News & Updates

Sheperds stand beside a cistern in the village of Umm al-Kheir, in the southern West Bank (OPT), September 2009.

Israel rations Palestinians to trickle of water

27 October 2009

Amnesty International has accused Israel of denying Palestinians the right to access adequate water by maintaining total control over the shared water resources and pursuing discriminatory policies.
Irene Khan, Amnesty International Secretary General, speaks to doctors in Freetown, Sierra Leone, September 2009

Maternal death rate in Sierra Leone is a "human rights emergency"

21 September 2009

In Sierra Leone, one in eight women risk dying during pregnancy or childbirth - one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world.

Background: Foreign nationals on death row in Saudi Arabia

6 November 2009

Amnesty International is aware of at least 137 people currently on death row in Saudi Arabia, of which 106 are foreign nationals. The true figures are believed to be much higher.

Scores made homeless by house demolitions in Nigeria

6 November 2009

Scores of Nigerians lost their homes on Friday morning when Rivers state authorities began bulldozing buildings in Port Harcourt, Amnesty International has learned.

Nicaragua's Constitutional Court must decide on legality of new abortion law

6 November 2009

Amnesty International has expressed concern that the Nicaraguan Supreme Court continues to delay its judgment on the legality of new criminal laws on abortion which entered into force in 2008.

Turkey: No to safe haven for fugitive from international justice

6 November 2009

Amnesty International has condemned an invitation extended by Turkey to Sudanese President Omar al Bashir to attend a meeting in Turkey.

Kenya's post-election violence suspects must be brought to justice

6 November 2009

The Kenyan government has failed to implement a fair and credible judicial process to try those accused of carrying out human rights violations, including possible crimes against humanity, during last

Amnesty International welcomes decision to not transfer Côte d'Ivoire toxic waste compensation

6 November 2009

Amnesty International has welcomed the decision of a Côte d’Ivoire court not to transfer $45 million in compensation owed to victims of the toxic waste dumping in Abidjan in 2006 to the account of an organization which was falsely claiming to represent all 30,000 of them.

UN vote on Goldstone report a defining step for accountability

6 November 2009

The vote adopting key recommendations of the report on the conflict in Gaza and southern Israel earlier this year, is vitally important for ensuring that those who committed war crimes will be held accountable, said Amnesty International.

Tunisia releases prisoners held over Gafsa protests

6 November 2009

Sixty-eight people held in connection with protests against unemployment and high living costs in the resource-rich Gafsa region have been released.

EU and India must work together at UN to protect human rights

5 November 2009

The European Union and India should work together at the United Nations to protect human rights in places of crisis, Amnesty International has said in a letter ahead of the EU India summit in New Delhi.

Convictions in Abu Omar rendition case a step toward accountability

5 November 2009

US and Italian intelligence agents are convicted for their involvement in the abduction of Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr (better known as Abu Omar).