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Congolese firemen begin the disinfecting operation of the state buildings and public spaces in the Gombe district of Kinshasa, on April 12, 2020. - The operations will last for ten days to try to curb the spreading of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (Photo by JUNIOR KANNAH / AFP) (Photo by JUNIOR KANNAH/AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Protect Detainees at Risk of COVID-19 in Sub-Saharan Africa, Unclog Prisons and Release Prisoners of Conscience

Authorities in Sub-Saharan Africa must take urgent action to protect people in detention from COVID-19, including releasing prisoners of conscience,…

April 20, 2020

Saudi imprisoned human rights defenders Abdullah al-Hamid, Waleed Abu al-Khair and Mohammad Fahad al-Qahtani (not pictured) receive the Right Livelihood Award represented by Omar al-Qahtani (L), family member of al-Qahtani and the Saudi human rights advocate Yahya Assiri (R), during the Right Livelihood award ceremony at the Vasa Museum in Stockholm, Sweden, on November 23, 2018. (Photo by Meli PETERSSON ELLAFI / TT NEWS AGENCY / AFP) / Sweden OUT (Photo credit should read MELI PETERSSON ELLAFI/AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Prisoner of conscience in coma still detained in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 pandemic

The Saudi Arabian authorities must immediately release Dr Abdullah al-Hamid, a prisoner of conscience who remains detained despite being in…

April 17, 2020

Monday 4 June, Amnesty International placed a giant heart balloon outside the Parliament in Budapest. The 10x10x5 meter red heart was there to tell Hungarian MPs that people working for a fair and safe Hungary need to be protected, not attacked or threatened. Therefore, the draconian legislative proposal submitted by the government to the Parliament – dubbed ‘Stop Soros’ and aiming to criminalise those helping refugees and migrants and to instil fear and silence civil society - must be voted down. . The face of the heart balloon installation was the “Civil” symbol - - logo of over 250 organizations working in coalition in Hungary for rights and freedoms. The giant heart is a symbol of the strong and heartfelt worldwide support for civil society, organisations and activists, working for a Hungary that is fair and safe for all. More than 22,000 people from 50+ countries around the world have sent messages of support to NGOs in Hungary both offline and online, which have also been collected in a booklet of solidarity that was handed over to MPs.

Report

Mass protests in Europe provide hope as rights and judicial independence eroded

People’s rights are being violated by governments in Europe and Central Asia, who are cracking down on protests and seeking…

April 16, 2020

Press Release

Migrant workers in Qatar illegally expelled during COVID-19 pandemic

Qatari authorities rounded up and expelled dozens of migrant workers after telling them they were being taken to be tested for COVID-19,…

April 15, 2020

The White House Holds Daily Briefing On Coronavirus Pandemic — Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images

Press Release

Congress Must Halt Administration’s Plan to Suspend Critical Funding to WHO

Responding to U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. will halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) pending…

April 15, 2020

Press Release

Migrant domestic workers in Lebanon must be protected during COVID-19 pandemic

The Lebanese government must announce a set of immediate measures to protect migrant domestic workers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Amnesty…

April 14, 2020

YANGON, BURMA - JANUARY 23: A Myanmar flag blows in the wind downtown on January 23, 2020 in Yangon, Burma. Today the International Court of Justice ordered Myanmar to prevent genocide against the Rohingya. The ICJ unanimously decided the the Myanmar government must take measures to ensure justice and provide reports every six months until the case closes. (Photo by Lauren DeCicca/Getty Images)

Report

Release Jailed Human Rights Defenders and Activists in Myanmar

Aung San Suu Kyi and her government have overseen the continuing harassment, intimidation, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment of human rights…

April 13, 2020

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - APRIL 12: Soldiers stand guard outside a closed church to keep devotees away, amid government orders for everyone to stay home to avoid spreading the coronavirus, as Filipinos mark Easter Sunday on April 12, 2020 in Manila, Philippines. Easter Sunday is a Christian festival and holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on the third day following his crucifixion. Most Easter celebrations in the Philippines have been cancelled after religious gatherings have been banned as part of government lockdown measures imposed on the country's main island Luzon to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Land, sea, and air travel has been suspended, while government work, schools, businesses, and public transportation have been ordered shut in a bid to keep some 55 million people at home. The Philippines' Department of Health has so far confirmed 4,428 cases of the new coronavirus in the country, with at least 247 recorded fatalities. The Philippines is the only Roman Catholic majority in Southeast Asia with around 85% practicing the faith. (Photo by Ezra Acayan/Getty Images)

Press Release

Duterte Advisor’s Threat of “Body Bags” Shows Philippines Authorities’ Dangerous COVID-19 Response

Responding to Philippine Senator Bong Go’s statement about having body bags available for “drug addicts or peddlers of fake news,”…

April 13, 2020

Raja'i Shahr prison in Karaj, Alborz province

Press Release

Prisoners killed in Iran by Security Forces During COVID-19 Pandemic Protests

Around 36 prisoners in Iran are feared to have been killed by security forces after the use of lethal force…

April 9, 2020

HONG KONG, CHINA - APRIL 07: A passenger wearing a mask walks through the arrivals hall at Hong Kong International Airport amid the coronavirus outbreak on April 7, 2020 in Hong Kong, China. (Photo by Zhang Wei/China News Service via Getty Images)

Press Release

Mask ban in Hong Kong for unauthorized protests is absurd and dangerous

Responding to a Hong Kong appeal court ruling that partially reinstates the government’s mask ban, Director of Amnesty International Hong…

April 9, 2020

Photo by Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Press Release

Failures to guarantee safe access to abortion in Europe endangers health of women, girls amid COVID-19

European governments should urgently guarantee safe and timely access to abortion care for women and girls in the region during the…

April 8, 2020

Two people walk among the burning rubbles in the Koudoukou market, in the PK5 district in Bangui on December 26, 2019, after clashes erupted when traders took up arms to oppose taxes levied by militia groups. - At least 11 people were killed in fighting between militiamen and traders in a restive district of Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, two security officials and an imam said on December 26, 2019. The security sources said between 11 and 14 people died after clashes erupted late on December 25, 2019, while the imam, Awad Al Karim, said "16 bodies" had been brought to the local Ali Babolo mosque. (Photo by FLORENT VERGNES / AFP) (Photo by FLORENT VERGNES/AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

Armed conflicts and state repression in Africa fuel cocktail of human rights violations

HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFRICA: Protesters across sub-Saharan Africa have braved bullets and beatings to defend their rights in the face…

April 7, 2020