Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Report
Catastrophic immigration policies resulted in more family separations than previously disclosed
The US government has deliberately adopted immigration policies and practices that caused catastrophic harm to thousands of people seeking safety in the United States, including the separation of over 6,000 family units in a four-month period, more than previously disclosed by authorities, Amnesty International said in a new report released today.
October 11, 2018
Update
Human Rights on Capitol Hill October Edition
To view PDF click here: Human Rights on Capitol Hill October Human Rights on Capitol Hill published by Amnesty International USA  October 9, 2018  In this edition of Human Rights on Capitol Hill: 1) Vetting of Brett Kavanaugh on Human Rights is Insufficient 2) Trump Administration Continues to Degrade International Human Rights 3) Refugees - Administration Sets All-Time Low Refugee Cap that Disproportionately Harms Mid East and African Refugees 4) Amnesty International Directors from Kenya, Ukraine, and Argentina Urge Congress to Sustain Robust Humanitarian Aid and to Protect Women and LGBTI Communities 5) Turkey – Amnesty International Testifies at Lantos Commission…
October 9, 2018
Update
End Impunity for Hatred and Violence in Ukraine: Amnesty International USA Letter to Interior Minister Avakov
At Amnesty International, we strongly believe in the power of a letter. Our story began in 1961, when British lawyer Peter Benenson read a newspaper story about two Portuguese students who were jailed for raising their glasses in a toast to freedom. He urged reader to write letters on behalf of the detained and thousands heeded his call. During our largest annual human rights campaign, people around the world write letters on behalf of people who need urgent help. As part of our "Write for Rights Campaign," Amnesty International USA's advocacy director, Daniel Balson, wrote a letter to Ukraine's Minister of…
October 9, 2018
Press Release
Alleged assassination of Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi Consulate in Istanbul would set abysmal new low
Responding to reports alleging that Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi was killed inside his country’s consulate in Istanbul, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director Lynn Maalouf said:
October 7, 2018
Press Release
Kavanaugh Confirmation Is Devastating
Responding to news that the Senate voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court, Daphne Eviatar, Amnesty International USA's Director of Security with Human Rights said:  “Kavanaugh’s confirmation is devastating as unresolved questions remain about his human rights record, including in relation to the U.S. government’s use of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, such as during the CIA detention program, and as a truly thorough, impartial and transparent investigation of sexual assault allegations has not occurred."  “The vote should have never gone forward in the first place. The fact that the FBI did not even speak to those who…
October 6, 2018
Press Release
Amnesty International USA Calls for Reform of Lethal Force Laws following Laquan McDonald Decision
Reacting to the guilty verdict around the 2014 fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, Kristina Roth, Senior Program Officer at Amnesty International USA stated:
October 5, 2018
Press Release
Nobel Peace Prize: Courageous work of Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad highlights need to fight impunity for rape in war
In response to news that Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege and Yezidi human rights activist Nadia Murad have jointly won the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Kumi Naidoo said: “Warmest congratulations to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad for this recognition of their courageous work standing up for the victims of sexual violence in conflict. They are beacons of hope in a world where rape and other forms of sexual violence continue to be a frequent and horrific feature of wartime attacks, often used to brutalize, silence and spread fear. “We understand Denis Mukwege was in surgery when the…
October 5, 2018
Report
Greece: Refugee women speak out against violence, dangerous conditions and official neglect
Women fleeing war and conflict are coming together to fight against horrific abuses, including sexual violence, and to demand a better life in Europe, Amnesty International reveals in a new report published today. I want to decide my future: Uprooted women in Greece speak out, reveals the perilous journeys made by women and girls and the terrible conditions and dangers they face when they finally arrive on the Greek islands or mainland. It also highlights the tremendous resilience and strength these women have shown in overcoming adversity. “The abject failure of European governments to open safe and legal routes to…
October 4, 2018
Press Release
Next government in Cameroon must tackle human rights crises in violence-hit regions
Cameroon’s next government must urgently tackle human rights crises in which hundreds of civilians have been killed this year alone and thousands internally displaced amid violence by security forces, Boko Haram and armed separatists in the country’s Far North and Anglophone regions, Amnesty International said ahead of Sunday’s presidential election. “Whoever wins the election cannot ignore the perilous situation for people living in the Far North and Anglophone regions and must prioritize their protection,” said Samira Daoud, Amnesty International Deputy regional director for West and Central Africa. “For far too long, numerous human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, torture, enforced…
October 4, 2018
Press Release
EXPULSION OF SEVEN ROHINGYA: A DARK DAY FOR INDIA TODAY
Today, seven Rohingya men, Mohammad Jalal, Mokbul Khan, Jalal Uddin, Mohammad Youns, Sabbir Ahamed, Rahim Uddin and Mohammad Salam were forcibly returned to Myanmar by the Indian Government. These seven men are at grave risk of being subjected to serious human rights violations by the Myanmar government, said Amnesty India today. “Today’s decision by the Supreme Court marks a dark day for human rights in India. This decision negates India’s proud tradition of providing refuge to those fleeing serious human rights violations. It endangers the most persecuted population in the world and is bereft of any empathy,” said Aakar Patel,…
October 4, 2018
Press Release
Peru: Decision to overturn Fujimori pardon confirms that victims’ rights must take priority over political decisions
In response to the decision of the Preparatory Trial Court of the Supreme Court of Justice to overturn the pardon granted to former President Alberto Fujimori on December 24, 2017, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said: “The court’s ruling is a victory for the victims of the serious human rights violations that former President Fujimori was sentenced to 25 years in prison for. It is an acknowledgment of the historic struggle of the families of the victims, who have for decades been defending their rights to truth, justice and reparation. This decision sends a clear message that crimes…
October 3, 2018