Newsroom

Update

Though some describe the Obama administration as the anti-torture presidency, much of Obama's actions have not lived up to his campaign promises or presidential rhetoric to stop the use of torture.

June 29, 2010

Update

So the Government of India claims that its approach towards its human rights violating neighboring Myanmar (aka Burma) is all swell as the dickens. Um, no. In fact, as Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's most famous prisoner of conscience and Nobel laureate languishes in prison for another year, India has been totally lame in its approach towards the Myanmar  This is especially the case as Myanmar is set to hold elections widely seen as not conducive to promotion of human rights. With Myanmar’s first elections in two decades approaching, the three freedoms - of expression, association and peaceful assembly -…

June 29, 2010

Update

It was about 14 years ago that a 20-year old indigenous rights activist Kalpana Chakma disappeared and is presumably dead.  We know that she was kidnapped along with two of her brothers in the middle of the night, the day before the 1996 general elections. She was the fiery and young general secretary of the Hill Women's Federation, a group dedicated to a peaceful Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT).  She spoke out against abuses committed by the Bangladeshi Army in the indigenous areas that make up the CHT.  For this, she apparently paid with her life. In human rights work, there…

June 29, 2010

Update

Today marks the last open session of the US Supreme Court and the last session for Justice John Paul Stevens. Justice Stevens' career covers the entire span of the "modern" US death penalty, from its reinstatement in 1976 (which Stevens supported) to more recent decisions restricting capital punishment by banning executions for those with mental retardation (Atkins v. Virginia, 2002) and for juvenile offenders (Roper v. Simmons, 2005).

June 28, 2010

Update

You just have to check today’s news to find that the top stories in regard to Pakistan are on a new drone strike and the five Americans who were recently convicted on terrorism charges. To counter this trend and to change the debate about northwest Pakistan in the US media, we are launching the Eyes on Pakistan Writing Contest.

June 28, 2010

Update

Some good news on the immigrant rights front: Recently Senator Al Franken (D-MN) along with Senators Kohl, Menendez, Klobuchar, Feingold, Durbin and Feinstein introduced S.3522 the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act, or the “HELP Separated Children Act.” This bill would implement critically needed reforms to protect children impacted by immigration enforcement. In the past several years Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom have U.S. citizen children. Parents who are detained are separated from their children, sometimes permanently, breaking up the family structure. This legislation would help to…

June 28, 2010

Update

On June 8, 2010, I attended the "Working Together to Combat Child Labor" conference in Washington, DC.  The meeting was organized by the US Departments of State and Labor to convene high-level U.S. officials and representatives of labor, business, and non-governmental organizations to discuss effective strategies and policies to combat exploitative child labor around the world.  Below is the text of the speech I gave on a panel entitled "Making Rights a Reality": I would like to thank the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor and the Bureau of International Labor Affairs for co-hosting this conference and for giving me the opportunity…

June 28, 2010

Update

We have great news to share today on June 26, the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture: Mohammed al-Odaini will be released from Guantanamo back to his home country of Yemen. He has been held without charge by the US government for over 8 years, since the age of 18. He was cleared for release in 2005.  Check out this Washington Post story for more info. For years, Amnesty International members have taken action for Mohammed--writing countless letters and emails, holding vigils and demonstrations, organizing film screenings, meeting with elected officials and gathering petition signatures. THANK YOU for…

June 26, 2010

Update

The evidentiary hearing in the Troy Davis case ended on a somber note today, as everyone in the courtroom was aware that a matter of life and death was being decided. The judge will be asking the lawyers on both sides to address points of law that are still unresolved, including what standard of proof applies--in other words, what does “clearly establish his innocence” mean in terms of the evidence brought forward?

June 25, 2010

Update

Satellite images released and analyzed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and Amnesty International’s Science for Human Rights Program show the dramatic impact of the recent violent events on the city of Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan. The new findings were released shortly after a top U.N. official warned the Security Council that ethnic tensions in Kyrgyzstan continue, along with fears that there could be another wave of violence in the strategic Central Asian state. Entire neighborhoods are burnt down (1,640 structures are damaged or destroyed in total), leaving only empty shells of houses behind. You can…

June 25, 2010

Update

When I spoke with Troy Davis in Jackson prison in March, he talked about what he would do if the evidentiary hearing led to his release. One thing was sure, that he would add his energy to the movement to abolish the death penalty, but he also talked about how he would like to work with young people, to inspire them to lead good lives and stay out of trouble with the law.

June 25, 2010

Update

I woke up to fantastic news this morning. After a long night of compromise, at about 5:00 am this morning, Representatives and Senators participating in the Wall Street Reform conference agreed to an important amendment that will have a long-lasting, and positive, impact on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The amendment will address the devastating trade in certain minerals coming from the DRC, minerals that end up fueling armed groups responsible for human rights abuses in the DRC. Ever since the introduction of the Conflict Minerals Trade Act (H.R. 4128) in November 2009, many of you have worked alongside…

June 25, 2010