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Press Release

Overcrowded and squalid prisons and detention centers risk becoming detonators for a major COVID-19 outbreak in Cambodia that will make the pandemic much harder to control, said Amnesty International today, amid a mounting crackdown on people detained for “causing scares” by talking about the outbreak on social media. “Instead of addressing the overcrowding crisis in detention centers, Cambodian authorities have used the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to further harass and detain government critics,” said Nicholas Bequelin, Amnesty International’s Regional Director. “Meanwhile, Cambodian prisons and drug detention centers are dangerously overcrowded and lack even the most basic health services. They…

March 27, 2020

Press Release

Responding to the decision of the local authorities in Una-Sana Canton in Bosnia and Herzegovina to forcefully transfer and confine thousands of migrants living in the area to an inadequate tent camp in Lipa, Amnesty’s Europe Deputy Director Massimo Moratti said: “Forcing people, many of whom are already vulnerable, into a hastily set up remote tent facility without ensuring adequate access to water and sanitation, spaces to self-isolate and accessible medical care is inhumane and will put people at greater risk of infection and preventable deaths. “Confining people in potentially harmful conditions cannot be justified on the grounds of public…

March 27, 2020

Press Release

The Colombian state must not use measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic as a pretext to weaken or withdraw protection for human rights defenders and social leaders, Amnesty International said today. “Colombia is one of the world’s most lethal countries for human rights defenders and social leaders and, in the context of COVID-19, they now face even greater risks. Due to the restrictions imposed to contain the pandemic, state protection measures have been weakened, they can no longer keep moving from one location to another for their safety, and their attackers know that public security forces are focusing on…

March 27, 2020

Press Release

As cases of COVID-19 escalate in South Asia, one of the world’s poorest and most populous regions, Amnesty International calls on the authorities there to put human rights at the heart of their responses and intensify efforts to protect marginalized and vulnerable groups at higher risk, including daily wage earners, people displaced by conflict, health workers and prisoners. The COVID-19 pandemic is poised to break into thousands of cases in South Asia as more governments across the region this week imposed strict lockdowns and curfews amid fears the virus will strike densely populated areas, overwhelming woefully inadequate healthcare facilities and…

March 26, 2020

Press Release

In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and President Jair Bolsonaro's statement on national television last Tuesday night, Amnesty International said:  “Health and life are human rights. We’re facing what is already one of the greatest crises in history, with these two rights that are so basic and precious to us under threat. Scientific evidence and recommendations from global health authorities show the seriousness of COVID-19 for people’s health and the healthcare systems of all countries. There are 220 million of us in Brazil. Imagine if we get infected and need to run to hospitals at the same time, as has…

March 25, 2020

Press Release

As Texas announces plans to aggressively roll back abortion rights to halt the spread of COVID-19, Amnesty International USA released the following statement in response: 

March 25, 2020

Press Release

Ahead of an extraordinary virtual meeting of the G20 group which is scheduled to take place on Thursday, Amnesty International called on leaders to coordinate responses to help the most at-risk groups and people cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 25, 2020

Report

Faced with an unprecedented pandemic, governments across the Americas have begun to respond to COVID-19 in a variety of ways, ranging from calling for states of emergencies, to imposing travel bans, to implementing quarantines. Stakes are high and the way governments respond to this pandemic could determine the future of millions of people. Governments are ultimately responsible for protecting people and their human rights but have often failed to do so in the Americas. Deep inequality, structural discrimination, a tendency to revert to repressive policing, censorship, underfunded public health systems, and inadequate social security and labour protections long predate the…

March 24, 2020

Press Release

Amnesty International has published recommendations today for states in the Americas to ensure that their responses to COVID-19 are in line with their international human rights obligations, as well as flagging a series of human rights violations in the region that predate the pandemic but could be exacerbated by it. The paper, which sets out four things governments should do and four things they should not, affirms that states must not discriminate; leave high-risk groups behind; use repression or excessive force in enforcement of public health measures; or censor or limit access to evidence-based information or prevention. States must also guarantee workers’ rights and social security; guarantee access to…

March 24, 2020

Update

To view PDF click here: Amnesty_Presidential Forum Booklet_Thematic 2020 is a crossroads year for human rights, both in the U.S. and abroad. Around the world, authoritarian forces are gaining traction and strength, cracking down on peaceful dissent and free expression. Governments are failing to address existential threats to our human rights – including civil war, climate change, political corruption, and rising inequality. The world is confronted with the highest displaced population in history, at a time when governments are increasingly closing their doors to migrants and refugees seeking safety. These human rights crises are rocking every region of the globe,…

March 24, 2020

Press Release

As COVID-19 has reached pandemic levels around the world, Amnesty International USA is piloting workshops to media on the aspects of COVID-19 and human rights. While the focus has rightfully been on individual hygiene advice, social distancing, and bolstering health care and social support systems, now, more than ever, conversation must shed light on human solidarity. This is a time when we have the opportunity to help end demonization and anger – and move forward with empathy and kindness. Amnesty International USA is ramping up response efforts to advocate for those most at risk and working to ensure that all…

March 23, 2020

Press Release

Reacting to news that the Colorado Governor has signed a bill to repeal the death penalty, Kristina Roth, Senior Program Officer at Amnesty International USA, stated: “Colorado becomes the 22nd state to have abandoned the death penalty, bringing this country one state closer to joining the over two-thirds of the countries in the world that have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. This is the kind of human rights leadership this country needs, now more than ever. "The Governor must also be commended for commuting the death sentences of people currently on death row. “The death penalty is…

March 23, 2020