Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
The Malaysian authorities must immediately and unconditionally drop all charges that have been brought against N. Surendran, a lawyer and opposition lawmaker, solely for criticising a court verdict in 2014 concerning his client, the de facto opposition leader and prisoner of conscience, Anwar Ibrahim. On 24 June 2016, the High Court of Kuala Lumpur found …
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There’s a darker side to the glitz and glamour of this year’s host city. Rio’s preparations for this summer’s Olympics risk unleashing a new wave of police violence against favela residents and protestors. On 5 August 2016, almost 12,000 of the world’s best athletes will congregate in Rio de Janeiro to compete in a dazzling …
The European Union (EU) is set to open a dark chapter in its history unless it rejects the European Commission’s proposal on migration, a coalition of more than 100 NGOs – including Amnesty International – have warned. EU leaders must reject proposal Shifting towards a foreign policy that serves the single objective of curbing migration, …
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The Myanmar authorities must undertake a prompt, independent, thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into the violent destruction of buildings in a mosque compound on June 23 in Bago Region in central Myanmar. Incident must be taken seriously “The authorities must take swift action to show that it is treating such incidents against Muslims and other …
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Responding to the UK’s referendum vote in favour of leaving the EU, Kate Allen Amnesty’s UK Director, said: “People will want reassurance that their rights will be safeguarded and the government has a duty to publicly commit to protecting those rights”. “Whether the UK is a member of the EU or not, it remains beholden …
Continue reading “UK vote to leave EU: Time to focus on what unites us”
During Reconciliation Week, the community of Roebourne, situated in the Pilbara of Western Australia, was gearing up for the Murru Concert. Murru is the affectionate nickname given by family to 16-year-old Yindjibarndi man John Pat, who died tragically under violent circumstances in police custody in Roebourne in 1983. John’s death sparked a national outrage at …
Queensland has passed two Bills that will better protect children’s rights and help keep children out of the criminal justice system. Youth Justice and Other Amendments Bills The Youth Justice and Other Amendments Bills, passed over the weekend, are the first step towards a fairer justice system for kids in Queensland. The Bills remove military-style …
A new decree by the governor of Rio de Janeiro authorizing spending cuts ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games must not be used as an excuse to cut short basic services and training for security forces to be deployed in favelas. “The decision to cut down on social services and security ahead of the Rio …
The Indonesian authorities in Aceh are endangering lives of a group of more than 40 Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers by firing warning shots and threatening to push them back out to sea in flagrant violation of international law. UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on the scene but denied access Aceh authorities undermine Indonesian Vice President …
Amnesty International welcomes the new Crimes Act 2016, which came into force in Nauru on 12 May. The new law replaces the archaic Criminal Code from 1899 and includes a number of positive steps towards improving human rights such as: The substitution of the death penalty with life imprisonment as the punishment for murder. Following …
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