Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Press Release
Conviction of Israeli solider must pave the way for justice for unlawful killings
The conviction of an Israeli soldier who shot dead a Palestinian man involved in a knife attack in Hebron as he lay wounded on the ground offers a small glimmer of hope amid the rampant impunity for unlawful killings in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said Amnesty International today.
January 4, 2017
Press Release
Amnesty International USA Launches Aggressive Guantánamo Closure Campaign In Obama’s Final Days
As President Obama begins the final days of his presidency, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) launched an aggressive effort urging him to use all the powers of his office to close Guantánamo before his term ends. With an open letter to the president, a hard-hitting bus shelter ad campaign targeting key locations in Washington, D.C., online advertising and a coalition White House rally planned for Guantánamo’s 15th anniversary on Jan. 11, Amnesty is seeking to move Obama to action before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20.
January 3, 2017
Press Release
UN resolution paves way for accountability on Syria war crimes
In response to the United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing an independent international mechanism to ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria since March 2011, Anna Neistat, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research said: “With this resolution, the General Assembly helps overcome the Security Council's deadlock on accountability and is the first step toward justice for thousands of victims. “The situation in Syria continued to be one of the most heart-breaking tragedies of our time. It is also a clear example of the failure of the broken international system that was established – with the…
December 22, 2016
Press Release
Children caught in the crossfire of the battle for Mosul suffer horrific injuries and trauma
The desperate plight of a generation of children is in the balance as the bloody battle for the city of Mosul threatens to become a humanitarian catastrophe, Amnesty International said today following a field investigation.
December 20, 2016
Press Release
UN Security Council Aleppo resolution long overdue
The protracted politicking and negotiations have finally resulted in a Security Council resolution allowing UN monitors to be sent to Aleppo. The resolution follows a weekend of intense negotiation under the threat of a third Russian veto in three months. “The world is watching how the UN responds to the plight of Aleppo. This important measure has come far too late, with hundreds of thousands of people demanding the Syrian and Russian governments allow a safe evacuation and independent monitoring. But thousands are still trapped in besieged areas of Eastern Aleppo, waiting for hours in sub-zero temperatures to be evacuated,”…
December 19, 2016
Press Release
Saudi Arabia must immediately abandon all use of cluster munitions
Saudi Arabia should immediately abandon all use of cluster munitions, destroy its stockpile and accede to the international Convention on Cluster Munitions, Amnesty International said after the Kingdom’s surprise admission today that it used the inherently indiscriminate weapon in Yemen.
December 19, 2016
Press Release
Syria: Allow UN monitors into Aleppo as fleeing civilians face fresh shelling
As fighting resumed in the stricken Syrian city of Aleppo today, Amnesty International called for the deployment of monitors from the United Nations to help protect thousands of fleeing civilians from potential revenge attacks and other human rights violations. Heavy shelling has been reported in eastern Aleppo despite a ceasefire agreed on Tuesday to allow the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians and thousands of rebel fighters. “It is shameful yet unsurprising that, despite the fact the Syrian government agreed last night to the evacuation, civilians fleeing their homes have come under fire today. We fear that without proper…
December 14, 2016
Press Release
Syria: Reports of execution-style killings in Aleppo point to war crimes
Shocking reports from the UN that scores of civilians have been extrajudicially executed by advancing Syrian government forces in eastern Aleppo point to apparent war crimes, said Amnesty International. The organization is making an urgent plea for all parties to the conflict to protect the civilian population.
December 13, 2016
Press Release
Cameroon: Excessive force that led to deaths of protesters must be urgently investigated
Authorities in Cameroon must investigate the use of excessive and unnecessary force that led to the deaths of between two and four people during a protest in the north western city of Bamenda yesterday, Amnesty International said today.
December 9, 2016
Press Release
Homeland Security Pick Must Commit to Human Rights
Responding to reports that President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate Gen. John Kelly to serve as Secretary of Homeland Security, Margaret Huang, executive director for Amnesty International USA released the following statement.
December 7, 2016
Press Release
Obama Speech Offers Lessons for Trump
Responding to President Obama’s speech today on counterterrorism, Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA’s Security with Human Rights program, released the following statement.
December 6, 2016
Press Release
Amnesty International USA: Don’t Leave Guantánamo to Trump
In response to the transfer of a Yemeni Guantánamo detainees to Cape Verde, Amnesty International USA’s Security & Human Rights Program Senior Campaigner Elizabeth Beavers issued the following statement.
December 4, 2016