Below is a list of all current actions pertaining to human rights advocacy, violations and abuses that were posted in 2005. They are listed in the chronological order in which they were published.
Canada : Helping prevent torture through the inspection of detention centres
Posted: 20 December 2005
It’s time for Canada to act without further delay to ratify the Optional Protocol to the United Nations Convention against Torture and other forms of Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT), to end the frightening daily reality for thousands of men, women and children around the world ... Take Action!
India : Clouds of Injustice - Bhopal disaster 21 years on
Updated: 2 December 2005
Despite more than two decades having passed, the site of the toxic gas leak at a Union Carbide plant remains unremediated. Thousands have died as a result of this tragedy, and over 100,000 continue to suffer, yet Dow Chemical Corporation, the parent company of Union Carbide, has refused to accept any responsibility. Keep the pressure on! ... Take Action!
Uganda : Child "night commuters"
Posted: 20 November 2005
An estimated 30,000 children flee their homes every night to find sanctuary in urban areas or Internally Displaced Peoples (IDP) camps, in a desparate attempt to escape attacks or abduction by a group known as the Lord's Resistance Army, who will use them as soldiers or sex slaves ... Take Action!
Child Soldiers – In the firing line
Posted: 20 November 2005
More than 300,000 children are thought to be fighting in some 30 conflicts around the world. Most are between 15 and 18 years old, but many are as young as 10. Casualty rates are extremely high. They are often subjected to sexual violence and extreme physical and emotional abuse intended to make them obedient and ruthless killers. ... Take Action!
Japan : "comfort women" - Denial of Justice
Posted: 18 November 2005
During World War II, women and girls were abducted and forced to work in "comfort stations" in China, Taiwan, Borneo, Phillipines, Singapore, Malaya, Burma and Indonesia. In these locations they were held as sexual slaves and repeatedly raped by Japanese soldiers. The time has come to hold the government accountable ... Take Action!
Mexico : Intolerable killings & inadequate investigations
Posted: 18 November 2005
Paloma Angelica Escobar Ledesma’s body was found on 29 March 2002 along the road from the city of Chihuahua . She had been dead for over 20 days and the only remaining evidence of the identity of her killer was the pubic hair found on her hands. No investigation of the murder has taken place since 2003 ... Take Action!
Canada : Businesses should respect human rights in overseas operations
Updated: 16 November 2005
Canadian companies with overseas operations must comply with the laws of the host country; however, many countries have laws that are weak, non-existent, or inadequately enforced. As a result, Canadian companies may sometimes fail to respect human rights in their overseas operations – and get away with it. ... Take Action!
Nigeria: Oil in the Niger Delta threatens lives
Posted: 3 November 2005
Ten years after Nigerian activist and writer Ken Saro-Wiwa died fighting against those who were damaging the environment, the exploitation of oil in the Niger Delta continues to catalyse injustice, violence and deprivation, creating a "wasteland" that endangers people's health and livelihoods ... Take Action!
Canada : Stolen Sisters - Help break the silence
Updated: 25 January 2006
"When will the Canadian government finally recognize the real dangers faced by Indigenous women?," says Darlene Osborne. "Families like mine all over Canada are wondering how many more sisters and daughters we have to lose before real government action is taken." Sign our electronic petition to add your voice to the call to stop the violence against Indigenous women ... Take Action!
Nigeria: Appeal for a moratorium on executions
Posted: 10 October 2005
On the occasion of the 2005 World Day Against the Death Penalty, ask the Nigeria Government to accept the recommendation of its own National Study Group on the Death Penalty, and to call a moratorium on executions until the Nigerian justice system can guarantee fair trials and due process ... Take Action!
Ecuador: Death threats issued against human rights defender
Posted: 7 October 2005
Colombian human rights defender Lina María Espinoza Villegas, who has been helping communities involved in protests against oil companies operating in Ecuador's Northern Amazon region, has been receiving anonymous telephone death threats. Amnesty International fears that her life may be in danger ... Take Action!
Canada: Take back the highway
Posted: 13 September 2005
Action duration: 13 - 17 September 2005
The 720-kilometre stretch of highway between Prince Rupert and Prince George in the northern interior of British Columbia has come to be known as the "Highway of Tears" after a number of Indigenous women and girls were assaulted, murdered or went missing in communities on or near the highway in the 1990s ... Take Action!
