Amnesty International Australia
Defending Human Rights
Amnesty International has welcomed the Queensland Government’s announcement of an independent review into Queensland youth detention centres, and called for the terms of reference to be defined in consultation with Indigenous communities and the youth justice sector. Attorney General Yvette D’ath today announced the review will focus on the practices, operation and oversight of Queensland’s …
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A ruling to release a woman sentenced to eight years in prison after having a miscarriage in Argentina is a step forward for human rights in the country, Amnesty International said. Last night the Supreme Court of Tucumán, a state in north Argentina, said there were not enough reasons to keep Belén, 27, in pre-trial …
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Today the Department of Defense announced 15 detainees were transferred from the Guantánamo Bay detention site. Amnesty International USA’s Security and Human Rights Program Director Naureen Shah issued the following statement: “This is a powerful sign that President Obama is serious about closing Guantánamo before he leaves office. With these transfers, Guantánamo’s population will be reduced …
The Margaret River local group just had their council unanimously pledge their support for the ‘No Business in Abuse’ campaign. Read more about their inspiring organising! So what happened? On 7 May, the Amnesty Margaret River group set up a pop-up internet stall outside Settlers Tavern in Margaret River. Over the next seven Saturdays, they …
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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 …
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”
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 …
