Amnesty

A wave of crime stories is drawing attention across the UK and internationally. In Glasgow, five men were jailed for 16 years over a £19 million organised crime network, while police recorded religious and race hate crimes at record highs, prompting Amnesty International warnings that racism is becoming a daily reality. Other reports include Saudi Arabia executing a man for a crime committed aged 14, six arrests in a Yorkshire immigration crackdown, and a reopened cold case uncovering further abuse victims.

Amnesty International has added 28 new cases of assaults on migrants in Ceuta, attributing them to Spanish military personnel, police and the Civil Guard. The news comes as Spain's Defence Ministry referred to the courts a complaint of torture of migrants by soldiers, two months after the crisis on the border. Amnesty has also reported that Morocco used spy software to surveil activists, journalists and politicians, including figures in Spain and France.

Spain's regularization of undocumented migrants covered roughly 1.2 million people, far above initial government estimates of around 500,000. Critics, including commentators in France, are using the figure to warn about the scale of irregular migration and to argue that similar policies elsewhere could attract far more applicants than planned, with some suggesting France could be next.

Edward Snowden has drawn attention to a Guardian report that Britain's surveillance agency GCHQ intercepted Amnesty International's communications. A secret tribunal found the spying was unlawful, undermining government claims that mass surveillance protects public safety. Critics say the case shows rights groups and ordinary citizens, not terrorists, were among the targets, fueling debate over surveillance reform.

Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong in Hong Kong, calling the punishment cruel and a grim reminder of the city's disregard for human rights. The rights group argues the sentence is part of a broader crackdown on dissent, and activists and observers are voicing concern over the shrinking space for free expression and political opposition in the territory.

Spain's Civil Guard chief has reportedly declared that the border has "totally collapsed," with claims that thousands of men crossed into the country within hours. The surge is being linked by critics to Spain's recent amnesty for undocumented migrants, with opponents arguing such measures encourage more arrivals.

Amnesty International is urging the United States to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for immigration enforcement and detentions. The human rights organization argues the agency's practices harm migrants and asylum seekers. Calls to dismantle ICE have circulated among activists and lawmakers since its founding in 2003, with renewed debate over detention conditions and deportations keeping the issue prominent.

Amnesty International is urging Thailand to stop the imminent forcible return of two Uyghur men to China, warning they face a serious risk of persecution and ill-treatment upon arrival. The appeal adds to ongoing concerns about Thailand's treatment of Uyghur detainees and its compliance with the international principle of non-refoulement.

Amnesty International is condemning Peru's decision to close the long-running investigation into the forced sterilisations of thousands of mostly Indigenous women during the 1990s. The organisation says the closure perpetuates impunity and denies victims justice and reparations after more than two decades of delays in prosecuting those responsible for the state-led programme.

Amnesty International is calling on Belgium's parliament to vote down a law that would allow home raids targeting migrants, describing the proposed measure as divisive. The human rights group argues the legislation threatens migrants' rights and would deepen division in the country, and is pressing lawmakers to reject it before it comes into force.

Amnesty International is criticizing Peru's decision to close the investigation into the forced sterilizations of thousands of mostly indigenous women carried out under the Fujimori government in the 1990s. The rights group says shutting the case denies victims justice and perpetuates impunity, renewing calls for accountability for one of the country's gravest human rights abuses.

One year after the military coup in Madagascar, Amnesty International reports that authoritarian practices are taking hold and crushing the hopes of young people who wanted change. The group says Gen Z aspirations for a new, freer Madagascar have been dashed, with rights and freedoms under threat as the military-led government consolidates power.

Rokiatou Doumbia, a mother from Mali, is reportedly imprisoned after criticising the government. Amnesty International has taken up her case as part of its Write for Rights 2026 campaign, calling on supporters worldwide to send messages demanding her release. Rights advocates say her detention highlights shrinking space for free expression in Mali.

Amnesty International reports that six months after pro-democracy politician Mountaga Tall and his son were abducted in Mali, no one has been held accountable. Their fate and whereabouts remain unclear, and authorities have not provided answers. Rights groups are pressing Malian authorities to investigate, disclose the pair's situation and ensure those responsible for the enforced disappearance are brought to justice.

Amnesty International says Russia's increased strikes on Ukraine's energy and heating infrastructure are creating a deadly situation for civilians, leaving households without power and heat as winter conditions set in. The rights group is urging an end to attacks on civilian infrastructure, warning that the destruction of heating systems puts lives at risk during freezing months.

Amnesty International is calling for justice for Wishma Sandamali, a Sri Lankan woman who died in March 2021 while held at an immigration detention centre in Nagoya, Japan, and for wider reform of Japan's immigration detention system. The campaign urges authorities to account for her death and improve conditions for detainees.

Amnesty International says a Pakistani court's sentencing of human rights lawyers violates their right to a fair trial. The rights group is calling attention to the case, arguing the proceedings against the lawyers breached fair-trial guarantees, and urging Pakistani authorities to reverse the sentences and respect due process for legal defenders.

Six months after prominent Malian pro-democracy politician Mountaga Tall and his son were abducted, there has been no accountability or public explanation of who took them or why. Amnesty International is highlighting the case, urging Malian authorities to investigate and disclose the whereabouts of the two men. Rights groups say the case reflects a broader climate of impunity for enforced disappearances in the country.

Amnesty International is calling on Kenyan authorities to address the economic grievances driving ongoing protests and to end what it describes as repressive tactics against demonstrators. The rights group says the government should listen to protesters' concerns rather than crack down on them. The statement comes amid continued unrest in Kenya linked to economic conditions.

Australia has again refused to allow UN officials into its immigration detention centres, according to Amnesty International Australia, which published the report. Critics say the denial blocks international scrutiny of conditions faced by detained asylum seekers and refugees, and is being cited as further evidence of Australia resisting human rights oversight.