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Press Release
U.S. must rescind invite to Prabowo Subianto, implicated in crimes against humanity
In advance of the U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s October 15 Washington, D.C. meeting with Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s Defense Minister who has been banned since 2000 from entering the U.S., due to his alleged direct involvement in human rights violations, Amnesty International USA's National Director of Advocacy and Government Relations, Joanne Lin said: "The State Department’s recent decision to lift the ban on Prabowo Subianto is an abrupt, complete reversal of longstanding U.S. foreign policy which has been in place for several decades. The invitation must be rescinded as it would be catastrophic for human rights in Indonesia. "The U.S.…
October 13, 2020
Press Release
Ahead of Prime Day, Amazon must respect workers’ right to unionize
As consumers prepare for Amazon Prime Day – a massive global sale event for Prime customers starting on Tuesday, October 13 - Amnesty International calls on the e-commerce company to respect workers’ rights, in particular, the right to join and form trade unions. "Amnesty International is alarmed by the growing evidence in recent months that Amazon is interfering with workers’ rights to organize, and investing significant resources in monitoring workers and the perceived ‘threat’ of potential trade union activity," said Michael Kleinman, the Director of Amnesty International's Silicon Valley Initiative. "Amazon’s own annual reports have identified the existence of labour…
October 13, 2020
Update
Amnesty International Letter to Secretary Pompeo Regarding Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto’s Visit to Washington D.C.
On October 13, Amnesty International USA addressed a joint letter to Secretary of State Michael Pompeo expressing grave concerns regarding the State Department’s granting of a visa to Prabowo Subianto, Indonesia’s Defense Minister, to come to Washington, D.C. to meet with Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley on October 15. Subianto is a former Indonesian general who has been banned from entering the U.S. due to his alleged direct involvement in human rights violations. Click here to read the letter October 13, 2020 The Honorable Michael R. Pompeo Secretary of State…
October 13, 2020
Press Release
The U.S. Must Not Deport People to Cameroon
Amnesty International USA calls upon the Trump administration to refrain from deporting people to Cameroon, as the administration schedules deportations this week from Alexandria Airport in Louisiana. The organization is also concerned about the threat of imminent deportation of Cameroonians now being held at the Prairieland detention center in Texas. The Trump administration’s aggressive anti-immigration policies enforced by ICE would place hundreds and possibly thousands of Cameroonians seeking safety in the Unites States at risk upon their return to the Central African nation. Cameroon is struggling with three concurrent crises: the widening conflict; clashes between the government and armed separatists…
October 9, 2020
Press Release
One Million Signatures Calling for Justice for George Floyd Delivered
Amnesty International has delivered more than one million signatures from around the world to US Attorney General William Barr demanding justice for George Floyd, a Black man killed by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020.
October 6, 2020
Press Release
PRE-ELECTION ADVISORY: BAN GUNS AT AND NEAR POLLING PLACES
The human rights organization calls on governors nationwide to ban guns at and near polling places to ensure the safety of voters, poll workers and community.
October 6, 2020
Press Release
Civilians must be protected from use of banned cluster bombs in the escalating conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan
Protection of civilians caught in the escalating conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region must be prioritized, Amnesty International said today, after corroborating the use of banned cluster bombs in the region. Over the weekend, footage consistent with the use of cluster munitions in the city of Stepanakert, the capital of Nagorno-Karabakh, was published by the region’s de facto authorities. They also reported an unidentified number of civilian casualties after further shelling in Stepanakert and the town of Shushi. Amnesty International’s Crisis Response experts were able to trace the location of the footage to residential areas of Stepanakert, and…
October 5, 2020
Press Release
ICE Reactionary Billboards Inflame Hate
Responding to billboards launched by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Pennsylvania following a campaign by Amnesty International USA to educate the public about family immigration detention in the state, including the prolonged and indefinite detention of children, Denise Bell, the researcher for refugee and migrant rights said: “Once again, ICE relies on fear-mongering to achieve a discriminatory policy agenda fueled by tactics of misinformation and disinformation. Tactics by ICE demonstrate how low the agency chooses to stoop again and again to invoke baseless fear of our very neighbors. This is propaganda – at its core and at its…
October 5, 2020
Press Release
Image of Jamal Khashoggi Projected on the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. and other locations on Second Anniversary of his Assassination
Today, Freedom First, in partnership with Amnesty International USA, covertly projected giant images of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi on the facade of the Embassy of Saudi Arabia and other locations across Washington D.C. as part of a human rights campaign and large-scale architectural art projection to commemorate the second anniversary of his killing. This operation was organized by Freedom First, a campaign of The Freedom Initiative, to draw attention to the individuals unfairly detained, prosecuted and tortured under the leadership of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman. Mohamed Soltan from The Freedom Initiative states, “Even when the lights…
October 2, 2020
Press Release
The United States is Failing Refugees Under President Trump
The number of refugees that the United States welcomes each year is a measure of who we are and where we stand in the world in terms of our commitment to human rights.
October 1, 2020
Update
Statement from AIUSA for HFAC Hearing on Democratic Backsliding in Sub-Saharan Africa
AIUSA Statement on The Impact of Eroding Human Rights in Sub-Saharan Africa on Democratic Practices 093020 Human Rights are essential for accountability, transparency and respect for the rule of law, even as they are also dependent on them. Adherence to these principles contribute to stability and are arguably core to establishing and sustaining democratic practice. Any discussion of advancing one must include advancing the other. Statement from Amnesty International USA for Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organization’s Hearing on Democratic Backsliding in Sub-Saharan Africa September 30, 2020 Adotei Akwei and Alagie Jammeh Representative Karen…
September 30, 2020
Press Release
President Trump Must Condemn White Supremacy and Racist Violence
Last night, President Donald Trump failed to condemn white supremacist groups and instead told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” In response, Amnesty International USA’s End Gun Violence Campaign Manager, Ernest Coverson, released the following statement:
September 30, 2020