June 2001

Amnesty International today welcomed the announcement that former president Slobodan Milosevic has been transferred to the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (Tribunal). Posted: 29 Jun 2001

Following the death on Wednesday of an Afghan refugee who was thrown out of a moving car by Pakistani police, Amnesty International is calling on the Pakistani government to take decisive action on the continued persecution of Afghan refugees. Posted: 29 Jun 2001

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Federation of Human Rights joined Tunisian human rights organisations today in calling on the government of Tunisia immediately and unconditionally to release all prisoners of conscience and end the routine harassment of former prisoners of conscience and critics of the authorities. Posted: 29 Jun 2001

Tunisian journalist and human rights defender Sihem Ben Sedrine was arrested on 26 June, after returning from a two - week tour of Europe, where she spoke publicly about how the human rights situation in Tunisia has deteriorated, and how civil liberties and freedom of expression have been increasingly curtailed. Posted: 28 Jun 2001

The ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the LaGrand Case means that the USA cannot continue ignoring its international obligations when applying the death penalty, Amnesty International said today. Posted: 28 Jun 2001

Amnesty International today expressed concern that freedom of expression is once again under attack in Guinea-Bissau as two journalists face charges of defamation. Other journalists have been detained and harassed in recent months for criticizing government policies or reporting issues deemed sensitive by the authorities. Posted: 28 Jun 2001

"Peace talks on Aceh, Indonesia, which are to resume in Geneva next week must prioritise human rights protection", Amnesty International said today. "Despite a succession of previous agreements, violence has escalated over the past year and civilians continue to suffer grave human rights abuses at the hands of both the Indonesian security forces and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM)." Posted: 27 Jun 2001

The North Korean family of seven seeking asylum at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office in Beijing would be at serious risk of human rights violations if they were returned to North Korea, Amnesty International said today. North Korean law states that leaving the country without permission is a criminal act and punishment can be anything from seven years in a reform institution to execution. Posted: 27 Jun 2001

Three young men in police custody are beaten up with rifle butts and clubs to be made to confess to a crime. One of them has a plastic bag placed over his head and has his left wrist burnt, apparently with a cigarette lighter. Their claim of having been tortured is later dismissed and excluded from their case file. Posted: 26 Jun 2001

During the past three years, thousands of unarmed civilians, including children, women, journalists and human rights defenders, have been subjected to torture in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said Amnesty International today in its latest report Torture: a weapon of war against unarmed civilians. Posted: 26 Jun 2001

Amnesty International is concerned that despite pledges by the Kenyan government to end torture by the police its lack of action underlines the complicity in the actions of the police. Posted: 25 Jun 2001

Tortured, ill-treated, sexually assaulted, forcibly subjected to medical or psychiatric treatment, forced to flee their home countries in terror - the world over, lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are at particular risk of human rights violations because of their sexual identity, Amnesty International said today. Posted: 22 Jun 2001

Amnesty International is concerned that the Japanese Government will carry out executions on or around 29 June 2001 when the parliament goes into recess. Amnesty International believes that the government chooses these periods to avoid debate within parliament and to minimize publicity. Posted: 21 Jun 2001

Reports that 13 demonstrators were killed and 50 injured as a result of indiscriminate and excessive use of force by police in Imphal, Manipur on 18 June 2001, should be immediately investigated, Amnesty International said today. According to reports, police fired on them without warning. Posted: 20 Jun 2001

Amnesty International today called for the unconditional release of prisoners of conscience, Mohamed Lemine Chbih Ould Cheikh MelaVnine, leader of the opposition Front populaire mauritanien (FPM), Popular Mauritanian Front, and Mokhtar Ould Havbetna and Bouba Ould Hassena, both members of the FPM. Posted: 20 Jun 2001

Amnesty International called on the Egyptian government to release immediately and unconditionally human rights defenders Saad Eddin Ibrahim and three of his colleagues at the Ibn Khaldun Center for Development studies(IKCDS). Posted: 20 Jun 2001

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch today criticized the Cambodian government for undermining the right to a fair trial of suspected members of the Cambodian Freedom Fighters group. Posted: 20 Jun 2001

As yet another date was set for resumption of the trial against Grigory Pasko, Amnesty International renewed its call for all charges against him to be dropped and for the journalist, environmental activist and human rights defender to be fully acquitted. Posted: 19 Jun 2001

Amnesty International today appealed to the different armed forces fighting in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC, formerly Zaire) to halt further killings and other mass human rights abuses against unarmed civilians. Posted: 19 Jun 2001

The US government has sacrificed fairness for finality, Amnesty International said today as the USA carried out its second federal execution in eight days. Posted: 19 Jun 2001