Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
In February 2015 Fiji became the 99th country to abolish the death penalty. Amnesty International’s Director of Global Issues, Audrey Gaughran, speculates on which country will be next. Historic milestone A couple of weeks ago, on 13 February, we woke up to the good news that Fiji had joined the ranks of countries to abolish …
Continue reading “Which country will be the 100th to abolish the death penalty?”
Western Australia (WA) locks up Indigenous young people at the highest rate in Australia. Julian Cleary, a Campaigner in our Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Team, explains the impact the proposed Criminal Law Amendment (Home Burglary and Other Offences) Bill 2014 would have on Indigenous young people in WA and what you can do to help. So, …
Continue reading “Three strikes and you’re out: mandatory sentencing in WA”
A story of love and endurance; of fear and generosity; an intimate look at those at the centre of Australia’s refugee debate. 2014 poll indicated that 60% of Australians want our government to treat asylum seekers more harshly. But how many of the people who voted have ever actually met an asylum seeker? Amnesty’s Katie …
Khaled lives in western Sydney with his wife Rhamia and their six children. He’s just one of around 500 Syrian refugees who’ve started a new life in Australia. In his own words, this is his story. Life was very good I was a businessman in Syria; I had five companies, including a car and freight …
Four million people have fled Syria since the conflict began in 2011 and at least 7.6 million people have been displaced with the country. Amnesty’s Sherif Elsayed-Ali looks at the people affected by the crisis. Global challenge In a satirical drawing to illustrate the global challenge posed by Syria’s growing refugee crisis, Ali Ferzat, a …
Continue reading “Opening our hearts to Syria’s refugee crisis”
Feeling hopeless about the plight of Syria’s refugees? Well, now there’s something you can do. Join us in showing that Australia is #OpentoSyria by taking part in our photo action. What’s happening in Syria? The conflict in Syria has now been raging for almost four years. Beyond the massive destruction and loss of life, the …
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As Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste walks free from Egypt’s Tora Prison, the continuing plight of his colleagues Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy must not be forgotten. Welcome relief The organisation has been calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all three men since their arrest in December 2013. “The news that Peter Greste …
Is there any more Australian sign of spring than wattle trees blossoming across the country, our national flower’s bright yellow blooms against the green of its leaves, the inspiration for our Australian colours of green and gold? Acacia pycnantha, otherwise known as Golden Wattle, has earned its status as our national floral emblem: it symbolises …
Continue reading “Wattle Day: the date that should unite all Australians”
Dr Tun Aung, a Muslim community leader and medical doctor imprisoned for trying to prevent communal violence, was released from jail on 19 January in Myanmar. What happened? In June 2012 Dr Tun Aung was arrested after trying to calm the crowd during a riot involving Buddhists and Rohingya in Western Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Independent …
Saudi Arabian blogger Raif Badawi has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for setting up a website in Saudi Arabia. We talk to another local blogger – who has to remain anonymous for their own safety – about different tactics the authorities use to silence people online. 1. Gagging anyone with an independent …
Continue reading “Seven ways Saudi Arabia is silencing people online”
