Days after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau‘s (Papineau, Que.) state visit to Mexico, nine leading Mexican human rights experts are in Ottawa to seek strengthened Canadian support for their efforts to address an acute and worsening human rights crisis in Mexico. “Staggering numbers of atrocities are committed with impunity. There is no investigation, let alone justice,” says … Read more
A briefing paper submitted to Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, Bill C-47 and Canadian Accession to the Arms Trade Treaty: Civil Society Concerns and Recommendations, warns that legislation introduced to Parliament in April 2017 to ready Canada for accession, in its current form, … Read more
The new Ministerial Directions announced Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale (Regina-Wascana, Sask.) to avoid complicity of Canadian law enforcement and intelligence authorities in torture and other mistreatment by foreign entities are a significant improvement on the previous Directives issued in 2011. Loopholes and lack of clarity in some areas may still leave the door open to complicity … Read more
Amnesty International and the Canadian Council for Refugees released a brief calling for Canada to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States. The 52 page brief, Contesting the Designation of the US as a Safe Third Country, outlines the many ways that the US asylum system and immigration detention regime fail to meet required international … Read more
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland (University-Rosedale, Ont.) is participating in a high level Central American prosperity and security conference in Miami. Amnesty International Canada urges that extreme dangers facing defenders of land, territory and the environment must not be overlooked in discussions she has with her counterparts from the U.S. and Mexico, as well as government … Read more
On World Press Freedom Day, Amnesty International called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) in an open letter to make “a personal, public call” for Saudi authorities to immediately release Raif Bedawi who, on June 17th, will have spent 5 years unjustly imprisoned in Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International believes that Canada is well positioned and has a unique responsibility to … Read more
Amnesty International welcomes the announcement that settlement has been reached and the federal government will provide Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad Abou-Elmaati and Muayyed Nureddin with compensation, including an official apology, for Canada’s role in the grave human rights violations, including torture, that the three men experienced in Syria, and also Egypt in Abou-Elmaati’s case, between 2001 and … Read more
Amnesty International is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) to raise critical human rights concerns during his first meeting with United States President Donald Trump. Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English Branch, stated “Our message to Prime Minister Trudeau is clear. It has already become abundantly clear that under President Trump’s leadership … Read more
In response to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, Amnesty is calling on Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen (York South-Weston, Ont.) to rescind the designation of the United States as a “safe third country” for the purposes of refugee determination. Alex Neve, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada’s English Branch, said: “The assault on fundamental human … Read more
Amnesty International is pressing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) to take decisive action on human rights at home and on the world stage during 2017, the 150th year of Canadian Confederation. The call comes as the organization releases its annual Human Rights Agenda for Canada, pressing the federal government to build on progress seen in 2016 … Read more
