Amnesty Newsletter
Amnesty International Ireland
We are a movement of over 10 million people, campaigning to stop human rights abuses worldwide.
Hi there,
Welcome to the latest edition of our bi-monthly Amnesty newsletter!
It has been a busy couple of months for everyone involved with Amnesty in Ireland. I want to thank everyone who has supported us in our fight for human rights across the world. Below are just some of the things we have been working on. Do get in touch if you like what you see and want to get involved!
If you want to join us and help achieve even more this year, do consider becoming a member.
ISRAEL AND GAZA
On 15 March, we demonstrated outside the US Embassy in Dublin as part of a transatlantic solidarity action for St. Patrick's Day, calling on President Joe Biden to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
While the Taoiseach made his annual pilgrimage to the White House to meet with President Biden and present the traditional bowl of shamrock, our activists in Dublin, Belfast and Washington DC issued a joint call on the US President to demand he listen to his Irish roots.
Some good news! Munther Amira, a Palestinian human rights defender and social worker, has been released from administrative detention at Ofer Military Prison in occupied West Bank.
He had been arbitrarily detained by Israeli forces since December 2023 without charges or trial over some alleged Facebook posts.
Thank you to everyone who took action for Munther. Want to take action for other individuals at risk? Join our Urgent Action Network!
We continue to call for:
LATEST UPDATES
Our new report “Don’t Let Them Kill Us”: Iran’s Relentless Execution Crisis since 2022 Uprising reveals how the Iranian authorities have intensified their use of the death penalty to instil fear among the population and tighten their grip on power. We recorded 853 executions in 2023 in Iran, a horrifying surge, marking a 172% increase from 2021.
Many of these executions were related to drug offences, but there was also a wave of executions targeting protesters, social media users and other actual or perceived dissidents. Take action and demand the executions stop now.
Our investigations have found that there are over 56,000 people, including 30,000 children, being held in detention in inhumane conditions in the autonomous regions of Syria.
Among those held are victims of Islamic State, defeated in Syria over five years ago. Children, women and men held in these detention camps and facilities suffer shocking cruelty and violence.
As the principal partner of Syrian Autonomous Authorities, the US government is involved in most aspects of the detention system.
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Two weeks ago the European Parliament voted to adopt a package of new laws on migration and asylum.
We have been campaigning against these measures as soon as they were proposed. They will lead to greater human suffering for those escaping conflict, with more detentions and violent pushbacks all the more likely. The agreement will set back European asylum law for decades. Read our reaction to the passing of the EU Asylum and Migration Pact.
Last year, we found that TikTok is privacy-intrusive & addictive-by-design, and that younger users signalling interest in mental health risk falling into rabbit holes of harmful content.
This week, RTÉ Prime Time's report backed up our findings. Within 20 minutes or less, teen accounts that signalled an interest in mental health content were mostly shown videos related to depression and self-harm. TikTok must #FixTikTok & make its platform safer for younger users. Take action now.
ACTION IN THE COMMUNITY
Our Letterkenny local group participated in a local solidarity initiative for Gaza on Mother's Day, 10 March. Crowds of people gathered to take a polar plunge for two minutes in solidarity with mothers and children in Gaza.
Want to join a local group and take action today? Find one in your local area!
HUMAN RIGHTS AT WORK
Have you ever wondered about the people who drive our campaigns?
Meet Kevin Naughton, a Campaigns Officer with Amnesty Ireland and our lead campaigner for the End Israeli Apartheid campaign.
What is your role and what does it involve?
As one of the campaign officers, I oversee the political engagement and policy development for some of AI Ireland’s main campaigns. I work with civil society groups and other Amnesty sections to push for real change in Ireland and overseas. These campaigns cover so many areas of human rights. With things constantly changing it’s key to stay on top of research and current affairs.
Interested? Read more here.
Thank you for reading and being a part of our fight for human rights. If you are not yet a member, do consider joining us and help us increase our impact here in Ireland and across the globe.
In solidarity,
Stephen Bowen
Executive Director
Amnesty International Ireland