tagged w/ Amnesty International
-
Washington, 7 August (WashingtonTV)—Amnesty International on Friday voiced concern over an “alarming spike” in the number of executions in Iran, since the disputed 12 June presidential election.Washington, 7 August (WashingtonTV)—Amnesty International on Friday voiced... more
-
-
Washington, 28 July (WashingtonTV)—Amnesty International on Tuesday issued an appeal for action, urging global citizens to write to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, calling on him to take action to ensure that the human rights of the people of Iran are respected.Washington, 28 July (WashingtonTV)—Amnesty International on Tuesday issued an... more
-
-
Amnesty International has released a new report titled, 'Fatal Flaws:Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru. The repot found that poor, rural, and indigenous women are being denied the same healthcare as other women in the country, resulting in 185 women out of 100,000 dying in childbirth. In developed countries this number is around 9 out 100,000. Amnesty's Peru researcher said, "The rates of maternal mortality in Peru are scandalous. The fact that so many women are dying from preventable causes is a human rights violation. The Peruvian state is simply ignoring its obligation to provide adequate maternal healthcare to all women, regardless of who they are and where they live."Amnesty International has released a new report titled, 'Fatal Flaws:Barriers to... more
-
-
"The Stoning of Soraya M." tells the timely and true story of a young mother stoned to death in Iran. Director Cyrus Nowrasteh and actresses Mozhan Marno and Oscar-nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo host a special Current Takeover focused on the human rights violations that continue under a Islamic fundamentalist regime.
If you're inspired to learn more about the issues at hand or want to get involved you can visit "The Stoning of Soraya M." website: thestoning.com
Human Rights Watch: hrw.org
Amnesty International: amnesty.org or
Vital Voices: vitalvoices.org"The Stoning of Soraya M." tells the timely and true story of a young mother... more
-
-
Protest in London at the end of Refugee Week underlines the stupidity and inhumane meanness of the UK's racist policy towards refugees.
People with skills we need are not allowed to work and we waste large amounts paying private companies to lock them up and treat them bad. All so that New Labour can prove itself more extreme than the extremist parties.
As Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith says "the policy of making asylum seekers destitute is mean and nasty and has not worked."Protest in London at the end of Refugee Week underlines the stupidity and inhumane... more
-
-
Amnesty International alleges in its new human rights report that Italy has embraced racism by not respecting the basic human rights of Roma Gypsies.
The non-governmental organization said Friday that by not taking action to protect Roma Gypsies that were targets of racially-motivated attacks in Italy, Italian authorities failed to respect the migrants' basic human rights.
Among the alleged illicit actions against the Roma Gypsy community was an assault on a pregnant Romani woman and unlawful forced evictions, the international group said in its 2009 global human rights report.
The organization also alleges Italy did not respond to alleged human rights violations that took place in connection with a program of renditions led by the United States.Amnesty International alleges in its new human rights report that Italy has embraced... more
-
-
The Ethiopian government has been asked by rights group Amnesty International to disclose the identity of 35 people arrested more than 10 days ago.
They were accused of plotting to overthrow the government.
The group says more people have been detained since, including an 80-year-old man in need of medical attention.
The government says those arrested were all members of the opposition group Ginbot Seven, founded by the exiled mayor of Addis Abba, Berhanu Nega.
The BBC's Elizabeth Blunt in the capital, Addis Ababa, says he was one of the most charismatic opposition figures at the time of the last elections in Ethiopia in 2005.
He was arrested after the polls along with other prominent opposition figures and tried for treason, sentenced to life imprisonment, then pardoned and released.
Military affair?
Our correspondent says that despite the fact that those arrested were briefly produced in court soon after their arrest - only two names have been officially made public.
One is of serving army general Tefera Mamo, the other of Melaku Tefera, an opposition activist.
But our reporter says other names are seeping out.
Ginbot Seven says those arrested include a cousin of their leader and the elderly father of another leading figure in the party.
Apart from those two, the indications are that this is a predominantly military affair, our reporter says.
In General Teferra's hometown of Lalibella, in the northern Amhara region, residents say at least one other soldier from the town and a close aide were arrested as well.
According to local newspaper The Reporter, most of the military men arrested had previously been fighters with the Amhara armed group which helped bring the present government to power.
Our correspondent says it is possible, if most of those arrested turn out to be Amharas, that the alleged plot and the subsequent arrests have an ethnic dimension.
They used to be Ethiopia's dominant group, but have now lost influence to Tigreans from the north.
The alleged plotters' next court appearance is expected to be early next week.The Ethiopian government has been asked by rights group Amnesty International to... more
-
-
NEW YORK – For sale soon: a variety of torture devices from the 16th century, including shame masks to enforce silence, a 14-foot table-like rack to stretch the victim's body, and a tongue tearer to punish blasphemers and heretics. Even an executioner's sword.
New York's Guernsey's auction house plans to auction the privately owned collection, with proceeds to go to Amnesty International and other organizations committed to preventing torture in today's world, said Guernsey's president, Arlan Ettinger. "That is clearly the seller's intent," he said.
