Amnesty Research Articles

The hidden histories of the Pinochet case

AbstractThe world's imagination was caught by the 1998 arrest in London of General Augusto Pinochet on charges of egregious human rights crimes and the 16‐month battle to extradite him to Madrid. For the first time, a former head of state had, while travelling abroad, been arrested on such charges, with his claim to immunity being rejected by a national court. The case's notoriety increased when Lord Hoffman, a judge when it first came before the Law Lords, did not publicly disclose his links with Amnesty International, an intervenor in the proceedings. Pinochet's release on health grounds compounded the controversy. This article reveals hidden histories behind the Pinochet case, advancing our understanding of its progression and wider significance. It illuminates the relationship between law and politics, the role of personal views and judicial creativity in the UK's top court, the ways in which law operates in practice, and its promises and limitations.

The Fences of Melilla and Evros: Assessing Logics of Opposition and Support from A Multiscalar Perspective

ABSTRACT A rigorous understanding of the logic that support the transformation of European walls and fences requires a detailed study of the particular and interlinked visions of multiple actors beyond central states. This paper follows a multiscalar perspective to evaluate the logic of opposition to support from different actors regarding the border barriers between Melilla (Morocco-Spain) and Evros (Greece-Türkiye). It examines how neighboring states of Morocco and Türkiye, local governments, the European Union, and Amnesty International converge or not in their position towards each fence, considering their vision on specific dimensions of analysis, such as the purpose, suitability, and features of each fence. This paper adopts a qualitative methodology based on the compilation and analysis of discourses and official communications, local and international news media from 2013 to 2023, civil society reports, and scholarly literature. The article demonstrates more opposition to the Evros fence than the Melilla fence. Moreover, while various actors validate the purpose behind these artificial borders in reducing irregular migration, some actors show concerns about the effectiveness of this tool, and almost all stakeholders question the features of these fences. Notwithstanding this criticism, Spain and Greece have been able to advance in strengthening their fences.

Violence as a Coercive Tool to Establish State Control in Harold Pinter’s One for the Road

After Harold Pinter became a member of PEN and Amnesty International in the early 1980s, he grew interested in global politics and started to openly speak up against human rights violations present in several countries of the world. Then, in 1984, he published One for the Road, which is considered his first overtly political play. Taking place in an unnamed country and historical period to preserve its universality, the play portrays the torture and violence practised by totalitarian regimes against political dissidents. This study examines the use of various forms of violence in the text and analyses their role as the means to establish state control over nonconforming individuals, break their will and coerce them into submission. For this purpose, a socio-political approach is used by employing the Norwegian sociologist Johan Galtung’s theory on violence. The detailed analysis of the play reveals that tyrannical systems dehumanise and debase noncomplying citizens using political ideology as an excuse so that imprisoning and torturing them becomes justifiable.

ADDRESSING HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OF KAZAKHSTAN: THE ROLE OF THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE AND A CALL FOR LEGISLATIVE REFORMS

Background: Human rights violations within the criminal justice system represent a pervasive problem. International human rights agreements and national laws clearly assert the absolute protection of human rights. However, despite these strong legal principles, human rights violations frequently occur within the criminal justice system. This article examines the problem of human rights violations in the criminal justice system of Kazakhstan and the role of the prosecutor's office in protecting human rights. Methods: This study utilised documentary analysis and secondary data analysis methodologies to conduct a detailed examination of legal acts, international agreements, and policy documents It specifically reviewed documents including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Constitutional Law “On the Prosecutor's Office”, the Concept of Legal Policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan up to 2030, and human rights reports from international bodies such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Freedom House. The study also analysed reports from the Ministry of Justice and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Results and conclusions: By analysing international human rights treaties, national legislation, and reports from leading human rights organisations, the study exposes significant discrepancies between legal mandates and actual practices. Despite Kazakhstan's formal commitment to international human rights standards, it reveals systemic issues, including instances of human rights abuses in criminal justice. The study highlights the critical role of the prosecutor's office in human rights protection while also pointing out the challenges in effectively fulfilling these responsibilities. The findings stress the importance of legislative reforms for enhancing the protection of human rights in criminal justice. The study is particularly relevant for policymakers, human rights advocates, and scholars interested in the intersection of law enforcement and human rights protections, offering insights that could guide future improvements in criminal justice practices.

