In response to the horrific treatment of children at Don Dale and concerns raised about other youth prisons, Indigenous and human rights advocates are calling for Australia to ratify the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture (OPCAT). Julian Cleary, Indigenous Rights Campaigner from Amnesty International breaks down what OPCAT actually is and why it …
Author Archives: Amnesty International
Jarrad Oakley Nicholls: ‘Our young generation are our strength and our future’
August 4 is 2016 National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day, a day where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to celebrate the strengths and culture of their children. We chatted to AFL footballer Jarrad Oakley Nicholls about his important work as a mentor for Indigenous kids. Tell us about yourself I was raised …
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Iran: Hanging of teenager shows authorities’ disregard for international law
A teenager has been executed in Iran after being convicted of the rape of another boy, the first confirmed execution of a juvenile in the country this year. Amnesty International has been carrying out extensive research into the situation of juvenile offenders on death row in Iran, and found that Hassan Afshar, 19, was hanged in Arak’s …
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Syria: Fatal airstrike on maternity hospital a potential war crime
An aerial attack which struck and partially destroyed a maternity hospital in rural Idlib province, north-western Syria, yesterday afternoon appears to be part of a despicable pattern of unlawful attacks deliberately targeting medical facilities. The number of casualties in the attack is not yet clear, but a spokesperson from Save the Children, which supports the …
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We must not wait for a Royal Commission to protect children in youth detention
No one could have watched Monday’s ABC’s Four Corners without a sense of horror. Distressing is an understatement as I sat and watched a crying, distraught child seized by his neck, forced to the ground, manhandled, stripped naked by three grown men and left alone in a cell. It made me sick. Amnesty International welcomed …
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Syria: Safe passage for civilians will not avert humanitarian catastrophe in Aleppo city
Unfettered and impartial humanitarian assistance is urgently needed to alleviate the suffering of thousands of civilians in Aleppo city on the verge of running out of food and other essential supplies today. This morning Russia’s Defence Minister announced it was coordinating a “humanitarian operation” with safe corridors set up to allow civilians and fighters who lay …
Turkey: Intensified crackdown on media increases atmosphere of fear
As Turkey enters its second week of a three month state of emergency, the ongoing crackdown on civil society and the assault on media freedom has reached disturbing and unprecedented levels. Arrest warrants have been issued for 89 journalists, more than 40 have already been detained and others are in hiding. A second emergency decree …
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Indonesia: Deplorable executions must not be compounded
Reacting to the announcement that at least four people – Fredi Budiman, Humphrey Jefferson Ejike, Michael Titus Igweh, and Seck Osmane – have been executed by the Indonesian authorities, Amnesty International has this statement. “The execution of at least four people tonight by the Indonesian authorities is a deplorable act that violates international law. Any …
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Guantanamo-style abuse of child prisoners shows current detention system has failed
Chilling footage showing detained Indigenous children being tear gassed and a child being hooded and strapped to a restraint chair in Australia’s Northern Territory must serve as a wakeup call for the government on the need to urgently change its policies on juvenile detention. The organization is calling on Australia’s authorities to immediately ratify the …
100 organisations call for Royal Commission to be independent, broad
Today over 100 organisations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak representative bodies and Amnesty International, have released an Open Statement welcoming Prime Minister Turnbull’s Royal Commission into the horrific abuse of children in the Northern Territory, but calling for it to be conducted independently from the NT Government and for a broader inquiry into …
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