Ettinger described the items Wednesday as possibly the world's most extensive collection of historical torture devices — some 252 items — plus rare books, documents and other related artifacts.
He declined to identify the owner, beyond saying it is a family living in the northeastern U.S., within three hours of New York. No date has been set for the auction.
Of German origin and acquired in the late 19th century by England's earl of Shrewsbury, the torture collection has been in private American hands since last publicly shown in 1893 in New York and at the Chicago World's Fair. Its owner for many years after that was Arne Coward, a Norwegian-born survivor of the Holocaust. His descendants are the present owners, Ettinger said.
On Nov. 26, 1893, an article in The New York Times described what was then a 1,300-item collection, noting that "thousands of people have gazed upon these terrible relics of a semi-barbarous age," all of which "have been in actual use."
As if to underscore the relevance of the exhibit to modern times, Ettinger said, the lead story on the front page of Wednesday's New York Times was headlined: "Torture Memos: Inquiry Suggests No Prosecutions."
The 252 devices include iron masks, boots, thumbscrews, foot squeezers, ropes, leg irons, chains, rings, manacles and "witch-catchers."NEW YORK – For sale soon: a variety of torture devices from the 16th century,... more
-
-
From the article...>The Colorado House of Representatives has voted by the narrowest of margins to abolish the death penalty, using the savings to fund cold case investigations.
The measure must still pass the state Senate, The Denver Post reported Wednesday. Gov. Bill Ritter, a Democrat and former prosecutor, has not said he would sign it.
Rep. Edward Vigil, a Democrat, cast the vote Tuesday that put the bill over the top 33-32. He delayed almost a minute before deciding to approve the measure.
"Hopefully this will make us a better society in Colorado by not having a death penalty, though I have my reservations," Vigil said, explaining his vote.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the death penalty in 1976 while throwing out all existing laws, the majority of states have passed new legislation. Only one, New Jersey, has repealed its capital punishment law.
House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann, a Democrat, argued that Colorado has executed only one person under its modern death penalty law while spending millions of dollars on appeals. Opponents of repeal argued that some crimes are so heinous that death is the only option.
///
If you feel strongly one way or another, contact Colorado elected officials:
http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/CO-Portal/CXP/1165693060260From the article...>The Colorado House of Representatives has voted by the... more
-
-
Great animation for a great organization.
-
-
The Inter-American Law Review (IALR) at the University of Miami School of Law hosted its 2009 Symposium titled Righting Wrongs: The Inter-American System of Human Rights after 50 Years on Saturday, March 7th from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Storer Auditorium at the UM School of Business Administration.
International experts gathered at the symposium to discuss the roles that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have played in changing the lives of those affected by human rights abuses in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Here Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA, addresses the symposiumThe Inter-American Law Review (IALR) at the University of Miami School of Law hosted... more
-
-
Amnesty urges arms embargo on Israel, Gaza
Rights group says both Israel and Hamas used weapons supplied from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians.
LONDON - A comprehensive arms embargo must be placed on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups in the aftermath of the recent conflict in Gaza and southern Israel, Amnesty International said on Monday.
The London-based human rights group said it had found evidence that Israel and Hamas had both used weapons supplied from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians, accusing both sides of committing war crimes during the three-week conflict at the start of the year.
It called for the UN Security Council to impose an arms embargo until mechanisms were put in place to ensure that military equipment was not used to commit violations of international law.
"Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes," said Donatella Rovera, who headed an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza.
"Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians, and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure."
Rovera added: "At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel.Amnesty urges arms embargo on Israel, Gaza
Rights group says both Israel and... more
-
-
White phosphorus bombs used by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip were produced and supplied by American arms manufacturers, according to an Amnesty International report that called for a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel today.
The report documented dozens of weapons used by Israel and Hamas during the three-week offensive, concluding that both groups had carried out attacks on civilians constituting war crimes punishable by international law. The UN Security Council should impose an embargo until a mechanism was established to ensure that military equipment was not used to carry out such violations, said Amnesty.
Donatella Rovera, who headed the Amnesty fact-finding mission, said that the group had systematically collected and catalogued shells across Gaza, and traced serial numbers back to factory production lines in the US.
"All of the evidence points to the failure of America to exercise due oversight of what they sell to Israel, which is in breach of their own laws... which require that weapons will not be sold to a country where they will be misused. And the manner in which these weapons were used in Gaza is a war crime."White phosphorus bombs used by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip were produced and... more
-
-
Yeah, you read that right:
Amnesty International and a pro-Tibet group voiced shock Friday after US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton vowed not to let human rights concerns hinder cooperation with China.
Paying her first visit to Asia as the top US diplomat, Clinton said the United States would continue to press China on long-standing US concerns over human rights such as its rule over Tibet.
"But our pressing on those issues can't interfere on the global economic crisis, the global climate change crisis and the security crisis," Clinton told reporters in Seoul just before leaving for Beijing.
