A court’s decision this week to release a woman who spent four years in jail in El Salvador for miscarrying her pregnancy is a great victory for human rights. María Teresa Rivera, 33, was jailed in 2011 and sentenced to 40 years in prison for “aggravated homicide” after having a miscarriage. “The release of María …
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Australia’s top judge urges action on family violence and Indigenous prison rates
The Chief Justice of the highest court in Australia has taken the rare step of speaking out about the need for action on family violence and our “appallingly high rate of indigenous incarceration”. Chief Justice French rarely speaks on issues publicly, so this is an important step for shining the spotlight on the over-representation of …
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Good news: Senate passes a motion calling for national justice targets
On Tuesday 19 April the Australian Senate passed a motion calling for the adoption of justice targets to close the gap on the incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Friday 15 April 2016 marked 25 years since a Royal Commission handed down recommendations to reduce imprisonment and prevent Aboriginal deaths in custody. …
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Myanmar: Unity5 journalists free at last
Update: Journalists in Myanmar are still at risk. Please take action for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who are facing 14 years in prison simply for doing their jobs. Five media workers from the Unity newspaper in Myanmar have been released following a Presidential pardon. The good news came after months of campaigning for …
15 brilliant human rights wins in March!
March was an incredible month for human rights wins – activists were released, unfair laws were changed, and people who committed serious human rights abuses were brought to justice. We’ve picked out 15 successes, wins and pieces of good news, and they were all made possible thanks to your support. 1. Egypt: Teen who challenged …
Good news: Myanmar activist Phyoe Phyoe Aung released
Phyoe Phyoe Aung, a student activist from Myanmar jailed for helping to organise a student protest, has been released. Her freedom is a huge victory for human rights and human rights defenders. What happened? Phyoe Phyoe Aung is a young activist and Secretary General of one of Myanmar’s largest student unions. On 10 March 2015, …
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Myanmar students’ release must pave way for end to repression
The release of dozens of student protesters in Myanmar is a step forward for human rights that should pave the way for the new government to release all remaining prisoners of conscience and amend or repeal all laws that fuel arbitrary arrests. The Tharawaddy Court in Myanmar yesterday dropped charges against scores of students facing …
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Australia takes first step to address world refugee crisis
The Australian Government has stepped up to save the lives of 12,000 more people escaping the conflict in Syria. Worst refugee crisis since WWII This is just the first step needed, as world leaders, including Australia, look to address the worst refugee crisis since WWII. “Thousands more people will now have the chance to live …
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Albert Woodfox free after 43 years in solitary confinement
Albert Woodfox, the last imprisoned member of the ‘Angola Three’, has been released after more than four decades in solitary confinement. What happened? Albert Woodfox was initially jailed alongside Herman Wallace and Robert King in 1971 following a conviction for armed robbery. In 1973 Wallace and Woodfox were confined to solitary in Louisiana State Penitentiary, …
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Five wins in the fight against torture
For over 50 years we’ve worked tirelessly with passionate supporters like you, to stop torture globally. People power is behind the success of all our work and we’d like to share with you some of the top recent successes that we’ve achieved together. 1. Claudia Medina With torture on the rise in Mexico, it remains …