In light of the very first interrogation tapes ever to be released from Guantanamo of Omar Khadr, Amnesty International reitterates that Khadr must be repatriated to Canada. The military commissions at Guantanamo Bay are flawed and not in line with international human rights and international law.

Take action by sending a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper urging him to bring Khadr back to Canada for a fair trial or release.

Sign the petition to end illegal US detention and close Guantanamo, one pixel at a time.

Click here to learn more about Omar Khadr, who was only 15 years old when he was detained by US soldiers in Afghanistan in 2002.

On June 26, Amnesty International Ireland hosted a poetry event at Buswells Hotel, Dublin with reading from Poems from Guantanamo.

Poems from Guantanamo is a collection of short poems written by Guantanamo Bay detainees while in custody at the US detention facility, some who are still there.

Poetry recitations were conducted by well-known Irish actors Sean McGinley, George Seremba, Denis Conway and Shadaan Felfeli, and all attendees were given a copy of Poems from Guantanamo by a generous Amnesty International donor. (more…)

Amnesty International Belgium held a fantastic public event in front of the European Parliament in Brussels on June 26.

Activists lobbied with European parliamentarians to pressure governments on the issue of rendition, with over ten parliamentarians in attendance- one from every party, representing various states. Also present at the event were several media outlets reporting from Al Jazeera, Associated Press and Reuters to name a few.

The notable parliamentarians - Edward McMillan-Scott (UK) and Luisa Morgantini (Italy), Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament were also in attendance with Helene Flautre, Chairwoman of DROI, Subcommittee of Human Rights, European Parliament who spoke at the event.

Watch a slideshow on the website of the Italian newspaper La Reppublica

View additional pictures of this event and more actions to mark International Day of Victims of Torture

Visit the Amnesty International Belgium website

Amnesty International continues to campaign for Binyam Mohamed, an Ethiopian national, and a former resident of the United Kingdom. Binyam has been detained at Guantanamo Bay since September 2004, and before that was held at various secret US detention sites since his capture in April 2002.

Binyam was formally charged for trial by military commission in 2008, and due to his fragile mental and physical health, Amnesty International UK is urging members and supporters to write to Foreign Secretary David Miliband to get Binyam Mohamed moved out to a less harsher environment.

Also click here to ‘Digg’ Binyam out of danger, and spread the word on this urgent action.

The Amnesty International cell tour replica made its way to Washington DC on June 25, and will stay across the street from the Washington Monument till June 30.

The cell tour is an interactive approach aimed at highlighting the harsh realities of illegal detention across the United States of America, and allows visitors to experience a taste of what its like at Guantanamo Bay.

On the eve of the International Day of Victims of Torture, Amnesty International hosted a special visual message and a free sunset concert!

Watch more pictures of this and other actions to mark International Day of Victims of Torture

Visit Amnesty International USA’s website to learn about about the celltour
Visit the cell tour video vlog

Amnesty International New Zealand marked International Day in Support of Victims of Torture on June 26 by seeking signatures on orange jump-suited petitioners in central Auckland today. The walking petition started at noon from the corner of Karangahape Road and Queen Street and continued down Queen St and throughout the CBD until 2pm.

The orange jumpsuit has become synonymous with Guantnamo Bay and the torture inflicted upon detainees there. This is why Amnesty International was urging Aucklanders to sign the jumpsuits in support of closing Guantanamo, and for a fair trial, or release of Canadian detainee Omar Khadr. (more…)

On 10 June 2008, the Daily Show featured Amnesty International on TV. John Oliver visited the replica cell in Philadelphia and spoke to Larry Cox, the director of Amnesty International in the USA.

Footage includes a comedic renovation of the Guantánamo replica cell now travelling to various locations across the USA.

Since it’s official release on 22 April 2008, The Stuff of life film has been showcased on some 50 UK theatre screens, and has been viewed on YouTube over 1 million times.

Produced by Amnesty International UK, this 90 second video exposes the horrors of the interrogation technique known as “waterboarding”. This technique was used by the CIA and authorised by US President, George W. Bush.

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On May 8, 2008 AI Northern Ireland celebrated the book launch of Murat Kurnaz’s best-seller Five years of my life: A report from Guantánamo at the Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival in Belfast at a sold-out Black Box.

Murat Kuraz is a Turkish national who was born in Germany in 1982. His prolonged detention in Guantánamo had been complicated by his status – lacking German citizenship, the German authorities had refused his return to Germany. The Turkish authorities had shown little interest in his case. It was only after intense lobbying from his family, lawyers and AI members around the world, including in his home town of Bremen, that the German authorities began to act on his behalf, finally paving the way for his return.

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En partenariat avec huit ONGs de defense des Droits Humaines au Maroc, la section marocaine a organise un sit-in le vendredi 11 janvier 08 de 17h a 17h30 devant le siege des Nations Unies a Rabat.

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