Canada: Ontario Arbitration Act - High risk of discrimination
Posted: 8 September 2005
Action duration: 8 - 12 September 2005
Amnesty International is concerned about the use of Ontario Arbitration Act to resolve family and inheritance disputes. It allows the use of religious or customary laws to resolve such disputes. Our experience with religious and customary laws in other countries leads us to believe that these laws may be discriminatory ... Take Action!
Colombia: Human Rights Day - Write a letter on September 9th
Posted: 7 September 2005
Every year on September 9th, Colombia officially celebrates human rights. Unfortunately, the rights guaranteed by Colombia's constitution largely remain an illusion. More than 40 years of armed conflict over who will control Colombia's rich land and mineral wealth have resulted in a human rights nightmare - one of the worst in the world. ... Take Action!
Colombia: Human Rights Defenders at risk in Medellin
Posted: 7 September 2005
Teresa Yarce, a member of the Asociación de Mujeres de las Independencias, (AMI), the Women's Association of Las Independencias, was shot dead on 6 October 2004 in a street near her home in Las Independencias, Medellín, by a gunman recognized by witnesses as a paramilitary. ... Take Action!
Chinese President Hu Jintao visits Canada : WebAction
Posted:: 1 September 2005
Chinese President Hu Jintao will be visiting Canada September 8 to 11 and 16 to 17, 2005. He will touch down in Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls and Vancouver. Send a message to Prime Minister Martin telling him about your concerns about the very grave human rghts abuses in China that have been recently documented by Amnesty International ... Take Action!
Canada : Pattern of involvement by security officials in foreign detention and torture
Posted: 30 August 2005
Canadian citizens have been detained abroad in countries such as Syria and Egypt over the past several years in circumstances where their basic human rights have been at great risk. Several have been detained for lengthy periods of time without charge or trial, in abysmal prison conditions, and subjected to severe torture ... Take Action!
USA : Abandon Military Commissions
Posted: 10 August 2005
Military commissions are executive bodies (not independent or impartial courts) with the power to hand down death sentences. They operate with lower standards of evidence and can admit secret or coerced testimony. The right of appeal is extremely limited. Amnesty International believes that the “war on terror” does not justify a lower standard of justice ... Take Action!
Côte d’Ivoire : Cross-border Child Soldiers
Posted: 9 August 2005
Recruitment and use of child soldiers violates the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, and, where children are under 15, is a war crime. Please write to Côte d'Ivoire authorities and ask them to investigate the use and recruitment of child-soldiers in all parts of the country ...Take Action!
Iran : No more empty promises – no more child executions
Posted: 28 July 2005
The Government of Iran has a history of stating that it does not execute child offenders, but the facts tell a different story. Iran is already a party to international human rights conventions that prohibit child executions. Write to Iranian leaders and tell them it’s time to proceed with the appropriate legislation to end this injustice ... Take Action!
Afghanistan : Women still under attack
Posted: July 2005
Husbands, brothers and fathers perpetrate violence in the home. Police and the justice system reinforce the cycle of violence by not prosecuting those responsible. Prevail upon the Afghanistan authorities to condemn all violence against women and girls, including violence in the family, and to abolish laws which support ongoing discrimination ... Take Action!
Guatamala: No protection, no justice !
Posted: July 2005
Between 2001 and August 2004, the Guatemalan authorities have confirmed that the deaths of 1,188 women were registered. The true dimension of the killings of women in Guatemala remain unknown, however, due to the under-reporting of crimes and the lack of standard reporting of such crimes by police and government officials ... Take Action!
Nigeria : Violence in the Family is a Crime
Posted: July 2005
In Nigeria, violence in the family is not a crime. There are no official records kept for reports of violence in the family. Abuses are underreported by victims who fear reprisals from their abusers, or believe that the police and judicial system will not pursue their case. Police consider domestic violence a “private matter” ... Take Action!
Canada : Controlling the Arms Trade
Posted: 28 June 2005
Every day, millions of men, women, and children are living in fear of armed violence. Every minute, one of them is killed. The Canadian government has played an important leadership role in drawing attention to the proliferation of small arms and calling for action by the international community. Call on the government to play its part ... ... Take Action!
Zimbabwe : Human Rights Defenders Under Siege
Posted: 16 June 2005
Human rights defenders in Zimbabwe have increasingly become the victims of human rights violations. Since 2000 hundreds of human rights workers, including media, lawyers, judges and NGO staff, have been subjected to intimidation, arbitrary arrest, assault and torture, acts, in many cases, carried out by agents of the state ... Take Action!
