, has received multiple death threats related to his peaceful activities representing Papuan indigenous communities. Amnesty International fears for his safety and life.
Members of a peasant farmers' organization in southern Mexico have been tortured while in custody after being arrested without a warrant.
Two female editors in Sri Lanka have received death threats. The founder of the newspaper they work for received similar threats before being killed in January.
On October 27 2006, US video journalist Brad Will was shot and killed in Oaxaca City, southern Mexico as he filmed a clash between members of a local protest movement (Asamblea Popular del Pueblo de Oaxaca, APPO) and supporters and officials of the local governing party. Download the action Demand justice for killing of journalist in Oaxaca, Mexico in PDF format | Download the action Demand justice for killing of journalist in Oaxaca, Mexico in RTF format
Charged by a military judge with "conveying false nwes" about human rights in Syria, Haytham al-Maleh could face up to 15 years imprisonment if convicted. The 78-year-old man is being held in a prison in Damascus, awaiting a trial that does not comply with international standards.
Yemeni journalist Muhammad al-Maqalih is now believed to be detained at a prison run by the Ministry of Defense, though the authorities have continued to refuse to give any information about him.
Mohammad Pour Abdollah, who was arrested in February in Tehran, is now on trial for his involvement with an Iranian student organization. He is at risk of torture and other ill treatment while he is in detention.
Kobra Babaei, an Iranian woman, is at risk of being stoned to death after her husband was hanged on 5 October for "sodomy." In 2002, the Head of the Judiciary in Iran instructed judges to impose a moratorium on stonings; however, this has not been implemented.
Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu continue to live under the threat of trial and imprisonment since their arrest on charges of disturbing the peace on October 16, 2008. On that day, hundreds of WOZA members demonstrated in Bulawayo in support of the government declaring a national emergency and distributing food aid to the nation's hungry citizens.
Villagers in Santo Domingo Ixcatlan, Oaxaca state have been attacked repeatedly by a group of armed men for the inhabitants' opposition to the sale of community lands. The armed group has chased away the police officers that had been sent to protect the villagers.
Juan Juan Almeida has been refused permission to leave Cuba and has faced harassment by security forces after he criticized the authorities. There are strong suspicions that the restrictions on his movement are a punishment for exercising his freedom of expression, and Amnesty International fears he will be continually harassed.
Chinese pro-democracy activist Zhou Yongjun is about to face trial in China after an arbitrary arrest in Hong Kong. China has not been able to demonstrate that he is being held for a recognizable criminal offense. If convicted, he could potentially be jailed for life.
The Diaguita Indigenous group of northwestern Argentina has faced attempts of forced eviction by a local landowner. On October 12, the landowner and two other men attacked the group, leaving one man dead and four others wounded.
Akram Mahdavi, a 35-year old Iranian woman, was to be put to death on 11 October but has received a stay of execution. However, she still faces the death penalty and has not been given the right to seek pardon or commutation of her sentence.
At least 115 families were forcibly evicted on Oct. 9-10. All are now homeless and one has been hospitalized after police violence.
Mehdi Karroubi, a 72 year old male cleric is facing criminal charges in relation for his reporting of allegations that detainees were mistreated.
Male environmentalist Jesus Sanchez de la Barquera has been shot and wounded outside his home in Mexico State, near the Mexican capital, Mexico City.
Since 2006, at least 14 media workers have been killed in Sri Lanka, with no one held accountable for these murders. Call on the Sri Lankan government to ensure Dileesha Abeysundera’s safety and to investigate the intimidation attempted against her and other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers. Download the action Protect Sri Lankan Journalist in PDF format
Migrants in the city of Saltillo continue to be repeatedly threatened by local residents, who accuse them of being murderers. Their presence has been blamed on the Belén Migrants' Shelter, whose staff is also at risk.
Dr. Mohammad Maleki, a 76-year old male Iranian scholar and former Chancellor of Tehran University has been incommunicado in Teheran's Evin prison for 40 days. He is suffering from prostrate cancer and other illnesses, and Amnesty International fears that his life is in danger.
