Running scared Nov 28, 2008
Human rights organisation Amnesty International is calling on the Haitian government to do more to tackle the widespread rape of girls, often by gangs of armed men. Mary Jane spent two years in jail for killing a man who raped her. (BBC News)
Fears for held Sudanese activist Nov 28, 2008
Amnesty International said it feared Mr Hummaida was being mistreated in custody. "Fears for his safety are heightened by the fact that he was previously arrested in 1990 and spent a year and a half in the "ghost houses" of the NSIS [National Security and Intelligence Services], where he was subjected to torture and other forms of ill-treatment," the rights group said in a statement. (BBC News -- Africa)
* PRC Supreme Court approves execution of spy for Taiwan Nov 27, 2008
Amnesty International called on authorities to block the execution. Available information suggests that Wo Weihan did not receive a fair trial according to international standards, said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty Internationals Asia Pacific director. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Rights group calls for U.N. apology over Congo post Nov 27, 2008
The one-day special session was called at the request of mainly European and Latin American states, following requests from rights bodies such as Amnesty International for the Council to take action over the Congo crisis. A report prepared by the office of U.N. Secrtetary-General Ban Ki-moon, obtained by Reuters earlier this week, accused both government and rebel forces in the former Zaire of carrying out mass killings, rape and torture. (AlertNet)
Iran hangs 10 murderers in Tehran Nov 27, 2008
Amnesty International says these hangings bring the number of people executed in Iran so far this year to at least 295. Last year, the group says, more than 300 convicted criminals were put to death there. (BBC News -- Africa)
China urged to stay execution of alleged spy Nov 27, 2008
Amnesty International recorded 470 executions last year, calling that figure an absolute minimum based on publicly available reports. Available information suggests that Wo Weihan did not receive a fair trial according to international standards, Sam Zarifi, Amnesty's Asia Pacific director, said in a statement. (Globe and Mail -- International)
Chinese death row trial 'flawed' Nov 26, 2008
" Ms Chen, who feels free to speak out because she is now an Austrian citizen, also claimed her father was tortured, although she has no proof. Pardoned The family, unable to visit Mr Wo since his arrest, have now been granted access. They say they have been told that China's Supreme People's Court has approved the verdict, which leads them to believe Mr Wo is about to be executed. Available information suggests that Wo Weihan did not receive a fair trial according to international standards Sam... (BBC News)
33 Activist Women Arrested in Tehran Nov 26, 2008
Amnesty International yesterday demanded the swift and unconditional release of 33 prominent Iranian female activists arrested last weekend and jailed in Tehran's notorious high-security Evin prison. The women were arrested after peacefully protesting the trial of five other activists and grass-roots organizers against discrimination in the legal system. (Yahoo News -- Women's Issues)
Police on trial for Kurd attack Nov 26, 2008
Amnesty International calls it flagrant interference, warning it may have a chilling effect on the proper administration of justice. SEE ALSO: 11 Nov 05 | Europe 29 Aug 05 | Europe 19 Aug 05 | Europe 03 Jul 05 | Country profiles 24 Jan 06 | Country profiles. (Yahoo News -- Kurdish Issues)
Campbell gets a savaging Nov 26, 2008
Amnesty International advert - with a voiceover by Christopher Eccleston - aimed at preventing the introduction of 42-day detention without charge for terror suspects in the UK. Feb 3 2004. (Yahoo News -- Hutton Report)
'Absurd' Ethiopia charges slammed Nov 26, 2008
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has urged the Ethiopian government to free the 111 people on trial for treason and genocide ... "This very worrying trial has major implications for human rights, media freedom and democratisation in Ethiopia," said Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme, Kolawole Olaniyan. (Yahoo News -- Ethiopia)
New era for human rights Nov 25, 2008
William F. Schulz, senior fellow in human-rights policy at the Center for American Progress, is former executive director of Amnesty International USA.. Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company. (Boston Globe)
Yemen move for Bin Laden driver Nov 25, 2008
Amnesty International says it is "fundamentally flawed" and should be abandoned. Bookmark with. (BBC News)
Concerns as police to get 50000-volt Taser guns Nov 25, 2008
But Cathy Owens, Amnesty International Wales programme director, stressed that the technology should be only be used in severe cases of violence, not disobedience. Richard Brunstrom (chief constable of North Wales Police) gave the game away when he tasered himself and then said it was the consequence of disobeying a police officer, she said. (WalesOnline)
UK orders 10,000 Taser guns to arm police Nov 25, 2008
But Amnesty International UK described them as "potentially lethal electrical weapons" that deliver "50,000 volts of electricity into a person's body. The result is excruciatingly painful, causing a person to fall to the ground and, at times, lose control of their bodily functions.". The human rights group, however, expressed qualified support for the British government move, urging that the weapons be given only to officers specially trained to use them. (CNN -- World)
