UN reinforces call to end executions

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:16:39 +0000

A record number of countries have given their support to the campaign to end capital punishment.

On Thursday, a large majority of states from all regions adopted a second United Nations resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

Amnesty International has welcomed the breakthrough for the resolution, which was adopted in the UN General Assembly (Third Committee). The number of co-sponsors has risen to 89, two more than last year.

The increased support for this resolution is yet further evidence of the worldwide trend towards the abolition of the death penalty.

105 countries voted in favour of the draft resolution, 48 voted against and 31 abstained. A range of amendments proposed by a small minority of pro-death penalty countries were overwhelmingly defeated.
“We urge all states that still carry out executions to take immediate steps to implement the resolution and establish a moratorium on executions," says Amnesty International's Yvonne Terlingen,

137 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice, as of November 2008. During 2007, at least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries. At least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries.

The decrease in countries carrying out executions is dramatic. In 1989, executions were carried out in 100 states. In 2007, Amnesty International recorded executions in 24 countries.

The draft resolution adopted on Thursday by the Third Committee of the General Assembly has still to be adopted by the General Assembly sitting in plenary in December.

Majority support expected in UN vote on death penalty moratorium

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:25:08 +0000

A large majority of states from all regions are expected to back a second resolution by the UN General Assembly (Third Committee) on Thursday, calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

The draft resolution to be voted on reaffirms resolution 62/149 of 18 December 2007, "Moratorium on the use of the death penalty". It welcomes the decisions taken by an increasing number of States to apply a moratorium on executions and the global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty.

It also welcomes the report of the UN Secretary-General on the implementation of
resolution 62/149; and requests the Secretary-General to provide a report on progress made in the implementation of both resolutions to the UN General Assembly in 2010 (65th session).

The General Assembly is expected to endorse the decision in a plenary session in December.

One-hundred-and-thirty-seven countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. During 2007, at least 1,252 people were executed in 24 countries. At least 3,347 people were sentenced to death in 51 countries.

Poverty Day to address human rights and dignity

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:47:46 +0000

“Change cannot be realised if people cannot be given time to express themselves and talk of the problems they are facing”
Michael Nyangi, Kibera, Nairobi

This year's International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is a call to everyone, from policy makers to the public, to recognise the rights and dignity of people living in poverty.

Amnesty International, other NGOs, civil society organizations, people living in poverty and supporters around the world will mobilize to raise their voices and demand action from governments.

Poverty Day is held on 17 October every year. Its aim is to promote awareness of the need to eradicate poverty in all countries and the importance of the right to participation.

People living in poverty are far too frequently excluded from decisions about how to improve their lives. Amnesty International said that the vicious cycle of poverty and human rights abuse could only be broken if people living in poverty were able to speak out and be heard. The organization is calling on all states to recognise the right to participation.

Widney Brown, Amnesty International's Director of International Law and Policy, said: "A key focus of this year's International Day is ensuring that people living in poverty are no longer denied the power to control their lives.

"All too often, living in poverty excludes people from making decisions about the things that affect them. Other people decide on their behalf, ignoring their needs, beliefs and opinions.

"Not only does this result in ill-informed decisions, but it also robs people of their right to participate, and to learn from the process, in order to be change makers and retain control over their own lives” she said.

Events planned for the day include street exhibitions, film premieres, public testimonies and concerts.

At the United Nations Head Quarters in New York, Widney Brown will take part in a major discussion on poverty, which is set to be webcast on www.un.org.

The event brings together representatives of the UN, World Bank and leading NGOs working on poverty and human rights. A number of local activists from grassroots civil society organisations will also be attending, including Michael Nyangi.

Michael lives in Kibera, one of the biggest slum areas, which is home to 1.5 million people and runs the Lomoro Microfinance organization. A qualified accountant, he created Lomoro five years ago when he was 23. It now has 150 members and helps people to start small, income-generating projects.

Michael is attending the event with the intention of sharing the perspective and thoughts of Kibera’s residents.

Other Amnesty International supporters will also take part in the Stand Up Against Poverty gatherings organized by the Global Call to Action Against Poverty.

The Stand Up event encourages millions of people to simultaneously stand up at the same time in protest against poverty and inequality. This year, over one per cent of the population is expected to take part.

Angola bad choice to host World Habitat Day

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:48:01 +0000

The choice of the Angolan capital Luanda to lead the global observance of this year's World Habitat Day provoked controversy among housing and human rights organizations.

