Archives

United States of America: memorandum to the US Government on the rights of people in US custody in Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay

More than one thousand foreign nationals were arrested and detained in the USA in post-11 September sweeps, and a great many people were taken into US custody in Afghanistan and elsewhere outside the USA, some 300 of these had been transferred to the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay in Cuba at the time of … Continue reading United States of America: memorandum to the US Government on the rights of people in US custody in Afghanistan and Guantánamo Bay

Thailand: widespread abuses in the administration of justice

The practice of torture, and the existence of conditions amounting to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment have persisted in Thai detention centres and prisons for many years. Torture and ill-treatment during and shortly after arrest are ongoing concerns to Amnesty International. Abuses take place in various locations, including police stations, at the site of the … Continue reading Thailand: widespread abuses in the administration of justice

United Kingdom: rights denied: The UK’s response to 11 September 2001.

Amnesty International is deeply concerned about serious human rights violations that have taken place as a consequence of the United Kingdom (UK) authorities’ response to the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States of America (USA). This document focuses on the human rights violations that those detained in the aftermath of the events of … Continue reading United Kingdom: rights denied: The UK’s response to 11 September 2001.

Failures at fifty: impunity for torture and ill-treatment in Europe on the 50th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights

Amnesty International (AI) reminds the international community of how much work remains to be done to ensure that the individual guarantees enshrined in this and subsequent European instruments and standards are genuinely available to all men, women and children who inhabit the European space. The succeeding pages of this document should be read as a … Continue reading Failures at fifty: impunity for torture and ill-treatment in Europe on the 50th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights

Take a step to stamp out torture

This report launches a new Amnesty International (AI) campaign against torture. It examines the reasons why torture persists. It explores avenues for achieving the goal of eradicating torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In preparing this report, AI conducted a survey of its research files on 195 countries and territories.

Germany: the alleged ill-treatment of Homayoun Ghaleh

For several years AI has been receiving allegations that German police officers have used excessive or unwarranted force in restraining or arresting people, or have deliberately subjected detainees in their custody to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. The vast majority of the victims of ill-treatment have been foreign citizens, including asylum-seekers, or members … Continue reading Germany: the alleged ill-treatment of Homayoun Ghaleh

United States of America: human rights concerns in border region with Mexico (including erratam)

This report examines the recent history of the US-Mexico border region; the INS’ human rights record during the 1990s; the recommendations for reform made by the CAP and INS’ Action Plan in response; recent allegations of human rights violations reported to Amnesty International and an examination of the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old US citizen … Continue reading United States of America: human rights concerns in border region with Mexico (including erratam)

Ethiopia and Eritrea: human rights issues in a year of armed conflict

This document includes the following sections: The border conflict – a brief background The war and human rights Expulsions and the treatment of Eritreans in Ethiopia and Ethiopians in Eritrea Mass expulsions Cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment during the expulsion process The citizenship issue for Eritreans in Ethiopia Expulsions as violations of international human rights … Continue reading Ethiopia and Eritrea: human rights issues in a year of armed conflict

USA: lost in the labyrinth: detention of asylum-seekers: summary report

This document is a summary of a 93-page document of the same title (AI Index: AMR 51/51/99). This summary highlights Amnesty International’s main concerns regarding the detention of asylum-seekers in the USA and outlines some individual cases. More detailed background information, analysis and cases can be found in the full-length report.

USA: lost in the labyrinth: detention of asylum-seekers

This document states that the INS detention system is seriously flawed. Until and unless key US officials recognize their country’s obligations under international law and take steps to change that system radically, abuses such as those which Amnesty International outlines in this report will inevitably continue.