Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
If you are a member of the press, please reach out to [email protected]
Press Release
Northern Iraq: Satellite images back up evidence of deliberate mass destruction in Peshmerga-controlled Arab villages
Peshmerga forces from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kurdish militias in northern Iraq have bulldozed, blown up and burned down thousands of homes in an apparent effort to uproot Arab communities in revenge for their perceived support for the so-called Islamic State (IS), said Amnesty International in a new report published today.
January 15, 2016
Report
Banished and Dispossessed: Forced Displacement and Deliberate Destruction in Northern Iraq
Peshmerga forces from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Kurdish militias in northern Iraq have bulldozed, blown up and burned down thousands of homes in an apparent effort to uproot Arab communities in revenge for their perceived support for the so-called Islamic State (IS), said Amnesty International in a new report published today.
January 15, 2016
Press Release
Ten Additional Guantánamo Detainees Transferred
After President Obama committed once again to closing Guantánamo in his State of the Union speech Tuesday night, the Department of Defense today announced the transfer of 10 additional men from the prison, lowering the number of detainees held there to 93. In response, Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA’s Security and Human Rights Program, issued the following statement:
January 14, 2016
Press Release
Ethiopia: Civil society groups urge the international community to address killing of Oromo protesters
Amnesty International, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, and the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (DefendDefenders) urge Ethiopia’s development and international partners to address the killing of at least 140 protesters in the Oromia region since December 2015.
January 14, 2016
Press Release
Evidence of torture and deaths in custody in Tunisia suggest human rights gains of the uprising are sliding into reverse gear
New evidence of deaths in custody and torture collected by Amnesty International suggests that brutal repression is on the rise again in Tunisia exactly five years after the toppling of the previous authoritarian regime by the “Jasmine Revolution”, which sparked a wave of uprisings across the Middle East and North Africa.
January 13, 2016
Press Release
President Obama’s Last Chance to Close Guantánamo
Today, the Guantánamo Bay detention site entered its 15th year in operation with 104 prisoners remaining behind its walls. In response, Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International USA's Security and Human Rights program, issued the following statement.
January 8, 2016
Press Release
First of 17 Detainees Transferred from Guantánamo
Last month, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter approved the transfer of 17 detainees from the Guantánamo detention site. Today, Khalid al Dhuby and Mahmoud Omar Bin Atef became the first to be transferred. In response, Naureen Shah, director of Amnesty International's Security and Human Rights program, issued the following statement.
January 6, 2016
Press Release
Thailand: Torture claims in Koh Tao murder case must be investigated
Authorities in Thailand must ensure an independent, transparent and thorough examination of allegations of torture by police made by two men who today were found guilty of murder, Amnesty International said.
December 24, 2015
Press Release
Central African Republic: Progress on Special Criminal Court
The Central African Republic transitional government, the United Nations, and donors should intensify their efforts to establish a Special Criminal Court, 23 Central African and international human rights groups said today.
December 23, 2015
Press Release
Mexico must not squander chance to eradicate epidemic levels of torture and disappearances
Two new bills addressing the epidemic levels of torture and disappearances in Mexico offer a ray of hope for victims and family members, Amnesty International said today after Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed the two bills to be presented before Congress.
December 11, 2015
Press Release
AIUSA Statement on Islamophobia and the Senate Torture Report
“We learned one year ago today that U.S. personnel tortured detainees as part of the CIA’s secret detention program. The revelations came in the summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s groundbreaking report on torture.
December 9, 2015
Press Release
Philippines: Government must tackle rampant police torture epidemic
Torture at the hands of the police in the Philippines continues with alarming frequency while those responsible are almost always allowed to evade justice, Amnesty International said.
December 7, 2015