In a joint letter to the Executive Director of The United Nations Human Settlements Programme UN-HABITAT, who organized the event, Amnesty International, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, the Habitat International Coalition and Human Rights Watch have all voiced their concerns about the choice of venue.

The Angolan government has carried out repeated mass forced evictions of its people to facilitate urban development projects and the construction of luxury housing, leaving tens of thousands living in poverty.

Other human rights violations committed in the course of these forced evictions include arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment and harassment of human rights defenders.

World Habitat Day is organized by the United Nations (UN) to raise awareness of the human right to adequate housing for all and to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat. This year, the focus is on human rights in cities - click here to read case studies.

Known popularly as World Housing and Land Rights Day, it has been held every year on the first Monday of October since 1986. Last year, the main celebrations were held in The Hague. In previous years, they have been hosted by Naples, Jakarta, Nairobi and Dubai.

The Global Observance in Angola will take place at the Talatona International Conference Centre, attended by local and international participants from all sectors including governments, municipalities, parliamentarians and the private sector. Amnesty International has expressed concern however, at reports indicating that civil society has been excluded from the UN Habitat ceremony. Events will also be held all over the world.

The theme of the day this year is Harmonious Cities – "where everyone and every culture is at home." The UN chose the theme to "raise awareness about the problems of rapid urbanization, its impact on the environment, the growth of slums, and the urbanisation of poverty as more and more people teem into towns and cities looking for a better life.

"In an age where for the first time half of humanity is now living in towns and cities, the quest for adequate shelter for all along with basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity, decent health care, safe streets, etc., is more urgent than ever, especially in developing countries," according to a statement on the UN-HABITAT website.

"There should also be no illusion that cities have the greatest impact on the environment and climate change. And where they are poorly managed, with weak governance structures, it is their citizens and their surrounds that suffer most."

Luanda was chosen to lead this year's celebrations because it was hoped that this would "show the world how the country, after years of conflict, is progressing in the establishment of harmonious cities through improvements in urban infrastructure and services, and a new urban development strategy."

Amnesty International and the other organizations who sent the letter "recognize the efforts of some members of Angola's government to promote more open participation and decentralized governance, as well as steps to promote the recognition of the right to adequate housing through the enactment of land and housing laws and a housing project to provide social housing for youths in the country. However, such good practices do not seem to have taken hold, nor do they seem to enjoy sufficient support among Angola’s policy makers."

The letter continues "unless and until the government of Angola takes these requisite steps to address the widely reported violations of the right to adequate housing and other human rights in the context of widespread forced evictions, it is inappropriate to raise Angola as an example and focus of World Habitat Day/World Housing and Land Rights Day. By so doing, both the government of Angola and UN-Habitat add insult to the injury committed against Angola’s thousands affected by forced evictions."

The organizations have called on UN-Habitat to use the occasion of World Habitat Day in Luanda to urge the government of Angola to comply with its obligations under international law, take prompt, effective steps to stop and prevent forced evictions.

Arms Trade Treaty could fail without human rights

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 09:25:15 +0000

Every year,more than 300,000 people are killed with conventional weapons. Millions more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence. Many of the weapons used to commit these violations are sourced on the poorly regulated international arms market.

Amnesty International's new report, Blood at the Crossroads: Making the case for a global Arms Trade Treaty, uses nine detailed case studies of the catastrophic human rights consequences of unrestrained arms trading.

Launched as UN member states prepare to meet in October to consider further steps to move towards negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty, the report says that world leaders should adopt a "Golden Rule" to help protect human rights when arms are transferred between countries.

The "Golden Rule" states simply: that governments must prevent arms transfers where there is a substantial risk that they are likely to be used for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.

From the ongoing conflict in Darfur, military crackdowns in Myanmar and Guinea to the proliferation of sectarian violence in Iraq, the report shows how and why the current variations and loopholes in national arms legislation allow massive violations of human rights to occur. It also demonstrates that without an effective human rights provision, a global Arms Trade Treaty could fail to protect those most vulnerable.

The report is launched during a global week of action by activists and supporters of the Control Arms Campaign. Campaigners are reminding governments that "The World is Watching", a theme during the week of events and activities to ild up pressure for an agreement on an effective Arms Trade Treaty as quickly as possible.

Worldwide support for a UN process to develop a global Arms Trade Treaty was reflected when 153 states voted in favour (1 against (US), and 24 abstained) during the General Assembly in December 2006. Then during 2007 almost 100 states submitted their views to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, proposing human rights protection as one of the top considerations.

