Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
The Syrian city of Aleppo has been hit by a suspected chlorine attack, which would amount to a war crime if confirmed, and constitutes an alarming sign that Syrian government forces are intensifying their use of chemical weapons against civilians. The attack on a residential neighbourhood in a part of Aleppo controlled by armed groups …
Continue reading “Syria: Fresh chemical attack on Aleppo a war crime”
When you’re bombarded by daily news of conflict, terror, unfair imprisonment and the mistreatment of refugees, it’s sometimes hard to keep a positive outlook and believe that you can help change things for the better. But, by looking further than the attention-grabbing headlines, you’ll see that progress is happening all around the world thanks to …
Continue reading “5 things you have helped us achieve in 2016 so far”
Activists across the country are campaigning hard to end the over-representation of Indigenous kids in our justice system and the impact is clear. Thanks to the dedicated and hard work of activists like you, this month we took some great steps closer to addressing the over-representation of Indigenous kids in the justice system. Activists have …
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 …
Senate Committee opens inquiry into the allegations in our By Hook or By Crook report. Find out how it happened. In October 2015 we released a report, By Hook or by Crook: Australia’s abuse of asylum seekers at sea, which revealed damning evidence that Australian officials paid USD $32,000 to the six crew members on …
Continue reading “Report sparks action over alleged boat payments”
From film screenings and panel discussions, to rallies and community festivals, Amnesty activists have been busy celebrating the vast contributions of refugees to our communities in events across the country. With this year’s theme – with courage let us all combine – echoing the resilience of people seeking asylum and the culture of solidarity we …
A judge’s decision to acquit mother of two Yecenia Armenta Graciano and release her from prison on 7 June 2016 in northern Mexico brings an end to four long years of injustice. What happened? Yecenia Armenta Graciano was arbitrarily detained by Sinaloa state investigative police in July 2012. She was beaten, near-asphyxiated and raped during …
Continue reading “Woman tortured by police is released from prison after four years”
Vietnamese human rights defender and Catholic priest, Father Nguyen Van Ly, has been released from prison – months ahead of his expected release date. What happened? In March 2007, pro-democracy activist Father Nguyen Van Ly was sentenced to eight years in prison for “conducting propaganda” against the state. Accusations against Father Ly included his involvement …
May 2016 Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Constitution has been hotly debated for many years, and not everyone is on board with the idea. So, where to from here? Our Indigenous Rights Team have been following the Constitutional recognition debate closely, particularly the variety of different positions taken by …