Police to be armed with stun guns Nov 24, 2008
The Home Office says Tasers have helped to resolve incidents without injury but Amnesty International warns against using them as tools of routine force ... But Oliver Sprague, of Amnesty International UK, said: "Tasers are potentially lethal weapons which are already linked to numerous deaths in north America. "That's why wide deployment without adequate training is a dangerous step too far for British policing. (BBC News -- UK)
Frema Busia's letter To CHRAJ Boss Nov 24, 2008
For purposes of corroboration and or collaborative review I shall seek other contemporaneous international agency review as demonstrated by the fact that the case summaries of the CHRAJ action which I personally submitted to you were also submitted to Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. Duly take notice that I shall also petition the incoming government post Kufour on this matter. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
EDIT: What Lies Beneath Nov 24, 2008
Little wonder that Amnesty International has reported a rise in racist attacks and sentiments against Arabs and Jews across Western Europe. The politics of the 'other' is at its most potent when there is a perception of economic scarcity. (India Times, India)
NERAKHOON Film Offers Hope to Those Betrayed in Laos, Thailand Nov 23, 2008
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and UNHCR have issued appeals regarding the human rights and refugee crisis in Thailand and Laos. "NERAKHOON is helping to shed overdue light, understanding and compassion on the betrayal of the Lao people, both past and present," said Philip Smith, Executive Director of the CPPA in Washington, D.C. "Many anticipate that this film will also help to bring dignity, honor and hope to thousands of suffering Lao and Hmong... (PR Newswire)
Math and Molecular Biology Research Garners Top Spots for Oregon and California's Brightest Teens at Nation's Premier High School Science Competition Nov 23, 2008
He also participated in the Amnesty International and Origami clubs in his school. He is an avid musician and has played the piano for 12 years, the trombone for seven years and the guitar for two years. (PR Newswire)
* China preparing to execute spy, rights group says Nov 23, 2008
Amnesty International urged China not to execute businessman and medical scientist Wo Weihan, who was sentenced to death in May last year for spying for Taiwan, the group said in a statement. Wo was found guilty of discussing the health status of senior Chinese leaders, which is considered to be top secret, and of sending information from a classified magazine available in the Chinese Academy of Sciences library, it said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Lanka government accuses Amnesty Nov 22, 2008
The Sri Lankan government says an Amnesty International report on displaced people in the north of the island contains "outright falsehood". It says Amnesty is trying to show the government in an unfavourable light. (BBC News -- South Asia)
China may soon execute accused Taiwan spy -group Nov 22, 2008
BEIJING (Reuters) - China could soon execute a man sentenced to death last year for spying for diplomatic and political rival Taiwan, human rights group Amnesty International said. Wo Weihan was given the death sentence in May 2007 after a closed door trial and lost his appeal in February of this year, Amnesty said in a statement seen on Saturday. (The Star Online, Malaysia -- News)
Carter, Annan denied entry to Zimbabwe Nov 22, 2008
Welcome to The Sydney Morning Herald. November 22, 2008 - 8:55PM. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Europe urged to take in Guantanamo inmates Nov 21, 2008
Amnesty International said Thursday it would help the men appeal the decision. Gitanjali Gutierrez, a lawyer with the Center for Constitutional Rights who traveled to Switzerland to lobby on their behalf, said one of the men, Abdul-Raouf al-Qassim, faces torture if he is returned to Libya. (MSNBC -- International)
UN vote shows growing support of death penalty ban Nov 21, 2008
Amnesty International, which has been campaigning for the resolution, noted rising acceptance of a moratorium ... As of November, some 137 nations had abolished the death penalty in law or practice, compared with about 80 in 1988, according to Amnesty International figures ... Last year there were at least 1,252 people put to death by 24 nations and 3,347 others sentenced to death in 51 countries, according to Amnesty International. (Anchorage Daily News)
Aid distribution: Red Cross, India differ with Sri Lanka Nov 21, 2008
Separately, in a statement, the government rejected the Amnesty International s assertion that the government is blocking humanitarian aid headed for Wanni. Printer friendly Send this article to Friends by. (Hindu)
Chinese animal rights victory takes cats off the menu Nov 21, 2008
May 1 2008: Amnesty International draws attention to China's poor human rights record with an ad that shows a torture device becoming the Olympic torch. Sep 22 2008. (Yahoo News -- Animal Rights & Welfare)
Nicholas D. Kristof: Obama, Misha and the Bear Nov 21, 2008
