In response to today’s arrest of media tycoon Jimmy Lai and two other pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong on charges of “unlawful assembly” for their participation in largely peaceful mass protests on 31 August 2019, Director of Amnesty International Hong Kong Man-Kei Tam said: “These...

Joint statement by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Civil Rights Defenders calling on the Myanmar authorities to immediately and unconditionally release four activists who have been convicted and sentenced to one month in prison simply for the peaceful exercise of their rights to...

The joint INGO oral statement urged the Council to hold Sri Lanka accountable to its obligations under international law. Given the Sri Lankan government’s announcement that it will not continue to engage with the clear framework agreed through resolution 30/1; the failure of past domestic...

On 24 November 2019, the Kurdish security forces, also known as Asayish, arrested Hatsyar Wshyar, assistant judge in Sulaymaniyah court, and held him in solitary confinement for seven days, during which he was reportedly tortured. On 2 December 2019, following an unfair trial, he was sentenced to...

Amirhossein Moradi, Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi have been sentenced to death in connection with acts of arson that took place during protests in November 2019. Their trial was grossly unfair. They were denied access to lawyers during the investigation phase and say they were tortured....

In this statement under Item 2 at the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council Amnesty International expressed alarm at the human rights violations in Iran, Iraq, Nicaragua and Chile and welcomes support from the OHCHR report on Chile. Amnesty International thanks the High Commissioner Council for...

Having been in court to observe Julian Assange’s extradition hearing, Amnesty International’s expert on human rights in Europe Julia Hall said: “This week has underscored the threat to the right to freedom of expression and access to information worldwide should Julian Assange be sent to the USA to...

The new Tunisian government must take the opportunity to break the pattern of impunity for security forces accused of human rights violations, Amnesty International has said in an open letter to the new prime minister. As Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh is sworn in today, Amnesty is calling for his...

The Burundi government must scrap a dangerous requirement for international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) to declare the ethnicities of their Burundian employees, Amnesty International said today. In a letter dated 13 February, the Minister of Patriotic Training and Home Affairs Pascal...

Reacting to today’s European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) judgment in Ismayilova v. Azerbaijan, in favour of journalist Khadia Ismayilova, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Denis Krivosheev, said: “The case of Khadija Ismayilova – a prominent journalist...

Wherever there is injustice in Afghanistan, you will find some of the bravest people fighting against it. They are lawyers and activists supporting women who have suffered violence and discrimination. They are teachers who are supporting the right to education of girls and boys. They are...

Amnesty International has documented grave violations of human rights in 2019 in 24 countries across the Americas. Examples of the major human rights events analyzed include:  BOLIVIAAfter Evo Morales’ resignation amidst a social-political crisis in November, interim president Jeanine Áñez issued a...