Newsroom

We put a human face on complex issues to hold governments accountable.

Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.

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Press Release

Uganda minister’s remarks against LGBTI people amount to advocacy of hatred

Reacting to threats by Uganda’s Minister of Ethics and Integrity Simon Lokodo that he will suppress the activities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights activists and “rehabilitate” LGBTI people, Amnesty International said the following

August 8, 2016

Press Release

Hanging of teenager in Iran shows authorities’ brazen disregard for international law

A teenager was executed in Iran after being convicted of the rape of another boy, the first confirmed execution of a juvenile in the country this year.

August 2, 2016

Press Release

Pakistan: End impunity for so-called ‘honor’ crimes

The Pakistani authorities must end impunity for so-called ‘honor’ killings and other violence against women, Amnesty International said today. “The tragic killing of Qandeel Baloch, at the hands of her brother, has highlighted the need for urgent action to protect women and men from crimes that are justified as a defense of family honor.

July 19, 2016

Press Release

Scandalous proposal to increase jail terms for women accused of abortion in El Salvador

A new proposal by a group of parliamentarians from opposition party ARENA in El Salvador to increase jail terms for women accused of having an abortion to up to 50 years is scandalous, irresponsible and flies on the face of basic human rights standards, Amnesty International said.

July 12, 2016

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Sheet of paper Report

Surviving Death: Police and Military Torture of Women in Mexico

An unprecedented Amnesty International investigation of 100 women arrested in Mexico reveals that they are routinely sexually abused by the security forces who want to secure confessions and boost figures in an attempt to show that they are tackling rampant organized crime.

June 27, 2016

Press Release

Mexico: Sexual violence routinely used as torture to secure confessions from women

An unprecedented Amnesty International investigation of 100 women arrested in Mexico reveals that they are routinely sexually abused by the security forces who want to secure confessions and boost figures in an attempt to show that they are tackling rampant organized crime.

June 27, 2016

Press Release

Ruling upholding anal tests on gay men in Kenya unacceptable

Today’s ruling by the High Court in Mombasa upholding the legality of anal tests on men suspected of engaging in sex with other men is not only unacceptable, but also shocking in its disregard for international human rights obligations, said Amnesty International.

June 16, 2016

Press Release

Groundbreaking UN decision rules Ireland’s ban on abortion violates human rights

The UN Human Rights Committee’s ground-breaking decision that Ireland’s law prohibiting and criminalizing abortion violated the human rights of a woman who had a diagnosis of fatal fetal impairment will advance women’s rights in Ireland and beyond, said Amnesty International today.

June 9, 2016

Sheet of paper Report

Q&A: Policy to Protect the Human Rights of Sex Workers

1. Why does Amnesty International need a policy to protect the human rights of sex workers? Because sex workers are at high risk of human rights abuses in many countries around the world. Our policy outlines what governments should do to better protect them. 2. What kind of abuses are sex workers at risk of? Sex workers are at risk of a whole host of human rights abuses including: Rape Violence Trafficking Extortion Arbitrary arrest and detention Forced eviction from their homes Harassment Discrimination Exclusion from health services Forced HIV testing Lack of legal redress We have recorded many instances…

May 24, 2016

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Sheet of paper Report

Harmfully Isolated: Criminalizing Sex Work in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong, selling sex is not illegal if one person operates from a private apartment. However, working in isolation places sex workers in a vulnerable situation at risk of robbery, physical assault and rape.

May 24, 2016

Press Release

Amnesty International publishes policy and research on protection of sex workers’ rights

Amnesty International today published its policy on protecting sex workers from human rights violations and abuses, along with four research reports on these issues in Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, Norway and Argentina.

May 24, 2016

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Sheet of paper Report

What I’m Doing Is Not a Crime: The Human Cost of Criminalizing Sex Work in the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Formally the sale or purchase of sex in Buenos Aires is not illegal; but in practice, sex workers are criminalized through a range of laws that punish related activities, and which fail to distinguish between consensual sex work and human trafficking.

May 23, 2016