Niall

Today we here in the press office thought wed take our lead from the Daily Express. So like the Desmond title we are going to give Egyptians our attention. However, sadly for those gossip-lovers out there, were not talking about the...

Barely a day goes by at the moment without the Chinese authorities’ appalling human rights record falling into the spotlight, and today is no exception. Sadly, early yesterday morning the human rights activist Hu Jia was sentenced to...

Can’t beat a bit of stardust on a Friday, and well a big thanks to Emily Dugan in The Independent for providing it. She’s tracked down the TV presenter Konnie Huq. The former Blue Peter star is also one of the 80 odd torchbearers when...

The countdown is on. This Thursday marks five years since the invasion of Iraq. To mark the anniversary, Amnesty International has put out a briefing document today detailing the wide range of human rights violations that have been...

OK so who cares about the budget? For us in the media team, it means but one thing: the issues that matter in the world of human rights get pushed aside with a few notable exceptions. So congrats to The Independent for leading on...

The film legend Sylvester Stallone has added another string to his bow. Clearly unhappy at being stereotyped as an all-action hero, he has now turned his sights firmly on becoming a human rights activist. In his latest film, Rambo IV...

Theres a sporting theme to todays blog and all tied into Asia. In Thailand, the Manchester City owner stepped off a plane this morning and was immediately whisked away by the authorities and charged and not for crimes against football...

A bit of a round-the-world round-up for you today. A trip from Pakistan to Israel via Iran. Firstly, Pakistan and the fall-out from Mondays elections continues unabated. The latest move seems to be a determination from US and UK...

Its all go in the Amnesty press office today as two bits of breaking news filter through. Theres the news that Fidel Castro is to step down as president of Cuba, and then theres wholesale change in Pakistan as the election results...

With January finally behind us and the cold weather starting to bite, we thought wed take a look at the week ahead and give you some issues to think about. If youre having a Mediocre Monday, dont worry, tomorrows Super Tuesday. Well it...

This weekend has been a busy one for the press team. Its been a heady mix of dictators and violence. Terrible violent attacks and strife continues to flare up throughout Kenya. 19 people were burned to death yesterday after a mob of...

Its all go on Pakistan this weekend. President Pervez Musharraf arrives on these shores later today as part of a four-day visit. As The Telegraph reports , hes already spent most of the week gallivanting around Europe trying to...

Amnesty has been at the forefront of campaigning against violence against women over recent years and its through this work that some of the most harrowing tales of human rights abuses reach our desks. This week its been the issue of...

Good news reached us from Saudi Arabia this morning. The BBC reports that King Abdullah has pardoned a female rape victim who had been sentenced to six months in prison and 200 lashes. The horrific case was highlighted here last month...

More reports emerged today in the media about unrest in Parisian suburbs and the escalating violence between armed rioters engaged in running battles with police following the deaths of two youths whose motorbike collided with a police...

The media today is full of stories about the arrest of British teacher Gillian Gibbons in Sudan after her young pupils chose the Islamic prophets name for their teddy bear. Arrested on a blasphemy charge she may face 40 lashes as...

Sometimes it is just simply impossible to believe what is happening in the world. This week two horrendous gang rape cases have come to our attention and in both cases the authorities have a lot to answer for. This morning the BBCs...

What price do you put on free speech and the right to peaceful protest? Sadly in Burma, the cost could well be life. In September, the All-Burma Monks Alliance was instrumental in getting thousands of monks onto the streets in pro...

Today, its all about states of emergency more commonly known among some of the worlds more notorious governments as how to get away with human rights violations the easy way. Firstly, weve got Georgia on our mind (I couldnt resist it)...

The meaning of language is an amazing thing. On Saturday, President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency in Pakistan. What that actually meant in reality was clearly open to interpretation. His text talked of the need to...