President Obama and a number of members of Congress have resisted full accountability for torture, and have endorsed indefinite detention and unfair military commissions. There is an alternative: call on President Obama and Congress to respect human rights. Download the action President Obama and Congress: Respect Human Rights and Counter Terror With Justice in PDF format | Download the action President Obama and Congress: Respect Human Rights and Counter Terror With Justice in RTF format
Natalia Estemirova, one of the leading human rights defenders who worked in the North Caucasus region, was abducted in Grozny, Chechnya on July 15th on her way to work. She was dragged into a car by several men and driven off in an unknown direction. According to witnesses, Natalia Estemirova managed to shout out that she was being abducted. Her body was found several hours later in the neighboring Republic of Ingushetia with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Download the action Condemn Murder of Russian Human Rights Defender in PDF format | Download the action Condemn Murder of Russian Human Rights Defender in RTF format
According to testimonies,the Tamil Tigers were responsible for using civilians as human shields during the final stages of the armed conflict with the government of Sri Lanka. However, there is evidence that many civilians were killed as a result of shelling. The Sri Lankan military continued to use heavy weapons despite promising previously that it would stop using them. Download the action End the Cycle of Abuse and Impunity in Sri Lanka in PDF format | Download the action End the Cycle of Abuse and Impunity in Sri Lanka in RTF format
In February 2007, Egyptian authorities sentenced blogger Karim Amer to four years' imprisonment for the "crime" of publishing material on the internet that was critical of Islam and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The former al-Azhar University student was sentenced on 22 February 2007 and the Court of Appeal confirmed the sentence on 12 March of the same year. He was 23 years old at the time.
Human rights defenders working to end violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) do so in the face of grave threats of violence against themselves and their families. Justine Masika Bihamba is coordinator for Synergy of Women for Victims of Sexual Violence (Synergie des femmes contre les violence sexuelles), a women's human rights organization working in the DRC. Because of her work, Justine and her family have been targeted.
Authorities arrested Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khadzhiev in June 2006 on account of their human rights activism. By September of that year, Mr. Amanklychev and Mr. Khadzhiev were serving seven-year prison terms on fabricated charges. Their plight illustrates all too well the grave risks faced by human rights defenders in Turkmenistan.
On December 1, 2004, some 200 people participated in a nonviolent ceremony in Papua Province during which the Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence, was raised in commemoration of the declaration of Papuan independence in 1962. For peacefully raising this flag, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison in Indonesia.
The military rulers of Myanmar have jailed thousands of people in their continuing efforts to crush all dissenting views. Most prominent of those detained is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has spent 13 of the past 18 years under some form of detention.
When the women left their homes that May morning in 2006, they never imagined the horrific experience that lay ahead of them. During a police operation in response to protests by activists from a local peasant organization in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico, over 45 women were arrested without explanation.
The activists of the human rights organization Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) know the price of freedom. For organizing peaceful demonstrations to protest the worsening social, economic and human rights situation in Zimbabwe, WOZA members have been repeatedly harassed, intimidated, beaten and jailed by authorities.
Libyan authorities arrested Fathi el-Jahmi in 2002 after he called for free speech and political reforms during a conference in Tripoli. For that "crime," he was sentenced to five years in prison, but was released in March 2004 following international pressure. Mr. el-Jahmi's freedom proved short-lived, however, as authorities detained him again just weeks later after he repeated his call for democracy during a television interview.
In May 2006 over 45 women were arrested without explanation in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico. Many were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual violence by the police officers who arrested them and then held in prison for days before being released on bail. Download the action Demand Justice for Women of Atenco in PDF format | Download the action Demand Justice for Women of Atenco in RTF format
For peacefully raising a flag at an annual Indonesian ceremony, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison. Amnesty International considers Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage to be prisoners of conscience who have been detained for the peaceful and legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression. Please urge the President of Indonesia to bring about the immediate and unconditional release of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.
Ebrima B. Manneh was arrested in July 2006 at the offices of the newspaper Daily Observer by plainclothes officers, thought to have been from the National Intelligence Agency (NIA). He has been held in incommunicado detention without charge or trial for over two years. Please call on Gambian authorities to release Ebrima Manneh, a prisoner of conscience.
