Latest News
Slovak government urged to end segregation for Romani children
A new Amnesty International briefing points to serious gaps in the enforcement and monitoring of the ban on discrimination and segregation in the Slovak educational system.
2010-09-02
Slovak government urged to end segregation for Romani children
Amnesty International is urging the Slovak government to immediately end the segregation of Romani children in the country’s education system
2010-09-02
Bosnia and Herzegovina must reject Burqa ban
Amnesty International urges the country's parliament to reject a draft law, set to be debated this week, prohibiting the wearing in public of clothes which prevent identification.
2010-09-01
Mozambique police must only use live ammunition to protect life during demonstrations
Amnesty International today urged Mozambique’s police not to use live ammunition to disperse violent demonstrations in the capital Maputo unless lives are at risk
2010-09-01
Cambodia urged to release jailed human rights worker
Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have urged the Cambodian government to immediately release a human rights worker who was sentenced to two years in prison for giving out anti-government leaflets.
2010-09-01
Mozambique police must only use live ammunition to protect life during demonstrations
Up to six people, including two children, were reportedly killed in the capital Maputo on Wednesday during clashes between police and demonstrators.
2010-09-01
Mozambique police must only use live ammunition to protect life during demonstrations
Amnesty International today urged Mozambique's police not to use live ammunition to disperse violent demonstrations in the capital Maputo unless lives are at risk.
2010-09-01
Vague laws used to criminalise criticism of government in Rwanda
A new Amnesty International report details how the ambiguity of the 'genocide ideology' and 'sectarianism' laws is used to suppress political dissent and stifle freedom of speech.
2010-08-31
Rwanda: Vague laws used to criminalise criticism of government
Rwanda’s new government must urgently review vague ‘genocide ideology’ and ‘sectarianism’ laws that are being used to suppress political dissent and stifle freedom of speech, Amnesty International said in a report released today
2010-08-31
Amnesty International Urges Bosnia and Herzegovina to Reject the Burqa Ban
2010-08-31
Bosnia and Herzegovina must reject Burqa ban
Amnesty International is urging the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject a draft law prohibiting wearing in public clothes which prevent identification which is set to be debated tomorrow
2010-08-31
Mexican indigenous human rights activist released after two years in prison
Amnesty International has welcomed the release of a Mexican indigenous human rights activist who was imprisoned for over two years on a fabricated murder charge.
2010-08-31
Bosnia and Herzegovina must reject Burqa ban
Amnesty International is urging the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject a draft law prohibiting wearing in public clothes which prevent identification which is set to be debated tomorrow
2010-08-31
Amnesty International Welcomes Release of Raúl Hernández
2010-08-31
France must end stigmatization of Roma and Travellers
Around 280 Roma were returned to Romania and Bulgaria this week, as part of a plan to return around 800 people by the end of August.
2010-08-27
Palestinian anti-wall protester convicted by Israeli military court
Abdallah Abu Rahma, head of the "Popular Committee Against the Wall" in the West Bank village of Bil'in, now faces imprisonment for exercising his right to freedom of expression.
2010-08-27
Kenya refuses to arrest Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir
Amnesty International has criticized the Kenyan government for its failure to arrest Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir during his visit to the country to join celebrations ushering in Kenya's new constitution.
2010-08-27
Egypt must not try factory workers before a military court
Amnesty International calls for the eight men, all detained after taking part in a protest against poor safety conditions, to be tried by a civilian court for recognizable criminal offences.
2010-08-27
Zimbabwe: Armed police torch homes of 250 people in Harare
Amnesty International is calling on the Zimbabwean government to take immediate action to protect some 250 people who were forcibly evicted before their homes and possessions were set alight during a night raid by armed Zimbabwean police.
2010-08-27
Yemen abandons human rights in the name of countering terrorism
The Yemeni authorities must stop sacrificing human rights in the name of security as they confront threats from al-Qa'ida, Zaidi Shi'a rebels in the north, and address growing demands for secession in the south.
