June 2003

Following statements by US Administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer that the US would 'impose' its will on Iraq, Amnesty International is calling on the United States today to give the hundreds of Iraqis detained since the beginning of the occupation the right to meet families and lawyers and to have a judicial review of their detention. Posted: 30 Jun 2003

The ship on which a British priest and hundreds of others were tortured to death arrives in England in July on a 'goodwill' mission from Chile. The Esmeralda docks in Dartmouth harbour on 9 July before sailing to London for the 15 July. Posted: 30 Jun 2003

Amnesty International expressed deep shock today at the 15-year prison sentences handed out to two foreign journalists and their US interpreter, arrested on 4 June whilst reporting on the on-going internal armed conflict in Laos. Posted: 30 Jun 2003

Amnesty International has welcomed the Russian government's decision to allow publication today of a report on torture by an expert European anti-torture group. Posted: 30 Jun 2003

A worrying increase in political violence in Guatemala could seriously jeopardise the validity of the upcoming November presidential election, Amnesty International warned today. Posted: 28 Jun 2003

Prime Minister Tony Blair should seize the opportunity of the growing "warm relationship" with President Putin, following this week's state visit, to engineer a frank exchange on Russia's human rights abuses in Chechnya and throughout Russia, said Amnesty International. Posted: 27 Jun 2003

Posted: 26 Jun 2003

"I was stripped to my shorts and my hands were handcuffed behind me. There was a post there and they tied me to it. They applied electric shock on my skin, on my testicles, on my chest and back, also the officers who were interrogating me hit me 50 times in this part with their fists." Sergio Vuskovic Rojo, survivor of Chilean torture ship the Esmeralda, which docks in Britain next month. Posted: 26 Jun 2003

Posted: 26 Jun 2003

Amnesty International today welcomed the recent actions and undertakings by the Jamaican government to strengthen the investigation of police officers involved in fatal shootings. Posted: 25 Jun 2003

Amnesty International has criticised the UK government's recent addition of Bangladesh to the 'white list' of countries which it deems safe for refugee and asylum seeker returns. Posted: 25 Jun 2003

"Many Liberians now feel that they would even prefer to be put out to sea on a boat than to remain in Côte d'Ivoire." Liberian refugee, to an Amnesty International delegation in Ivory Coast, March 2003 Posted: 24 Jun 2003

Posted: 24 Jun 2003

Posted: 24 Jun 2003

As the murder of nearly 200 trade unionists in Colombia last year underlines the threat to labour rights and human rights around the world, Amnesty International and the TUC celebrate 25 years of solidarity and action together at a meeting on 25 June 2003 at Congress House (12.00 to 2.00pm). Posted: 23 Jun 2003

Amnesty International has today (23 June 2003) singled out the UK, alongside Afghanistan's immediate neighbours, for criticism for its policy of returning refugees to Afghanistan. Posted: 23 Jun 2003

"All you need to know is there was a 'before 9/11', and there was an 'after 9/11'. After 9/11 the gloves come off." Cofer Black, former head of CIA Counter-Terrorist Centre, USA Posted: 20 Jun 2003

Amnesty International publishes a critical report on the economic reconstruction process in Iraq today (20 June 2003) on the eve of the World Economic Forum conference in Amman, which is to discuss the reconstruction and future of Iraq. Posted: 20 Jun 2003

Following the news that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is being held in Insein Prison under the 1975 State Protection Law, Section 10(a), Amnesty International has renewed calls for her immediate and unconditional release. Posted: 20 Jun 2003

Amnesty International UK, Christian Aid and Friends of the Earth are among a coalition of more than 40 charities, trade unions and church groups backing draft legislation put before Parliament on 19 June 2003, which seeks to firm up rules on companies' ethical behaviour and end the current 'pick-and-mix' voluntary approach to corporate social responsibility. Posted: 19 Jun 2003