Responding to the announcement by Immigration Minister Alex Hawke that a further 15,000 places would be offered to people fleeing Afghanistan, Amnesty International Australia refugee advisor Dr Graham Thom said: “While a commitment to resettle Afghan refugees is of course welcome, we again stress the need for these to be in addition to the humanitarian …
Author Archives: Anita Harvey
Poland: After acquitting rainbow halo women, authorities must end their witch-hunt against activists
Responding to the dismissal of the appeal against the acquittal of three women human rights activists in Poland on absurd charges of “offending religious beliefs” for distributing posters of the Virgin Mary with a halo in the rainbow colours of the LGBTI pride flag, Catrinel Motoc, Senior Campaigner in Amnesty International’s Europe Regional Office said: “Today’s decision …
Cormann must condemn Chechnya and demand action at Davos to stop the killing of LGBTQI people
In the lead up to the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in response to verified reports of a further crackdown on gay and lesbian Chechens, which has led to more than forty people being detained, and two killed, Tim O’Connor, Manager Campaigns at Amnesty International Australia, said: “Being gay in Chechnya can get you …
Russia: Chechen authorities resume homophobic crackdown
Amnesty International has received credible information that the authorities in Chechnya, a republic in the south of Russia, have unleashed a new wave of attacks on people believed to be gay or lesbian. At least two people are reported to have been tortured to death since December 2018. The Russian LGBT Network has verified reports …
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Washington Becomes the 20th US State to Abolish the Death Penalty
Reacting to news that the Washington State Supreme Court has ruled the death penalty violates its Constitution, Kristina Roth, Senior Program Officer at Amnesty International USA stated: “This is tremendous news for all who fought to abolish the death penalty in Washington. Now that Washington has become the 20th state in the US to end …
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Nauru: MSF ousting must spur Australia to evacuate refugees
In response to the urgent call made by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) today for all refugees and asylum seekers to be immediately evacuated from Nauru, Roshika Deo, Pacific Researcher at Amnesty International said: “Today the world learned first-hand, from medical experts, exactly how wretched the situation is for Nauru’s refugees and vulnerable people. Australian and …
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Iran: Victim of domestic and sexual violence, arrested as a child, is executed after unfair trial
Responding to the horrific news that 24-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman Zeinab Sekaanvand was executed early this morning in Urumieh central prison, West Azerbaijan province, Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “The execution of Zeinab Sekaanvand is a sickening demonstration of the Iranian authorities’ disregard for …
Israel/OPT: Six Palestinians killed within 24 hours, some deaths may involve war crimes
The deaths of six Palestinians within just 24 hours is a horrific demonstration of the unnecessary or excessive force deployed by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), Amnesty International said today. Between 10pm on Monday 17 September and 8pm on Tuesday 18 September, Israeli forces killed four Palestinian men in …
USA: Congress should oppose Trump’s 30,000 refugee cap
Reacting to news that US President Donald Trump plans to restrict the country’s refugee admissions number to 30,000 for the 2019 fiscal year, Ryan Mace, Amnesty International USA’s Grassroots Advocacy and Refugee Specialist, said: “The Trump administration is abandoning this country’s promise to refugees. “Today’s announcement demonstrates another undeniable political attack against people who have …
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Yemen: 24 Baha’i people, including a child, facing possible death penalty
Responding to news that 24 Yemenis from the Baha’i faith – including eight women and a child – are facing charges that could result in death sentences by the Huthi-controlled Specialized Criminal Court in Sana’a, Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International’s Middle East Director of Research, said: “Once again, we are seeing trumped up charges and flagrantly …
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