Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Press Release
UN: Decisive action needed to ban killer robots – before it’s too late
As rapid technological advances bring “killer robots” ever closer to reality, Amnesty International is calling on states to support the negotiation of new international law to ban fully autonomous weapons systems. The Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems will meet in Geneva between 27 and 31 August 2018. The meeting is a key moment for states to discuss options for addressing the human rights, humanitarian, ethical and security challenges posed by fully autonomous weapons systems. “Killer robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction. From artificially intelligent drones to automated guns…
August 26, 2018
Press Release
Amnesty International Reaction to Conclusion of Trial of Death of Hadiya Pendleton
“Hadiya’s heartbreaking story touched the hearts of so many, but as this trial ends the real work to end gun violence continues,” said Victoria Coy, gun violence campaigner at Amnesty International USA. “For every headline about a promising life cut short, there are thousands that go unnoticed. Our own research shows that many gun-related homicides in communities of color, including in Chicago, remain unsolved and unprosecuted, resulting in impunity for the perpetrators, and feeding the cycle of violence. "Gun violence is a human rights crisis that has turned our streets and playgrounds and schools into killing grounds, and our leaders…
August 23, 2018
Press Release
Myanmar: Shameful anniversary highlights lack of accountability for atrocities against Rohingya
World leaders’ failure to act has allowed the Myanmar security forces’ perpetrators of crimes against humanity to remain at large for a year after their murderous campaign against the Rohingya prompted an exodus of epic proportions, Amnesty International said today.
August 23, 2018
Press Release
IRAN: NAZANIN ZAGHARI-RATCLIFFE RELEASE ‘WELCOME NEWS AND A MUCH-NEEDED RESPITE’
Responding to news that Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been granted a three-day “furlough” release from Evin Prison in Iran, Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s Director, said: “This is welcome news and a much-needed respite for Nazanin. “We hope two things will now happen - first, that this three-day period will be extended, but far more importantly that it’s followed by her full and unconditional release. “This has gone on far too long. Nazanin is a prisoner of conscience who should never have been jailed in the first place. She should be freed once and for all and allowed to travel back…
August 23, 2018
Report
Florida’s diehard pursuit of the death penalty is a blot on the Sunshine State
Florida’s approach to the death penalty is deepening its outlier status on this human rights issue and has now added an extra layer of arbitrariness to its already discriminatory and error-prone capital justice system, Amnesty International said in a new report released today.  “While several US states have embraced abolition in recent years, Florida remains a diehard proponent of the death penalty and one of a handful of states that account for the bulk of executions in the USA,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International. “Despite its capital sentencing law being found unconstitutional two years ago, Florida still has the second largest…
August 23, 2018
Press Release
Saudi Arabia: Outrageous ongoing detention of women’s rights defenders reaches 100 days
The ongoing arbitrary detention of several women’s rights defenders in Saudi Arabia is outrageous, Amnesty International said today, as three prominent activists reach 100 days of being held without charge.
August 22, 2018
Press Release
Saudi Arabia: Appalling plan to execute female activist must be stopped
Responding to news that Saudi Arabia is seeking the death penalty for five individuals who face trial before Saudi Arabia’s counter-terror court, including Israa al-Ghomgham, who would be the first woman ever to face the death penalty simply for participating in protests, Samah Hadid, Amnesty International’s Middle East Director of Campaigns, said:
August 22, 2018
Press Release
Amnesty International USA Calls Upon Department of Defense to Investigate Civilian Casualties
The Department of Defense should investigate thoroughly all claims of civilian casualties caused by its Raqqa offensive as well as all US military operations going forward Amnesty International urged in a letter to Secretary of Defense James N. Mattis following the US-led Coalition's acknowledgement of 77 civilian casualties as a result of military operations in Raqqa. Following Amnesty International's report 'War of annihilation’: Devastating Toll on Civilians, Raqqa – Syria, in June, Amnesty's researchers have cause to believe many civilian causalities remain unacknowledged based on conversations conducted with survivors and witnesses in Raqqa. "Victims and survivors in Raqqa are living with the unimaginable pain of having…
August 21, 2018
Update
Amnesty Sends Letter to the National Security Council on Recommendations on Key Human Rights Issues to Raise at U.N. General Assembly
August 21, 2018 Rear Admiral Garry E. Hall Senior Director for International Organizations and Alliances National Security Council The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, First Floor, West Wing Washington, DC 20500  Re: Recommendations on Key Human Rights Issues to Raise at U.N. General Assembly  Dear Admiral Hall: Nearly one year ago at the 2017 U.N. General Assembly, Vice-President Pence and Ambassador Haley used their speeches to draw attention to Rohingya who were fleeing the Myanmar military’s ethnic cleansing campaign into neighboring Bangladesh. Their speeches helped set the stage for a series of important measures implemented…
August 21, 2018
Press Release
Cambodia: Land rights activist Tep Vanny released from prison following royal pardon
Responding to the news that human rights defender Tep Vanny has been released from prison following a royal pardon after more than 700 days in detention, Minar Pimple, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Global Operations, said:
August 20, 2018
Press Release
Amnesty International USA calls on the Trump administration to halt possible deportation of Mauritanian asylum seekers in the US
Amnesty International USA calls upon the Trump administration to refrain from deporting Mauritanians who have sought refuge and safety in the United States without renewed and fair consideration of their claims for protection. Many of them had previously sought asylum based on fears of human rights abuses including possible enslavement and racial discrimination. The Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigration policies enforced by ICE would place hundreds and possibly thousands of Mauritanians at risk upon their return to the west African nation. “The deportation of individuals back to an environment where they risk possible enslavement shows disdain for their human dignity and…
August 20, 2018
Press Release
Kofi Annan, lifelong champion of justice, peace and dignity
Responding to this morning’s announcement of the passing of Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his humanitarian work, Kumi Naidoo, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said: “The world has lost a great leader. Kofi’s dedication and drive for a more peaceful and just world, his lifelong championing of human rights, and the dignity and grace with which he led will be sorely missed in a world which needs these characteristics more than ever. “I had the enormous privilege to work with Kofi on tackling climate change, poverty, and gender equality. I saw first-hand his…
August 18, 2018