Founded in 1961, Amnesty International works to protect human rights and people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. Amnesty investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and helps transform societies to create a safer, more just world. Amnesty International received the Nobel Peace Prize for their life-saving work.

With more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in over 150 countries, they work with complete independence from government, corporate or national interests.

Blog Entries by Amnesty International

Embracing Human Rights: Islamists Renouncing Violence

Posted November 17, 2009 | 11:00 AM (EST)


Why should we care about the human rights of people who themselves don't appear to respect them? Statements made this week by a former member of an armed Islamic group suggest that it is the best way to change hearts and minds.

In an interview in the British newspaper...

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The Great Divide Between Health Care and Civil Rights

3 Comments | Posted October 23, 2009 | 02:51 PM (EST)


A dramatic disconnect between principles and policies has hampered current U.S. health care reform efforts. This became obvious when candidate Obama declared health care to be a right and then proceeded to treat it as a commodity when negotiating with insurance companies a requirement for individuals to buy a...

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King of Horror's New Anti-Torture Ad

Posted October 9, 2009 | 04:04 PM (EST)


When I was around 10-years-old, I somehow caught a few minutes of Christine, the film based on Stephen King's novel about a killer car. And it freaked me out. To this day, I've...

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UN report confirms both Israeli and Palestinian armed groups committed grave violations of international law

Posted September 21, 2009 | 09:02 AM (EST)


By Edith Garwood, Country Specialist for Israel, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Palestinian Authority at Amnesty International USA

Amnesty International said that the recommendations of the United Nations Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission on the Gaza conflict, if implemented, offer the best hope for justice and...

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Zimbabwe: Mugabe's Sleight of Hand

Posted September 8, 2009 | 05:00 PM (EST)


Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights recently reported that President Mugabe did not sign the Global Political Agreement (GPA). Well, he signed half of it. The entire 36-page document was ratified into law by Parliament as Constitutional Amendment 19. President Mugabe, however, only signed an 18-page document. The result...

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Private Military and Security Companies Wanted for Hire by CIA as "Hitmen"?

6 Comments | Posted August 27, 2009 | 05:13 PM (EST)


by Lillian Tan, Corporate Action Network

The bad media which surrounded the Nisour Square shootings on September 16, 2007 galvanized the U.S. Government to take some steps towards ensuring that the Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of State (DOS) better regulate Private military and security companies' (PMSC) operations in...

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The Graveyards of Sri Lanka's War Zone

Posted August 12, 2009 | 03:29 PM (EST)


By Christoph Koettl, Crisis Prevention and Response Campaigner at Amnesty International USA

A final analysis of satellite images -- requested by Amnesty International USA's Science for Human Rights project -- was released by the American Association for the Advancement of Science today. It provides rare...

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New bill aims to remove race from death penalty equation

Posted August 10, 2009 | 05:09 PM (EST)


By Brian Evans, Death Penalty Abolition Campaigner at Amnesty International USA

UPDATE: On Aug. 11th, North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue signed the Racial Justice Act into law, making North Carolina only the second state in the country to allow death row prisoners to meaningfully challenge their...

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Human exploitation fuels mining trade in DRC: Apple, Dell look away

1 Comments | Posted July 23, 2009 | 05:20 PM (EST)


Prominent US and multinational companies such as Apple, Dell, Motorola, Nokia, and Hewlett-Packard are among the businesses pinpointed as culprits in an unflinching, new report released by Global Witness that details the often noxious connections between the illegal mining trade, widespread human rights abuses and tech and mining...

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War Crimes in Afghanistan, Or: What You Don't Learn in Science Class

2 Comments | Posted July 17, 2009 | 04:30 PM (EST)


Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) demonstrated in a more than impressive way this week how science and technology can advance the cause of human rights. Using forensic analysis and satellite imagery, they did an excellent job in documenting a war crime -- and the subsequent U.S. supported cover-up...

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Yahoo!, Click Refresh Button on Internet Censorship

2 Comments | Posted July 10, 2009 | 11:49 AM (EST)


By Tony Cruz, Amnesty International USA's Business & Economic Relations Group

Yahoo! held its annual shareholder meeting on June 25th -- the first meeting with the company's new CEO, Carol Bartz. In the meeting, Ms. Bartz attempted to show a new face of Yahoo; a bolder and progressive "no-nonsense"...

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Will US Seek Death Penalty in First Trial of Former Gitmo Detainee?

1 Comments | Posted July 9, 2009 | 03:36 PM (EST)


By Brian Evans, Death Penalty Abolition Campaigner at Amnesty International USA

Last month, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani became the first Guantanamo Bay detainee to be brought to the United States for trial outside of the military commission system. His trial is set to begin in September 2010 in a...

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Sensationalist Film Exploits Human Rights Issue in Iran

14 Comments | Posted June 24, 2009 | 01:44 PM (EST)


By Elise Auerbach, Iran Specialist for Amnesty International USA

Ordinarily, human rights activists would be pleased when the rare major motion picture shining a light on human rights violations comes along. In fact, aside from documentaries, it is very unusual to see issues that Amnesty International has worked...

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Iran: Release Human Rights Lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani

Posted June 22, 2009 | 04:52 PM (EST)


2009-06-22-AbdolfattahSoltani.JPG Abdolfattah Soltani was arrested at his office in central Tehran, at around four in the afternoon, on 16 June by four plainclothes security officials. The officials, who did not have a search warrant, a summons or arrest warrant, carried out a...

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U.S. Obligation to Freed Gitmo Detainees

Posted June 19, 2009 | 04:11 PM (EST)


By Tom Parker, Policy Director, (Counter) Terrorism and Human Rights

Four Uighur former Guantanamo inmates are now in Bermuda, other detainees have been released to France, Chad, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Hungary, Italy and Palau appear to have joined the ranks of countries prepared to accept detainees cleared...

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June 12 Elections in Iran: A New Future?

2 Comments | Posted June 11, 2009 | 10:48 AM (EST)


By Elise Auerbach, Iran Specialist for Amnesty International USA

Enormous crowds throng the streets of Tehran and great excitement is in the air. Commentators note that the June 12 presidential elections in Iran could be the most important election in thirty years. In the previous presidential election of...

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That Little Matter of Solving World Poverty, Mr. President

6 Comments | Posted May 28, 2009 | 12:49 PM (EST)


By Larry Cox, Executive Director, Amnesty International USA

Amid the global economic crisis, who stole the spotlight? The Big Three car makers? The bigwigs and their bonuses? The big banks that caused all the trouble? That's where all of the attention has been focused. But what about the little...

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Innocence, Schminnocence. We've Got an Execution to Put On.

1 Comments | Posted May 19, 2009 | 04:09 PM (EST)


By Brian Evans, Death Penalty Abolition Campaigner at Amnesty International USA.

Imagine a case where someone is sent to death row solely on the testimony of nine witnesses, and then, some years after the conviction, seven of those witnesses recant (many alleging they were coerced by police to testify...

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