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Activists from Amnesty International demonstrate outside the Russian embassy in Berlin
Photo by ODD ANDERSEN/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Russian Opposition Leader Aleksei Navalny Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison in Cynical Deprivation of His Human Rights

Responding to the news that Russian opposition leader and prisoner of conscience Aleksei Navalny has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for his overt criticism of Vladimir Putin and peaceful political activism, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Marie Struthers, said: “Navalny faces 9 years in prison for calling out the Russian elite for corruption and abuse of power. This sentence is predictable but nonetheless shocking. The world must not overlook this sentence and its significance amid the horrors of Russian aggression against Ukraine. 

March 22, 2022

REUTERS/Facebook/Volodímir Matsokin

Press Release

Beleaguered Town of Izium at Breaking Point After Constant Attack from Russian Forces – New Testimony

Civilians in Izium in Kharkiv Region in eastern Ukraine are on the brink of a humanitarian disaster as Russian forces relentlessly bombard the town, new testimony gathered by Amnesty International has revealed.

March 16, 2022

Photo by AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Protesting Live on TV Is an Act of Great Courage, Not a Crime

Responding to the news that Marina Ovsyannikova, an editor on Russia’s state-controlled Channel One TV who interrupted a live news broadcast on Monday to protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was arrested and held incommunicado for at least 15 hours after her show of dissent, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:   “The Russian authorities must immediately release Marina Ovsyannikova, who has been held by them after her courageous protest staged on live TV. No one should be detained solely for expressing their opinions, let alone be kept without contact with the outside world. She…

March 15, 2022

Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Russian Authorities Block Amnesty International’s Russian-Language Website

Responding to the Russian authorities’ decision to block access to Amnesty International’s Russian-language website as part of the Kremlin’s assault on freedom of expression following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:  “People in Russia have the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds and from all available sources. By blocking Amnesty’s Russian-language site, along with those of many other human rights organizations, independent media outlets and social media platforms, the Kremlin is showing that it can’t stomach the truth about the horror Russia has unleashed in…

March 11, 2022

Photo by JANEK SKARZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

US Support for International Investigation Into War Crimes Important First Step Toward Justice for Victims

This morning, Vice President Harris spoke at a press conference in Warsaw, Poland, where she discussed U.S. support for NATO and backed calls for an international investigation into war crimes following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Responding to her remarks, Daniel Balson, Europe and Central Asia Advocacy Director at Amnesty International USA, said: “Vice President Harris’ support for an international investigation into Russia’s violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine is a clarion call for political leaders in the U.S. and abroad to stand on the side of human rights.

March 10, 2022

Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Humanitarian corridors for Ukrainian civilians fleeing Russian attacks must provide safety – new testimonies

Civilians whose homes have been destroyed and others fearing for their lives forced to flee Russian bombardment must be granted access to safe humanitarian corridors, Amnesty International said today.

March 10, 2022

Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Kremlin’s Ruthless Crackdown Stifles Independent Journalism and Anti-War Movement

The Russian authorities have unleashed an unprecedented, nationwide crackdown on independent journalism, anti-war protests and dissenting voices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Amnesty International said today.

March 10, 2022

Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Russian ‘dumb bomb’ air strike killed civilians in Chernihiv – new investigation and testimony

A Russian air strike that reportedly killed 47 civilians in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv may constitute a war crime, Amnesty International said today following an investigation into the attack.

March 9, 2022

Press Release

International Women’s Day: Dramatic deterioration in respect for women’s rights and gender equality must be decisively reversed

Catastrophic attacks on human rights and gender equality over the past twelve months have lowered protection for and upped threats against women and girls across the globe, Amnesty International said today.  

March 7, 2022

Photo by DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Prisoners of War in the Russian Invasion of Ukraine Must Be Protected From Public Curiosity Under Geneva Convention

Prisoners of war in the Russian invasion of Ukraine must have their rights respected under the Third Geneva Convention, Amnesty International said today.

March 7, 2022

Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Press Release

Organizations Welcome TPS for Ukraine and Urge TPS Designation for Other Countries in Extreme Conflict

We at Amnesty International USA, Cameroon Advocacy Network, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and UndocuBlack Network, welcome the Department of Homeland Security’s designation of Ukraine for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) This is a critical move to ensure that the estimated 75,000 nationals from Ukraine are free from the fear of being returned to the human rights catastrophe brought upon by Russia’s invasion. 

March 4, 2022

ARIS MESSINIS/AFP via Getty Images

Press Release

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine is an act of aggression and human rights catastrophe

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a manifest violation of the United Nations Charter and an act of aggression that is a crime under international law, said Amnesty International as it called for all those involved in this crime to be held accountable for those violations. Their personal, individual, and collective liability should be invoked for that, and for all the many crimes that have characterized their invasion of Ukraine thus far.

March 1, 2022