2010-08-25
Yemen abandons human rights in the name of countering terrorism
The Yemeni authorities must stop sacrificing human rights in the name of security as they confront threats from al-Qa’ida, Zaidi Shi'a rebels in the north, and address growing demands for secession in the south, Amnesty International said today in a new report
2010-08-25
Indian government rejection of Vedanta bauxite mine a "landmark victory" for Indigenous rights
Amnesty International today described the Indian government's decision to reject the bauxite mine project in Orissa's Niyamgiri Hills as a landmark victory for the human rights of Indigenous communities.
2010-08-25
UN must not use flawed data on cause of Nigeria oil spills
Amnesty International has challenged the credibility of data cited by a senior UN official investigating oil-impacted sites in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta, Nigeria.
2010-08-24
India rejection of Vedanta mine a landmark victory for Indigenous rights
Amnesty International has described the Indian government's decision to reject the bauxite mine project in Orissa's Niyamgiri Hills as a landmark victory for the human rights of Indigenous communities.
2010-08-24
Nigeria: UN must not use flawed data on cause of oil spills
Amnesty International today challenged the credibility of data cited by a senior UN official investigating oil-impacted sites in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta
2010-08-24
Indian government rejection of Vedanta bauxite mine a "landmark victory" for Indigenous rights
Amnesty International today described the Indian government’s decision to reject the bauxite mine project in Orissa’s Niyamgiri Hills as a landmark victory for the human rights of Indigenous communities
2010-08-24
Nigeria: UN must not use flawed data on cause of oil spills
Amnesty International today challenged the credibility of data cited by a senior UN official investigating oil-impacted sites in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta.
2010-08-24
Burundi must investigate those accused of torturing opposition politicians
Amnesty International research details how during the country's recent elections, 12 people were slapped, kicked and hit, at times with batons, while in detention.
2010-08-23
Burundi: Investigate those accused of torturing opposition politicians
Burundian authorities must investigate allegations that state security officials tortured 12 opposition politicians during the country’s recent elections, Amnesty International said today
2010-08-23
Latest Reports
WHO country report, current health indicators
2010-07-28
Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: As safe as houses? Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes
Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in East Jerusalem and the rest of the west bank face such tight
restrictions on what they can build that their right to adequate housing is being violated. the Israeli authorities
condemn as "illegal" homes and other structures built without the permits that they control and rarely allow to
Palestinian residents, and then order their destruction. Demolition crews, accompanied by security officials, may
arrive at any time, giving families little notice or opportunity to remove their possessions.
2010-06-25
USA: Normalizing delay, perpetuating injustice, undermining the 'rules of the road'
2010-06-24
USA: More of the same: New Manual for military commissions confirms acquittal may not mean release
Like its predecessor ? released by the Bush administration in 2007 ? the new Manual for Military Commissions confirms that the current US administration, like its predecessor, reserves the right to continue to detain individuals indefinitely even if they have been acquitted by a military commission.
2010-04-29
USA: Double standards or international standards? Crucial decision on 9/11 trial forum "weeks" away
Amnesty International has long called for any Guantánamo detainee whom the USA intends to prosecute to be promptly charged and brought to fair criminal trial in an independent and impartial tribunal applying fair trial standards.
2010-04-28
USA: Military commission proceedings against Omar Khadr resume, as USA disregards its international human rights obligations
Omar Khadr?s trial by military commission is currently scheduled to begin on 12 July 2010. The main issue at the pre-trial proceedings due to begin in Guantánamo on 27 April will be the question of whether statements given by Omar Khadr in US military custody can be relied upon by the prosecution.
2010-04-27
Turkey: Summary of Amnesty International's Concerns in Turkey, July to December 2009
In this document Amnesty International highlights its concerns in Turkey between June and December 2009. These include freedom of association; human rights defenders; prosecution of children; deaths in custody; prison conditions; impunity, the rights of refugees and conscientious objection.
2010-03-08
USA: Daily injustice, immeasurable damage
Each day that passes without accountability, remedy and resolution of detainee cases in line with US human rights and humanitarian law obligations compounds the damage done to the vision of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights already wrought by actions taken by the USA in the name of ?countering terrorism? over recent years. An end to the injustice is long overdue. The US administration and Congress must do the right thing now.
