March 2004

Joint Statement from Amnesty International, British Irish Rights Watch, the Committee on the Administration of Justice, Human Rights First and Human Rights Watch: Tomorrow, after an unconscionable delay, the families of Patrick Finucane, Rosemary Nelson, Robert Hamill and Billy Wright will finally receive a copy of the relevant report by Justice Peter Cory in each of the above-mentioned cases of killing involving allegations of state collusion on the part of the UK authorities. Posted: 31 Mar 2004

Human rights organisations are subject to a deliberate pattern of obstruction, harassment and intimidation by the Belarusian authorities to ultimately silence them, Amnesty International said today (Monday 29 March), as it published a new report 'Belarus: Stifling the promotion of human rights'. Posted: 29 Mar 2004

Posted: 29 Mar 2004

Posted: 29 Mar 2004

(Brussels 29 March 2004) In an unprecedented move, refugee and human rights organisations across Europe are jointly calling on the European Union to scrap one of the key elements leading to the proposed Common European Asylum System. Posted: 29 Mar 2004

Afghanistan is facing a critical moment in its ongoing reconstruction efforts and its future will remain unchanged unless the international community takes human rights issues seriously, said Amnesty International in a letter sent today to the countries participating in a forthcoming international conference on reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan. Posted: 26 Mar 2004

Amnesty International is gravely concerned about reports that earlier today a 14-year-old Palestinian child was found to be carrying explosives when attempting to pass through the Israeli army checkpoint at Huwara, at the entrance of the West Bank town of Nablus. Posted: 25 Mar 2004

Amnesty International has today adopted as prisoners of conscience the 3 British and 23 Egyptian men sentenced to between one and five years' imprisonment in connection with their alleged affiliation with the Islamic Liberation Party (Hizb al-Tahrir al-Islami). Posted: 25 Mar 2004

Child soldiers have been used as "a cheap and expendable tool" throughout the civil conflict in Burundi over the last ten years says Amnesty International as it publishes a new report today (24 March 2004). UNICEF estimates that between 6,000 and 7,000 children now need to be demobilised and reintegrated into Burundian society. Posted: 24 Mar 2004

Amnesty International is extremely concerned for the health of an Iranian man who has been imprisoned, tortured and denied medical treatment after he talked to a Channel 4 'Dispatches' television team last year. Earlier this week the organisation issued an Urgent Action appeal on his behalf. Posted: 23 Mar 2004

Amnesty International has condemned the extrajudicial execution by the Israeli army of Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmad Yassin this morning in the Gaza Strip. The attack also resulted in the unlawful killing of seven other Palestinians and the injury of many more. Posted: 22 Mar 2004

Thousands of people are being sentenced to death in China following dangerously unfair trials, including ones where confessions have been extracted under torture, says a new report published by Amnesty International today (22 March 2004). Posted: 22 Mar 2004

Posted: 19 Mar 2004

Following the violent clashes between Albanians and Serbs which began on 17 March in Mitrovica/Mitrovicë   and quickly spread throughout the UN-administered province of Kosovo, Amnesty International has urged KFOR and UNMIK police to ensure that law enforcement officials and troops be instructed to use firearms only if other means remain ineffective. Posted: 19 Mar 2004

Amnesty International is very concerned for the safety of a gay rights activist in Ecuador who survived an attempt on his life on 12 March. The human rights organisation is calling on people all over the world to write to the Ecuadorian authorities asking them to ensure his protection. Posted: 19 Mar 2004

Amnesty International today declared the USA's continued use of the death penalty against the mentally ill as "shameful" as it issued a new report on the case of Kelsey Patterson who is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 18 May for a double murder committed in 1992. Kelsey Patterson has long suffered from serious mental illness, and was first diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1981. Posted: 18 Mar 2004

One year after the war on Iraq was launched, the promise of improved human rights for Iraqi citizens remains far from realised, concludes a new report by Amnesty International (Iraq: One Year On published Thursday 18 March 2004). Posted: 18 Mar 2004

Posted: 18 Mar 2004

Posted: 18 Mar 2004

Posted: 18 Mar 2004