Amnesty International

Serious deficiencies in a new draft Arms Trade Treaty text would fail to prevent arms transfers to countries where they could be used to commit or facilitate summary and arbitrary killings, torture and enforced disappearances, Amnesty International said today. The…

A new law passed by the Indian Parliament aimed at addressing sexual violence, while positive in some respects, has several deficiencies and also violates India’s international law obligations, Amnesty International said. The upper house of the Indian Parliament passed the…

The trial of Guatemala’s ex-president General Efraín Ríos Montt and his former head of military intelligence Mauricio Rodríguez Sánchez -due to start on Tuesday 19 March – marks a long-awaited opportunity for justice for the victims of crimes against humanity…

US President Barack Obama must take the lead in securing a strong global Arms Trade Treaty, a group of 18 Nobel Peace Prize winners said in an open letter delivered to their fellow laureate at the White House today. Amnesty…

As Zimbabwe heads to the polls this weekend to vote on a proposed new constitution, Amnesty International urges the authorities to allow eligible civil society organizations to observe the process without harassment and intimidation. Recent months have seen a clampdown…

Bill 78 is an affront to basic freedoms that goes far beyond what is permissible under provincial, national, international human rights laws. What began as protests led by student groups over a proposed hike in tuition fees have expanded in size and focus in recent weeks, with more than 2,000 arrests being made. On 23 May close to 700 protesters were arrested in several cities.

Discrimination and persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in South Africa and Cameroon must be halted, Amnesty International said as activists around the world mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia.

Instances of harassment, discrimination, persecution, violence and murders … (read more)…

Humanitarian aid agencies must be allowed immediate and unhindered access to Homs and other affected areas, Amnesty International said today.

The Bab ‘Amr district of the city has come under intensive shelling for more than 17 days, during which time Amnesty International has received the names of 465 people reported to have been killed in Homs.

The case of a young Armenian forced sentenced to two and a half years for refusing military service was taken up by a number of high profile international organisations, including Amnesty International. Today the European Court of Human Rights ruled that individuals have a right to conscientious object and called on Armenia to immediately introduce civilian alternatives.

The growing demands for freedom and justice across the Middle East and North Africa and the rise of social media offer an unprecedented opportunity for human rights change – but this change stands on a knife-edge, said Amnesty International as it launched its global human rights report on the eve of its 50th anniversary.