2010-03-05
Myanmar: The repression of ethnic minority activists in Myanmar
Report embargoed until 04.00 GMT 16 February 2010. Later this year, Myanmar will hold its first national and local elections in 20 years against a backdrop of political repression and unresolved armed conflicts. The country’s record on human rights is extremely poor. Myanmar’s 50 million people continue to suffer from poverty and public health challenges, wrought largely by the government’s long-standing economic mismanagement. As this report conveys, there are real reasons to fear that the 2010 elections will intensify the already severe repression of political critics, in particular those from the country’s large and diverse population of ethnic minorities.
2010-02-16
India: Don't mine us out of existence: Bauxite mine and refinery devastate lives in India
Plans to mine bauxite and expand a refinery in Orissa, eastern India, have thrown the lives of local communities into turmoil. In April 2009, the Indian authorities approved a joint venture to mine bauxite in the Niyamgiri Hills for the next 25 years. This report demonstrates how local communities have been systematically denied information about the proposed mining and refinery expansion projects and have not been adequately consulted. Their rights to water, health and their way of life have been seriously compromised as a result.
2010-02-09
Mexico: Standing up for justice and dignity: Human rights defenders in Mexico
Mexico is a dangerous place for human rights defenders. They face threats, harassment and intimidation, spurious criminal charges and wrongful prosecution. Some activists have even been killed in relation to their human rights work. Threats, attacks and killings of human rights defenders are rarely investigated effectively by either federal or state authorities. Impunity in cases of abuses against human rights defenders fosters a climate of intimidation, fear and insecurity. This report documents cases of abuses against human rights defenders and ends with recommendations to the state and federal authorities.
2010-01-21
Somalia: International military and policing assistance should be reviewed
2010-01-21
USA: Still failing human rights in the name of global
As detentions in the US Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay enter their ninth year, and the 22 January 2010 deadline for the detention facility?s closure approaches only to be missed, the administration has registered "wins" in two recent court decisions on the detentions. This paper looks at the two decisions and places them in the context of the USA?s failure to end the Guantánamo detentions. It argues that the missed deadline is a symptom of the failure of the US government to properly confront the detentions as an international human rights issue.
2010-01-20
Morocco/Western Sahara: Broken Promises: The Equity and Reconciliation Commission and its Follow-up
This report provides an assessment by Amnesty International of the work of the Equity and Reconciliation Commission and the efforts of the Advisory Council on Human Rights to follow-up on its work and recommendations after the end of the Commission’s mandate in November 2005. It outlines Amnesty International’s concerns that the rights of victims to truth, justice and adequate reparation have not been fully met as set out in international human rights law and standards; and offers recommendations in light of Morocco’s international obligations.
2010-01-06
USA: Blocked at Every Turn: The Absence of Effective Remedy for Counter-Terrorism Abuses
Amnesty International has been calling on the US government to ensure that the USA's counter-terrorism laws, policies and practices, including bringing to justice in fair trials those accused of involvement in the September 11, 2001 attacks, comply with international law and standards.
2009-12-16
USA: US Must Reform Afghanistan Detention Policy as New Facility Opens
The Obama administration should revise its detention policies in Afghanistan to make them consistent with international law, Amnesty International, Human Rights First, and Human Rights Watch have said.
2009-12-16
Mexico: New reports of human rights violations by the military
Amnesty International is receiving increasing allegations of serious human rights violations, such as enforced disappearance, extrajudicial executions and other unlawful killings, torture and other ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention, being committed by members of the Mexican military. The cases documented in this report show that both civilian and military authorities frequently fail to investigate these reports in a prompt, impartial and effective manner. Amnesty International hopes this report and its recommendations will help the Mexican government address this pattern of serious human rights violations swiftly and effectively.
2009-12-08
Solomon Islands. End Impunity Through Universal Jurisdiction (No Safe Haven Series No. 6)
2009-12-07
Iran: Election contested, repression compounded
2009-12-07
Cuba: The US embargo against Cuba: Its impact on economic and social rights
For nearly half a century, the USA has unilaterally imposed an economic, commercial, and financial embargo against Cuba. This document reiterates previous Amnesty International recommendations calling for the lifting of the US embargo. The document highlights the detrimental impact of the US embargo on the efforts by UN agencies and programmes supporting the Cuban government in the progressive realization of economic and social rights. In this report, Amnesty International focuses on the right to health by highlighting how the trade and financial sanctions affect the provision of health care in Cuba.
