How You Can Help Defend Journalists in Honduras

April 23, 2014 at 8:30 AM

Honduran journalists take part in a vigil in memory of over 20 journalists killed in Honduras in Tegucigalpa, Honduras (Photo Credit: Orlando Sierra/AFP/GettyImages).

“We are…troubled by news reports that the police had announced the murder was carried out by someone close to Sr. Mejia Orellana before any investigation had yet begun.”
–Statement by U.S. Representatives James McGovern (MA), Sam Farr (CA), and Janice Schakowsky (IL)

On April 11, unidentified assailants stabbed Carlos Mejía to death in his home in Yoro, Honduras. Mejía was the marketing director of Radio Progreso and a member of the Reflection, Investigation and Communication Team (Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación, ERIC). Both Radio Progeso and ERIC are Jesuit organizations known for their work defending human rights in Honduras.

The first step to ending impunity is a thorough investigation that correctly identifies the culprits so that they can be tried and punished. Why, then, did Honduran police announce that they had decided to pursue a narrow investigation focusing on “someone close to Sr. Mejia?”

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How the Vietnamese Government is Using Its Political Prisoners to Gain Leverage

By Leila Chacko

April 22, 2014 at 9:00 AM

A released prisoner holds his son at the main entrance of the Hoang Tien prison in Viet Nam (Photo Credit: Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP/Getty Images).

In the past couple of weeks, Viet Nam has released 3 prominent prisoners of conscience: Nguyen Tien Trung, Vi Duc Hoi and Cu Huy Ha Vu.

The release of the 3 prisoners seems, at first glance, to be a step in the right direction for human rights. But, is this Viet Nam playing the old “shell game?”

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7 Things Afghanistan’s New President Must Do

By Cristina Finch

April 21, 2014 at 3:18 PM

An Afghan voter shows her inked finger after she cast her ballot at a local polling station (Photo Credit: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images).

Earlier this month, voters in Afghanistan cast their ballots in what is arguably the most crucial election in the history of Afghanistan since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.The elections represent much more than the appointment of a president. For Afghanistan, which is nearing the end of a critical security transition, it signals the beginning of a new era.

The protection and promotion of human rights, especially those of women and girls, are critical to bringing security and stability to Afghanistan. Despite the challenging situation for women’s human rights in Afghanistan, women have worked hard to regain and advance their rights since the Taliban regime was ousted in late 2001.

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Glenn Greenwald to Speak at Amnesty’s Annual Human Rights Conference

By Steven Hawkins

March 6, 2014 at 2:04 PM

Amnesty International USA is bringing our membership to Chicago for our 2014 Human Rights Conference. This year, we’re talking about how we must forge change at home in order to have an impact globally.

And today, we are proud to announce that Glenn Greenwald will join the conference via video link from Brazil for a discussion about the U.S. government’s use of mass surveillance. Glenn will also discuss the federal government’s persecution of whistleblowers who seek to tell the truth about human rights violations.

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#SochiFail: The Legacy of Russia’s Olympic Games Won’t Be What Putin Wants It To Be

By The Editors

February 22, 2014 at 5:23 PM

The legacy of the Sochi Olympics will be tainted by the numerous human rights violations in the run-up and during the Games, as well as the failure of the International Olympic Committee to confront the Russian authorities over the arrests and beatings that marred this prestigious sporting event.

The Olympic Games are meant to contribute to a peaceful and better world. This goal was not achieved in Sochi. The reason is simple: Russia’s repression continued unabated throughout the Games, and the Olympic movement failed to challenge the host country on its pledge to promote human rights.

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What Imagine Dragons Did Before They Performed on Saturday Night Live

By The Editors

February 5, 2014 at 8:00 AM

Before he took the stage of SNL with the rest of Imagine Dragons and Kendrick Lamar, Dan Reynolds sat down to listen to a message recorded halfway around the world by two activists he had never met.

“Good luck Imagine Dragons – yes, from Dublin – See you Wednesday in New York – Goodbye!”

The message was from Masha Alekhina and Nadya Tolokonnikova, two recently released members of Pussy Riot.

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THIS EXISTS: Country Where A Teenager Was Arrested For Ordering T-Shirts

By Sarah Hager

December 10, 2013 at 1:48 PM

Angolan riot policemen stand in front of hundreds of demonstrators protesting against the killings of two young opposition activists in Luanda (Photo Credit: Estelle Maussion/AFP/Getty Images).

The rights to freedom of assembly and expression are guaranteed in the Angolan Constitution. Nevertheless, the Angolan government has become increasingly oppressive against peaceful protesters, journalists, and opposition politicians.

A new generation of young Angolans have come together to speak out against the regime and call for political change. A wave of protests that began in early 2011 continues to thrive in the face of government restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression.

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Our Call to the Next Honduran President

By Guest Writer

December 10, 2013 at 10:59 AM

Supporters of Honduran presidential candidate for the LIBRE party, Xiomara Castro hold flags and a sign reading “We demand justice. Nobody stops the people” (Photo Credit: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images).

By Stacy Suh, Member Women’s Rights Coordination Group

As I write, the outcome of the November 24 presidential elections in Honduras is still being contested. There were eight candidates to the presidency, out of which two have been expressing concerns on the official results provided by the Electoral Tribunal and respective complains have been filed. Regardless of the eventual outcome of these legal challenges, Amnesty International is still calling upon the next president to commit to protecting human rights, as outlined in an open letter to all candidates.

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Ten Years After Khodorkovsky’s Arrest, Repression in Russia Continues

By Samir Goswami

October 25, 2013 at 8:00 AM

Since Putin was re-elected, Russians have witnessed a further erosion of their rights (Photo Credit: Vasily Maximov/AFP/Getty Images).

When a government cracks down on human rights, the rule of law is degraded.

On Oct. 7, Amnesty International USA and the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis hosted a discussion with Daniel Feldman and Pavel Ivlev about the erosion of rights in Russia and the impact it has on the legal fabric of Russian society.

Both men worked with Mikhail Khodorkovsky, an Amnesty prisoner of conscience, who was once one of Russia’s most successful businessmen and CEO of Yukos Oil Company.

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5 Things You Need To Know About the Gezi Protests

By Howard Eissenstat

October 2, 2013 at 9:24 AM

At least eight thousand injured, at least five confirmed deaths (with strong evidence linking at least three of these deaths to police abuse), many thousands detained.

As this powerful video produced by Amnesty International shows, the human cost of the Turkish government’s decision to suppress peaceful protests this past summer was immense.

In a major report issued today, Amnesty International has given compelling and comprehensive documentation of these events, providing detailed evidence of Turkish authorities suppression of freedom of assembly and expression.

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Human Rights Now Blog

Tag Archives: press freedom

THIS EXISTS: Country Where A Teenager Was Arrested For Ordering T-Shirts

Our Call to the Next Honduran President

5 Things You Need To Know About the Gezi Protests