In the run up to October's UN discussions at the General Assembly First Committee meeting on Disarmament and Security, a few states - including China, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Russia and the US – have been attempting to block, delay and water down proposals. These attempts could make the treaty fail in its objectives and allow the continued unchecked trade in arms.

"Despite the massive green light from most of the world community, a small minority of sceptics want to keep the status quo shambles so they can turn a blind eye to blatantly irresponsible arms transfers, rendering most national arms controls and UN arms embargoes weak and ineffective," said Brian Wood, Amnesty International’s arms control manager.

China, Russia, the US and many other nations, are highlighted in the report as trading arms to countries with well documented human rights violations.

China and Russia remain the largest suppliers of conventional arms to Sudan that are used for serious ongoing human rights violations by the Sudanese armed forces in Darfur. Russia supplied military helicopters and bomber aircraft, while China sold Sudan most of its arms and ammunition.

In Iraq, the US Department of Defense has funded most of the supply of over one million rifles, pistols and infantry weapons for 531,000 Iraqi security force personnel in a poorly managed and unaccountable process since 2003. This supply has compounded the massive proliferation of arms and gross human rights abuses that began under the former Saddam government.

The new supplies have sometimes involved dubious players in international supply chains and a lack of accountability by Iraq, US and UK governments, leading to diversions of supplies to armed groups and illicit markets.

In Myanmar, despite the persistent pattern of well documented human rights violations committed by Myanmar government forces, China, Serbia, Russia and the Ukraine have between them supplied armoured personal carriers, trucks, weapons and munitions. India has recently offered to supply more arms.

The report shows graphically how violations of the UN arms embargo continue on Cote d'Ivoire, Somalia and Darfur in Sudan because of weak national laws and lack of commitment and capacity by some governments. The failure of over 80 percent of states to establish laws to control arms brokering and arms transportation makes this problem worse.

A UN Group of Governmental Experts examined the Arms Trade Treaty from February to August 2008 and its report will be considered at the UN First Committee of the General Assembly in October.

Amnesty International and its partners are now calling for states during their discussions at General Assembly to agree in December to start a negotiating process during 2009 so that the international community can benefit from a legally-binding and universal Arms Trade Treaty by the end of 2010.

"Discussions on an Arms Trade Treaty have reached a crossroads," says Helen Hughes, one of the researchers on the report. "Governments can either carry on ignoring the horrific consequences of irresponsible international arms transfers or they can meet their obligations in an Arms Trade Treaty with a 'Golden Rule' on human rights that will actually help save people's lives and protect their livelihoods."

Read more:
Play the Control Arms game
Universal Declaration of Human Rights 60th anniversary
The Control Arms website

Global week of action to support Arms Trade Treaty

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 10:11:05 +0000

Activists and supporters of the Control Arms Campaign in more than 50 countries will be taking part in the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) week of action, starting on Saturday 13 September.

The World is Watching week will see campaigners urge their governments to reach an agreement on an effective Arms Trade Treaty as quickly as possible. UN member states will consider such negotiations at the General Assembly meeting of the First Committee on Disarmament and Security in October.

Each year at least a third of a million people are killed with conventional weapons. Many more are injured, abused, forcibly displaced and bereaved as a result of armed violence. Many of the weapons used to commit these violations are sourced on the poorly regulated international arms market.

Events planned for the week of action include awareness raising football matches in Mali, a street march in Tanzania, a film screening in Edinburgh, a parade in Mongolia and a stunt outside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Spain.

The ATT week of action is part of Amnesty International's celebration of the 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also coincides with the release of the Amnesty International report, Blood at the Crossroads: Making the case for a global arms trade treaty. Released on 17 September, the report describes how arms supplies fuel serious human rights abuses around the world.

Worldwide support for a UN process to develop a global Arms Trade Treaty was reflected when 153 states voted in favour (1 against (USA), and 24 abstained) during the General Assembly in December 2006 and during 2007 when almost 100 submitted their views to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon, proposing human rights protection as one of the top considerations.

Throughout 2008, a group of government experts from 28 countries has been meeting at the UN to discuss the content of the treaty. With further successful campaigning, it is hoped that discussions leading to the negotiation of the treaty could continue into 2009.

Routine abuses in the name of security in Tunisia

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:34:47 +0000

Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people, including children, suspected of terrorism-related offences, have been arrested in Tunisia since the introduction of the Anti-Terrorism Law in 2003. Authorities use the broad definition of ‘terrorism’ in this law to criminalize legitimate and peaceful opposition activities.

