Tag Archives: human rights
Cameroon urged to overhaul laws criminalizing gay relationships
Laws criminalizing consensual same-sex relationships must be repealed by the Cameroonian government, Amnesty International said as it called for the release of those currently in prison for homosexuality,
“It is time to end the arrest, detention, prosecution and other forms of persecution and discrimination against people perceived or known to...
Bahrain must release woman activist convicted for listening to ‘revolutionary’ music
The Bahraini authorities must release the first woman activist to be convicted over her involvement in last year’s pro-reform demonstrations, Amnesty International said today after a court rejected her appeal and upheld her prison sentence.
Fadhila Mubarak’s 18-month prison sentence for protesting and listening to “revolutionary”...
History And Meaning Of The Word ‘Holocaust’: Are We Still Comfortable With This Term?
What’s in a name? When it comes to remembering the millions of victims of the Nazi quest to “purify” Germany during World War II, names are often all that remain.
So why do we call the Nazi genocide of 6 million Jews and millions of others “The Holocaust”?
This usage came about gradually. The lower-case “holocaust”...
Death Toll Climbs in Nigeria After Series of Bombings
Image source: Nigerian Television Authority (via Voice of America)
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The death toll is at 150 and climbing after a series of bombings hit Nigeria’s second largest city Saturday. As Al Jazeera reports, the attacks were carried out by Islamist militant group Boko Haram.
“It’s the first major attack by Boko Haram on the city of Kano in...
Ethiopia terror convictions an ‘affront’ to free speech
Journalists Reyot Alemu and Woubishet Taye have been convicted after criticizing the government.
The Ethiopian authorities must immediately release four government critics and a former opposition supporter who have been found guilty of terrorism charges on Thursday, Amnesty International said today.
Journalists Reyot Alemu and Woubshet Taye, opposition...
France Requests Guantanamo Investigation
A French judge is seeking U.S. permission to visit the prison camps here to investigate claims by former French inmates that they were tortured, the Associated Press reported from Paris on Tuesday.
The AP reported that it saw a formal international request from investigating judge Sophie Clement to U.S. authorities to see the prison here that Tuesday...
Cambodia: Release peaceful protesters detained over forced eviction
The Cambodian authorities must immediately release 24 women and six children detained yesterday while peacefully protesting their forced eviction.
The group of 30 were arrested while protesting last week’s violent forced eviction of some 300 families from the poor Borei Keila neighborhood of Phnom Penh.
“These people never should have been arrested...
New Israeli detention law violates rights of asylum-seekers
A new Israeli law allowing for automatic and lengthy detention of asylum-seekers flies in the face of international law, Amnesty International said today.
Early on Tuesday the Israeli parliament passed the “Prevention of Infiltration Law”, which mandates the automatic detention of anyone, including asylum-seekers, who enters Israel without permission....
Pakistan: Blasphemy law reform more urgent one year after Governor killing
There have been protests against the killing of Salmaan Taseer © Demotix/Rajput Yasir
The Pakistan government must urgently reform the country’s ‘dangerous’ blasphemy laws, Amnesty International said today on the first anniversary of the assassination of a politician who criticized the laws.
Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer was shot by...
Egypt’s women must be allowed to protest in peace
Women protesters carried images of soldiers beating and stripping female demonstrators © Marwa Morgan / Demotix
Amnesty International called on Egypt’s military rulers to uphold the right to peaceful demonstration as women human rights activists staged more protests today.
Activists took to the streets to denounce violence used by the military against...
