Rappler's latest stories on Amnesty International
Israel court rejects Amnesty petition against spyware firm NSO
Judge Rachel Barkai rejects the Amnesty International petition, claiming there was 'no evidence that an attempt has been made to monitor a human rights activist while trying to gain access to his telephone,' in a ruling on Monday

Amnesty PH slams PDEA for seeking info on 'drug suspects' via Facebook
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency wants to get tips on drug suspects through a Facebook page. Amnesty International Philippines hits the 'dangerous' move.

Spyware by Israel's NSO used against journalist – Amnesty International
Amnesty International says the Moroccan authorities used NSO's Pegasus software to insert spyware onto the cellphone of Omar Radi, a journalist convicted in March over a social media post

Qatar tracing app flaw exposed 1M users' data – Amnesty International
Data exposed in the flaw includes users' ID numbers, location and infection status, vulnerable to hackers
Duterte gov't depriving activists of legal options, says Amnesty Int'l
Amnesty International expresses alarm that activists continue to 'face threats and undue restrictions' without any way to protect themselves

Amnesty says Iran killed 2 dozen children in November crackdown
Amnesty International says it had written to Iran's Interior Minister with the names of the 23 children recorded as killed but had received no response

China arrests activist who criticized Xi Jinping over virus – rights group
Amnesty International says anti-corruption activist Xu Zhiyong is arrested after being on the run since December

Saudi using special court against dissidents – Amnesty
'The Saudi Arabian government exploits the (Specialized Criminal Court) to create a false aura of legality around its abuse of the counterterror law to silence its critics,' says Amnesty's Heba Morayef

Still no 'meaningful accountability' over drug war killings under Duterte – Amnesty Int'l
Amnesty International says that 'families were unable to obtain justice for their loved ones, due to enormous obstacles to filing cases against perpetrators, including fear of retaliation'

Google, Facebook business models threat to rights – Amnesty report
The London-based organization argues that the current model of monetizing personal information imperils a gamut of rights including freedom of opinion and expression
Iraqis keep up sit-ins amid fears of 'bloodbath'
(UPDATED) 12 protesters die on Saturday, November 9, when security forces cleared out protest sites, medical sources say

Hong Kong a 'police state,' prominent protesters tell AFP
Well-known protest leaders accuse the Hong Kong government of using its police force as a tool to 'abuse the public power and to torture the people'

Greta Thunberg wins Amnesty's highest human rights award
Greta Thunberg gets a standing ovation from students at The George Washington University where the ceremony was held

Groups hail U.N. resolution vs drug war: 'Crucial step towards justice'
Human rights groups urge the Philippine government to coordinate with the United Nations as rights chief Michelle Bachelet is expected to write a comprehensive report on the country's situation

Central Luzon top cop disagrees with Amnesty International report
The Central Luzon police chief tells human rights group that 4 cops have been killed and 12 seriously injured by suspected drug personalities
PH drug war killings reach 'threshold of crimes against humanity' – report
Amnesty International urges the United Nations Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court, among others, to expedite investigations into killings in the Philippines

Amnesty accuses Myanmar military of fresh 'war crimes' in Rakhine
Army spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun denies all allegations by Amnesty International, saying the military's operations were within the law and they 'avoided harming civilians'

Amnesty urges ICC to probe 'crimes against humanity' in Venezuela
Amnesty International believes Nicolas Maduro's government responded with "a systematic and widespread policy of repression" in late January during anti-government protests

Pakistan's muted response as Asia Bibi flees to Canada
The silence echoes across the country's usually rambunctious media, with most newspapers glossing over the episode and primetime television shows offering it only a passing mention

U.S. says Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi 'safely reunited' with family
(UPDATED) It is not clear when Bibi may have left or where she may have gone, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declines to confirm whether she has arrived in Canada
30,000 int'l petitioners to PH: Drop charges vs Maria Ressa
Amnesty International Australia sends the petition, with nearly 30,000 signatures, to Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra

Amnesty International Philippines calls 'to take action' after Maria Ressa's arrest
The human rights group says if you 'think the trumped up charges against Maria Ressa is a form of harassment... Write to DOJ to express your concern'

Human rights in Hong Kong 'deteriorating severely' – Amnesty
'The concept of 'national security' as used by Hong Kong government...is arbitrarily applied to suppress dissent and political opposition,' the Amnesty International report says

Malaysia accused of U-turn on death penalty abolition
The government will only repeal the mandatory death penalty, which means it will be at a judge's discretion whether to order someone to hang or send them to jail for offenses where a death sentence is currently mandatory

Hamas calls for Israel to be held accountable after U.N. Gaza probe
A senior official for the Islamist movement that rules the Gaza Strip calls on 'the international community to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for the war crimes that it continues to commit against the Palestinians'

Impunity reigned in Middle East in 2018, says Amnesty International
'Is it acceptable for activists to undergo arbitrary detention, torture, sexual harassment ... and even enforced disappearances simply for expressing their opinions in a peaceful way,' says rights watchdog

