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Update
Amnesty International USA Statement for the Record for February 9th hearing on “‘Targeted Killing’ and the Rule of Law: The Legal and Human Costs of 20 Years of U.S. Drone Strikes”
On behalf of Amnesty International USA and our members and supporters in the United States, we hereby submit this statement for the record to address our concerns that the United States has at times failed to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights law in its use of air strikes that have harmed large numbers of civilians over the past 20 years.
February 9, 2022
Press Release
Survivors of Gender-Based Violence Abandoned Following Taliban Takeover
Essential services for women and girl survivors of gender-based violence in Afghanistan have been decimated following the Taliban’s takeover of the country, Amnesty International said today.
December 5, 2021
Press Release
Afghanistan Must Have Access to Funds to Avoid Humanitarian Disaster
The international community must urgently ease existing financial restrictions on Afghanistan that are blocking the provision of healthcare, food and other essential services, and expedite delivery of scaled-up humanitarian assistance to avert a mounting crisis that threatens the lives of tens of millions of people, said Amnesty International.
November 23, 2021
Press Release
U.S. Military Denies Misconduct Involved in Kabul Drone Strike That Killed 10 Civilians
Yesterday, senior defense officials concluded there was no misconduct among U.S. military personnel who conducted a drone strike on August 29 in Kabul that killed 10 civilians.
November 4, 2021
Report
Few Routes to Safety for Afghans at Risk of Taliban Reprisals
Nearly two months since airlift operations in Afghanistan ended, those left behind face formidable obstacles to seeking safety outside the country, Amnesty International said today. In an advocacy briefing, the organization highlights how neighboring countries have closed their borders to Afghans without travel documents, leaving many with no choice but to make irregular crossings. Instead of granting protection to people who arrive on their territory in this way - as required by international law - countries across Europe and Central Asia have subjected Afghans to illegal pushbacks, detention and deportation.
October 20, 2021
Press Release
Taliban Must Allow Girls in Afghanistan to Return to School Immediately – New Testimony
Girls in Afghanistan must be allowed to return to secondary school and continue their education, Amnesty International said today as it published new testimonies from pupils and teachers documenting Taliban threats and violence.
October 14, 2021
Press Release
Congress’ Passage of Continuing Resolution Is a Critical First Step in Supporting Afghan Refugees
Today, Congress passed a continuing resolution that includes funding to support Afghans arriving to the United States and ensures that Afghans arriving on humanitarian parole have access to refugee resettlement benefits.
September 30, 2021
Press Release
Taliban Wasting No Time in Stamping Out Human Rights in Afghanistan Says New Briefing
The Taliban are steadily dismantling the human rights gains of the last twenty years, said Amnesty International, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in a new briefing published today, which documents the group’s wide-ranging crackdown since their seizure of Kabul little more than five weeks ago.
September 20, 2021
Press Release
US drone strike in Afghanistan admission a positive first step, but full investigation and accountability now needed
The US must now commit to a full, transparent, and impartial investigation into this incident. Anyone suspected of criminal responsibility should be prosecuted in a fair trial. Survivors and families of the victims should be kept informed of the progress of the investigation and be given full reparation.
September 17, 2021
Press Release
Continued presence of UN mission in Afghanistan essential to monitor and report on abuses
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) must extend the UN’s mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and the UN must supply the staff and resources it needs to monitor, investigate, and report on human rights abuses on the ground in the country, said Amnesty International, ahead of a September 17 vote on renewing the mission’s mandate, which is due to expire that day.
September 14, 2021
Press Release
Amnesty International USA Joins Welcome.US Initiative to Mobilize Support for Afghan Refugees in the United States
Following the ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, Amnesty International USA is joining Welcome.US – a newly launched national initiative built across sectors, political parties, and all walks of life – to empower Americans to welcome and support our new Afghan neighbors.
September 14, 2021
Press Release
Biden’s Plan Continues to Fail Those Most at Risk in Afghanistan
Responding to President Biden’s remarks today, Paul O’Brien, the executive director of Amnesty International USA said: “Adhering to his arbitrarily determined deadline, President Biden failed to put in place a successful plan for the evacuation of all Afghans at greatest risk. His plan fails those most at risk in Afghanistan and abdicates the U.S. government’s obligations to the Afghan people, obligations made heavy by the weight of a two-decade military presence. At this very moment at-risk journalists, interpreters, and women’s rights activists left behind in Afghanistan desperately phone their contacts abroad, asking for help. Their fears are real.” Amnesty International…
August 31, 2021