Measuring absence: Narrative obstacles to counting contemporary enforced disappearances in Latin America

Statistics hold the potential to lend political urgency to otherwise seemingly isolated human rights abuses. Yet, despite the persistence of the problem, statistics on enforced disappearances in contemporary non-civil war Latin American democracies are rare. This article examines the available statistics found in the annual human rights reports of Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the US State Department and assesses the narratives that accompany them. The article argues that the reports’ narrative frames present three key obstacles to the statistical visibility of enforced disappearances in contemporary Latin America that pertain to the definition of problem, whose information is included (voice), and the narrative’s clarity and consistency. These obstacles affect case counts and, consequently, the political urgency attributed to the need for accountability and policy change.

The Role of Good Governance in Promoting Human Rights in Sudan

For several decades, Sudan has been plagued by persistent human rights violations, which have caught the attention of the international community, including organizations such as Amnesty International, the African Union, and the United Nations. This paper explores the role of good governance in promoting human rights in Sudan, utilising a qualitative research methodology and collecting secondary data from online sources such as Amnesty International, Sudan Human Rights Report, Human Rights Watch, and Reuters to examine human rights abuses in Sudan from 2010 to 2023, alongside academic journals. A case study approach is used to deeply explore cases of human rights violations in Sudan using secondary data. Findings show that human rights violations persist in Sudan due to ongoing war and state security involvement in violation acts. The research is grounded in John Locke’s social contract theory. The study sheds light on various human rights violations that are prevalent in Sudan, such as arbitrary detention, torture, suppression of freedom of expression, and discrimination, and the consequences of these violations. The article concludes that good governance is essential for protecting and promoting human rights in Sudan and recommends that efforts be made to strengthen governance and foster an environment where human rights are respected and upheld.

Improving human rights NGO ethics and accountability: A critique of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and human rights utopianism

AbstractThis commentary calls for a more critical relationship with human rights NGOs, specifically, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. I argue that their politics, positionality, and power are often obscured by their conflation as intrinsically imperfect organizations that yield power and influence with the moral principles of human rights and with international human rights law itself, which are popularly perceived as unimpeachable and sacred in a secular ethical way. I contend that this conflation—often a deliberate and strategic one espoused by the organizations themselves—undermines the integrity of their work and the capacity to hold them accountable for their human rights advocacy. I illustrate ways in which both organizations have neglected to respect human rights and, specifically, principles of equality and universality. I further argue that both organizations need to be humbler and more honest about the moral, legal, and practical limitations of their work and ways in which it can be compromised. This is due to the exigencies of donor dependency and the politics of fundraising, the social, cultural, and political contexts in which the organizations operate and the expectations and demands of their supporters, and the nature of human rights as a movement, body of law, and expression of moral idealism that can sometimes obscure its prejudices, assumptions, and pathologies of power.

In Memoriam: René Fiasse (1936-2024).

It is with great sadness that we learned of the death of Professor René Fiasse on the 26th of February 2024, at the age of 87. Born in Quiévrain in 1936 in the Borinage region, to two teachers, he was the eldest of four children. From an early age, he developed a quality that would mark him throughout his life: a committed humanism. Struck by the horrors of war, he became interested in international politics and then became actively involved in the pacifist movements and Amnesty International. Having received a pluralist education and thanks to his open-mindedness, he was always ahead of his time when it came to major ethical issues.

Peran Hukum Internasional Dalam Etnis Rohingya

The failure to prosecute the perpetrators of the Rohingya ethnic genocide crime is the beginning of the blunting of international law. The Rohingya ethnic group must get their Human Rights (HAM) back, as we know that Human Rights are basic rights that are inherent from birth by the grace of God and everyone must protect and respect them. Myanmar has a long history of human rights violations, according to Amnesty International. Suppression of freedom of expression and violations of human rights against underrepresented ethnic groups continue. The research used in this study uses normative juridical research methods with a case and legal history approach. In fact, institutional dogmatism is the result of the failure to protect human rights against ethnic groups. Rohingya, this study concludes that international law is blunt and only applies if there is a large benefit to the UN Security Council, the people of a country like Rohingya only suffer from injustice.

