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

Niger Delta: Government clean-up does not let Shell off the hook

The multinational oil giant Shell must not be allowed to palm off its responsibility to clean up decades of oil pollution which continues to blight the Niger Delta, said Amnesty International ahead of the Nigerian government’s long overdue clean-up of Ogoniland, due to begin on June 2.

May 31, 2016

Press Release

Military court in Egypt sentences eight to death after disappearance and confessions under torture

An Egyptian military court has sentenced eight civilians to death and another 18 individuals to lengthy prison terms, after a grossly unfair military trial that relied on “confessions” extracted under horrific torture including defendants being whipped with a burning cloth, said Amnesty International today.

May 30, 2016

Press Release

Head of press syndicate in Egypt detained in unprecedented crackdown on media freedom

The arrest today of the head of the Egyptian Press Syndicate and two colleagues is an alarming setback for freedom of expression and the most brazen attack on the media the country witnessed in decades, said Amnesty International.

May 30, 2016

Press Release

Opposition leader in Bahrain jailed for nine years over peaceful speeches

In a shocking attack on the right to freedom of expression Bahrain’s authorities today upheld the conviction of opposition leader Sheikh ‘Ali Salman and increased his prison sentence from four to nine years for giving speeches in which he criticized the government, said Amnesty International.

May 30, 2016

Press Release

Hissene Habré verdict is a landmark decision bringing justice for tens of thousands of victims

Today’s judgment convicting former Chadian president Hissène Habré marks a significant moment for international justice and a huge relief for the tens of thousands of victims who have waited for this day for over 25 years, said  Amnesty International.

May 30, 2016

Press Release

Counterterrorism court sentences activist for exposing systematic human rights violations in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia’s authorities today continued their relentless efforts to stamp out independent human rights activism by sentencing another key activist to eight years in prison, Amnesty International said today.

May 30, 2016

Press Release

Argentina: Historic ruling on Operation Condor a great step forward for truth and justice

The sentencing of a former Argentinean military leader for his role in hundreds of enforced disappearances in the context of a region-wide intelligence operation must open the door to further investigations to bring all those responsible to justice, said Amnesty International.

May 28, 2016

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Sheet of paper Report

My Children Will Die This Winter: Afghanistan’s Broken Promise to the Displaced

The number of Afghans who have fled violence and remained trapped in their own country – where they live on the brink of survival - has dramatically doubled over the past three years, a new report by Amnesty International highlights. .

May 27, 2016

Update

Want to Cut Violence Against Our Communities? Decriminalize Sex Work.

What’s the cost to our communities of outlawing sex work? Amnesty International’s new reports lead off with a brutal list of consequences: “Beatings. Rape. Harassment. Forced HIV testing. Exploitation. Extortion. Forced evictions. Exclusion from basic health services. Discrimination.”

May 27, 2016

Maria Teresa Rivera Free
First portraits of Maria Teresa Rivera free. She spent 4 years in prison before a court dropped the charges against her on 20 May 2016. María Teresa was one of "Las 17" group of women in prison out of suspicion of having had an abortion.

Update

El Salvador – Maria Teresa thanks supporters after release from jail

On 20 May 2016, Maria Teresa Rivera was finally freed from prison in El Salvador after a judge dismissed the charges against her. In 2011, she had been given a 40-year sentence after suffering a miscarriage. Thousands of people across the world rallied to her cause. This is her thank you message to everyone.

May 27, 2016

Press Release

People internally displaced by conflict in Afghanistan doubled to 1.2 million in just three years

The number of Afghans who have fled violence and remained trapped in their own country – where they live on the brink of survival - has dramatically doubled over the past three years, a new report by Amnesty International highlights.

May 27, 2016

Press Release

Dozens of detainees at risk of death in shipping containers in South Sudan

Dozens of detainees held in dire conditions in poorly ventilated metal shipping containers, fed only once or twice a week and given insufficient drinking water are at risk of death, warned Amnesty International today. 

May 26, 2016