Many have been tortured and otherwise ill-treated, held in incommunicado detention and subjected to enforced disappearances in the last five years. At least 977 people have been tried and sentenced since June 2006 - after unfair trials before military and other courts - to long prison terms or even death.

The Tunisian government continues to say that the human rights situation in the country is improving. The legal reforms that should offer better protection for human rights are, in practice, little more than hollow promises.

Abuses by security forces continue unabated and are committed with impunity, as the report In the Name of Security: Routine Abuses in Tunisia reveals.

Despite the record of violations, Arab and European governments and the US government have returned people they suspected of involvement in terrorism to Tunisia, where they have then suffered arbitrary arrest and detention, torture or other ill-treatment, and blatantly unfair trials.

A responsibility of all governments

The Tunisian government has a duty to protect its population from violent attacks, but when doing so it must comply with its obligations under international law. The government must condemn torture and other ill-treatment and bring to justice those responsible for authorizing and inflicting it.

Foreign governments should reject the rhetoric of the Tunisian government and face up to the reality of human rights violations in the country. Instead of forcibly returning Tunisian nationals, they should ensure that all cooperation in the context of counter-terrorism complies with human rights standards and put pressure on the Tunisian government to prevent torture and hold torturers to account.

No hiding place for torture

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:41:52 +0000

Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to be free from torture and other ill-treatment. 60 years after it was adopted unanimously at the United Nations, Amnesty International documented torture in at least 81 countries.

The organization has documented torture for decades, but governments’ actions in recent years have challenged the validity of the prohibition itself, particularly in the context of counter terrorism.

This month, Amnesty International will seek to reverse this trend. In partnership with the Global Elders, the organization will call on governments to condemn and prevent torture and other ill-treatment and hold to account those responsible.

No justification for torture

Government responses to the attacks of 11 September 2001, and attacks in other countries since then, have amounted to a serious assault on the framework of human rights. They have not only used torture, they have sought to justify it in the name of security.

Detainees have been subjected to secret detention, enforced disappearance and indefinite detention without charge or trial. They have been transferred from one state to another without due process and have been sent to countries where they have faced torture. Such practices and lack of accountability have facilitated the spread and acceptance of torture.

Counter Terror with Justice

Torture is a crime that cannot be justified under any circumstances. Governments must bring to justice those responsible for authorising and inflicting it. The conditions which allow it to flourish, particularly illegal detention, must be brought to an end.

Governments have a duty to protect their population from violent attacks, but real security can only be achieved through justice and the promotion of human rights.

What you can do:

Amnesty International will organize actions on and around 26 June, International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Contact your local office and get involved;
Take action now to end illegal US detentions;
Stay informed by signing up to our e-newsletter and visiting our activism blog.

Sixty years of human rights failure – governments must apologize and act now

Tue, 27 May 2008 17:16:22 +0000

Amnesty International today challenged world leaders to apologize for six decades of human rights failure and re-commit themselves to deliver concrete improvements.

“The human rights flashpoints in Darfur, Zimbabwe, Gaza, Iraq and Myanmar demand immediate action,” said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International, launching AI Report 2008: State of the World’s Human Rights.

“Injustice, inequality and impunity are the hallmarks of our world today. Governments must act now to close the yawning gap between promise and performance.”

Amnesty International’s Report 2008, shows that sixty years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations, people are still tortured or ill-treated in at least 81 countries, face unfair trials in at least 54 countries and are not allowed to speak freely in at least 77 countries.

“2007 was characterised by the impotence of Western governments and the ambivalence or reluctance of emerging powers to tackle some of the world’s worst human rights crises, ranging from entrenched conflicts to growing inequalities which are leaving millions of people behind,” said Ms Khan.

Amnesty International cautioned that the biggest threat to the future of human rights is the absence of a shared vision and collective leadership.

“2008 presents an unprecedented opportunity for new leaders coming to power and countries emerging on the world stage to set a new direction and reject the myopic policies and practices that in recent years have made the world a more dangerous and divided place,” said Ms Khan.

Amnesty International challenged governments to set a new paradigm for collective leadership based on the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“The most powerful must lead by example,” said Ms Khan.

