In this historic referendum, the Irish people have resoundingly voted by a decisive 66.4% Yes majority, to end the almost total constitutional ban on abortion.
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URGE PRESIDENT TRUMP & CONGRESS PASS REFORM TO STOP GUN VIOLENCE
Gun violence is a human rights crisis in the United States and the U.S. government is failing to meet its human rights obligations to save lives. Send a message to President Trump, your two Senators and your Representative to pass common-sense, human rights-based reform without delay to help save lives.
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Write for Rights 2017
Now through December 31, 2017
You can help change the lives of this year’s 10 cases by writing letters. When combined with millions of others, your letters help convince government officials to free prisoners of conscience, support human rights defenders, and end other urgent cases of abuse. Together, we can change lives and change our world.
Please read about this year’s cases, and then do the online actions and, as soon as you can, write a letter.
Click here for a pdf with information on this year’s ten cases, including addresses for writing personal letters (and a sample letter for each case.)
First ever bill on Palestinian human rights introduced to U.S. Congress
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced a House bill on Tuesday that seeks to prohibit the U.S. from funding the detention and prosecution of Palestinian children in the Israeli military court system. The legislation is said to be the first time a bill on Palestinian human rights has ever been introduced to Congress.
The 11-page bill comes several weeks after a report was released by Israeli rights groups, with the support of the European Union, which revealed “broad, systemic abuse by Israeli authorities,” against Palestinian teenagers detained in occupied East Jerusalem.
Continue reading: Mondoweiss
Text of the bill (pdf): Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children Act
At Guantánamo, a Death Penalty Case Without a Death Penalty Lawyer
By Cassandra Stubbs, Director, ACLU Capital Punishment Project
November 14, 2017
The Guantanamo military commissions, the scheme created by the government to try 9/11 and other detainees, have devolved into an unacceptable and alarming assault on defense lawyers attempting to provide fair representation to their clients.
Continue reading: ACLU
USA: “My family was in shock” – The harm caused by President Trump’s executive orders on travel to the US
US President Donald Trump had been in office for exactly a week when he issued an executive order barring the entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries and slamming the door on refugees. Besides documenting the harms caused by the first executive order during the relatively brief period in which it was in effect, this briefing paper describes the situations of people who are still awaiting US visas, some of whom could be irreparably harmed if the US courts were to rule that the second executive order is constitutional.
View report in English
Urgent: Syrian Father Of Three Missing For 1403 Days (Syria: 101.17)
Urgent Action
May 5, 2017
Today is Ali Mohammed Mostafa’s 55th birthday. He is a father of three who has been forcibly disappeared for nearly four years, and his family still has no information about his fate or whereabouts. On 2 July 2013, Ali went missing after being taken from his family home in Damascus. Take Action
Peru: Peruvian authorities put an end to the criminalization of defender Máxima Acuña
The ruling of the Supreme Court of Peru marking the end of the trial for land invasion against the human rights defender Máxima Acuña Atalaya is a landmark decision for environmental defenders in the country.
Continue reading: Amnesty International
All Arkansas Executions Temporarily Put On Hold After Judge Blocks Use of Lethal Injection Drugs
An Arkansas judge has temporarily blocked six executions from taking place after the company that manufactured the drugs to be used in the executions filed a complaint that the drug was not meant to be used for lethal injection.
Continue reading: Amnesty International USA
More information: AP News
Urgent: Stop Arkansas’ rush to execute 8 people in 10 days
Arkansas hasn’t had an execution in 12 years, so why the sudden rush? Simple: their lethal injection drugs are about to expire.
Arkansas has exactly eight doses left of a crucial drug used to perform lethal injections, and it’s set to expire at the end of April. So the governor scheduled eight executions packed into a ten day period — with two executions per day — as if the justice system was a conveyor belt. Take Action
Information on the individual cases (note that Jason McGehee’s execution has been stayed):
17 April: Bruce Ward
17 April: Don Davis
20 April: Stacey Johnson
20 April: Ledell Lee
24 April: Jack Jones
24 April: Marcel Williams
27 April: Kenneth Williams
27 April: Jason McGehee