T. Kumar of Amnesty International USA said the global rights lobby was "shocked and extremely disappointed" by Clinton's remarks.Yeah, you read that right:
Amnesty International and a pro-Tibet group voiced shock... more
-
-
asherp
-
added this
-
3 years ago
- |
-
With the inauguration just days away, Amnesty International has launched this online ad campaign featuring what looks like Barack Obama.
This is part of their "Obama's First 100 Days" campaign which the checklist includes: end the economic crisis, sort out global warming, close Guantánamo Bay, eradicate torture and end impunity. You can read more about their campaign at www.obama100days.orgWith the inauguration just days away, Amnesty International has launched this online... more
-
-
The U.S. section of Amnesty International sent an "urgent" letter Friday to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, calling on her to end what it called Washington's "lopsided response" to the ongoing Israeli air strikes on Gaza that have reportedly killed more than 400 Palestinians, including scores of unarmed civilians.
While the letter also expressed concern about the rocket fire by Palestinian groups that has taken four Israeli lives in urban areas more than 30 kilometres from Gaza during the past week, it called Israel's campaign air campaign "disproportionate" and accused the Jewish state of violating international law.
"Without diminishing the responsibility of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for indiscriminate and deliberate attacks on Israeli civilians, the U.S. government must not ignore Israel's disproportionate response and the longstanding policies which have brought the Gaza Strip to the brink of humanitarian disaster," the letter declared.
"…Amnesty International USA is particularly dismayed at the lopsided response by the U.S. government to the recent violence and its lackadaisical efforts to ameliorate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza," it stressed, noting that several recent reports by its London-based parent organization, U.N. aid agencies, Oxfam, CARE and other relief groups have described the situation in Gaza -- even before the latest outbreak of hostilities -- as the worst since Israel's 1967 conquest of the area.
The letter came amid growing international clamour, especially from European and Arab capitals, for an immediate ceasefire. So far both Israel and Hamas have rejected this option.
Hamas has said it would agree to a ceasefire provided Israel agrees to lift its effective economic blockade of the territory. Israel -- strongly backed by the White House -- has insisted that it will stop its offensive only when Hamas agrees to a ceasefire that, in Rice's words, "is durable and sustainable."
In its letter, Amnesty urged Washington to "go beyond rhetoric and exert concrete pressure on both parties to immediately cease unlawful attacks." Statements in recent days by both Rice and the White House have contributed to the impression that Washington wants to give Israel more time to weaken Hamas' leadership and infrastructure in Gaza, in hopes that the population there will turn against the party to the benefit of Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.
On a trip to Europe Thursday, however, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni -- who, along with Defence Minister Ehud Barak, has gained in the public- opinion polls for the Feb. 10 elections since the Israeli offensive began -- rejected the demand as well as a French proposal for a 48-hour "humanitarian cease-fire."
An unidentified official travelling with Livni called the latter proposal "unrealistic", "hasty", and bordering on "offensive", adding that Israel was itself shipping in tonnes of humanitarian supplies, including food and medicine, despite reports of severe shortages and chaos in Gaza's few hospitals. The territory has been without power for two days.
"There is no humanitarian crisis, and therefore there is no need for a humanitarian truce," Livni told reporters in Paris.
Amnesty's letter strongly disagreed with that assessment Friday, however, echoing a report issued Wednesday by Oxfam. "At present there is an urgent need for access to humanitarian aid, food and essential supplies -- as both aid agencies and residents of Gaza have long ago run out of provision reserves due to the Israeli blockade which has so restricted the flow of goods into Gaza for months," it said.
"The quantities which the Israeli army has allowed into Gaza in recent days are nowhere near what is necessary to meet the basic needs of the population of 1.5 million," it added.The U.S. section of Amnesty International sent an "urgent" letter Friday to... more
-
-
New warnings have been sounded over the supposedly non-lethal Tasers being introduced to UK police forces after hundreds of deaths were reported in the US. A new report claims greater use of Tasers in America and other countries has seen vulnerable people suffer disproportionately.
Amnesty International, which compiled today's report, said 334 people had been killed in the United States after being shot by Taser since 2001.
The human rights group looked at the results of 98 autopsies and discovered 90 per cent involved victims who were unarmed and did not pose a serious threat.
The Home Office, responding to direct calls from Amnesty International, said Tasers would only be given to specially-trained officers facing serious threats of violence.
According to Amnesty International's arms programme director Oliver Sprague, some incidents have seen people exposed to repeated or prolonged shocks, sometimes involving more than one officer.New warnings have been sounded over the supposedly non-lethal Tasers being introduced... more
-
-
Amnesty International just release a new commercial or public service announcement pulling at the heart strings of anyone who sees the video. The message of the video, "YOU ARE POWERFUL".
Amen to that! Nowadays there are a lot of things going to shite in the world instead of complaining about it, its nice to know people are doing something about it.
What do you see is the most significant problem in the world today and what are you doing about it?
Peace and love,
~ Mind ControlAmnesty International just release a new commercial or public service announcement... more
-