Zimbabwe : Independent Media Under Seige
Posted: 16 June 2005
Over the past three years Zimbabwe ’s independent media has come under sustained attack. The government has attempted to legalize this repression - introducing the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) in March 2002. Write to express concern about the use of this legislation to suppress press freedom ... Take Action!
Democratic Republic of Congo : Human Rights activists
need your support
Posted: 13 May 2005
Human rights defenders are investigating and denouncing abuses, protecting former child soldiers, providing medical and social care for survivors of rape and torture, visiting detention centres, and preparing prosecutions against the perpetrators of abuses. They are also playing a key role in peace-building. Send them your support ... Take Action!
China : Human Rights Defenders face persecution
Updated: 10 May 2005
Human rights defenders in China face serious challenges, including torture, arbitrary detention and imprisonment. Even if not detained, they are often on the receiving end of other abuses, such as threats, harassment and intimidation. Write a letter expressing your concern about their well-being to the Chinese government ... Take Action!
Canada : Security Certificates – Time for Reform
Posted: 11 April 2005
Five Muslim men face deportation – to countries where they are at risk of torture – following the issuing of “security certificates” naming them as national security threats in Canada . Amnesty International is concerned that the security certificate process violates a number of fundamental human rights ... Take Action!
Canada : Protection of the human rights of indigenous peoples an urgent priority – at home and abroad
Posted: 8 April 2005
Around the world, Indigenous peoples face deep rooted discrimination in every aspect of life, including government policies and the administration of justice. A report by the United Nations says governments in Canada must do more to close an unacceptable human rights gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada ... Take Action!
Canada : Zahra Kazemi – The pursuit of justice in Iran and Canada must continue
Updated: 16 February 2006
Disturbing evidence regarding the nature and severity of the torture that Zahra Kazemi was subjected to before her death in custody was presented at the end of March 2005 by Dr. Shahram Azam, an Iranian doctor who examined the body of Zahra Kazemi. Amnesty International is calling for an independent investigation into her death ... Take Action!
Israel and the Occupied Territories : Violence against
Palestinian Women – conflict, occupation and discrimination
Posted: 31 March 2005
Palestinian women are paying a high price in the ongoing conflict in the Occupied Territories . They are victims of multiple human rights violations resulting from Israel ’s policies and restrictions, and of a system of norms, traditions and laws which treat women as unequal members of Palestinian society ... Take Action!
Brazil : Lands and Life of Indigenous Peoples Under Threat
Posted: 30 March 2005
In 2003, the internationally renowned Indigenous Guarani-Kaiowá leader, Marcos Verón, of Mato Grosso do Sul , Brazil was beaten to death in front of members of his family. Express concern over the failure of the Brazilian government to address the persistent human rights issues that threaten the survival and well-being of Indigenous peoples ... Take Action!
Burundi : A Fragile Peace
Posted: 15 February 2005
Hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed in Burundi in October 1993 – a period marked by massacres and widespread human rights abuses. A peace process started in 2000 has brought renewed hope to Burundi . The international community must offer support, however, if the promise of a genuine and sustained peace is to be fulfilled ... Take Action!
Colombia : Safety of Embera Katío Still a Concern
Posted: February 2005
The Indigenous Embera Katío people of Colombia are protesting against the impacts of a hydro-electric mega-project on the Upper Sinú River. Amnesty International is concerned about their safety. Ask the government of Canada to urge Colombian authorities act in a manner consistent with their obligations under international law ... Take Action!
India : Justice, the victim – Gujarat state fails to protect women from violence
Posted: January 2005
In February 2002, violence erupted in the state of Gujarat in western India. Some 2000 people, mostly Muslims, were arbitrarily killed and many others were injured and forcedly evicted from their homes and businesses over the course of the following weeks. Call on the Gujarat government to pursue justice for all the victims ... Take Action!
Canada : Absolute prohibition against torture
Posted: 2005
The prohibition against torture is a fundamental norm of international law, and as such is absolute. States expressly forbidden to commit torture under any circumstances. They are also forbidden to return an individual to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing that he or she would be in danger of being subjected to torture ... Take Action!
Canada : No Recourse to Fair Appeal
Posted: 2005
Call on the Canadian government to act immediately to establish the new Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board. The Canadian refugee determination system does not currently allow for an appeal of a negative decision on the merits of the claim ... Take Action!