Strategic Management Practices and Employee Performance in Non-Governmental Organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya

The growth and development of an organization are contingent upon the effective management of its human resources. However, the adoption of effective human resource management practices in many local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) NGOs operating in the development sector have received insufficient attention. This research aims to explore the impact of strategic management practices on employee performance within non-governmental organizations located in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The specific objectives of this study are to assess the influence of communication, objective setting, strategic leadership, and training on employee performance in non-governmental organizations operating in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study was guided by expectancy theory, goal setting theory, contingency theory, and human capital theory. A descriptive research design was employed. The population was five prominent NGOs in Nairobi City County, namely Oxfam International, World Vision, USAID, Mercy Corps, and Amnesty International. The study targeted 742 respondents. Stratified sampling method was used and selection of respondents done using simple random sampling method. The sample size was 260 respondents. Data was collected using questionnaires. Questionnaires were piloted to 26 respondents. Validity was ensured using content validity. In addition, Cronbach's alpha test was used to test reliability. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistical and inferential statistics. The results were presented using tables and figures. The study found that communication, objective setting, strategic leadership and training had a positive significant influence on employee performance in non-governmental organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya. The study concludes that communication in the workplace is important because it boosts employee morale, engagement, productivity, and satisfaction. Training is important because it represents a good opportunity for employees to grow their knowledge base and improve their job skills to become more effective in the workplace. The study recommends that non-governmental organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya should focus on the implementation of effective communication channels and tools by including the use of technology such as intranet platforms, project management software, and instant messaging systems. The non-governmental organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya should ensure that goals are clearly defined, quantifiable, realistic, aligned with the overall objectives of the organization, and have a specific deadline for completion. The non-governmental organizations in Nairobi City County, Kenya should focus on building the skills and capabilities of current and future leaders through training in areas such as communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution, as well as opportunities for leaders to receive feedback and coaching on their performance. Create a culture of transparency and open communication within the organization.

Mythodesign in Modern Kazakh Realities

Abstract Kazakhstan is in a state of transformation. This is due, on the one hand, to the internal processes of generational change, the economic crisis, and demographic changes. But also, on the other hand, to the collapse of the global security system and the dysfunctionality of international organisations such as Amnesty International, Red Cross, OSCE, and UN. These challenges lead to the construction of a new system of meanings that will help unite Kazakh society. Mythodesign can be a technology for achieving this. In scientific publications, there are gaps in the analysis of how mythodesign is used in Kazakhstan. The article will analyse the state and prospects of mythodesign development in modern Kazakh reality. Mythodesign in the first thirty years of Kazakhstan’s independence included the following elements. Domestic policy: multiculturalism and dialogue in Kazakh society, especially the between the titular (Kazakh) and non-titular (Russian) nations. Foreign policy: a multi-vector policy that came about as a response to Kazakhstan’s geopolitical position. This manifests itself in Kazakhstan’s participation in the Eurasian Economic Union. The key political figure who constructed the national myth was N. Nazarbayev, whose political brand followed these key elements. This study can be used to develop new mythologemes for Kazakhstan.

Ukraine and Violations of International Humanitarian Law – A Critical Analysis of the Amnesty International Report

Abstract On 4 August 2022, Amnesty International published its report ‘Ukraine: Ukrainian Fighting Tactics Endanger Civilians’, in which it accused Ukraine of violating international humanitarian law ‘by establishing bases and operating weapons systems in populated residential areas, including in schools and hospitals’ and in this way putting civilians at risk. According to the report, ‘[s]uch tactics violate international humanitarian law and endanger civilians, as they turn civilian objects into military targets. The ensuing Russian strikes in populated areas have killed civilians and destroyed civilian infrastructure’. The report sparked some controversies. The question that the author attempts to answer in this article is whether there are any factual or legal arguments supporting the conclusions of the report.

Freedom Of Expression In Islam “Is Freedom of Expression in Islam compatible with Article 10 of ECHR?”

A predominated opinion has emerged in the West that Islam disregards Human Rights, especially the Freedom of Expression. Many Western scholars have explicitly expressed their views through literature. This article examines Islam's freedom of expression and its compatibility with Article 10 of ECHR. Some research has been carried out to understand the clear picture of freedom of expression in Islam and its limitations. However, no research has been conducted on the proposed topic of Freedom of Expression in Islam and its compatibility with Article 10 of ECHR. This study, therefore, attempts to fill the gap in this much-debated arett7a. This study is based on theoretical research and uses secondary data. It adopts an explanatory research design based on the literature, articles, books, newspapers, electronic media, and reports of international bodies such as the UN, ECtHR caselaws, Human Rights Watch Reports, Amnesty International and Liberty reports. The research has found that Islam propagates the same views as adopted by the ECHR and the ECtHR, where disturbing the peace of the community has been restricted. Still, on the other hand, the revolt against the dictatorial and tyrant government has been promoted. Therefore, the principles of freedom of expression and its limitations are identical in Islam and ECHR. These findings conclude that the opinion being expressed in the West about Islam is unsubstantiated, therefore making these opinions biased and discriminatory.

