Independent investigation needed into the latest Indigenous death in custody

The latest death in custody of an Aboriginal woman in a Brisbane watch house this week is a shameful legacy of the government’s inaction on recommendations made in the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, Amnesty International said. There have been more than 400 Indigenous deaths in custody since the Royal Commission made …

Tragedy of George Floyd echoes Australia’s shameful record of deaths in custody

The death of American George Floyd last week and ensuing protests in the United States are a sobering reminder of Australia’s own shameful record on Indigenous deaths in custody. Since the conclusion of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991, more than 420 people have died in police custody without a single …

Australia: Aboriginal boys’ deaths could have been prevented

Amnesty International has today expressed sincere condolences to the families of five teenage boys who were chased by police in Perth overnight, tragically ending in the passing of two Aboriginal boys who drowned in the Derbarl Yerrigan (Swan River). Police are still searching for a third boy. Alison Gibbins, Amnesty International Australia Deputy National Director, …

Iran: Investigate reports of protesters’ deaths in custody

The Iranian authorities must immediately investigate reports that at least five people have died in custody following a crackdown on anti-establishment protests, and take all necessary steps to protect detainees from torture and prevent any further deaths, Amnesty International said. “The shroud of secrecy and lack of transparency over what happened to these detainees is …

UN increases scrutiny of Australia’s failing Indigenous rights record, ahead of Human Rights Council vote

Prime Minister Turnbull must demonstrate to the United Nations his commitment to Indigenous peoples’ rights, said Amnesty International, as the watchful eye of the UN falls on Australia’s dismal Indigenous rights record – just seven months before the vote on whether Australia secures a Human Rights Council seat.   The UN Special Rapporteur on the …