Press releases
Afghanistan: German government must investigate deadly Kunduz airstrikes - 29 October 2009
The German government should immediately launch a credible, transparent investigation into a 4 September airstrike in Kunduz, Afghanistan, that killed scores of people, many of them civilians, Amnesty International said today.
The German military said on Thursday that NATO’s investigation suggested the airstrike, which targeted two fuel tanker trucks that had been hijacked by Taleban fighters five hours earlier, was appropriate even though it led to civilian casualties.
Amnesty international’s investigation into the Kunduz incident suggests that the laws of war may have been violated during the airstrike.
Obama should follow UN lead on Cuba embargo - 29 October 2009
Barack Obama should follow the lead of the UN General Assembly and take all necessary steps to end its economic embargo against Cuba, said Amnesty International today after the UN body condemned US sanctions against the island.Iran: Criminalising freedom of expression - 29 October 2009
Amnesty International is calling on Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to immediately retract his statement on Wednesday that criticising the outcome of June’s presidential election is a crimeAfrican governments must pressure Zimbabwe on human rights - 28 October 2009
Amnesty International today warned that Zimbabwe is on the brink of sliding back into the post-election violence that marred the country last year, risking undermining the stability brought about by the creation of the unity government in February.Sudan: Death row prisoner bore marks of torture - 28 October 2009
Amnesty International today said the Sudanese government was responsible for the death and ill-treatment of a prisoner who died from tuberculosis in police custody last week.Russian Federation: Authorities must investigate activist’s murder - 26 October 2009
Russian and Kabardino-Balkarian authorities must find and bring to justice those responsible for the murder of Maksharip Aushev, a leading civil society activist from IngushetiaSierra Leone: Special Court renders final judgment in RUF case - 26 October 2009
Today’s decision by the Special Court for Sierra Leone to uphold the convictions of three former senior leaders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) is a positive step in the fight against impunity for the worst crimes committed during the country’s eleven-year civil warTurkey: The right of refugees to return with dignity - 23 October 2009
Amnesty International calls on the Turkish authorities to allow Turkish citizens of Kurdish origin to return without fear of harassment and discrimination as refugees begin to leave the Mahmur camp in northern IraqNigeria: Government must arrest Sudanese President during visit - 22 October 2009
Amnesty International today revealed that Nigerian President Umaru Yar’Adua has issued an invitation to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to visit Nigeria even though President al Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.South Korea: Migrant workers treated as ‘disposable labour’ - 21 October 2009
Many migrant workers in South Korea are beaten, trafficked for sexual exploitation and denied their wages for long periods despite the introduction of rules to protect their rights, said Amnesty International in a report issued today.
In the 98-page report, Disposable Labour: Rights of migrants workers in South Korea, Amnesty International documented how migrant workers often work with heavy machinery and dangerous chemicals without sufficient training or protective equipment and are at greater risk of industrial accidents, including fatalities, and receive less pay compared to South Korean workers.
“Migrant workers are vulnerable to abuse and exploitation largely because they cannot change jobs without their employer’s permission,” said Roseann Rife, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Programme Director. “Work conditions are sometimes so bad that they run away and consequently, lose their regular status and are then subject to arrest and deportation.”