China must live up to the human rights promises it made around the Olympic Games and allow free speech and freedom of the press and end “re-education through labour”.
The USA must close Guantánamo detention camp and secret detention centres, prosecute the detainees under fair trial standards or release them, and unequivocally reject the use of torture and ill-treatment.
Russia must show greater tolerance for political dissent, and none for impunity on human rights abuses in Chechnya.
The EU must investigate the complicity of its member states in “renditions” of terrorist suspects and set the same bar on human rights for its own members as it does for other countries.

Ms Khan warned: “World leaders are in a state of denial but their failure to act has a high cost. As Iraq and Afghanistan show, human rights problems are not isolated tragedies, but are like viruses that can infect and spread rapidly, endangering all of us.”

“Governments today must show the same degree of vision, courage and commitment that led the United Nations to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sixty years ago.”

“There is a growing demand from people for justice, freedom and equality.”

Some of the most striking images of 2007 were of monks in Myanmar, lawyers in Pakistan, and women activists in Iran.

“Restless and angry, people will not be silenced, and leaders ignore them at their own peril,” said Ms Khan.

What human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics?

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 17:14:38 +0000

Liu Jingmin, Vice-President of the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee, said in 2001 that allowing Beijing to host the Games would “help the development of human rights". Seven years on, China’s human rights record shows little sign of improvement, according to an Amnesty International report.

It was hoped that the Games would act as a catalyst for reform but much of the current wave of repression against activists and journalists is occurring not in spite of, but actually because of the Olympics, according to the report China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy.

Positive changes such as a reform of the death penalty system and a greater reporting freedom for foreign journalists have been overshadowed by stalled reform of detention without trial, repression of human rights defenders and internet censorship.

The report also highlights the Chinese authorities’ recent crackdown on protesters in Tibet, which has led to serious human rights violations since 10 March 2008. Chinese authorities have resorted to measures that are reported to have included unnecessary and excessive use of force, including lethal force, arbitrary detentions and intimidation.

Hundreds of people have been detained in response to the unrest. They could face torture and other ill-treatment by China’s security forces, especially those accused of “separatist” activities.

The near total media blackout on Tibet and the surrounding areas has not only made it difficult to confirm reports, but is a betrayal of official promises to ensure “complete media freedom” in the run-up to the Olympics.

In China too, many activists are held as prisoners of conscience after politically motivated trials. Growing numbers are kept under house arrest. Broad and vaguely defined crimes against national security, such as “separatism”, “subversion” and “stealing state secrets”, are used to prosecute those engaged in legitimate and peaceful human rights activities.

Land rights activist Yang Chunlin was sentenced to five years in prison on 25 March for “inciting subversion” after he spearheaded a petition campaign under the banner “We don’t want the Olympics, we want human rights”. He was initially denied access to lawyers on the grounds that his case apparently involved “state secrets”. He was also reported to have been tortured by the police in detention, but was denied the opportunity to raise these allegations in court.

Housing rights activist Ye Guozhu is serving a four-year prison sentence after he applied for permission to hold a demonstration against forced evictions in Beijing. He was convicted in December 2004 of “picking quarrels and stirring up trouble” because of his opposition to the seizure and demolition of property to make way for new construction projects for this year’s Olympic games.

In May 2006, Beijing extended use of a form of detention without trial called Re-education Through Labour (RTL), to “clean up” the city’s image before the Olympics. The system targets those who have committed minor offences but are not legally considered criminals. They are forced to work for long hours, and can be detained for up to four years. RTL is much criticised in China. Long heralded - but now stalled - reform of the system would be a major human rights improvement.

Beijing housing rights activist Wang Ling was reported to have been sentenced to 15 months RTL in October 2007 for signing petitions and making banners in protest against the demolition of her property to make way for Olympic construction. She is believed to be held at Daxing RTL facility in Beijing.
Despite official promises of “complete media freedom” made in July 2001, the authorities are continuing to use the crime of “inciting subversion” and other state security offences to prosecute and imprison writers and journalists exercising their fundamental human rights to freedom of expression.

The internet is being heavily censored too. Cartoon police icons now warn many of China’s 210 million internet users to stay away from “illegal” websites. These virtual police appear to encourage self-censorship by reminding users that the authorities closely monitor web activity. China is also believed to operate the most extensive, technologically sophisticated and broad-reaching system of internet censorship and filtering in the world.

Text messaging is also being monitored. In December 2007, the Beijing city authorities issued a notice stating that those who use text messages to “endanger public security” or “spread rumours” will be investigated.

