Newsroom

We put a human face on complex issues to hold governments accountable.

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]

Woman walks with a mask on
CALI, COLOMBIA - MARCH 26: Some pedestrians walk through the tourist area of Cali at Boulevard del Rio during the second day of quarantine to stop spread of COVID-19 on March 26, 2020 in Cali, Colombia. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 20,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Gabriel Aponte/Vizzor Image/Getty Images)

Press Release

Measures against COVID-19 in Colombia must not be an excuse for neglecting the protection of human rights defenders

The Colombian state must not use measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to weaken or withdraw…

March 27, 2020

Bangladeshi volunteer sprays disinfectant inside vehicles on the street during a government-imposed lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on March 28, 2020. (Photo by Mamunur Rashid/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Press Release

As COVID-19 spreads in South Asia, fears rise for people at higher risk

As cases of COVID-19 escalate in South Asia, one of the world’s poorest and most populous regions, Amnesty International calls…

March 26, 2020

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - MARCH 28: A Brazilian Army soldier from the 1st Nuclear, Radiological, Biological and Chemical Defense Battalion (1 BTL DQBRN) performs disinfection operations at BRT (Bus Rapid Transportation) Stations at Barra da Tijuca neighborhood due to the coronavirus (COVID - 19) pandemic on March 28, 2020 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has spread to many countries across the world, claiming over 20,000 lives and infecting hundreds of thousands more. (Photo by Andre Coelho/Getty Images)

Press Release

Response to President Bolsonaro’s comments around COVID-19: health and life are basic human rights

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and President Jair Bolsonaro's statement on national television last Tuesday night, Amnesty International said: …

March 25, 2020

DALLAS, March 22, 2020 . Medical workers work at a drive-through COVID-19 testing site in Dallas, Texas, the United States, March 21, 2020. The number of COVID-19 cases in the United States topped 20,000 as of 1:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Saturday ,1730 GMT, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering ,CSSE, at Johns Hopkins University. (Photo by Dan Tian/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/ via Getty Images)

Press Release

COVID-19 Pandemic Doesn’t Give States The Right to Limit Abortion Access

As Texas announces plans to aggressively roll back abortion rights to halt the spread of COVID-19, Amnesty International USA released…

March 25, 2020

BARCELONA, SPAIN - MARCH 25: A Cruz Roja member is seen at the pavilion that Fira de Barcelona fair prepares to accommodate homeless people during the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak on March 25, 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Miquel Benitez/Getty Images). Fira De Barcelona Shall Accommodate Homeless People. A coalition Cruz Roja, 'Red Cross', Barcelona City Council, Spanish Army, E.T. Logistics Brigade, UME Military Emergency Unit, Urban Guard, Health Personnel and Bombers of Catalonia. For 225 homeless, check them without Coronavirus ready to accommodate them, bunks, showers and food. (Photo by Miquel Benitez/Getty Images)

Press Release

G20 Leaders Must Cooperate on COVID-19 to Protect Those Most at Risk

Ahead of an extraordinary virtual meeting of the G20 group which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Amnesty International…

March 25, 2020

A man receives a mask
A man receives a mask the Cruz Verde Unit "Delgadillo Araujo" municipal hospital which was designated to serve exclusively for patients who tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, in Guadalajara, Mexico, on March 23, 2020. - The number of deaths around the world from the novel coronavirus now stands at 16,146, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1900 GMT Monday from official sources. More than 361,510 declared cases have been registered in 174 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December, though that figure likely reflects only a fraction of the actual number of infections. (Photo by Ulises RUIZ / AFP) (Photo by ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images)

Sheet of paper Report

AMERICAS AT A CROSSROADS IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19

Faced with an unprecedented pandemic, governments across the Americas have begun to respond to COVID-19 in a variety of ways,…

March 24, 2020

Man walks into a hospital with a mask on his face to avoid Coronavirus
The entrance of the General Hospital of Mexico City, Mexico, on March 22, 2020 during the health crisis caused by COVID-19. (Photo by Cristian Leyva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Press Release

Amnesty International highlights human rights priorities in the Americas for state responses to COVID-19

Amnesty International has published recommendations today for states in the Americas to ensure that their responses to COVID-19 are in line with…

March 24, 2020

Man walks into a hospital with a mask on his face to avoid Coronavirus
The entrance of the General Hospital of Mexico City, Mexico, on March 22, 2020 during the health crisis caused by COVID-19. (Photo by Cristian Leyva/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Press Release

Media advisory: AIUSA to Provide Workshops on Aspects of COVID-19 and Human Rights

As COVID-19 has reached pandemic levels around the world, Amnesty International USA is piloting workshops to media on the aspects…

March 23, 2020

en. Gail Shwartz cries after a bill that would have repealed the death penalty in Colorado and used the savings to fund cold case investigations failed in the Senate on a 17-18 vote on Wednesday. The Hyoung Chang/ The Denver Post (Photo By Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
(KL)Sen. Gail Shwartz cries after a bill that would have repealed the death penalty in Colorado and used the savings to fund cold case investigations failed in the Senate on a 17-18 vote on Wednesday. The Hyoung Chang/ The Denver Post (Photo By Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Press Release

Colorado’s Abolition of Death Penalty Brings Country One Step Closer Towards Eliminating this Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Punishment

Reacting to news that the Colorado Governor has signed a bill to repeal the death penalty, Kristina Roth, Senior Program…

March 23, 2020

Woman wearing a facemark during COVID-19 pandemic looks at the cell phone in her hand
A woman checks her cellphone while wearing a facemask in Los Angeles on March 20, 2020, a day after Los Angeles County announced a near-lockdown, urging all residents to stay home except for essential needs. - California Governor Gavin Newsom took the most drastic step yet by any US official in the battle against the coronavirus, ordering the entire state of 40 million people to stay at home. (Photo by Frederic J. BROWN / AFP) (Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images)

Press Release

15 Groups Call on Lawmakers to Protect Privacy and Personal Data in Covid-19 Relief Packages

Congress must take steps to protect our privacy and secure our personal data, including location and health data, in the…

March 20, 2020

Qatar Migrant Worker in orange vest
A migrant worker in Qatar stands in an orange vest

Press Release

Qatari Migrant Workers in Labor Camps at Grave Risk Amid COVID-19 Crisis

Responding to reports that parts of Qatar’s Industrial Area in Doha - home to a large number of migrant workers’…

March 20, 2020

Amnesty International USA activists speak out against a ban and a wall against people
AIUSA Executive Director Margaret and AI Secretary General Salil Shetty delivered a letter to the Department of Homeland Security Secretary, outlining numerous personal stories of people who are affected by the Muslim ban, asking DHS to release full information about how the ban has been implemented, and demanding that DHS help roll back the ban. As a part of the protests outside, we projected “No Ban, No Wall” on the building along with photos of refugees in Lebanon and Kenya provided by Magnum Photography.

Press Release

U.S. Border Closure is Cruel, Short-sighted, and Opportunistic

Responding to the United States announcement that the country will imminently close its border with Mexico  and Canada, Charanya Krishnaswami,…

March 20, 2020