That was spectacularly reckless, and as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented, the Georgian Army (along with Russia's) fired cluster bombs that harmed civilians. "It was possible to avoid this war," said Nino Burjanadze, a former close ally of Misha who last month formed an opposition party to challenge him. (International Herald Tribune -- Ed/Op)
Sri Lanka says it captured key rebel defense line Nov 20, 2008
Amnesty International said Wednesday tens of thousands of people are now without shelter ... In a statement issued Wednesday, Amnesty International accused the government _ which expelled the United Nations and other international aid groups from rebel-held areas in September _ of failing to provide proper shelter and protection to the displaced. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Myanmar court sentences student activists Nov 20, 2008
Amnesty International says the military junta holds over 2,100 political prisoners ... Amnesty International and other international human rights groups say the junta holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, up sharply from nearly 1,200 in June 2007 -- before last year's pro-democracy demonstrations. (CNN -- International)
Sri Lanka army 'takes rebel area' Nov 20, 2008
Amnesty International has said the government is incapable of providing for their basic needs, such as shelters, sanitation and safe drinking water. The human rights organisation has also accused the Tigers of not allowing civilians to move to safer places and of using them as a human shield against the military's onslaught. (BBC News)
Nobel laureates call for education in conflict zones Nov 20, 2008
The Nobel laureates included former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu, detained Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and organisations such as Amnesty International. "War and conflict are perpetrated by adults. But every adult was once a child and grew up with experiences and guidance that shaped their lives. At the heart of this lies education," they said in the letter, backing a campaign by British charity Save the Children. (AlertNet)
Amnesty in urgent Sri Lanka plea Nov 20, 2008
Amnesty International has appealed to Sri Lanka's government to allow aid to reach more than 300,000 people displaced by fighting in the north. The human rights group urged both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to allow international monitors into the northern Wanni region. (BBC News -- South Asia)
EU council approves $64-million loan to Georgia to aid refugees Nov 19, 2008
Amnesty International said on Tuesday that more than 20,000 ethnic Georgians were unable to return to their homes in South Ossetia. Foreign governments and private businesses pledged to lend or grant Georgia $4. (RIA Novosti)
Georgian refugees 'still trapped' Nov 19, 2008
More than 20,000 ethnic Georgians are still unable to return to their homes in South Ossetia following August's war in Georgia, Amnesty International says ... Amnesty International's report. (BBC News -- Europe)
Amnesty slams Georgia, Russia over war conduct Nov 18, 2008
TBILISI, Georgia Both Georgia and Russia seriously violated international law during their war in August, rights group Amnesty International charged Tuesday. Its sweeping 69-page report cites evidence suggesting that Georgian forces indiscriminately fired on civilian targets in Tskhinvali, the capital of the Russian-backed breakaway province of South Ossetia. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Kabila sacks army chief Nov 18, 2008
Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and 18 other rights groups urged the UN's Human Rights Council to convene a special session on the crisis. "Everything possible should be done to prevent a further deterioration of an already dire situation," they said in a letter to council president Martin Uhomoibi. (iAfrica.com)
Myanmar activists get long prison terms Nov 17, 2008
Amnesty International and other human rights groups say the junta holds more than 2,100 political prisoners, up sharply from nearly 1,200 in June 2007, before the pro-democracy demonstrations. The prisoners include opposition leader Suu Kyi, who has spent more than 13 of the past 19 years under house arrest. (MSNBC -- International)
Report: Ugandan war victims need more govt help Nov 17, 2008
NAIROBI, Kenya Hundreds of thousands of victims of a brutal 20-year insurgency in northern Uganda remain destitute and traumatized because the government has not created a comprehensive reparations program, rights group Amnesty International said Monday ... "Families need compensation for the deaths and injuries that occurred, restitution for their destroyed land and property, an apology for the violations and proper reburials for their loved ones," said Godfrey Odongo, Amnesty International's... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Rights group says Uganda failing civil war victims Nov 17, 2008
KAMPALA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - Amnesty International accused Uganda's government on Monday of "miserably failing" to care for hundreds of thousands of victims of a two-decade civil war and urged it to grant reparations. The war between Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels and Uganda saw mass abductions of children, thousands killed by fighting and murder, as well as nearly 2 million people driven from their homes. (AlertNet)
Food parcels depleted in Gaza Strip Nov 17, 2008
