Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.
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Press Release
Syria: Mass Death, Torture and Other Violations Against People Detained in Aftermath of Islamic State Defeat – New Report
People detained in Syria after territorial defeat of Islamic State are facing systematic violations and deaths due to inhumane conditions.
April 17, 2024
Report
Aftermath: Injustice, Torture and Death in Detention In North-East Syria
The US government’s partner in northeast Syria is engaged in the large-scale and systematic violation of the rights of more than 56,000 people in its custody.
April 17, 2024
Report
Non-renewal of last aid corridor risks humanitarian catastrophe for millions in Syria
UN Security Council members must extend the cross-border resolution that allows the UN to deliver aid to at least 4 million residents and internally displaced people (IDPs) in north-west Syria before it expires on July 10, Amnesty International said today.
July 5, 2022
Update
Amnesty International USA Statement for the Record for February 9th hearing on “‘Targeted Killing’ and the Rule of Law: The Legal and Human Costs of 20 Years of U.S. Drone Strikes”
On behalf of Amnesty International USA and our members and supporters in the United States, we hereby submit this statement for the record to address our concerns that the United States has at times failed to abide by international humanitarian law and international human rights law in its use of air strikes that have harmed large numbers of civilians over the past 20 years.
February 9, 2022
Press Release
Conviction of Syrian official for crimes against humanity a historic win for justice
Responding to a decision of the Higher Regional Court in Koblenz, Germany, which has convicted former Syrian intelligence officer Anwar Raslan to life in prison for crimes against humanity, including torture, murder and rape of detainees in Branch 251, an infamous military intelligence facility in Damascus city, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Lynn Maalouf, said: “Today’s verdict is a historic victory that amplifies the voices of tens of thousands of survivors of unlawful detention, torture and sexual violence, as well as the voices of the families of victims who died in Syria’s prisons and…
January 13, 2022
Report
Former refugees tortured, raped, disappeared in Syria after returning home
Syrian security forces have subjected Syrians who returned home after seeking refuge abroad to detention, disappearance and torture, including sexual violence, Amnesty International said today. In a new report, “You’re going to your death,” the organization documented a catalog of horrific violations committed by Syrian intelligence officers against 66 returnees, including 13 children. Among these violations, Amnesty International documented five cases whereby detainees had died in custody after returning to Syria, while the fate of 17 forcibly disappeared people remains unknown. With a number of states - including Denmark, Sweden and Turkey - restricting protection and putting pressure on refugees from Syria to go home, the…
September 7, 2021
Press Release
UN Security Council’s compromise resolution on Syria falls short of humanitarian needs
Responding to the UN Security Council vote passing a resolution renewing authorization of the Bab al-Hawa crossing point for the delivery of UN cross-border humanitarian aid from Turkey to north-west Syria for a six-month period, with a six-month renewal subject to certain conditions, the Head of Amnesty International’s UN office Sherine Tadros said: “This compromise resolution is once again an example of Russia ignoring the humanitarian needs of Syrians, and instead playing political games with the lives and welfare of millions of people. “The cross-border aid mechanism through Bab al-Hawa provides a crucial lifeline for people in north-west Syria, providing food,…
July 9, 2021
Press Release
Biden Must Step Up Support for Critical Humanitarian Aid into Syria as Russia Threatens Crossing Closure
The Biden Administration must use every tool at its disposal to prevent this blocking of lifesaving aid - and COVID-19 vaccines - to millions of Syrians, Amnesty International USA said today in a letter addressed to U.S. President Joe Biden. Geoffrey Mock, the Middle East country specialist at Amnesty International USA said: “The Biden administration must show its leadership in supporting continued humanitarian access through Bab al-Hawa, and the reopening of two other currently closed crossing points - Bab al-Salam in the north-west and al-Yarubiyah in north-east. The shameful threat by the governments of Russia and China to close Bab…
July 9, 2021
Press Release
Yezidi child survivors of ‘Islamic State’ facing unprecedented health crisis
Almost 2,000 Yezidi children who have returned to their families after being held captive by the armed group calling itself Islamic State (IS) are facing a physical and mental health crisis, Amnesty International warned in a new report published today. The report, Legacy of Terror: The Plight of Yezidi Child Survivors of ISIS, also addresses the urgent need to end the enforced separation of women and their children born of sexual violence by IS members. Between 2014 and 2017, IS committed war crimes, crimes against humanity, and what the UN describes as genocide against the Yezidi community in Iraq. The…
July 28, 2020
Press Release
UN must not cut vital aid lifeline to north-west Syria amid Russian and Syrian war crimes
A new Amnesty International report, 'Nowhere is safe for us': Unlawful attacks and mass displacement in north-west Syria, details 18 cases – the majority in January and February 2020 – where Syrian and/or Russian government forces targeted medical facilities and schools in Idlib, western Aleppo and north-western Hama governorates.
May 10, 2020
Press Release
Defense Department undercounts civilian casualties in new reporting
Responding to the Pentagon’s report on U.S. civilian casualties to Congress, Daphne Eviatar, the director of the Security with Human Rights program at Amnesty International USA stated: “The Department of Defense’s submission of this year’s report marks some progress in terms of transparency of U.S. military operations. The content of the report, however, suggests that the Pentagon is still undercounting civilian casualties. It still fails to acknowledge hundreds of civilian casualties that Amnesty International’s researchers investigated on the ground in Raqqa, Syria, and assessed from the U.S.-led military operation in 2017. “The Defense Department appears to have dismissed out of hand many of the…
May 6, 2020
Press Release
Torture Trial in Germany a ‘Historic Step’ Towards Justice in Syria
The first trial of two former officials of the Syrian government’s security service charged with crimes against humanity marks an important step towards justice, Amnesty International said.
April 22, 2020