EU must press Hungary to respect human rights norms

Malaysia: Anwar case shows why sodomy law must be scrapped 

A hard-line group of Asian countries are defying the global trend against the death penalty and putting to death thousands of people after unfair trials every year, the Anti-Death Penalty Asia Network (ADPAN) said today in a new report.  

14 Asian countries, taken together, execute more people than the rest of the world combined.

When Justice Fails, Thousands executed after unfair trials highlights, through the cases of people on death row, the struggle to secure a fair trial in eight of these countries.  

Community Business, a leading non-profit organisation specialising in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and a leader in diversity and inclusion in Asia is embarking on a groundbreaking study to understand attitudes to and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees in Hong Kong.

Amnesty International today urged the new Libyan authorities to ensure a full, independent and impartial investigation into how Colonel Mu’ammar al-Gaddafi died, saying if he was deliberately killed in captivity it would constitute a war crime.

Video footage which emerged yesterday appears to show that Colonel al-Gaddafi was alive when he was captured by anti-Gaddafi troops in Sirte yesterday.

Amnesty International activists around the world are coming together on the World Day Against the Death Penalty to demand an end to executions in Belarus, the only country in Europe and the former Soviet Union that still executes.

“Belarus is the only country in Europe that still claims to kill people in the name of justice,” said Roseann Rife, death penalty expert at Amnesty International.

As many as 400 people may have been executed in Belarus since 1991 – the true number is unknown because of the secrecy surrounding executions.

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Help us abolish it.

To support the campaigning activities planned around the 9th World Day Against the Death Penalty on the 10th October 2011 the audiovisual production team at the International Secretariat have produced a 4 minute animation that highlights the fact that the Death Penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Four documentary films are selected for screening to celebrate 50th anniversary of Amnesty International. Those films have an in-depth analysis on human rights related topics, such as Stoning and Campaign against Violence against Women; Abolish Death Penalty Campaign; Religions and Rights of Lesbian, Gay and Transgender; Children’s Rights and Rights to Education. The film shows will be held from October 8th to 16th as October 10th is an very important day. It is the World Day Against Death Penalty. 

Amnesty International sends its condolences to the victims and their families of these terrible events.

The organization expresses solidarity with the people of Norway as they try to move on from the bombing and shootings carried out in Norway on 22 July 2011 that took the lives of more than 70 people.

Amnesty International’s 3 million supporters are at one with the Norwegian people, standing together for an open and diverse society where people are able to express their opinions peacefully.  

Access to Amnesty International’s website has been blocked in Saudi Arabia today following the organization’s criticism of a draft anti-terror law that would stifle peaceful protest in the kingdom.

Amnesty International published its analysis of a leaked copy of the draft law on Friday. The organization condemned the proposed law’s treatment of peaceful dissent as “terrorist crimes”, as well as the wide-ranging powers the Minister of Interior would hold, free from judicial authorization or oversight.  

Amnesty International Hong Kong (AIHK) and the Joint Committee for the abolition of the death penalty organized an action on urging the Chinese government to cease the executions on two men – Robert Shan Shiao-may from Hong Kong and Lien Sung-ching from Taiwan. They are both sentenced to death by the Zhuhai Intermediate People’s Court in Guangdong province on 26 June 2009, for drug-trafficking, illegal possession of drugs, and illegal possession of a firearm.

In reaction to reports that Ai Weiwei has been released on bail "because of his good attitude in confessing his crimes as well as a chronic disease he suffers from", Catherine Baber, Amnesty International’s Asia Pacific Deputy Director said:

“While Ai Weiwei’s release on bail is an important step, the reality is his long detention without charge violated China’s own legal process.

It’s been 22  years since the People’s Liberation Army fired on peacefu