Journalists, institutions decry 'absurd legal attack' against Rappler
(UPDATED) Journalist groups and institutions denounce the weaponization of anti-cybercrime laws

Pakistan rejects challenge against Asia Bibi acquittal
'She should now be free to reunite with her family and seek safety in a country of her choice,' Amnesty International says in a statement

UAE activist Mansoor loses appeal against 10-year term – Amnesty
Amnesty International says that the ruling 'confirms there is no space for free expression in the United Arab Emirates'

Amnesty International strips Aung San Suu Kyi of highest honor
'Amnesty International cannot justify your continued status as a recipient of the Ambassador of Conscience award and so with great sadness we are hereby withdrawing it from you,' says the group

Amnesty International condemns US-led coalition over Raqa civilian killings
'The US-led coalition's ongoing failure to admit to, let alone adequately investigate, the shocking scale of civilian deaths and destruction it caused in Raqa is a slap in the face for survivors,' Amnesty International says in a statement

Court sentences Egypt activist who slammed sexual harassment
Amnesty International denounces the 'disgraceful' verdict against Amal Fathi who, it says, is sentenced 'simply for her courage to speak out against sexual harassment'

Toll from Ethiopia bloodshed at least 58
The cited figure is more than double government estimates, and could be as high as 65, according to another source

Amnesty International launches external probes after second staff suicide
Roz McGregor, 28, from London, took her own life earlier this summer, following the May 26 death of Gaetan Mootoo, a well-known researcher for West Africa.

Amnesty International alleges 'hostile' government behind spyware attack
The group says one of its staff received a suspicious WhatsApp message by smartphone, containing a link that – if downloaded – would have installed Pegasus, a sophisticated surveillance tool developed by Israel-based NSO Group

Thailand carries out first execution since 2009
Monday's execution serves as a 'lesson to deter those who wanted to commit serious crime,' Thailand's Department of Corrections says in a statement

Amnesty International accuses Egypt of 'torture' in solitary confinement
Amnesty's investigation 'reveals that prisoners detained on politically motivated charges are being held in prolonged and indefinite solitary confinement in Egypt – at times for several years – which in and of itself amounts to torture'

Prone to abuse: State surveillance as a tool to silence critics
Human rights activists say the conduct of both physical and communication surveillance is prone to abuse and is a violation of a citizen's right to privacy

Myanmar erects security posts on burned Rohingya land – Amnesty International
The new Amnesty report, 'Remaking Rakhine State,' uses satellite imagery and interviews to point to a rapid increase in military infrastructure and other construction since the start of the year which researchers say amounts to a 'land grab'

#ThewRap: Things you need to know, February 23, 2018
Hello! Here's the news you shouldn't miss this Friday!

Amnesty Int'l urges PH gov't to release De Lima
'It is a sad state of affairs when the Philippines government is more interested in jailing critics than preventing police from killing thousands of mainly poor people,' says Amnesty International's Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific James Gomez

Rappler cyberlibel complaint junked, Sara Duterte vs Alvarez, Napoles asks SC for bail | Evening wRap
Watch the evening newscast with Mara Cepeda

Freedom of expression now 'battlefield' in fight for human rights – Amnesty Int'l
Amnesty International Philippines' Jose Noel Olano says there is a 'diminishing space' in the area of freedom of expression in the Philippines, making the ability to voice out, criticize, check government become more dangerous

Roque on feminists, Duterte on dictatorship, Facebook downvote tool | Evening wRap
Watch the evening newscast with Mara Cepeda

Rights groups laud Int'l Criminal Court preliminary examination of PH drug war
'The ICC’s action is a rebuke of the Philippine government’s campaign of denial and distraction seemingly designed to deflect growing evidence of extrajudicial executions,' says Human Rights Watch

Human rights activists on UN visit to Indonesia: 'Hopeful but not optimistic'
As Indonesia awaits the arrival of the United Nations Human Rights High Commissioner, advocacy groups understand the visit's impact but are realistic in their expectations
Amnesty International slams 'alarming attempt' to silence Rappler
James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, adds, 'The Philippine government should focus on ending and investigating violations, mostly against poor communities, in the ‘war on drugs,’ not trying to silence the messenger'

Iraq hangs 38 members of ISIS, Qaeda for 'terrorism'
Rights watchdog Amnesty International has voiced repeated concerns about the use of the death penalty in Iraq, which it ranks as one of the world's top executioners behind China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia
Amnesty accuses Europe of 'complicity' in abuse of Libya migrants
AI accuses European governments of 'actively supporting a sophisticated system of abuse and exploitation of refugees and migrants' to prevent them from crossing the Mediterranean

[OPINION] Respect for national proceedings?
If what Harry Roque means about 'national proceeding' is such national criminal proceeding against Duterte, the question is to be asked: is there or has there been such national criminal investigation against Duterte in the first place?
