Thousands of people were detained in quarantine centres for alleged violations of a mandatory quarantine imposed in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were reports of precarious and insanitary conditions in these centres, as well as arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force. The...

The government response to COVID-19 raised human rights concerns, including in relation to the right to health, the enactment of emergency legislation without parliamentary oversight, and police use of spit hoods. Increased numbers of people accessed abortion services under the 2018 law, but gaps...

States in the Americas must address the closure of civic space in the region, end repressive policies and respond to the social demands of the population of the region, said Amnesty International today in an open letter to heads of state attending the 53rd General Assembly of the Organization of...

•     The number of migrant children crossing the dangerous Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama on foot hit an all-time high, with UNICEF counting 32,488 children from January to October.

In response to a court ruling in El Salvador that sentenced a woman to 30 years in prison for aggravated homicide after suffering an obstetric emergency, Erika Guevara-Rosas, Americas director at Amnesty International, said: “This sentence is a travesty of justice. Suffering an obstetric emergency...

Instead of addressing deep-seated socioeconomic inequalities to deliver a fair recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, states across the Americas waged a sustained assault on the defence of human rights in 2021, targeting peaceful demonstrators, journalists, human rights defenders and civil society...

SEX WORKERS IN IRELAND DEMAND THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS Women’s rights and gender equality issues have exploded into public consciousness in recent years, with the #MeToo movement galvanizing millions of people worldwide to demand change. But one demographic facing such human rights violations every day...

This submission was prepared for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Ireland in November 2021. In it, Amnesty International evaluates the implementation of recommendations made to Ireland in its previous UPR, including in relation to its ratification of human rights treaties and removing the...

Welcome to #LetsTalkAboutYes – find out about the campaign and how to join in helping to change the world one conversation at a time. What is the problem? If someone doesn’t consent to having sex, it is rape. It’s as simple as that. However, outdated laws, widespread myths, gender stereotypes and...

Evelyn Hernández was acquitted of charges for aggravated homicide in August, after suffering an obstetric emergency in which she lost her pregnancy in 2016. She is now at risk of further criminalization by El Salvador’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, which has appealed the court’s ruling. Please take...

This document contains Amnesty International’s suggested recommendations to be made to the twelve States undergoing their UPR during the 34th session of the Universal Periodic Review.

In response to the decision by El Salvador’s public prosecutor’s office to appeal the ruling that absolved Evelyn Hernández of charges against her, Astrid Valencia, Central America researcher at Amnesty International, said: “This appeal is yet another example of the discriminatory disposition of...

In response to the decision by El Salvador’s public prosecutor’s office to appeal the ruling that absolved Evelyn Hernández of charges against her, Astrid Valencia, Central America researcher at Amnesty International, said: “This appeal is yet another example of the discriminatory disposition of...