The United Nations, European Union, Amnesty International, Oxfam International, and Gisha have called on Israel to end the blockade and Palestinians to cease rocket attacks. The latest cycle of violence has raged since Israel killed six Palestinian militants on Nov. 4 in a cross-border raid it said targeted a tunnel being prepared to cross into Israel in order to kidnap Israeli soldiers. (Globe and Mail)
Panel discusses human rights violations in China Nov 17, 2008
The University s chapter of Amnesty International welcomed five experts last Thursday to discuss the real China and speak about human rights violations in China. Over 100 attendees filled the Raritan River Lounge in the Student Activities Center for Amnesty International s 2008 Report on China ... Rutgers Amnesty International President Stephanie Murray said her group is looking to spread knowledge about human rights issues to students. (The Daily Targum, NJ)
Zimbabwe: Activists Demand Justice for Politically-Motivated Rapes Nov 16, 2008
Amnesty International last month called for judicial justice for all perpetrators of state-sponsored violence in Zimbabwe, lamenting that human rights violations with impunity are on the increase. Another human rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch, reported that sporadic violence is on the rise in the wake of the unity government stalemate between Zanu-PF and MDC.. (allAfrica.com)
Al-Bashir declares Darfur ceasefire23 Darfuris sent back to Sudan by EgyptUN official expresses concern over Sudan peace dealEgypt sends aid to Sudanese military HRW urges Kenya, donors to intervene in Somalia refugee crisisEU grants 212 million euros to SomaliaEU to deploy naval force off SomaliaAfrican leaders agree to restore Somali peace effort Doctors worried at delivery of deformed children in KatangaUN, AU start diplomatic shuttle in eastern DRCCongo cancels U-20 World Cup team's training in BrazilWB portfolio in DR Congo nets US$ 2.22 billion Ivorian Prime Minister urges mutinous soldiers to remain calmGbagbo: "Whoever delays Ivorian elections is a criminal"Gbagbo reaffirms his desire for Ivorian peaceGbagbo signs Ivorian amnesty law ON THE WIRE WOZA wins AI's rights awardDakar, Senegal (PANA) - A leading pressure group, Women of ZimbabweArise (WOZA), has been named winner of '5th Human Rights Award' madeby Amnesty International (German Section), WOZA revealed in astatement made available to PANA on Saturday. 16/11/2008 Full Text... Nov 16, 2008
Dakar, Senegal (PANA) - A leading pressure group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), has been named winner of '5th Human Rights Award' made by Amnesty International (German Section), WOZA revealed in a statement made available to PANA on Saturday. According to the statement, the award will be presented to WOZA leaders Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu on 16 November at a ceremony in Berlin, Germany. (Panapress.com)
Myanmar sentences journalist to 2 years in prison Nov 15, 2008
The human rights group Amnesty International says Myanmar now has more than 2,100 political prisoners, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who heads the opposition party and has been under house arrest for more than 12 of the past 19 years. Comments. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Belarus Sentences U.S. Lawyer To 3 Years Nov 15, 2008
Amnesty International has made a public protest about his case. . (Forbes -- Markets)
Human Rights Bloggers Persecuted Nov 15, 2008
He was convicted without the presence of a lawyer, reported Amnesty International ... In Malaysia, according to Amnesty International, Raja Petra Kamarudin was arrested in September for threatening national security and potentially "causing tension among the country's multi-racial and multi-religious society." He had published on-line articles critical of some Muslims that were deemed to be insulting to Muslims and defamatory of Malaysia's leaders. (Suite101.com)
Improved Measurements Could Mean Safer, More Reliable Electroshock Weapons Nov 15, 2008
Groups such as Amnesty International have called for guidelines for electroshock weapons that include "threshold exposures" (the minimum charges that would incapacitate different groups of people without putting them at risk for injury or death). One obstacle to the development of such guidelines is the fact that various reports regarding the output of electroshock weapons the current and voltage they deliver are inconsistent. (Science Daily)
Myanmar's roadmap to undemocratic polls Nov 14, 2008
"These sentences are a clear signal to everyone that the regime will not tolerate any opposition in the lead up to the elections in 2010," Benjamin Zawacki, the Myanmar officer for the Britain-based human-rights organization Amnesty International said. Tuesday's sentences follow the arrest 10 months ago of one of Myanmar's best-known bloggers, Nay Phone Latt, for publishing a cartoon of the country's top military leader, General Than Shwe, on his website. (Asia Times Online)
The end of an NGO era in Cambodia Nov 14, 2008
Fractious relations But Hun Sen's government's relationship with NGOs and international aid agencies has often been fractious, epitomized by its tumultuous interactions with the environmental watchdog Global Witness over its consistent accusations of high-level government links to illegal logging, and with the UK-based rights lobby Amnesty International for its criticism of state-sponsored forced evictions across the country. The World Bank also suspended US$11. (Asia Times Online)
