Release vulnerable asylum seekers
Middle East and North Africa
Israeli decision to release Palestinian detainee in April ‘insufficient’
22 February 2012, 11:05AM Be the first to comment
The Israeli authorities’ decision to release a Palestinian detainee by mid-April is insufficient, Amnesty International said amid reports that he has agreed to end his 66-day hunger strike.
Egypt: Systematic failure to rein in security forces
22 February 2012, 11:01AM Be the first to comment
A year after the uprising, Egypt's security forces continue to kill protestors with the same brutal tactics used in Hosni Mubarak’s last days in power, Amnesty International said after concluding riot police yet again used excessive force in policing protests in Cairo and Suez.
UN: Syria vote increases Russia’s isolation
17 February 2012, 10:01AM 1 comment - add yours
The UN General Assembly has voted in favour of a resolution condemning the Syrian government’s crackdown that has killed more than 5,700 people over the last 11 months.
Syria: Fears for activists arrested in Damascus raid
17 February 2012, 09:22AM Be the first to comment
The Syrian authorities must release or charge a group of at least 14 people arrested on Thursday in a raid on the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression in Damascus.
Libya: “Out of control” militias commit widespread abuses, a year on from uprising
16 February 2012, 12:07PM Be the first to comment
Armed militias operating across Libya commit widespread human rights abuses with impunity, fuelling insecurity and hindering the rebuilding of state institutions, warned Amnesty International in a new report released today, a year on from the start of the February 2011 uprising.
Saudi Arabia urged to spare lives of foreign nationals amid surge in executions
16 February 2012, 09:26AM Be the first to comment
Three foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offences in Saudi Arabia must not be executed, Amnesty International has said amid reports of a surge in executions in the kingdom since the beginning of the year.
Syria: Death toll rises as bombardment of civilian areas escalates in Homs
16 February 2012, 09:23AM 1 comment - add yours
At least 377 civilians have been killed in Homs in recent days as Syrian security forces escalated their shelling of civilian neighbourhoods in the besieged city, according to information received by Amnesty International.
Iran must allow peaceful opposition rallies on 14 February
14 February 2012, 12:18PM Be the first to comment
The Iranian authorities must allow peaceful rallies to mark the 12 month anniversary of protests in Tehran and other cities.
Bahrain: One year on, accountability remains a distant aspiration
13 February 2012, 07:00PM Be the first to comment
The Bahraini government remains far from delivering the human rights changes that were recommended by an independent international commission.
Thousands rally in solidarity with Middle East and North Africa protesters
12 February 2012, 02:56PM Be the first to comment
Thousands of people rallied in cities across the world today to demand respect for human rights in the Middle East and North Africa as part of a global day of action organised by Amnesty International.
Iran: Anniversary demonstrations on 14 February must be allowed to take place peacefully
11 February 2012, 09:55AM 1 comment - add yours
Amnesty International is calling on the Iranian authorities to respect freedom of assembly and allow peaceful demonstrations in Tehran and elsewhere in Iran on 14 February 2012, amid fears that the authorities may once again use excessive use of force to quell protests, as has happened in previous years.
Syria: Brutal assault on Homs must end
9 February 2012, 10:10AM
Russia and other countries with influence over Syria must act urgently to stop the bombardment of Homs.
Israel: Cancel Plan to Forcibly Displace Jahalin Bedouin Communities
9 February 2012, 09:33AM
Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak should cancel military plans to forcibly displace around 2,300 Bedouin residents of the West Bank to an area beside the Jerusalem municipal garbage dump.
Egypt: Stop holding NGOs hostage
8 February 2012, 10:37AM
The Egyptian authorities should scrap a Mubarak-era law used to prosecute civil society and ensure its planned replacement upholds the right to freedom of association.
Israel must release or try Palestinian detainee on prolonged hunger strike
7 February 2012, 10:50AM
The Israeli authorities must release a Palestinian detainee or charge him with a recognisable criminal offence and promptly try him, Amnesty International has said amid fears the man could die in detention after more than 50 days on hunger strike.
Double veto of draft Security Council Resolution on Syria a “betrayal” of protesters
5 February 2012, 09:34AM
The decision by Russia and China to veto a weak draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria, the day after the Syrian army launched a major assault on residential areas of Homs leaving scores dead, is a shockingly callous betrayal of the people of Syria.
Security Council: Russia must not block efforts to end atrocities in Syria
2 February 2012, 10:27AM
Russia must not block international efforts to tackle the ongoing violence and human rights violations in Syria, Amnesty International has said amid negotiations over a resolution on Syria at the UN Security Council.
Iran: Wave of arrests in run up to parliamentary elections
1 February 2012, 10:39AM
Amnesty International is concerned that an ongoing wave of arrests of media workers and bloggers is intended to limit freedom of expression in the run up to parliamentary elections in Iran scheduled for 2 March 2012.
Roger Waters’ ‘The Wall Live’ tour to support Amnesty’s work
31 January 2012, 10:23AM
During 2012 Roger Waters’ 'The Wall Live' tour will provide support for Amnesty International’s campaigning on the Middle East and North Africa.
Bahrain must release woman activist convicted for listening to ‘revolutionary’ music
31 January 2012, 10:18AM
The Bahraini authorities must release the first woman activist to be convicted over her involvement in last year's pro-reform demonstrations, after a court rejected her appeal and upheld her prison sentence.
some of the stuff you guys stand up for are basic human rights that i take for granted.
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16 February 2012, 07:47PM