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Press Release

The release of long-time Malaysian opposition leader and Amnesty International prisoner of conscience Anwar Ibrahim is a landmark moment for human rights in the country, the organization said today.    Anwar, who has twice been imprisoned on politically motivated “sodomy” and corruption charges, received a royal pardon following last week’s election win for the Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Mahathir Mohamad. Amnesty International has campaigned on Anwar’s case for 20 years.    “Anwar should never have been jailed in the first place, and his long overdue release is an important step towards the restoration of justice and human rights in Malaysia after so many years of political persecution by previous governments,” said Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.    “This day should go down as a landmark moment for human rights in…

May 16, 2018

Press Release

The City of Miami Beach passed a resolution today declaring the city to be a “Refugees Welcome” zone. Courtney Levine, member and group coordinator for Amnesty International USA, issued this statement:

May 16, 2018

Press Release

The City of Saratoga Springs issued a mayoral proclamation declaring the city to be a “Refugees Welcome” zone.

May 16, 2018

Press Release

Dozens of celebrated writers, poets, and artists have called for the lifting of all restrictions on Chinese poet and artist Liu Xia, held under illegal house arrest without charge since October 2010. This show of literary solidarity comes following revelations about Liu Xia’s declining health, which she revealed in April during a harrowing phone conversation with friend and exiled writer Liao Yiwu. Rita Dove, Paul Auster, JM Coetzee, Khaled Hosseini, Hu Ping, and Michael Chabon are among the group of writers who have read excerpts of Liu Xia’s poetry as part of a video campaign advocating for her freedom. Khaled…

May 16, 2018

Press Release

Reacting to news that Gina Haspel has received support from Democratic Sen. Warner for the role of CIA Director, Daphne Eviatar, Director of Security with Human Rights at Amnesty International USA stated:   “Due to the overwhelming public evidence suggesting Haspel’s participation and compliance with crimes including torture, enforced disappearance, and obstruction of justice, Haspel’s nomination is an affront to human rights. This country has not held any officials accountable for the use of torture, so it’s even more outrageous that the government is considering someone to the chief intelligence position in spite of her alleged participation in that clearly illegal…

May 15, 2018

Press Release

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan is visiting the White House for the first time this week. He will meet with President Trump to discuss issues such as trade and investment, as well as regional security.

May 15, 2018

Report

Human rights defenders in Pakistan are under threat from a targeted campaign of digital attacks, which has seen social media accounts hacked and computers and mobile phones infected with spyware, a four-month investigation by Amnesty International reveals. In a new report released today, “Human Rights Under Surveillance: Digital Threats against Human Rights Defenders in Pakistan”, Amnesty International reveals how attackers are using fake online identities and social media profiles to ensnare Pakistani human rights defenders online and mark them out for surveillance and cybercrime. “We uncovered an elaborate network of attackers who are using sophisticated and sinister methods to target…

May 15, 2018

Report

The Sengwer Indigenous people of Embobut Forest, Kenya are being forced from their homes and dispossessed of their ancestral lands by the grossly flawed, illegal and violent actions of the Kenyan government, Amnesty International said in a new report launched today. The report, Families Torn Apart: Forced Evictions of Indigenous People in Embobut Forest, Kenya, looks at the implementation of the government’s 2013 decision to relocate and resettle all residents of Embobut Forest in order to reduce deforestation. “The Sengwer people were never genuinely consulted nor was their free and informed consent ever obtained prior to their eviction. This is a flagrant…

May 14, 2018

Press Release

Reacting to the opening of the United States embassy in Jerusalem, Raed Jarrar, Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International USA stated: “Today, on the eve of Palestinians’ commemoration of the Nakba, the displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians 70 years ago from their homes and towns, the United States has chosen to reward the illegal annexation of occupied territory by moving its embassy and recognizing unified Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. “The Trump administration may portray this action as simply hauling desks from one building to another. But in reality this move…

May 14, 2018

Press Release

Increased global activism is crucial to pressuring Brazilian authorities into solving the killing of the human rights defender and city councilor Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes, said Amnesty International today, two months after they were shot dead in Rio de Janeiro. “Without international solidarity, we fear Marielle’s tragic killing will not be solved. Two months on, we must keep mobilizing to show the Brazilian authorities that people here and all over the world won’t rest until justice is done,” said Jurema Werneck, Executive Director of Amnesty International Brazil. “Every day that goes by without developments casts fresh doubt…

May 12, 2018

Update

As U.S. President Trump meets Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Amnesty International urges the White House to raise human rights concerns.

May 12, 2018

Press Release

Responding to the disruption by far-right groups of an LGBTI rights meeting organized by Amnesty International in Kyiv on Thursday evening, Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Regional Office, said:

May 11, 2018