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Update
Statement on the Impact of US Counter terrorism Efforts in Africa on Human Rights before House Oversight and Reform National Security Subcommittee Dec. 17 2019
The Impact of US Counter terrorism Efforts in Africa on Human Rights Statement from Adotei Akwei Amnesty International USA for the National Security Subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform December 17, 2019 Chairman Lynch, Ranking Member Hice and members of the House Subcommittee on National Security, on behalf of the members and supporters of Amnesty International USA, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to present our concerns and recommendations regarding US Counter terrorism (CT) efforts in Africa and their impact on human rights there. Amnesty International is a global human rights organization, launched in…
December 17, 2019
Press Release
Thousands in Iran arbitrarily detained and at risk of torture in chilling post-protest crackdown
Iran’s authorities are carrying out a vicious crackdown following the outbreak of nationwide protests on November 15, arresting thousands of protesters as well as journalists, human rights defenders and students to stop them from speaking out about Iran’s ruthless repression, said Amnesty International today. The organization has carried out interviews with dozens of people inside Iran who described how, in the days and weeks during and following the protests, the Iranian authorities have held detainees incommunicado and subjected them to enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment. At least 304 people were killed and thousands were injured between November 15 and 18 as authorities crushed…
December 15, 2019
Press Release
The Only Person Making Decisions About Pregnancy Should be the Pregnant Person
Amnesty international USA's director of the Gender, Sexuality and Identity Program, Tarah Demant, said the following in regards to regulations on requirements for ultrasounds for people seeking abortions in Kentucky: "The only person who should be making decisions about a pregnancy is the person who is pregnant. The regulation in Kentucky is meant to slowly chip away at people's rights to their own bodily autonomy with medically unnecessary interventions. "What is at stake with this law and those like it is the right of people to control their own bodies." More information about Amnesty International USA's work on abortion is available here. Media contact:…
December 9, 2019
Press Release
Ukrainian Authorities Must Guarantee Safety and Security of Trans March Participants
The Ukrainian authorities must ensure the safety and security of all participants in the Trans March taking place in Kyiv tomorrow, Amnesty International said, warning that participants are at serious risk of violent attacks. In 2018 the police failed to protect participants in a similar peaceful rally from violent groups who hurled abuse and threw smoke grenades.
November 22, 2019
Press Release
Categorizing Feminism, Atheism, Homosexuality as Crimes Exposes Saudi Arabia’s Dangerous Intolerance
Responding to an official announcement and a promotional video published by Saudi Arabia’s state security agency which categorizes feminism, homosexuality and atheism as ‘extremist ideas,’ Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director, said:
November 12, 2019
Press Release
Release of Journalist Jailed in Morocco After Being Accused of Having an Abortion
Responding to the news that journalist Hajar Raissouni, sentenced to one year in prison over an “unlawful” abortion, was released last night, after she, her fiancé and the three members of medical staff involved in the case received a royal pardon, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Director, said:
October 17, 2019
Press Release
Supreme Court Has An Opportunity To Uphold Equality in Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Cases
In advance of the U.S. Supreme Court's hearing of arguments scheduled in three related cases on whether gender identity and sexual orientation are covered by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, director of the Gender, Sexuality and Identity program at Amnesty International USA, Tarah Demant, said: "The Supreme Court now has an opportunity to uphold the most basic value of equality, a human right that every one of us deserves. "No one should be afraid to be who they are in order to work. We all deserve to be safe at work and know that we will not be…
October 8, 2019
Press Release
El Salvador Agreement Must Be Condemned Immediately
Responding to reports of a cooperative agreement between the United States and El Salvador, which would potentially force certain asylum-seekers to request asylum there, Charanya Krishnaswami, the advocacy director for the Americas at Amnesty International USA, said: “This agreement makes a mockery of the right to asylum. People should not be forced to seek safety in countries where they will not be safe. “El Salvador has one of the highest rates of violence in the world, including gender-based violence so rampant that Amnesty International declared it one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a woman. It…
September 20, 2019
Press Release
Amnesty International to Participate in Hearings and Events at IACHR Sessions
Amnesty International will participate in public hearings on protests and security in Honduras and on limits of access to asylum in the United States, as well as side events on institutional violence and discrimination against women engaged in sex work in the Americas, and on women’s sexual and reproductive rights in Venezuela, during the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ 173rd Period of Sessions from September 23 to October 2 in Washington DC.
September 20, 2019
Press Release
18 Months On, Brazilian Authorities Must Not Let Marielle Franco Killing Remain Unsolved
Six months after authorities in Rio de Janeiro arrested two men accused of killing Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, and committed to continue the investigations in meetings with Amnesty International and Marielle’s family, they have yet to make any meaningful progress in identifying those who ordered the crime and their motives.
September 11, 2019
Press Release
Amnesty Responds to Decision on Third Country Asylum Ban: Safety Should Not Depend on Where People Ask for Protection
Responding to the Ninth Circuit’s decision halting the nationwide injunction of the Trump administration’s third country asylum ban, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for the Americas, Charanya Krishnaswami, said: “The Ninth Circuit has restored an impossible and cruel situation, where parts of the U.S. are now asylum-free zones. People’s ability to access safety should not depend on where they happened to ask for protection. “The asylum ban will force people to seek asylum in countries that are unsafe. Asylum-seekers have the right to protection, safety, and a fair process. We are deeply disappointed with this decision.”
September 11, 2019
Press Release
Trans Asylum Seeker Alejandra is Released, but U.S. Must Guarantee She Remains Safe
Alejandra Barrera, a transgender Salvadorian activist who had been held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention since November 2017, was released late Friday, September 6, 2019, as a result of international advocacy efforts, spearheaded by Amnesty International, the Translatin@ Coalition, National Immigrant Justice Center, and dozens of members of the United States Congress. "Through letters of support, people from around the world gave me the strength to continue in this struggle that was so hard for me. I’m here to keep fighting" said Alejandra in response to advocacy efforts on her behalf. Denise Bell, researcher for refugee and…
September 9, 2019