January 11, 2017 marks 15 years since detainees were first transported to Guantánamo Bay detention centre – the symbol of torture and indefinite detention without charge or trial. We’re calling on Obama to close its doors for good. Throughout these 15 years, the USA has proclaimed itself to be a global human rights champion – …
Author Archives: Amnesty International
Meet our Bequestors – Allan and Noelle Mawdsley
“We get very good feedback from Amnesty about where our donations are going and how they’re helping.”
Meet our Bequestors – Graham Holmes
“Amnesty is not influenced by governments and is a force for good dedicated to upholding the dignity of the individual.”
Meet our Bequestors – Jacqueline Williamson
“If I leave my children in a world where human rights aren’t respected, I haven’t done the right thing by them.”
Meet our Bequestors – Beverly Milne
“I am very concerned about the conditions in the world and Amnesty aims to be on the ground everywhere.”
Two years after Raif’s flogging, there remains no justice
January 9, 2017 marks two years since the Saudi Arabian authorities publicly flogged the blogger and activist Raif Badawi. He was sentenced to 1,000 lashes and 10 years in prison for “insulting Islam” online. Mr Badawi founded the (now-closed) online forum Free Saudi Liberals, which facilitated debate about politics and religion. His charges relate to articles he …
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Iraq: End arms transfers fuelling war crimes
Militias allied to the Iraqi government have access to arms from at least 16 countries Recent arms transfers have fuelled enforced disappearances, abductions, torture, summary killings, and deliberate destruction of civilian property Iraq is the world’s sixth-largest importer of heavy weaponry Paramilitary militias nominally operating as part of the Iraqi armed forces in the fight against …
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UN resolution paves way for accountability on Syria war crimes
In response to the United Nations General Assembly resolution establishing an independent international mechanism to ensure accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Syria since March 2011, Anna Neistat, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research said: “With this resolution, the General Assembly helps overcome the Security Council’s deadlock on accountability and is the first …
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Submission: Inquiry into Freedom of Speech in Australia
The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights is conducting this inquiry into Freedom of Speech in Australia. The inquiry focuses on whether Part IIA of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) unreasonably inhibits free speech. Part IIA includes the much debated section 18C, which is intended to protect people from racist hate speech. Our submission …
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Syria’s refugee crisis in numbers
As the crisis in Syria continues unabated, now into its sixth year, civilians are paying the highest price. Refugees in the region More than 4.8 million Syrian refugees are in just five countries Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt: Turkey hosts 2.7 million Syrian refugees, more than any other country worldwide Lebanon hosts approximately 1 million Syrian refugees which amounts to around one in …