The leaders of the world’s wealthiest countries, the G8, were keen to join the Make Poverty History bandwagon in the Summer of 2005 and all made pledges to give more aid to African countries to 2010. How appalling then that several...

Blog 10.6.09 I was at the House of Lords this morning to hear the Law Lords’ verdict on the use of secret evidence in the trials of several terrorism suspects who are subjected to Control Orders. The result was a resounding victory for...

Controversy and debate continues to surround Shell’s decision to pay out $15.5 million in compensation to the families of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight others who were either hanged or maimed in 1995. According to BBC News, the lawyers are...

Imagine being confined to your home for 12 hours every day and having to call a monitoring company to confirm your whereabouts thee times a day, including in the middle of the night. Having no visitors to your home unless they’ve been...

Long, long ago, when I were a mere university undergrad, they used to talk a lot in my English Lit department about “doubles” and doppelgänger s. I was always reading essays called “Doubles in the longer tales of Edgar Allen Poe” or...

Today we marked the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, laying flowers outside the Chinese embassy in London. Amnesty supporters were joined by survivors of the crackdown Shao Jiang, Dr Wang Rongfen and Wu Yenhua. They...

Actually now it’s the afternoon after the morning after the night before which was Amnesty International’s Media Awards ceremony. And what a lovely evening it was! Held at a beautiful central London location overlooking the Thames on...

I remember my 18th birthday but only just. I remember my 21st better, when I was a reporter on a local paper and I partied not just with my own colleagues but also with our competitors. Such was the, rather pleasant, nature of local...

"Those crucified are beheaded first and then their heads are sewn back on their bodies.” This is from a CNN news account of an execution that took place in Saudi Arabia on Friday, one of about 40 there so far this year (there were at...

Horrific report in the Times today – it’s possible more than 20,000 people were killed as Sri Lankan forces made their final push against the Tamil Tigers over the last few weeks. The paper has aerial photos which have been examined by...

Plans are afoot at Amnesty’s Human Rights Action Centre to mark its 48th birthday. The air is abuzz with chatter of who’ll be DJ-ing at this evening’s party, what to wear and for some, where the party is going to be held (okay, so that...

Another week, another MI5 torture collusion allegation. Or that’s how it‘s beginning to feel. The Guardian’s front-page story today on the torture and arbitrary detention a British man called Jamil Rahman says he suffered in Bangladesh...

Iranian authorities ban Facebook, fearing Obama-style online election campaign by reformists The authorities in Iran have reportedly blocked access to Facebook following the launch of online presidential campaigns using the social...

It’s all kicking off again in the Niger Delta, with hundreds reportedly killed and thousands displaced following a new offensive by the government’s armed forces. The oil-rich area of Nigeria that has seen years of violence, human...

He’s in a “very difficult position” politically. He’s “trapped” by the Senate’s decision to block money . Oh, dear, Barack Obama is a virtual prisoner and his plan to close Guantánamo is left in limbo. Listening to some news reports...

Four days on and the Sri Lankan government is still proclaiming their victory over their 26-year battle with the Tamil Tigers. According to BBC News, today they’ve declared a victory holiday , where the national flag should be flown...

Being a Stanley Kubrick fan (which cinema lover doesn't love at least one Kubrick classic?) I've obviously seen that slightly ropey early effort, Spartacus . It's okay. Just. But, whatever you think about Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis and...

OK so I am a bit of a suspicious soul. When it comes to today’s trial of Aung San Suu Kyi, I can’t quite help thinking that the military junta in Burma have had more luck than is feasible. Just place yourself in the shoes of the...

Your first worry for what’s happening in Moscow this weekend might concern whether the Eurovision Song Contest taking place there onSaturday evening will see a repeat of recent years’ shameless vote casting fornear neighbours rather...

Global protests will be held today for Dr Binayak Sen , a medical doctor who has been jailed for the last two years in India. Amnesty believes that the charges and evidence against him – allegations that he was involved in Maoist...