Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
Amnesty International has gathered more than half a million signatures worldwide on petitions calling for an end to the appalling persecution of men perceived to be gay in the Russian republic of Chechnya. In a global day of action on 2 June, Amnesty International activists handed in petitions to Russian embassies around the world. As …
Continue reading “Protection for gay men in Chechnya: Sydney action marks start of global demand”
A new law signed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, imposing unprecedentedly harsh restrictions on NGOs, could be a death sentence for human rights groups in the country. “This is a catastrophic blow for human rights groups working in Egypt. The severity of the restrictions imposed by this law threatens to annihilate NGOs in the …
Continue reading “Egypt’s NGO law threatens to annihilate human rights groups”
Powers designed to combat terrorism have been repeatedly misused to curb peaceful protest, our new report has found. A right not a threat: Disproportionate restrictions on demonstrations under the State of Emergency in France reveals that hundreds of unjustified measures restricting freedom of movement and the right to peaceful assembly have been issued under the …
Continue reading “France: Unchecked clampdown on protests under guise of fighting terrorism”
Cambodia’s government is using its courts to silence human rights defenders and political activists, Amnesty International says in a new report. Using its tight grip on the criminal justice system, the Cambodian government has brought a series of trumped-up charges against members of the political opposition, trade union activists, human rights activists, and political commentators, …
In response to reports the U.S. is raising the number of refugees it will accept, Amnesty International Australia’s Refugee Coordinator Dr Graham Thom said: “It’s important for Australia to also step up, given the ongoing crises in places like Syria and Iraq.” “Now the additional 12,000 refugees have been resettled here, Australia should allocate another …
Continue reading “Australia must step up as U.S. raises refugee quota”
Australia is dragging its heels on marriage equality, as Taiwan has taken a step closer to becoming the first in Asia to legalise marriage for everyone. Progress in Australia has stalled since the bipartisan show of support for change during a senate committee enquiry in February. Amnesty International is urging the Parliament to …
Continue reading “Australia’s embarrassment as Taiwan leaps ahead on marriage equality”
Responding to reports that Hamas authorities in the Gaza Strip will tomorrow execute three men accused of killing senior Hamas commander Mazen Faqha on 24 March, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Magdalena Mughrabi said: “The three men scheduled to be hanged or shot in Gaza tomorrow were tried in …
The International Board is seeking two new members for the Conflict Management Assistance Group (CMAG). If you have skills and experience in conflict management and resolution and substantial knowledge of section/structure governance management, we want to hear from you! The Conflict Management Assistance Group works to supplement other conflict management resources within the Amnesty International movement by …
Continue reading “Expressions of Interest to join the Conflict Management Assistance Group”
Activists in Canberra and Perth have taken to the streets to talk to the public about the harmful practices that go into making products that almost all of us have in our homes. Last week activists and staff in Canberra kicked off the week with a bang, holding a stall about child labour in the palm oil …
The US Army failed to keep tabs on more than $1 billion (AUD$1.3 billion) worth of arms and other military equipment in Iraq and Kuwait according to a now declassified Department of Defense (DoD) audit, obtained by Amnesty International following Freedom of Information requests. The government audit, from September 2016, reveals that the DoD “did not …
Continue reading “Iraq: US admits failures to monitor over $1 billion worth of arms transfers”