Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
The climate crisis is one of the most significant human rights issues to date, threatening the enjoyment of a full range of human rights, for present and future generations. Despite the impact that climate change is already having on human rights, and that it will continue to accelerate in the future, Australia’s policies are exacerbating …
Continue reading “Climate change is threatening our human rights”
On 4 January 2020, the Magistrate Court in London did not approve the extradition of Julian Assange to the US where he would face a risk of ill-treatment in prison. The US extradition request was based on charges directly related to the publication of leaked classified documents as part of Assange’s work with Wikileaks. Publishing …
Continue reading “Morrison, call on Trump and Biden to drop Assange’s charges”
Ministers and Assistant Ministers in Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s new ministry were sworn in on the 22nd December 2020. There are several new members in important ministries related to human rights. Amnesty International has written to the following Ministers and Assistant Minister congratulating them on their appointment and outlining important human rights issues in their …
Continue reading “Amnesty calls on new Ministers to fight for human rights”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade releases Country Information Reports primarily for the use of protection status determination, and provides a ‘general’ country overview. Amnesty International is concerned that the newly published Country Information Report for India does not reflect the reality of the human rights situation on the ground. In particular, threats to …
Continue reading “Australia in danger of understating serious human rights violations in India”
Amnesty International Australia has written to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt MP, urging him to support a motion before the Senate calling for a Joint Select Committee on Makarratta. The committee would allow the parliament to explore the history and progress of truth-telling and treaty-making in Australia, international developments in treaty-making and truth-telling, …
Continue reading “Supporting the call for a Makarratta Committee”
Amnesty International Australia has serious concerns about the Queensland Government’s decision to scrap bailhouses as the latest in a rollback of youth justice reforms. Following a Right To Information request in 2018, Amnesty International uncovered serious breaches of international law, which resulted in the Queensland Government introducing bailhouses as well as establishing a youth justice …
Continue reading “Scrapping of bailhouses latest retrograde step in QLD youth justice reform”
Advocates of a fairer community sponsorship program will on Thursday December 17 handover 30,000 signatures supporting reform to the program to welcome more people into our communities. The signatures will be handed over at Acting Minister for Immigration, Alan Tudge’s electorate office in Wantirna South, Melbourne. A review into the current model is due to …
A coalition of rights groups have called for all the people being held in APODs, under Australia’s detention regime, to be immediately released into the community.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia would be ‘elevating’ its relationship with Thailand to that of a ‘Strategic Partnership’. The Prime Minister stated that the new partnership will ‘enhance cooperation in key areas, including defence and security, cyber affairs, anti-money laundering and combating transnational crime’. The partnership must have human rights at its heart; …
Commenting on Friday’s announcement that The University of Queensland and CSL COVID-19 vaccine trial has been abandoned, Amnesty International Australia campaigner Joel Mackay said: “Australia has a vital role to play in the equal access of vaccines, particularly in our region. “New or expanded agreements on vaccines should include provisions for the common good, and …
Continue reading “Australia has vital role to play in ensuring equal access to vaccines”
