Press Release

Courts in Turkey being used to strangle media freedom

Responding to the decision of a Turkish first instance appeals court to uphold the conviction of journalists and executives from the Cumhuriyet newspaper, Amnesty International’s Turkey Strategy and Research Manager, Andrew Gardner said: “Today’s ruling…

February 19, 2019
Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart of the Cumhuriyet (L) hugs his wife after being freed from Silivri prison on July 28, 2017 following a Turkish court order to free the seven defendants. The hugely controversial trial in Istanbul of 17 writers, cartoonists and executives from the Cumhuriyet daily newspaper on "terror" charges -- ridiculed as absurd by supporters -- began earlier this week. After five days of intense hearings, the judge ordered that seven suspects, including cartoonist Musa Kart, be released ahead of the next hearing under judicial supervision, meaning they have to report to the authorities regularly. / AFP PHOTO / YASIN AKGUL / The erroneous mention appearing in the metadata of this photo by YASIN AKGUL has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [Turkish cartoonist Musa Kart of the Cumhuriyet (L) hugs his wife after being freed from Silivri prison on July 28, 2017 following a Turkish court order to free the seven defendants.] instead of [Supporters hoist posters while they wait for the release of seven people from Silivri prison in Istanbul on July 28, 2017 following a Turkish court order to free the defendants. ]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention from all your online services and delete it from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. (Photo credit should read YASIN AKGUL/AFP/Getty Images)

Press Release

Arrest warrant against Rappler’s Maria Ressa shows authorities ‘railroading’ case in the Philippines

Responding to the arrest warrant served to Maria Ressa at the Rappler offices today on charges of ‘cyber libel’, Amnesty International Philippines Section Director, Butch Olano, said: “Just days after…

February 13, 2019
CEO of Philippine news website Rappler, Maria Ressa (C), arrives at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila on January 22, 2018. The head of a news website threatened with closure by the government appeared before state investigators on January 22 over a defamation complaint which she decried as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's concerted attack on press freedom. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS (Photo credit should read NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images)

Press Release

United States Must Center Human Rights and Suspend Security Assistance to Cameroon

In response to reports that the US government has decided to cut security and military aid to Cameroon amid concerns over its human rights record, Adotei Akwei, deputy director for…

February 6, 2019
A woman walks into Nigeria from Cameroon at a checkpoint border between Cameroon and Nigeria, in Mfum, in Cross Rivers State, southeast Nigeria, on February 1, 2018. The UN refugee agency on February 1, 2018 criticised Nigeria for breaching international agreements after the leader of a Cameroonian anglophone separatist movement and his supporters were extradited at Yaounde's request. Cameroon's government is fighting an insurgency by a group demanding a separate state for two regions that are home to most of the country's anglophones, who account for about a fifth of the population. Thousands of Cameroonians fled to the remote border region with Nigeria to escape from the violences in English-speaking southwest Cameroon. / AFP PHOTO / PIUS UTOMI EKPEI (Photo credit should read PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images)

Press Release

Yet another absurd legal attack against Rappler and Maria Ressa in the Philippines

Responding to news that the Philippine Department of Justice has recommended ‘cyber libel’ charges against Maria Ressa, the editor of news outlet Rappler, together with one of its former reporters,…

February 6, 2019
CEO of Philippine news website Rappler, Maria Ressa (C), arrives at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila on January 22, 2018. The head of a news website threatened with closure by the government appeared before state investigators on January 22 over a defamation complaint which she decried as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's concerted attack on press freedom. / AFP PHOTO / NOEL CELIS (Photo credit should read NOEL CELIS/AFP/Getty Images)