June 2006

Actor and filmmaker Nicolas Cage is donating $2 million to establish a fund to help former child soldiers, which will include support for rehabilitation shelters, medical services and psychological and reintegration services, and to support Amnesty International's work on child soldiers. Posted: 29 Jun 2006

Two leading Russian journalists have today urged the UK government to raise concern at deteriorating press freedoms in Russia. Posted: 29 Jun 2006

Responding to the ruling from the US Supreme Court on Guantánamo Bay, Amnesty International is calling for the US authorities to immediately release prisoners or allow fair trials for all detainees held at the US military detention centre in Cuba. Posted: 29 Jun 2006

As the African Union heads of state gather in Banjul, Gambia, and the UN Security Council discusses the deployment of UN peacekeepers in Darfur, Amnesty International today published a new report on the deteriorating human rights crisis in eastern Chad. The organisation called for urgent action to be taken by the international community to protect civilians in eastern Chad from cross-border attacks originating in Sudan. Posted: 29 Jun 2006

Amnesty International has welcomed the anticipated vote today by the British Medical Association (BMA) to condemn torture of prisoners at Guantanámo Bay. Posted: 29 Jun 2006

Amnesty International today (28 June) reacted to Mr Justice Sullivan's decision at the High Court to quash Control Orders against six men because they were 'incompatible" with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Posted: 28 Jun 2006

Amnesty International calls on the Palestinian armed groups who are holding hostage a 19-year-old Israeli soldier, Corporal Gilad Shalit, not to harm him and to release him promptly. Posted: 28 Jun 2006

Cathy Zimmerman, author of 'Stolen Smiles', will be presenting the report to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 29th June. Posted: 28 Jun 2006

Severe health consequences include injuries, chronic pain, depression, and post traumatic stress disorder; Evidence of the abuses suffered by trafficked women both before women are trafficked and during trafficking. Posted: 28 Jun 2006

The winners of the 15th annual Amnesty International UK Media Awards were announced in a ceremony at London's Café Royal last night. The awards recognise excellence in human rights reporting and acknowledge journalism's significant contribution to the UK public's awareness and understanding of human rights issues. Posted: 27 Jun 2006

The AK-47 assault rifle 'the so-called' weapon of choice of Northern Ireland's paramilitaries through the years - will remain the most widely-used weapon in conflict zones for at least the next 20 years because it is so poorly regulated, according to a new report. Posted: 26 Jun 2006

If you are one of the thousands of Northern Irish people who backed Oxfam Ireland and Amnesty International's campaign for an international Arms Trade Treaty, you could be getting the big screen treatment in Belfast this weekend. Posted: 23 Jun 2006

The Kalashnikov assault rifle will remain the most widely-used weapon in conflict zones for at least the next 20 years because it is so poorly regulated, according to a new report by the Control Arms campaign released at the start of the UN world conference on small arms and light weapons in New York today (26 June). Posted: 22 Jun 2006

Women's rights groups in Jamaica are urging the country's authorities to fight discrimination and sexual violence against women and girls by fully implementing a national Action Plan, according to a report released by Amnesty International. Posted: 22 Jun 2006

Reacting to the conclusion of Operation Pentameter today (21 June), Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said: 'Operation Pentameter's crackdown on the trafficking and forced prostitution of foreign women in Britain has been extremely welcome." Posted: 21 Jun 2006

At a press conference held today, UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett, joined Control Arms campaigners (Amnesty International, Oxfam and IANSA) and the Defence Manufacturers Association in a call for tough arms controls. Posted: 20 Jun 2006

Over 80 per cent of people in the UK (81%) fear guns coming in from overseas and ending up on British streets, according to a new survey released today (19 June). And these fears are well-founded as one in ten people in Britain have been affected by gun crime or know someone that has been in the past five years. Posted: 19 Jun 2006

Amnesty International will be signalling its support for the rights of LGBT people everywhere by marching and running a stall at Pride Scotia, under the arc of a big inflatable rainbow. Posted: 16 Jun 2006

Joint statement from Redress, Amnesty International and Justice Today is a sad day for British justice. The UK's highest court gave complete immunity to the Saudi torturers of four UK citizens who were subjected to treatment including beatings, suspension from brackets and death sentences by partial beheading. Posted: 14 Jun 2006

Family and Lib Dem MP issue fresh call for action over London residents Bisher al-Rawi and Jamil el-Banna, still held at Guantánamo Amnesty International today (14 June) issued a call for an investigation into the UK's role in the 'rendition' of two UK residents, as it released a new report on rendition flights operated by the US secret intelligence service, the CIA. Posted: 14 Jun 2006