Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Report
Hundreds in Turkey Arrested in Crackdown on Critics of Military Offensive in Syria
Hundreds of people have been detained in Turkey for commenting or reporting on Turkey’s recent military offensive in northeast Syria and are facing absurd criminal charges as the government intensifies its crackdown on critical voices, said Amnesty International in a report published today.
November 1, 2019
Press Release
Gruesome String Of Fatalities in Iraq As New Tear Gas Grenades Pierce Protester’s Skulls
The Iraqi authorities must ensure anti-riot police and other security forces in Baghdad immediately stop using two previously unseen types of tear gas grenade to kill rather than disperse protesters, Amnesty International urged today after its investigation found they caused at least five protester deaths in as many days.
October 31, 2019
Press Release
Scores of Activists Targeted with NSO Spyware on WhatsApp
Responding to a statement by WhatsApp on Tuesday that spyware produced by the Israeli firm NSO Group was used to target more than 100 human rights activists, Danna Ingleton, Deputy Director of Amnesty Tech, said:
October 29, 2019
Press Release
Military Atrocities ‘Relentless and Ruthless’ in Myanmar’s Northern Shan State
Amnesty International has gathered fresh evidence that the Myanmar military is continuing to commit atrocities against ethnic minorities in the north of the country, with civilians bearing the brunt of offensives against multiple armed groups. The conflicts show no sign of abating, raising the prospect of further violations.
October 23, 2019
Press Release
Turkish Military Offensive Risks a Humanitarian Catastrophe in SyriaÂ
The military offensive by Turkey in northeast Syria risks devastating humanitarian consequences and a further destabilization of the region, warned Amnesty International’s Europe Director, Marie Struthers, reiterating the call on Turkey to respect international law.
October 11, 2019
Report
Human Rights Defenders in Morocco Targeted Using Malicious NSO Israeli Spyware
Two prominent human rights defenders in Morocco have been targeted using surveillance technology developed by the Israeli-based company NSO Group, according to new research published by Amnesty Tech today.
October 9, 2019
Press Release
Civilians at risk in Syria as Turkish military offensive looms
Responding to the Turkish government’s statements that its forces are set to cross into northeast Syria “shortly” as part of an offensive to move US-backed Kurdish forces away from its border, Amnesty International’s Middle East Research Director Lynn Maalouf said: “As the Turkish military gears up to attack Kurdish forces in northeast Syria, it is imperative that all parties to this conflict respect international humanitarian law, including by refraining from carrying out attacks on civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. “As in other parts of Syria, scores of civilians in northeast Syria have already suffered…
October 9, 2019
Press Release
U.S. Military Shows Appalling Disregard for Civilians Killed in Somalia Air Strike
An investigation by Amnesty International has revealed that three men killed in a U.S. military air strike in March after being targeted as “Al-Shabaab terrorists” were in fact civilian farmers with no evidence of links to the armed group.
September 30, 2019
Press Release
U.S.-Made Bomb Used In Deadly Air Strike On Yemeni Civilians
A precision-guided munition made in the USA was used in a Saudi and Emirati-led air strike carried out on June 28 of this year, on a residential home in Ta’iz governorate, Yemen, killing six civilians – including three children, Amnesty International said today.
September 25, 2019
Press Release
U.S. House Passes Burma Act – Senate Majority Leader McConnell Should Advance Myanmar Accountability
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the BURMA Act, legislation which would advance efforts to hold senior Myanmar military leaders accountable for crimes against the Rohingya and against other ethnic minorities in Kachin, Rakhine, and Shan States.
September 24, 2019
Press Release
Shocking disregard for civilians as U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan adds to death toll
Responding to the reported killing of numerous farmers in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan, on the same day that 20 civilians were reportedly killed in a suicide bomb attack on a hospital, Amnesty International USA’s Security with Human Rights Director Daphne Eviatar said: “On yet another deadly day in Afghanistan, once again it is civilians who bear the brunt of the violence involving armed groups, the Afghan government and their backers in the U.S. military. “That a U.S. drone strike purportedly targeting IS militants could instead result in the deaths of scores of farmers is unacceptable and suggests a shocking disregard for…
September 19, 2019
Press Release
Marshall Billingslea Should Not be Confirmed for Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights
As today’s hearing takes place before the United States Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Marshall Billingslea’s nomination to be Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights at the Department of State, given Mr. Billingslea’s well-documented history of advocating for the use of torture and other unlawful interrogation practices, Amnesty International USA is calling on the Committee to vote No. “There has been ample evidence that Mr. Billingslea encouraged the use of interrogation methods that amount to torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment while he served in the Bush Administration”, said Daphne Eviatar, Director of Security with…
September 19, 2019