In response to prominent Chinese activist Sun Wenguang, 84, being taken away by police as he gave a live TV interview at his home, Patrick Poon, China Researcher at Amnesty International said: “It’s shocking and outrageous to see Sun Wenguang taken away in this way. If he is being detained solely for exercising his right …
Author Archives: Amnesty International
Zimbabwe: Rein in security forces and stop mass arrests in wake of disputed vote
The Zimbabwean authorities must stop arresting and harassing protesters and bystanders following post-election violence that has killed at least six people, Amnesty International said. More than 60 people have been arbitrarily arrested in the past seven days in a government crackdown on supporters of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), whose leader Nelson Chamisa …
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Syria: Turkey must stop serious violations by allied groups and its own forces in Afrin
Turkish forces are giving Syrian armed groups free rein to commit serious human rights abuses against civilians in the northern city of Afrin, Amnesty International said today, following an in-depth investigation into life under the Turkish military occupation. Research released today reveals that residents in Afrin are enduring a wide range of violations, mostly at …
Google: Dark day for internet freedom if tech giant accepts China’s extreme censorship
Responding to a report in The Intercept that Google is allegedly developing a search engine app that complies with strict Chinese censorship rules in order to re-enter the search market in the country, Patrick Poon, China Researcher at Amnesty International, commented: “It will be a dark day for internet freedom if Google has acquiesced to …
USA: Trump’s reported 25,000 refugee cap would put people in ‘Grave Danger’
Responding to reports that Donald Trump may seek to cap the USA’s admission of refugees at no more than 25,000 for the Fiscal Year 2019, which would be the lowest level in the history of the US Refugee Admissions Programme, Ryan Mace, Grassroots Advocacy and Refugee Specialist at Amnesty International USA, said: “The United States …
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Denmark: Face veil ban a discriminatory violation of women’s rights
As a new law banning the wearing of face coverings in public comes into force in Denmark, Amnesty International’s Deputy Europe Director Fotis Filippou said: “All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs. This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim …
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Malaysia: Acquittal of Zunar and others must lead to repeal of draconian sedition law
Responding to news that the Malaysian authorities have acquitted and dropped all sedition charges against political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar “Zunar” Ulhaque, lawmaker R. Sivarasa and civil rights lawyer N. Surendran, Rachel Chhoa-Howard, Amnesty International’s Malaysia Researcher, said: “Zunar, Sivarasa and Surendran have shown great courage in shining a spotlight on injustices such as corruption and …
Monash city council passes motion supporting community sponsorship for refugees
Monash City Council today stepped up Australia’s response to the global refugee situation by passing a motion in support of expanding and improving the Australian Government’s current refugee community sponsorship program. “This is a fantastic show of support for welcoming refugees and Amnesty International is so grateful to have Monash City Council getting behind expanding …
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India: Assam’s citizen identification can exclude 4 million people
The Indian authorities should ensure that documenting and updating the names of citizens in the northeastern state of Assam is transparent and nondiscriminatory, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International India said. The potential exclusion of over 4 million people, many of them Muslims, raises concerns over arbitrary detention and possible statelessness without due process. On 30 July …
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Amnesty International staff targeted with malicious spyware
An Amnesty International staff member has been targeted by a sophisticated surveillance campaign, in what the organization suspects was a deliberate attempt to spy on its staff by a government hostile to its work. In early June 2018, an Amnesty International staff member received a suspicious WhatsApp message in Arabic. The text contained details about …
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