South Sudan: Continued fighting must not derail hybrid court

  Continued fighting in South Sudan must not derail justice for crimes committed during the deadly conflict that began in December 2013, said Amnesty International and FIDH in a joint briefing published today. The organisations are calling on the African Union (AU) Commission and the South Sudan government to urgently establish the proposed Hybrid Court …

Amnesty’s Eastern suburbs group meets Malcolm Turnbull!

After months of tireless emailing and calling, in October Amnesty’s Eastern suburbs action group met with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to discuss Indigenous kids being sent to prison. The Eastern Suburbs group alongside youth worker, Just Reinvest ambassador and all-round Amnesty friend, Keenan Mundine, met with the Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on 7 October. The …

Iranian-Kurdish woman faces execution after grossly unfair trial

The Iranian authorities must urgently halt their plans to execute Zeinab Sekaanvand, a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman who was arrested when she was just 17 years old and convicted of the murder of her husband after a grossly unfair trial. She is due to be executed by hanging as soon as 13 October. “This is an …

Congratulations to 2016 Media Awards finalists

Finalists have been selected for the 2016 Amnesty International Australia Media Awards by six independent panels of judges. The awards celebrate excellence in human rights reporting by journalists whose work exposes the injustice of abuse, both in Australia and abroad. The shortlisted finalists across the six categories are: Indigenous Reporting ‘Bowraville’: Dan Box, Stephen Fitzpatrick, …

Jordan: Aid deliveries to refugees trapped in desert ‘no-man’s land’ must be followed by long-term solutio

Reports about the resumption of humanitarian aid to 75,000 refugees stranded in a remote, arid area along the Jordanian-Syrian border called “the berm” are a long-awaited glimmer of hope that should be followed by a sustainable, long-term solution. The news comes as the UN and the Jordanian authorities continue negotiations to open a humanitarian lifeline …

Indonesia: Time to take steps towards abolishing death penalty

On 10 October, as people around the world mark the World Day Against the Death Penalty, we reiterate our position that there is no convincing evidence that the death penalty has a unique deterrent effect on crime, including for drug-related crimes. This is a join position shared with ELSAM (Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy), …

Philippines: Duterte’s 100 days of carnage

100 days after Rodrigo Duterte became president of the Philippines, a wave of unlawful killings has already claimed more than 3,000 lives, shattering progress on human rights in the country.  “Rodrigo Duterte’s first 100 days as president have been marked by state-sanctioned violence on a truly shocking scale. His brutal crackdown on those allegedly involved …

Iran: Writer facing imminent imprisonment for story about stoning

Iranian authorities must immediately repeal the conviction and sentence of Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee, a writer and human rights activist who is due to begin serving six years in prison on charges including “insulting Islamic sanctities” through the writing of an unpublished story about the horrific practice of stoning. “The charges against Golrokh Ebrahimi Iraee are …

Afghanistan: Severe shortages of food and medicine in Kunduz

The Afghan government and Taliban forces should urgently facilitate swift and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief into Kunduz, where thousands of civilians are trapped in increasingly dire conditions. Amnesty International has interviewed medical workers and civilians stuck in Kunduz amid fighting after the Taliban launched an assault on 3 October. Kunduz residents have described grim scenes …