Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Press Release
Release of Journalist Jailed in Morocco After Being Accused of Having an Abortion
Responding to the news that journalist Hajar Raissouni, sentenced to one year in prison over an “unlawful” abortion, was released last night, after she, her fiancĂ© and the three members of medical staff involved in the case received a royal pardon, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Director, said:Â
October 17, 2019
Press Release
El Salvador Agreement Must Be Condemned Immediately
Responding to reports of a cooperative agreement between the United States and El Salvador, which would potentially force certain asylum-seekers to request asylum there, Charanya Krishnaswami, the advocacy director for the Americas at Amnesty International USA, said: “This agreement makes a mockery of the right to asylum. People should not be forced to seek safety in countries where they will not be safe. “El Salvador has one of the highest rates of violence in the world, including gender-based violence so rampant that Amnesty International declared it one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a woman. It…
September 20, 2019
Press Release
Amnesty International to Participate in Hearings and Events at IACHR Sessions
Amnesty International will participate in public hearings on protests and security in Honduras and on limits of access to asylum in the United States, as well as side events on institutional violence and discrimination against women engaged in sex work in the Americas, and on women’s sexual and reproductive rights in Venezuela, during the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ 173rd Period of Sessions from September 23 to October 2 in Washington DC.
September 20, 2019
Press Release
18 Months On, Brazilian Authorities Must Not Let Marielle Franco Killing Remain Unsolved
Six months after authorities in Rio de Janeiro arrested two men accused of killing Marielle Franco and her driver, Anderson Gomes, and committed to continue the investigations in meetings with Amnesty International and Marielle’s family, they have yet to make any meaningful progress in identifying those who ordered the crime and their motives.
September 11, 2019
Press Release
Amnesty Responds to Decision on Third Country Asylum Ban:Â Safety Should Not Depend on Where People Ask for Protection
Responding to the Ninth Circuit’s decision halting the nationwide injunction of the Trump administration’s third country asylum ban, Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for the Americas, Charanya Krishnaswami, said: “The Ninth Circuit has restored an impossible and cruel situation, where parts of the U.S. are now asylum-free zones. People’s ability to access safety should not depend on where they happened to ask for protection. “The asylum ban will force people to seek asylum in countries that are unsafe. Asylum-seekers have the right to protection, safety, and a fair process. We are deeply disappointed with this decision.”
September 11, 2019
Press Release
Trans Asylum Seeker Alejandra is Released, but U.S. Must Guarantee She Remains Safe
Alejandra Barrera, a transgender Salvadorian activist who had been held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention since November 2017, was released late Friday, September 6, 2019, as a result of international advocacy efforts, spearheaded by Amnesty International, the Translatin@ Coalition, National Immigrant Justice Center, and dozens of members of the United States Congress. "Through letters of support, people from around the world gave me the strength to continue in this struggle that was so hard for me. I’m here to keep fighting" said Alejandra in response to advocacy efforts on her behalf. Denise Bell, researcher for refugee and…
September 9, 2019
Press Release
Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Offenders in South Africa Must Face Justice
In response to President Cyril Ramaphosa’s address to the nation and hundreds who had gathered in Cape Town to protest against soaring gender-based violence and femicide rates in the country, Shenilla Mohamed, Executive Director of Amnesty International South Africa, said:
September 5, 2019
Press Release
Another Weekend, Another Carnage That Could Have Been Prevented
Responding to shootings in Midland and in Odessa, Texas tonight, Ernest Coverson the campaign manager of Amnesty International USA End Gun Violence campaign said: "On yet another weekend, this country is reeling from carnage that could have been prevented. Enough is enough. We need the government to take action in passing common sense gun safety reforms that make everyone safer. By prioritizing guns over people, the U.S. is putting entire communities at risk." Background Last month, Amnesty International published a report examining whether the U.S. has met its obligation under human rights law to provide effective remedies to survivors of…
August 31, 2019
Press Release
Trump Administration Uses Disaster Relief to Fund a Disaster of Its Own Making
Responding to reports that DHS intends to reprogram disaster relief funds for ICE detention beds and funds for temporary court structures for hearings associated with the “Remain in Mexico” program, Amnesty International USA advocacy director for the Americas Charanya Krishnaswami said: “This decision is an outrageous misuse of resources. At the start of hurricane season, DHS is robbing hundreds of millions of dollars from disaster relief to fund a disaster of its own making. It is using vital funds to further some of its cruelest policies – putting asylum-seekers in harm’s way and detaining families and children in search of…
August 27, 2019
Press Release
New Flores Regulations Brazenly Attack Children’s Rights
According to reports, the Trump administration is issuing a final rule that will effectively terminate the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement, which mandates that children cannot be held in immigration detention for more than 20 days. Denise Bell, researcher for refugee and migrant rights issued this statement: “These new regulations are extraordinarily cruel. It is beyond logic and humanity to attempt to keep children locked up for as long as possible, especially when we know that this subjects them to trauma and extreme distress. Children who have already endured violence and persecution would be harmed even further by this policy. The…
August 21, 2019
Press Release
Planned Parenthood Withdrawal from Title X Demonstrates Cruel Policies
“The Trump administration's restrictions on Title X trample on sexual and reproductive rights, putting the lives of all pregnant people at significant risk, especially low-income women. Over four million people in the United States who depend on health care will be impacted because of these cruel policies aimed at Planned Parenthood."
August 19, 2019
Press Release
10 Years Since the Killing of Chechen Human Rights Defender Natalia Estemirova, No Justice in Sight
On the tenth anniversary of the murder of prominent Chechen human rights defender Natalia Estemirova, Amnesty International and 12 international and Russian human rights groups are calling on the Russian authorities to fulfill their long-overdue obligation to effectively investigate this horrendous crime and bring the perpetrators to justice in fair trials. “The courage and selflessness of Natalia Estemirova, who investigated abductions, extrajudicial executions and other grave violations of human rights in Chechnya, was unparalleled. There is no doubt that she paid with her life for this fearless work. Ten years on, the Russian authorities have manifestly failed to find the…
July 15, 2019