China is the world leader in the use of the death penalty, despite official statements that the restoration of Supreme People’s Court (SPC) review led to a significant reduction in the number of executions in China in 2007. But publication of full national statistics and other detailed information on the death penalty in China is essential to support such assertions. The drop in executions may be partly due to a growing “backlog” of prisoners awaiting execution as their case is reviewed by the SPC.

Amnesty International’s report calls on the Chinese authorities to: give immediate access to Tibet and surrounding areas to UN investigators and independent observers; cease arbitrary detention, intimidation and harassment of activists; end punitive administrative detention; allow full and free reporting across the whole of China for all journalists; free all prisoners of conscience and reduce the number of capital crimes as a step towards abolition.

China: Olympics countdown - Time running out for improvement in human rights (Press release, 31 March 2008)

Read more about human rights in China and the Beijing Olympics

Women unite to defend their rights

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 12:16:51 +0000

On 8 March, International Women’s Day, women across the world will take to the streets to express their commitment to the defence of human rights, often at great risk to their safety.

These rights include freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, the right to be treated equally under the law, sexual and reproductive rights, and the rejection of violence against women. But, in promoting these rights, activists come face to face with discriminatory laws, policies and practices.

Aline Castellanos is a leading member of the Committee for Parliamentary Dialogue and Equality in Mexico. She documented and publicized human rights violations in the Oaxaca region of the country during widespread protests in 2006. At that time, Aline Castellanos was working to encourage women’s activism and heighten women’s visibility in public life.

On 28 April 2007, Aline’s house was broken into and searched. The following day, a judge re-issued a warrant for the arrest, despite the fact that it had been successfully challenged twice before. She subsequently fled Oaxaca, fearing arrest on charges of assault, which appear to be baseless.

Given the nature of the harassment, threats and marginalization women human rights defenders can face, their protection is of particular concern. Women can be victims of a host of violations, some gender-specific, including sexual attacks.

Many women activists carry out their work in societies that impose heavy restrictions on women and find themselves vulnerable to harassment and abuse. In some contexts, working on issues viewed by some as unpopular and controversial, such as women’s rights, results in human rights defenders, their families and communities being targeted by the state authorities or other groups.

Delaram Ali is an active member of the organization Campaign for Equality, an Iranian human rights network which works to end legalized discrimination against women. She was arrested in June 2006 during a peaceful demonstration and was sentenced to 30 months in jail. This sentence has been suspended temporarily.

In Zimbabwe, forced evictions and government policies on land reform have had a disproportionately negative impact on women. As economic and social conditions in Zimbabwe have worsened, this has affected access to food, health, education and housing. Women have had little choice but to publicly condemn the government while demanding respect for these rights. Since 2000, hundreds of women have been arbitrarily arrested, detained, beaten and even tortured while in police custody.

Governments are obliged to both promote and protect the work of human rights defenders. Governments must:

Acknowledge the role human rights defenders play in documenting violations of human rights and in upholding democratic practices.
If the rights of defenders are violated, then governments must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

Women human rights defenders often face a whole series of violations designed to silence them and paralyse their work. On International Women’s Day, women defenders will once again speak out for human rights. Their voices must be heard.

The world shouts 'Close Guantánamo'

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:55:25 +0000

Thousands of people, including Amnesty International members and supporters from around the world, have taken action to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfers of detainees to Guantánamo. Amnesty International staged protests in 30 countries on Friday, 11 January.

Click on the pictures to the right to watch a slideshow with images of the day.

More than simply a call for closure, Amnesty International once again presented the US government with the organization’s framework for ending illegal detentions, whether at Guantánamo or elsewhere. This time, the framework was supported by over 1,200 parliamentarians from around the world.

In some countries, including Belgium and Ireland, some of the parliamentarians accompanied Amnesty International activists at their events and demonstrations.

The infamous orange jumpsuit – closely associated with the inhumanity and illegality of Guantánamo – became once more the icon of this anniversary. There was also street theatre, poetry readings, the recreation of Guantánamo cells in city centres, speeches, rallies and cyber activism.

US military chief wants to close Guantánamo

On Sunday, two days after the anniversary, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, US Navy Admiral Michael Mullen became the latest US official to say that Guantánamo should be shut down.

“More that anything else, I just think it has been the image – how Gitmo has become around the world, in terms of representing the United States. I believe from the standpoint of how it reflects on us that it’s been pretty damaging.”

What you can still do

Go to tearitdown.org and add your support to Amnesty International’s framework to end illegal US detentions.

Post a tearitdown banner in your website or blog.

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