September 2012

The Tunisian authorities must drop indecency charges against a woman who was summoned to court yesterday after she had complained that police officers raped her earlier this month, Amnesty International has said. Posted: 27 Sep 2012

Victims of sexual violence in Colombias decades-long armed conflict face little hope of ever getting justice, Amnesty International said in a new report today. Posted: 27 Sep 2012

The Swedish authorities should issue assurances to the UK and to Julian Assange that if he leaves Ecuadors London embassy and agrees to go to Sweden to face sexual assault claims, he will not be extradited to the USA in connection with Wikileaks, Amnesty International said. Posted: 27 Sep 2012

Fears of a new wave of executions in Japan increased after two death row inmates were hanged earlier today. Sachiko Eto, 65, and Yukinori Matsuda, 39, were hanged this morning in Sendai and Fukuoka Detention Centres respectively. Eto was the first woman to be executed in Japan since 1997. Posted: 27 Sep 2012

Based on exclusive access to Californias Security Housing Units, Amnestys 58-page report describes the confinement conditions endured by more than 3,000 prisoners - including 78 who have spent more than two decades in isolation units. Posted: 27 Sep 2012

The powers of the Commission of Inquiry appointed to investigate the deaths of 44 people near Lonmins Marikana mine last month must be clarified to ensure justice and redress for all those affected, Amnesty International said today. Posted: 26 Sep 2012

Trafigura, the multinational company behind the 2006 dumping of toxic waste in Abidjan, Cte dIvoire, resulting in over 100,000 people seeking medical assistance, must be criminally investigated in the UK, Amnesty International and Greenpeace International conclude in a major new report released today. Posted: 25 Sep 2012

Posted: 24 Sep 2012

A spate of human rights violations targeting opposition supporters and journalists in Belarus is nothing more than a clumsy attempt to suppress opposition voices ahead of elections on Sunday 23 September, Amnesty International said amid a growing call to boycott the poll. Posted: 21 Sep 2012

The decision by Italys High Court to uphold convictions against 22 CIA agents and a US military official for the 2003 abduction of Egyptian national Usama Mostafa Hassan Nasr - known as Abu Omar - is a step towards ending impunity for rendition and torture. Posted: 20 Sep 2012

The celebrated visual artist David Shrigley has created a new design in support of jailed members of the Russian protest band Pussy Riot, as part of Amnesty Internationals campaign for the three imprisoned members of the band. Posted: 20 Sep 2012

Magazine editor and human rights defender Somyot Prueksakasemsuk must be immediately released from 17-month pre-trial detention, said Amnesty International and other human rights organisations today. Posted: 19 Sep 2012

Civilians, many of them children, are the main victims of a campaign of relentless and indiscriminate attacks by the Syrian army in the north-west Idlib region of Syria, Amnesty International said in a new report released today. Posted: 19 Sep 2012

Two Australian Olympians gave their support to Amnesty International this week and then issued a call to sports stars from both Australia and further afield to follow their lead. Posted: 18 Sep 2012

Amnesty International has welcomed steps to tackle human trafficking in Lord Morrow's draft Private Members Bill as providing a timely focus for the debate on how Northern Ireland can fulfil its international obligations on trafficking. However, the organisation warned that the Bill's proposals on prostitution risked the potential diversion of resources away from tackling existing human trafficking offences. Posted: 18 Sep 2012

The Libyan authorities must put an end to the harassment and intimidation of two sisters allegedly accused of supporting the countrys former leader, Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi. Posted: 17 Sep 2012

Posted: 17 Sep 2012

The Egyptian government should immediately withdraw its invitation to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, and arrest him if he travels to Cairo. Posted: 14 Sep 2012

Charges against two journalists detained after they applied for permission to hold a peaceful protest over the executions of nine death row inmates must be dropped by the Gambian authorities, Amnesty International said. Posted: 11 Sep 2012

Amnesty International today expressed concern that recent televised confessions by five women and seven men on Iranian state television may result in them facing the death penalty. Posted: 11 Sep 2012