It is shameful to think that within the EU people who have committed no crime are being held in harsh prison-like conditions for prolonged periods, in some cases for up to 18 months or longer. Amnesty International is concerned that Cyprus is using the systematic detention of migrants to intimidate and deter potential immigrants and asylum-seekers

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

A group of artisanal miners sift through ores found in a stream close to Congo International Mining Corporation (CIMCO)’s plant in Luisha. © Amnesty International

04/03/2014 – Further to Amnesty International’s October 2013 report on the use of armed drones and ahead of the March EU-US summit, we urge the US administration to ensure independent, impartial investigations into credible reports of potentially unlawful deaths from US drone strikes, including killings that Amnesty International documented in its report, ‘Will I Be Next

21/02/2014 – Amnesty International has welcomed the decision of the Lithuanian Prosecutor General to open an investigation into the alleged rendition to Lithuania of Mustafa al-Hawsawi. The decision comes after the Vilnius Regional Court ruled on 28 January that al-Hawsawi had a right to an investigation of his claims.

12/02/2014 – As a group of international and European human rights and development organisations, we the undersigned are concerned about the deteriorating human rights and humanitarian situation in the occupied Gaza Strip. In the context of ongoing discussions on European Union (EU) joint policy towards Gaza, we call on the European Union to urge Israel to lift the unlawful closure of the Gaza Strip, and demand that all parties comply with their obligations under international law.

Missile debris from drone strike that killed 68 year old grandmother Mamana Bibi in Ghundi Kala, North Waziristan, Pakistan, on 24 October 2012.© Rafeequl Rehman

11/02/2014 – In light of Italy’s obligations under international human rights and refugee law, and following up on the previous submission in August 2012, Amnesty International draws the Committee’s attention to the following areas which remain of concern to the organisation: the continuing risk of foreign nationals in an ‘irregular situation’ in Libya of being subjected to ill-treatment, indefinite detention under inhuman conditions and arbitrary repatriation, the continuing cooperation between Italy and Libya on ‘migration control’, the lack of access to a fair and satisfactory asylum procedure of those intercepted at sea in the context of the Italian operation “Mare Nostrum”, and the risk of refoulementin the context of search and rescue operations performed by private and commercial vessels. Therefore, Amnesty International calls on the Committee of Ministers to continue to supervise the execution of the Hirsijudgment by Italy.

© Amnesty International

EU leaders must shine the spotlight on the grave human rights violations in Russia at every opportunity. The EU-Russia summit must be used to politically and publicly remind Russia of its human rights obligation, and show them that the world is watching.

Women demonstrate to demand action on war missing