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Press Release
COVID-19 Response Flaws Put Older Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh in Imminent Danger
Older Rohingya refugees in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh are being left behind in the humanitarian response to COVID-19, which could have devastating consequences given the high risks older people everywhere face from this deadly pandemic, Amnesty International said today.
April 7, 2020
Update
Human Rights on Capitol Hill in the Age of COVID-19 – April Edition (4/6/2020)
To view PDF version click here: Human Rights on Capitol Hill April 2020 Human Rights on Capitol Hill in the Age of COVID-19 published by Amnesty International USA April 6, 2020 The world is facing an herculean challenge as coronavirus cases have exceeded one million and the death toll has surpassed 64,000 worldwide. In responding to the COVID-19 crisis, the U.S. should prioritize human rights for all, with particular attention to people locked up in jails, prisons, and detention facilities. All governments must uphold international human rights law and standards in responding to COVID-19. Governments must protect every…
April 6, 2020
Press Release
Workshop For Media Will Examine Gun Violence During The COVID-19 Pandemic
As part of an ongoing series of workshops exploring human rights concerns related to the COVID-19 response, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) will be holding its third workshop titled “Gun Violence In the Age of COVID-19” on Thursday, April 9th, at 1:30pm EST. The workshop will address the gun violence risks posed by increased gun sales and stay at home orders, including how improperly secured guns put families and children in danger, instances of intimate partner violence and abuse, as well as concerns for individuals at risk of suicide.
April 3, 2020
Press Release
Governments Must Halt Dangerous and Discriminatory Detention of Migrants and Asylum Seekers
Authorities in a number of countries across the Americas, including Canada, the United States, Mexico, Curaçao, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others, are detaining migrants and asylum seekers in a dangerous and discriminatory manner based solely on their migration status, Amnesty International said today. In doing so, they are pushing people into unhygienic and unsafe environments, contrary to international human rights and public health guidelines.
April 2, 2020
Press Release
Authorities in Tunisia Should Reduce Number of Detainees During COVID-19 Crisis
The Tunisian authorities must urgently consider reducing the number of people detained for breaching emergency health measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Amnesty International warned today.
April 2, 2020
Press Release
Proposed Emergency Powers in Cambodia Would Obliterate Human Rights
The Cambodian authorities must urgently withdraw or substantially redraft the egregious State of Emergency Law which poses a grave threat to human rights in Cambodia, said Amnesty International today.
April 2, 2020
Press Release
Digital surveillance to fight COVID-19 can only be justified if it respects human rights
With governments across the world rapidly expanding the use of digital surveillance in an attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, Amnesty International and other leading NGOs have set out strict conditions that must be met to safeguard human rights and prevent surveillance overreach. More than 100 civil society groups joined Amnesty in signing the statement, including Access Now, Human Rights Watch and Privacy International. “Technology can play an important role in the global effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, however, this does not give governments carte blanche to expand digital surveillance. The recent past has shown governments are reluctant to relinquish…
April 2, 2020
Press Release
Shoot-to-kill Order by the President Alarming, Oppressive Approach to Pandemic in the Philippines
Responding to orders from President Duterte to police, military officials and barangay officials to shoot ‘troublemakers’ protesting during community quarantine, reports of further arrests for breaches of quarantine and news that 21 residents of a village in Quezon City were arrested after demanding relief from the local government in light of the community quarantine, Philippine Section Director, Butch Olano, said:
April 2, 2020
Report
Amnesty International Highlights Human Rights Priorities for Country Responses to COVID-19
Amnesty International has published recommendations today for countries in Europe, urging them to ensure that their responses to COVID-19 are in line with their international and regional human rights obligations.
April 1, 2020
Press Release
Authorities In Chile Must Guarantee The Health Of The Prison Population Against COVID-19
Chilean authorities must speed up the implementation of measures to reduce prison overcrowding and provide all essential services to prevent cases of COVID-19 in the country's prisons, Amnesty International said today in an open letter to the Chilean authorities.
April 1, 2020
Press Release
COVID-19 Response in Canada Needs Human Rights Oversight
Amnesty International is urging governments across Canada to establish oversight committees tasked with monitoring the human rights impact of decisions, policies and laws adopted to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
April 1, 2020
Press Release
U.S. military pledges to report publicly on civilian casualties in Somalia
Reacting to a statement from US Africa Command (AFRICOM) pledging to begin, by the end of April, public reporting on civilian casualties resulting from its military operations in Somalia, Libya and elsewhere in Africa, Deprose Muchena, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, said: “This is a welcome, though long overdue, step towards providing truth and accountability for the victims of U.S. air strikes and their families in Somalia and beyond. It’s shocking that it has taken more than a decade of AFRICOM’s secret air war in Somalia for this to happen. “We continue to stand in solidarity with families of…
April 1, 2020