Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Report
Hundreds slaughtered by Boko Haram in Cameroon and abused by security forces
Boko Haram has slaughtered nearly 400 civilians in northern Cameroon, while a heavy-handed response by security forces and inhumane prison conditions have led to dozens more deaths, Amnesty International said in a report launched today.
September 15, 2015
Press Release
Amnesty International USA Responds to Former CIA Officials’ Defense of Torture
Today, former CIA officials purported to respond to last year’s Senate Intelligence Committee report on CIA torture by releasing a book entitled “Rebuttal.” Downplaying the criminal misconduct identified by the Senate Intelligence Committee last year in its landmark report, the officials defend the torture regime constructed and carried out by the U.S. government following the September 11 attacks.
September 9, 2015
Press Release
Mexico: Expert report on Ayotzinapa disappearances highlights government’s incompetence
A new report by a group of experts from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights on the investigation of the disappearance of 43 students in Guerrero, Mexico, uncovers the authorities’ utter incompetence and lack of will to find the students and bring those responsible to justice, said Amnesty International. “The revelation by the group of experts of the inconsistencies in the official theory that the students were incinerated in a dumpster highlights the need to urgently redirect investigations,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas Director at Amnesty International. “Mexico is going through one of the worst human rights crisis of the last…
September 7, 2015
Press Release
Amnesty International USA Responds to DOJ Report on Ferguson Protest Response
A Department of Justice report found that police used unnecessary force when responding to protests in Ferguson, Mo. following the killing of teenager Michael Brown by police, impacting protesters’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression. The DOJ findings are consistent with those published in a report by Amnesty International USA last year.
September 3, 2015
Report
Use of Force – Guidelines for Implementation of the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by law enforcement officials
From the streets of Ferguson, Missouri to the favelas of Brazil, the police use of force and firearms makes global headlines when it turns fatal.
September 2, 2015
Press Release
Afghanistan: Abhorrent punishment of 100 lashes for ‘adultery’ must be investigated
The public flogging of a man and a woman by local officials in western Ghor province in Afghanistan for “adultery” is abhorrent and Afghan authorities must hold to account those responsible.
September 2, 2015
Press Release
Charges Filed Against Syrian Official for Torture of Maher Arar, Survivor of Rendition in US War on Terror
Today, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) charged a Syrian official for the torture of Canadian citizen Maher Arar almost 13 years ago. Arar, a dual Canadian/Syrian citizen, was arrested at New York City’s JFK airport on September 26, 2002. After being held 12 days by US authorities, he was clandestinely sent, via Jordan, to Syria, where he was held for a year, including 10 months in a small, dark underground cell during which time he was subjected to torture.
September 1, 2015
Press Release
Lebanon security forces using excessive force against protesters must be held to account
The Lebanese authorities should investigate allegations that security forces used excessive force to disperse residents protesting in Beirut over the lack of adequate public services, a waste management crisis, and corruption, Amnesty International said ahead of fresh demonstrations planned for today.
August 29, 2015
Press Release
The Day of the Disappeared: Enforced disappearances continue unabated in every region of the world
The use of enforced disappearance by governments to silence its critics and instill fear into targeted groups continues unabated in every region of the world, said Amnesty International as the world marks the International Day of the Disappeared on August 30.
August 27, 2015
Press Release
India: Gujarat Government must avoid excessive use of force
The Gujarat Government must avoid using unnecessary or excessive force in the policing of protests, Amnesty International India said today. Eight people, including a policeman, have been killed in protests across the state over caste quotas in education and employment
August 27, 2015
Press Release
South Sudan: Warring parties must fully commit to ensuring accountability for atrocities
The signing of a peace agreement today by the Government of South Sudan is an important and vital step in ending the violence and addressing the massive human suffering in South Sudan. Amnesty International reiterates its call for both parties to embrace an unequivocal commitment to accountability for atrocities committed during the conflict to ensure a lasting peace.
August 26, 2015
Press Release
USA: Afghan civilian killings require rigorous, thorough investigation
US authorities must ensure that the re-opened investigation into the alleged killing of some 18 Afghan civilians by US Special Forces is rigorous and thorough, Amnesty International said. The Afghan victims and family members must obtain the justice and reparations they deserve.
August 26, 2015