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Update

To view PDF version click here: Human Rights on Capitol Hill March 2020   Human Rights on Capitol Hill    published by Amnesty International USA   March 2, 2020   In this edition of Human Rights on Capitol Hill:  1) Major Human Rights News  a) Amnesty International USA Hosts Presidential Candidates Forum on Asylum, Immigration and Southwest Border Issues b) Amnesty Issues Human Rights Policy Recommendations for Presidential Campaigns  c) Russia – Amnesty Testifies on Russian Government’s Targeting of Crimean Tartars  d) India – President Trump Condones Prime Minister Modi’s Anti-Muslim Policies  e) Syria - Syrian Forces' Bombings Kill Civilians Including Children in Idlib…

March 2, 2020

Press Release

Responding to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s ruling upholding the preliminary injunction halting the Trump administration’s so-called “Remain in Mexico” policy — under which the U.S. government forcibly returns asylum-seekers to Mexico indefinitely while they ask for asylum in the U.S. -- Amnesty International USA’s advocacy director for the Americas, Charanya Krishnaswami, said: “This policy was never designed to work; it was designed solely to deter people from exercising their right to seek asylum. "Now that the Ninth Circuit has halted this unconscionable policy, the tens of thousands of asylum-seekers already subjected to it must immediately…

February 28, 2020

Press Release

In response to today’s arrest of media tycoon Jimmy Lai and two other pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong on charges of “unlawful assembly” for their participation in largely peaceful mass protests on August 31, 2019, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong Man-Kei Tam said:

February 28, 2020

Update

To view PDF version click here: Amnesty_Country Specific Issue Briefs HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE 2020 U.S. ELECTIONS 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…

February 28, 2020

Update

To view PDF version click here: Balson_LantosCommission_NemtsovTestimony_2020_02_26_FINAL February 27, 2020 The Hon. James P. McGovern and The Hon. Christopher H. Smith Co-Chairs Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission House Committee on Foreign Affairs 200 C Street SW Washington, D.C. 20515 Testimony of Daniel Balson Advocacy Director, Europe and Central Asia Amnesty International USA Submitted to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission For a hearing on “Human Rights in Russia on the 5th Anniversary of the Nemtsov Assassination” Chairman McGovern, Chairman Smith and members of the Commission. On behalf of Amnesty International USA, I thank the Commission for the opportunity to submit…

February 27, 2020

Report

As millions took to the streets to protest rampant violence, inequality, corruption and impunity, or were forced to flee their countries in search of safety, states across the Americas clamped down on the rights to protest and seek asylum last year with flagrant disregard for their obligations under domestic and international law, Amnesty International said today upon launching its annual report for the region. “2019 brought a renewed assault on human rights across much of the Americas, with intolerant and increasingly authoritarian leaders turning to ever-more violent tactics to stop people from protesting or seeking safety in another country. But…

February 27, 2020

Press Release

Political leaders in India who are fuelling hatred and creating a violent environment by making hate speeches must be immediately held accountable, said Amnesty International India today.

February 25, 2020

Press Release

Following reports that 10 schools were hit by shelling in Idlib and Aleppo countryside, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Regional Director, said:

February 25, 2020

Press Release

Philippine authorities should immediately release Senator Leila de Lima, who has been detained for three years, and drop the politically motivated charges against her, Amnesty International, FORUM-ASIA, and Human Rights Watch said today.

February 24, 2020

Press Release

As U.S. President Donald Trump meets Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, Amnesty International India and Amnesty International USA issued the below joint statement: “Anti-Muslim sentiment permeates the policies of both U.S. and Indian leaders. For decades, the U.S.-India relationship was anchored by claims of shared values of human rights and human dignity. Now, those shared values are discrimination, bigotry, and hostility towards refugees and asylum seekers,” said Margaret Huang, Amnesty International USA’s executive director. “The internet and political lockdown in Kashmir has lasted for months and the enactment of CAA and the crackdown on protests has shown a leadership…

February 24, 2020

Update

On Friday, February 21, 2020, Amnesty International USA, the American Immigration Lawyers' Association, the American Immigration Council, Lawyers for Good Government, Human Rights First, and Texas Civil Rights Project jointly sent a letter expressing our grave concerns following a January 2020 tour and briefing at a secretive new tent court in Laredo, Texas, which was constructed exclusively to hear cases of individuals forced to remain in Mexico for the duration of their U.S. asylum proceedings. A PDF version of the letter is available here. For more information, please contact Charanya Krishnaswami, Americas Advocacy Director, at [email protected].

February 23, 2020

Press Release

Las Vegas, NV - On Thursday, February 20th, Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), in partnership with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN) and 15 national and Nevada-based co-sponsoring organizations, held a presidential candidate forum on immigration and asylum issues in Las Vegas, Nevada. BuzzFeed News’ Hamed Aleaziz, along with refugees, Dreamers, and other people affected by our immigration system, pressed Minnesota State Senator Melisa Franzen (for Amy Klobuchar), Faiz Shakir, National Campaign Manager (for Bernie Sanders), Congressman Joaquin Castro (for Elizabeth Warren), Tom Steyer, and Nevada State Senator Yvanna Cancela (for Joe Biden) on their policy platforms ahead of Saturday’s…

February 21, 2020