Bill Quigley lectures on School of the Americas Nov 14, 2008
In 2002 Amnesty International called for the school to be closed down but no action has taken affect. The injustices also hit home with Jonathan Cortez, sociology freshman, who first heard about SOA in a high school community service club. (The Maroon, LA)
Armenian women 'victims of abuse' Nov 14, 2008
Armenia is failing to tackle "pervasive" violence and domestic abuse against women, according to a report by rights group Amnesty International ... "Women in Armenia suffer disproportionately from violence and abuse at home and at work, but this is seldom understood as a violation of their basic human rights," says Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International UK.. (BBC News -- Europe)
33 Activist Women Arrested in Tehran Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International yesterday demanded the swift and unconditional release of 33 prominent Iranian female activists arrested last weekend and jailed in Tehran's notorious high-security Evin prison. The women were arrested after peacefully protesting the trial of five other activists and grass-roots organizers against discrimination in the legal system. (Yahoo News -- Women's Issues)
World's mega cities expand as millions quit the countryside Nov 14, 2008
amnesty international international secretariat. central london based with strong links to our beir. (Yahoo News -- Population Issues)
Taleban condemn Afghan executions Nov 14, 2008
This has been despite expressions of concern from the UN, the EU and Amnesty International. The Taleban have been widely condemned by the international community for conducting summary executions. (BBC News -- South Asia)
Ottawa moves to block detainee-transfer hearings Nov 14, 2008
It's troubling and disappointing, but not at all surprising, that the government is again trying to obstruct the holding of a public hearing, said Alex Neve, secretary-general of Amnesty International Canada ... The problem lies at the higher levels of the Canadian forces and the Canadian government, Paul Champ, the Ottawa lawyer representing Amnesty International Canada and the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association, the original complainants to the MPCC, said yesterday. (Globe and Mail)
Police on trial for Kurd attack Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International calls it flagrant interference, warning it may have a chilling effect on the proper administration of justice. SEE ALSO: 11 Nov 05 | Europe 29 Aug 05 | Europe 19 Aug 05 | Europe 03 Jul 05 | Country profiles 24 Jan 06 | Country profiles. (Yahoo News -- Kurdish Issues)
Campbell gets a savaging Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International advert - with a voiceover by Christopher Eccleston - aimed at preventing the introduction of 42-day detention without charge for terror suspects in the UK. Jul 28 2004. (Yahoo News -- Hutton Report)
'Absurd' Ethiopia charges slammed Nov 14, 2008
Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has urged the Ethiopian government to free the 111 people on trial for treason and genocide ... "This very worrying trial has major implications for human rights, media freedom and democratisation in Ethiopia," said Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme, Kolawole Olaniyan. (Yahoo News -- Ethiopia)
Peter Gabriels YouTube for Human Rights: The Hub Nov 14, 2008
The Hub is an offshoot of Witness, the Brooklyn-based human-rights nonprofit that Gabriel started in 1992 after learning the extent of abuses worldwide while headlining a concert tour sponsored by Amnesty International. "What I found extraordinary was that people could suffer in this way and have their stories completely buried," he says. (FastCompany)
Online freedoms under threat, says Amnesty Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International said the internet could change beyond all recognition unless action is taken and it called on governments and companies to respect people's right to freedom of expression online. "The virus of internet repression is spreading. The 'Chinese model' - of an internet that allows economic growth but not free speech or privacy - is growing in popularity, from a handful of countries five years ago to dozens of governments today who block sites and arrest bloggers," said Tim... (Yahoo News -- Human Rights)
Censorship 'changes face of net' Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International has warned that the internet "could change beyond all recognition" unless action is taken against the erosion of online freedoms. The warning comes ahead of a conference organised by Amnesty, where victims of repression will outline their plights. (Yahoo News -- Human Rights)
Amnesty seeks Mid-East watchdog Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International says the body must have a mandate to investigate and prosecute offenders. It also denounced the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank and called on Palestinians to end militant attacks. (Yahoo News -- Human Rights)
The Suffering Of Somalia Nov 14, 2008
Amnesty International says al-Shabaab arrested her and convicted her of adultery after she complained she had been gang-raped. Al-Shabaab is taking its brand of terrorism to new territories. (Time.com)