Photorealism versus photography. AI-generated depiction in the age of visual disinformation

ABSTRACT In the spring of 2023, we witnessed a breakthrough in the development of AI-generated images accessible to the general public. Pictures of Pope Francis wearing a stylishly long, white puffer jacket or driving a motorcycle down a busy street went viral. The same thing happened with AI-generated pictures fabulating over what the press coverage of an imminent arrest of former US President Donald Trump would look like. Amnesty International used AI to generate images to mark the second anniversary of police violence against protesters in Colombia. Boris Eldagsen turned down an award for Best Creative Photograph from the Sony World Photography Awards, announcing that it had been generated with AI. Critical reactions in the public were not long in coming. The use of AI to generate images was discussed with sometimes shrill words and phrases such as fake, fraud, a threat to photography’s credibility, and fake news. This article seeks to intervene in this crisis-oriented debate by proposing three analytical moves: First, we need a concept of photorealism that is kept separate from the idea of photography. Secondly, we need a conceptual distinction between two basic functions of photography: depiction and detection. In addition to this primary distinction between image functions, the article proposes a third move to introduce a function-oriented genre concept. Through an interdisciplinary approach to photorealism, photography, and genre, these three analytical measures are presented and examined step by step and discussed through analyzes of concrete and recent examples of AI-generated and AI-enhanced publicly available images in today’s society. Today’s crisis-oriented public debate about AI images serves neither democracy, art, journalism, nor photography. The purpose of the article is to contribute a simple and, at the same time, useful analytical tool in these discussions about the relationship between photography and current and future image technologies.

Explaining the Selection Dilemma in Human Rights INGOs

Abstract Why do human rights INGOs choose to work on some issues and not others? This article contends that, since the 1990s, the proliferation of issues within the remit of human rights INGOs has increased the moral opportunity costs of selection decisions. Growth in the number and diversity of issues has led to a “selection dilemma” where decision-makers face onerous ethical choices among a significant menu of options. To explain how decision-makers deal with this dilemma, the article builds on existing theoretical work on INGOs, primarily by constructivists, proposing that heuristic-led judgment on the part of key decision-makers is a central determinant in the (non-)adoption of issues. This explanation is examined empirically using a within-case paired analysis of decision-making in Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The article’s findings provide preliminary evidence that heuristics shape selection outcomes in INGOs, adding further weight to IR scholarship, which stresses the influence of psychology and leaders in organizational and group decision-making.

The Left Wing Turn to Human Rights in Tunisia

AbstractThis article explores the turn to human rights of Tunisian Maoist activists in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Many of these Tunisians later became human rights activists. I argue against prevailing views that ideological changes toward human rights in the late 1970s were the result of paradigmatic ideological shifts or the demise of socialist, anti-imperialist thinking, or an outcome of international human rights norm diffusion. Doubt or loss of faith in some or all parts of Marxism-Leninism led to a diversity of ideological transformations that were complex and hybrid. Drawing on interviews with former Tunisian Maoists, as well as on their writings, the article outlines the political and ideological environment in which they operated. It describes their solidarity work for political prisoners and explores their encounter with Amnesty International as well as the Tunisian League for Human Rights in its first years of existence, showcasing how multiple approaches to human rights existed among the activists.

Digital Feminist Placemaking: The Case of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement

Throughout Iran and various countries, the recent calls of the “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” (in Persian), “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (in Kurdish), or “Woman, Life, Freedom” (in English) movement call for change to acknowledge the importance of women. While these feminist protests and demonstrations have been met with brutality, systematic oppression, and internet blackouts within Iran, they have captured significant social media attention and coverage outside the country, especially among the Iranian diaspora and various international organizations. This article, grounded in feminist urban theories of the Global South, analyzes the digital feminist placemaking movement in Iran. As the first counter-revolution led by women, the movement utilizes digital art, graffiti, and protest movements to embody women’s solidarity groups and sympathy rallies. Our analysis employs various digital research methods, including social media scrutiny and the study of protest illustrations. Analyzing the digital feminist placemaking in Iran will enable us to compare the commonalities, differences, challenges, and opportunities between the minorities and majorities in the world’s countries. The outcomes of this research can help international organizations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women), as well as policymakers, institutions, academics, and NGOs, to highlight the various ways in which broader public participation could be encouraged in the process of digital feminist insurgent placemaking.

