Amnesty International

Can you tell me about your role at Amnesty and what it involves?  I am a researcher and advisor on racial justice. My role involves researching how systemic racism manifests in society and constitutes racial discrimination under international human rights law. For example, how migration policies discriminate against groups subjected to racism or how a community has a right to reparations for colo…

Civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are suffering a surge in human rights abuses committed by Allied Democratic Forces’ (ADF) fighters that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Amnesty International said in a new report. “I’d Never Seen So Many Bodies”: War Crimes by the Allied Democratic Forces in the […] The post DRC: Rampant ADF abuses against civilians ‘wa…

Reacting to the disappearance of Malian lawyer and leading opposition figure Mountaga Tall in the early hours of 3 May, Ousmane Diallo, Senior Researcher on Sahel at Amnesty International’s Regional Office for West and Central Africa, said: “We are alarmed by the disappearance of Mountaga Tall who was taken from his home by armed men […] The post Mali: Authorities must immediately clarify the fat…

An innovative new research briefing by Amnesty International breaks down the “virulent cocktail” of xenophobic, racist and misogynistic hate targeting racialized women and LGBTQI+ people in Canada.   The Hate is Intersectional: Xenophobic Technology-facilitates Gender-Based Violence (TfGBV) against Racialized Women and 2SLGBTQIA+ People in Canada exposes a playbook of toxic tropes and tactics spr…

Authorities across East and Southern Africa continued their campaigns of harassment and arbitrary arrests and detention of independent journalists over the past year, Amnesty International said today ahead of World Press Freedom Day. The organization documented sustained intimidation, harassment, and attacks on independent media in several countries in the region. Amnesty International also docum…

I was relieved when we crossed the makeshift bridge at Qasmiye. It was hastily constructed after Israeli air strikes destroyed it, but easy to drive on. It also meant I was approaching home. Bridges over the Litani River, connecting southern Lebanon to rest of the country, had been blown up one after the other in […] The post ‘I said a prayer for the house’s protection; I asked it to stay, to wai…

OpEd by Dr Marta Schaaf & Nazia Erum The world’s slide into authoritarian practices is accelerating the climate crisis. At its core, the authoritarian goal is typically to enable resource consolidation for a few. Such projects pursue muscular governance that puts the concerns of these few people ahead of the planet, while weaponising disinformation and […] The post Authoritarianism is superchargi…

Imagine this scenario…. Imagine waking up one day to find that certain topics can no longer be discussed openly. Schools avoid difficult conversations. Journalists tread more carefully. Your news feed shows fewer critical voices. Public spaces feel less safe for protest or dissent.  Nothing dramatic happened overnight! There are no obvious turning points, just a […] The post When Rights Are Quiet…

His health is not good, but he is strong in spirit Besigye is strong in spirit. He continues to state his innocence, and he continues to remind people that all this is political and that you never give up what you believe in, what you stand for politically, just because you are being persecuted. So, […] The post He continues to resist despite his frail health: wife of jailed Ugandan politician Ki…

Responding to reports that Israeli forces intercepted 22 vessels and detained around 175 crew members of the Global Sumud Flotilla, which was attempting to break Israel’s illegal blockade and deliver essential humanitarian aid to the occupied Gaza Strip, amidst Israel’s ongoing genocide, Amnesty International’s Senior Director for Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns, Erika Guevara Rosas, […]…

When silence becomes a crime: Ousmane B.*  “More than a dozen journalists I know have been harassed and threatened, even to the point of being abducted or arrested. Every time I’ve spoken out in support of a colleague who was abducted, I’ve been told, ‘You’ll be next’. I’ve received threats of physical assault, arrest, and […] The post Meet three journalists from the Central Sahel who have been s…

When silence becomes a crime: Ousmane B.*  “More than a dozen journalists I know have been harassed and threatened, even to the point of being abducted or arrested. Every time I’ve spoken out in support of a colleague who was abducted, I’ve been told, ‘You’ll be next’. I’ve received threats of physical assault, arrest, and […] The post Meet three journalists from the Central Sahel who have been s…

The First conference on Transitioning away from Fossil Fuels sent a strong political signal that the age of fossil fuels must end; this “coalition of the doers” must now turn their commitment into proactive international cooperation to pave the way for rights-based just transitions, Amnesty International said today after the end of the Santa Marta conference […] The post Santa Marta conference un…

Ugandan security forces targeted members and supporters of the opposition party National Unity Platform (NUP) with lethal force, arbitrary arrests, torture and other ill-treatment before, during and after the 15 January general elections, Amnesty International said today. The organization received multiple reports indicating that between 15 and 18 January, the Ugandan People’s Defence Forces (UPD…

The Nigerian authorities must conduct a prompt, thorough, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into the reported deaths of least 150 members of the Fulani community, most of them children, who have been arbitrarily detained by the Nigerian military in the north-central state of Kwara, Amnesty International said today. An investigation by the human rights […] The post Ni…

FIFA President Gianni Infantino must tell member associations gathering tomorrow at the 76th FIFA Congress in Vancouver, Canada, how he will ensure that the world’s biggest sporting tournament does not become a stage for repression and a platform for authoritarian practices, Amnesty International said today. “With just six weeks until the 2026 World Cup kicks […] The post Global: Gianni Infantino…

Amnesty International today unveils the findings of two years of research on housing conditions in Indigenous communities. The report, entitled Housing crisis in Indigenous communities in Canada: inequality and discrimination. The case of Manawan, documents an alarming housing crisis that requires an immediate response. According to the findings of this research, Amnesty International considers t…

The fragile, temporary ceasefires, between the United States and Iran, and between Israel and Lebanon, must be replaced by an enduring, sustained, and comprehensive regional ceasefire that covers all countries affected by this conflict, to avoid further catastrophic civilian suffering and pave the way for justice, respect for international law and long-term human rights protection […] The post Mi…

Reacting to the vote in the European Parliament on a report calling once again for an EU-wide consent-based definition of rape, Dinushika Dissanayake Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Europe said: “Amnesty International welcomes today’s report from the European Parliament which makes another unequivocal call for an EU-wide consent-based definition of rape. “At a time […] The po…

One year on from the deadly US air strike on a Huthi-run migrant detention centre in Sa’ada, north-western Yemen, there has been no discernible progress towards justice and reparation, and survivors are still struggling with severe physical and psychological trauma, Amnesty International said today. The organization had called for the 28 April 2025 strike by US forces, which killed and injured do…