2009-12-07
Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: Hadidiya and Humsa Hamlets (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Palestinian families living in Humsa and Hadidiya hamlets in the Jordan Valley region of the West Bank, part of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, face a daily threat of forcible eviction from their homes by the Israeli army. Their movement is restricted and they are denied access to the water and land they need for survival. In this case sheet Amnesty international calls for the demolition and expulsion orders to be rescinded, for discrimination and harassment to end, and for confiscated property to be returned.
2009-12-05
Uzbekistan: Azam Farmonov and Alisher Karamatov (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Azam Farmonov and Alisher Karamatov are prisoners of conscience, detained on 29 April 2006 as they defended the rights of local farmers who had accused district farming officials of malpractice, extortion and corruption. The two men were allegedly tortured, charged with extortion and subjected to an unfair trial where they were denied adequate legal representation. In this case sheet Amnesty International calls for their immediate and unconditional release and, in the meantime, appropriate medical treatment.
2009-12-05
Greece: Konstantina Kuneva (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Konstantina Kuneva, a Bulgarian migrant worker and trade union leader, was severely injured in a sulphuric acid attack by unknown men. She lost her sight in one eye and her larynx, oesophagus and stomach were seriously damaged. In this case sheet Amnesty International demands that the investigation into the attack is continued, leading to the perpetrators being brought to justice, and for the protection of human rights defenders and trade union members from similar attacks.
2009-12-05
Viet Nam: Nguyen Van Dai and Le Thi Cong Nhan (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Human rights lawyers Nguyen Van Dai, aged 40, and Le Thi Cong Nhan, aged 30, were jailed in May 2007 for "conducting propaganda against the State." Amnesty International considers them prisoners of conscience and is calling for their immediate and unconditional release. In this case sheet Amnesty International calls for their immediate and unconditional release.
2009-12-05
Nicaragua: Nine women's rights defenders (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Nine women’s rights defenders are facing legal proceedings for their involvement in the case of a nine-year-old girl who obtained a legal abortion in Nicaragua after she was raped and became pregnant. It is feared that they have been targeted for their human rights work, particularly in the area of reproductive health. In this case sheet Amnesty International expresses its concern about the unresolved complaint against these women and urges the Nicaraguan authorities to resolve the case and to ensure that they can carry on their work free from intimidation.
2009-12-05
Colombia: The Peace Community of San José de Apartadó (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Members of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in Colombia have been the focus of suspicion and hostility from all parties to the armed conflict since the Community’s formation in 1997. More than 170 have been killed since then, mostly at the hands of paramilitaries, either acting alone or with the collusion of the security forces. Guerrilla groups have also been responsible for a number of killings. In this case sheet Amnesty International urges the Colombian authorities to investigate human rights abuses against the members of the Community.
2009-12-05
Ethiopia: Birtukan Mideksa (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Birtukan Mideksa, an opposition party leader, is serving a life sentence in Kaliti Prison in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression and association. In this case sheet Amnesty International expresses its concern about the life sentence re-imposed following her re-arrest and calls for her immediate and unconditional release.
2009-12-05
Nepal: Rita Mahato (Letter writing marathon case sheet)
Human rights defender Rita Mahato has been threatened with death, rape and kidnapping as a result of her work helping women in Nepal who have suffered acts of violence. She is a health adviser at the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC). The police have failed to provide Rita Mahato with protection or to investigate the threats, and she fears for her life. In this case sheet Amnesty International urges the police to protect human rights defenders.
2009-12-05
The Gender Trap: Women, Violence and Poverty
Most of the people living in poverty in the world are women. Discrimination is a key driver of poverty. In some countries discrimination against women is built into the law. The violence women face helps keep them poor, and it is poor women who are most exposed to violence. Women continue to be most affected by poverty, violence, environmental degradation and diseases. They continue to be targeted in armed conflicts and face restrictions on their freedom and autonomy. Women's voices must be heard. Their contributions must be recognized and encouraged.
2009-11-25