The role of International Civil Society Organizations in democratization: A crisp-set QCA approach to anti-corruption in Ghana.

An anti-corruption strategy is essential in the process of continuous democratisation for effective governance. The objective of our study is to examine the mechanisms that contribute to an effective anticorruption strategy in a case study of civil society organisations in Ghana. These CSO cases illustrate the efforts of non-state actors to promote democracy in their interactions with Ghana's government. A model of anticorruption strategy and the crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (cs-QCA) method were employed to examine 264 cases of local civil societies in Ghana that responded to questions on the conditions for an effective anticorruption strategy. Our results indicate that no single condition is sufficient as an anti-corruption strategy. However, the role of international civil society organisations (RISCO) is necessary for any anticorruption strategy. RISCO has to be combined with freedom of expression, good leadership, fear of punishment, and training to provide an effective strategy. On the other hand, despite the fear of punishment, social trust and leadership, rules and regulations, and training, the absence of RISCO explains all ineffective anticorruption strategies. Therefore, Ghana's anti-corruption strategy must always consider the role of organisations such as Amnesty International (AI), Transparency International (TI), and the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption (GOPAC) in mitigating corruption. Policymakers should therefore promote the presence of international civil society in Ghana because they ultimately contribute to democratization in addition to all government effort.

Demands for Justice and Demands on Justice: Can Human Rights Practice Survive?

Abstract How has the work of human rights organizations affected global politics? Do these practices achieve justice for those affected by human rights violations? Demands of Justice by Ann Marie Clark explores these questions using novel data from two prominent international nongovernmental organizations: Amnesty International and Oxfam. Her work expounds three effects of these organizations' work in infusing justice into the international system. First, this practice has expanded care and concern from a local level issue into a global neighborhood. Second, increasingly, human rights organizations appeal to growing international law and legal norms in their appeals, which aims to remedy injustice within the confines of practical limitations. Finally, those suffering from human rights violations place demands on nongovernmental organizations, which has changed the conceptualization of human rights beyond civil and political rights and toward broader questions of social justice. My review explores the impact of Clark's work on the field of human rights and recent concerns that human rights are under attack.

Systemic Discrimination of the Russian Orthodox Church in European Countries

This article examines and analyzes the discriminatory processes in Ukraine against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and the discriminatory processes in the European Union countries against the Russian Orthodox Church. It specifi es the major publications highlighting the facts of discrimination against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Ukraine. The article also mentions the documents of the European Parliament, which have been used as the justifi cation for restricting the activity of the Russian Orthodox Church. These documents have become an aid for the introduction of unprecedented targeted sanctions against Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and all Russia by countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Such gross interference by politicians in the activity of Orthodox churches is becoming the norm of political life in countries such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as evidenced by the actions taken by the politicians of these countries and mentioned in the article. Moreover, the article fi gures out the understanding of the crisis in the international human rights movement with regard to rights and freedoms of religious organizations. The article highlights cases when Ukrainian human rights defenders became authors of anti-church laws, and the well-known Amnesty International human rights organization apologized for their report on the alleged war crimes by the Zelensky’s regime. Double standards in the assessment of off ense seriousness in Ukraine are clearly illustrated by the example of the fi rst three reports of the Monitoring Mission that was deployed in Ukraine in March 2014 by the Off ice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. This mission was represented by more than 30 employees in fi ve Ukrainian cities: Kyiv, Donetsk, Odessa, Kharkiv and Lviv. These reports included a section dedicated to the observance of rights and freedoms of religious organizations in Ukraine. The article mentions the incidents recorded by the Monitoring Mission and the facts of discrimination against clerics and members of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church highlighted in mass media. It is noted that the Monitoring Mission recorded mainly cases of discrimination against the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kiev Patriarchate, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and other religious organizations. Violations of rights and freedoms of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church were not only ignored, but sometimes its activity was characterized in documents as “aggressive”.