Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
In a major victory for Indigenous people who fought to protect the water and their rights, the Army Corps of Engineers has decided not to allow an oil pipeline to cross under a reservoir on land it controls in North Dakota. United States Assistant Secretary of the Army, Jo-Ellen Darcy, said they would “explore alternate routes” …
Continue reading “Standing Rock: a major victory for Indigenous people”
On International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, we celebrate the recent release of three anti-slavery activists, and the reduced sentence of 10 others in Mauritania who have been imprisoned since 30 June. The Appeal Court ruling in Mauritania acquitted and ordered the release of three anti-slavery activists, and reduced the sentence of 10 others – including …
Continue reading “10 anti-slavery activists released in Mauritania”
Queensland human rights advocates have had many reasons to celebrate this year. The QLD Government has made progress on youth justice, LGBTI rights, reproductive rights and more. Most recently the QLD Government announced plans to introduce a Human Rights Act. Essentially, a Human Rights Act means that the government need to take human rights into …
Continue reading “Queensland Government commits to a Human Rights Act”
The Palaszczuk Government, with the support of three cross-bench Members, has today shown great leadership in protecting Queensland’s children. It has ensured the passage of a historic Bill to move 17-year-old children out of adult prisons and into the youth justice system. Queensland has treated 17-year-old children as adults in the criminal justice system since …
Continue reading “Good news: 17-year-olds out of adult prisons”
Some good news from the Northern Territory: The newly-elected NT Government has, for the first time, appointed a Minister for Youth Justice, marking a clear intention to consider the distinct needs of children in contact with the justice system. Earlier this week they also introduced legislation to ban the use of the horrific chair used …
Continue reading “NT Government appoints a Minister for Youth Justice”
The Northern Territory Government should be commended for its move to better protect the human rights of children detained in the Territory. Brutal restraint chairs will no longer be able to be used against children in the NT, under the Youth Justice Legislation Amendment Bill 2016 introduced into NT Parliament yesterday. The Bill specifies that …
Continue reading “NT restraint chair ban a step for children’s rights”
Sometimes, a letter can change someone’s life. And that’s what ‘Write for Rights’ is all about. Amnesty’s global letter-writing campaign, Write for Rights, kicks off again in November 2016. Around the world, people will write to defend freedoms stolen from others. Last year, Amnesty supporters wrote an astonishing 3.7 million letters and messages as part …
Continue reading “Write for Rights: Your words changed lives”
Syrian refugee M.K., who has been arbitrarily detained at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen airport since November 2015, was finally released on 29 March, 2016. He will await the decision on his international protection application in the province of Aksaray. What happened? In 2012 the Syrian crisis forced M.K. to flee his homeland and seek refuge in …
Continue reading “Syrian refugee M.K. released from airport detention in Turkey”
Following strong activism led by our Tasmanian action groups, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announces that youth detention will be discussed at the next COAG (Council of Australian Governments) meeting. Find out what it took. Tassie’s determined activists Sylvie Merope, co-convenor of the Southern Tasmanian action group, wouldn’t have believed that this would happen if you …
The Queensland Government has announced that it will introduce legislation this week to transfer 17-year-old teenagers out of adult prisons within 12 months. The change, announced a week after Amnesty released a report on Indigenous kids in QLD detention, will bring Queensland into step with the rest of Australia, and in line with the UN …
Continue reading “Good news: kids to be transitioned out of QLD adult prisons”
