Amnesty's global human rights blog

WIRE is Amnesty’s global campaigning magazine, focusing on the big issues that unite our worldwide movement of over 3.2 million activists. In March, we’re pushing for a strong Arms Trade Treaty. And in April, we’ll be asking the EU to bring new generations of Romani children out of segregated classrooms and a life in poverty.

This WIRE celebrates Art for Amnesty’s amazing work with high-profile artists, and the record-breaking achievement of 2012’s Write for Rights letter-writing marathon. We also take a sombre look back at Syria’s conflict so far.

Read WIRE and take action for human rights.

“The police said if we went back into the house they were going to shoot us.”

A newsclip from YouTube featuring Friday Ogunyemi and the aftermath of the forced eviction.

By Oluwatosin Popoola, Amnesty’s West Africa Reseacher

Friday Ogunyemi woke up on Saturday 23 February 2013 oblivious to the fact that he and his family would be made homeless that morning and would have to spend the night in the open street at the mercy of the elements.

That day, officials of the Lagos State government began forcibly evicting Friday’s community of Badia East, a vibrant informal settlement of around 150,000 people in the heart of Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. Lagos has over 10 million inhabitants – most of whom are constantly struggling for adequate housing. With an ever-increasing population, a decent place to live has become a luxury for Lagos’s poor majority.

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One of many children in a field hospital in Aleppo after sustaining injuries in a cluster bomb attack by the Syrian air force. © Amnesty International

By Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Adviser

In a field hospital, which I won’t name for security reasons – too many field hospitals have been bombed already – a little boy of 7, Abdo al-Dik, was shaking like a leaf and moaning in pain with deep lacerations to his abdomen and legs.

Relatives had just collected his 3-year-old brother Nizar’s body for burial. Another brother, 8-year-old Subhi, was still missing as of 6pm. Continue reading →

By Luisa De Campo from Amnesty International Australia

Li Yan is on death row in China for murdering her husband after suffering repeated, horrific abuse at his hands. She could be put to death any day now.

Though the Supreme People’s Court has approved her execution, Li Yan is still alive. This gives us hope that our call on the Chinese authorities not to execute Li Yan have been effective so far.

If you haven’t already, please join Amnesty supporters and demand Li Yan be spared the death penalty. Each day, as you sign, we continue to fax your petitions to the Chinese authorities.

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Haiti’s former President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier is due to face trial over his alleged responsibility for torture, killings and disappearances during his rule. © AP

By Javier Zuñiga, Special Adviser at Amnesty International

Bringing to justice current or former heads of state is always complicated – in both legal and political terms. But it is possible. Time and again, former dictators and human rights abusers have been tried and convicted in countries across the world.

But in Haiti, where the judiciary still suffers from structural deficiencies inherited from the dictatorship years, bringing former President Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier to justice over his alleged responsibility for crimes such as torture, killings and disappearances during his time in office is proving particularly challenging. Continue reading →