Bahrain: free political prisoners
Good News
UN brings rights in from the Cold War
19 June 2008, 11:31AM
Amnesty International welcomes the adoption by the Human Rights Council of the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (Optional Protocol).
US Supreme Court decision welcomed
13 June 2008, 10:13AM
Reacting to the US Supreme Court ruling recognising the right of foreign nationals detained in Guantánamo Bay to challenge their detention in US civilian courts on, Amnesty International said the decision was an "essential step forward towards the restoration of the rule of law."
The law of the land
13 June 2008, 01:12AM
A critical breakthrough at Grassy Narrows in Canada is a perfect opportunity for the government of Ontario to take a stand for the human rights of Indigenous peoples.
Sami Al Hajj has been released from Guantanamo
2 May 2008, 02:33PM
Sami Al Hajj, the 39-year-old Sudanese Al Jazeera cameraman who had been held in US custody since December 2001, has finally been transferred back to Sudan from Guantanamo.
Same-sex discrimination removed
2 May 2008, 02:27PM
We welcome the Attorney-General’s announcement that it will be introducing laws to remove discrimination against same-sex relationships from federal legislation.
Pakistan ratifies UN human rights convention
21 April 2008, 11:54AM
Amnesty International welcomes Pakistan's ratification of a key human rights treaty and signing of two others.

Mahmoud Salehi
Labour activist Mahmoud Salehi released
9 April 2008, 12:41PM
The ITUC, ITF and Amnesty International has welcomed the release from Sanandaj prison, in Iran's Kordestan Province, of independent labour activist Mahmoud Salehi, after one year of imprisonment.
© Private
Activists released from prison in Ethiopia
9 April 2008, 09:25AM
Two human rights activists have been released from prison in Ethiopia having been detained since November 2005. Daniel Bekele and Netsanet Demissie were released on 28 March 2008 after receiving a presidential pardon.

© APGraphicsBank
Cuba signs up for human rights
4 March 2008, 10:35AM
Cuba signed two major human rights treaties at the UN in New York on Thursday.
Government commits to prohibiting torture
3 March 2008, 02:59PM
We welcome the announcement by the Australian Government that it is looking to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture.

© ECHR
European Court reaffirms ban on torture
3 March 2008, 09:39AM
We welcome the re-affirmation of the absolute prohibition of torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in last week's landmark ruling by the European Court of Human Rights.

Lotfi Raissi
Court win for man wrongly accused of terrorism
25 February 2008, 01:01PM
A flight instructor wrongly accused of training the hijackers of planes used in the 11 September 2001 attacks in the USA won his appeal at the Court of Appeal of England and Wales on 14 February 2008.
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AFP
Apology: An essential first step
13 February 2008, 08:00AM
We welcome the formal apology to the Stolen Generations by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The apology will help to develop respect and establish meaningful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and is essential to reconciliation.

© Reuters
Refugees arrival in Australia welcomed
7 February 2008, 01:13PM
We welcome to Australia the remaining Sri Lankan refugees from the Nauru detention centre. Closing the detention centre is a significant step towards dismantling the Pacific Solution, which we have campaigned for since 2001.
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Zmitser Dashkevich © ByMedia.net
Belarusian youth activist freed
29 January 2008, 01:55PM
The Belarusian youth activist, Zmitser Dashkevich, has been released early from Sklou prison in Belarus. Zmitser was the subject of a global Amnesty International action last year calling for his release.

AI supporters protest for prisoners
of conscience.
Bangladesh prisoners of conscience release
23 January 2008, 01:40PM
Three Dhaka university professors have been pardoned and released. It is welcome news, but they should never have been charged in the first place.

© www.kosoof.com
Iranian web editor and women’s rights defender released
22 January 2008, 09:14AM
We campaigned to the Iranian authorities to free journalist and women's rights defender Maryam Hosseinkhah, who was arrested on 18 November 2007 for publishing articles online promoting women's human and political rights in Iran. We welcome the great news that she is now released. Thanks to everyone who took action to release Maryam.

UN Headquarters
Call for nomination of human rights experts
16 January 2008, 11:46AM
The United Nations Human Rights Council's president is expected to appoint in March 2008 up to 16 human rights experts to serve as special procedure mandate-holders.

© AFP
Inhuman treatment to end for Sri Lankan refugees
15 January 2008, 01:59PM
The announcement that 75 Sri Lankan men - who have been held at the remote offshore detention centre on Nauru since February - have been accepted as genuine refugees and will be resettled in Australia is great news.

© AI
Uzbekistan 135th country to abolish death penalty
9 January 2008, 11:28AM
The former Soviet Union territory of Uzbekistan has eliminated the use of the death penalty - we welcome the move which is a fundamental step to ending the use of this cruel and inhumane practice worldwide.


A policeman's job is to protect all citizens, even those he or she doesn't like. I'd have thought that a pretty basic concept.
Join the debate
21 May 2012, 03:59PM