Schlagwort: Amnesty International

Fernanda Doz Costa trained as a human rights lawyer in Argentina before becoming Amnesty International’s Director of Gender, Racial Justice and Refugee Rights.

To mark International Safe Abortion Day, Fernanda talks about the dangers of unsafe abortions, some of the people she’s supported along the way and the small and easy actions you can take to ensure people around the world can access safe abortions.  

Can you tell me about your role at Amnesty and what led you to it?

I lead Amnesty International’s work on gender, racial justice and refugee rights. My journey into this role was shaped by my experience growing up in Argentina during the dictatorship and being an activist during my law school years, advocating for social justice and human rights.

With a background in law, I’ve always been drawn to the intersection of legal frameworks and activism—how we can use both to challenge injustice and create a world where everyone can thrive and enjoy full human rights. You could say that I have always taken injustice personally, and joining Amnesty was one of my ways to resist!

What areas are you especially passionate about?

I’m especially passionate about reproductive justice, gender equality and racial justice. I’ve also worked a lot with Indigenous Peoples and together with my feminist activism, those were some of the most incredible learning experiences for me.

These areas are deeply interconnected. When we talk about abortion rights, we’re not just talking about healthcare. We’re talking about equality, dignity and autonomy. The right to access abortion and other reproductive health services is not a “luxury”, it is basic human right that deeply affects the quality of life and futures of people and their loved ones.

In my country, like in many around the world, those who have the money have always accessed abortion, whether legal or not. This is why, for me, this is a struggle for social and economic justice.

The right to abortion is an important area of your work at Amnesty – why is it such a pressing issue?

Abortion is a human right. Yet, around the world, people who seek or provide abortions face criminalization, stigma and violence. That our bodies and our reproductive autonomy are still for debate by religious and political leaders, is a clear sign that patriarchy shapes all our lives in very profound ways, and there is a lot to work to do.

There is not any other health service, especially those needed by men, that has this level of globally organized and funded opposition.

Amnesty’s campaign is about making abortion visible, destigmatized and protected—because silence only reinforces oppression and stigma. Abortion is healthcare, and healthcare is a human right that is currently under immense threat globally. This is why Amnesty is prioritizing this issue, and also because structural inequality is at the centre of the debate.

What are some of the stigmas people face when it comes to getting an abortion?

Stigma manifests in many ways, shame, isolation, fear of judgment and even criminal charges. Healthcare providers are ostracized, abortion rights activists are threatened and people seeking or providing abortion are made to feel like criminals for making decisions about their own bodies or supporting those in need of healthcare.

This stigma is a powerful barrier to access to abortion healthcare, and it exposes activists, doctors, nurses and people seeking healthcare to immense stress and discrimination that impact their physical well-being and mental health on the longer-term.

In many cases, this stigma leads to the denial of healthcare and loss of lives that could have been saved. A case in point is the 28-year-old mother, Josseli Barnica, who died in Texas back in 2024, after doctors delayed her treatment in fear of the state’s six-week abortion ban. How is this “pro-life”?

What is the state of abortion rights worldwide? For example, which countries are least progressive? Which countries are most progressive?

We’re seeing a mixed picture. Countries like Argentina, Mexico, Colombia and France have made historic strides in decriminalizing abortion and enshrining it in law and constitution. On the other hand, places like El Salvador, Malta, and parts of the USA continue to impose total or near-total bans. In Namibia, abortion is severely restricted, and in Morocco, criminalization of abortion leads to devastating consequences for women, girls and people who can get pregnant. The struggle continues, however, in many countries.

What has helped advance peoples’ right to abortion? What has put them at risk?

Progress has come from grassroots feminist movements, courageous human rights defenders, and international solidarity. The Green Wave in Latin America is a powerful example.

But setbacks, such as  the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to rollback abortion rights, have emboldened anti-abortion forces, increased funding for regressive campaigns, chopped financial support for reproductive healthcare in countries most in need, and led to censorship of abortion information online.

In fact, it is well-known that you can’t “prevent” abortion, you can only make it unsafe and dangerous when you outlaw it. Hence, this anti-rights drive will only lead to more human suffering and loss of lives.

Are there any stories of people who’ve been denied an abortion that have affected you?

One that stands out is the case of Belén. A woman who was charged with aggravated murder after she had a miscarriage in a public hospital in Tucuman, Argentina, in 2014. Belén, as she was known, was eventually released from prison in 2017 and acquitted of all charges soon after.

The case generated great outrage from people both in Argentina and around the world and eventually contributed to Argentina legalising abortion in late 2020.

Belen’s story is a stark reminder of what’s at stake.

Likewise, are there any stories of women you’ve supported that have stayed with you?

Indeed. The story of Vannesa Rosales, a teacher in Venezuela who helped a 13-year-old rape survivor access a safe abortion, is deeply moving. Vanessa was arrested and charged for aiding access to abortion, yet she stood firm in her commitment to justice. Following a powerful campaign in support of her, she was released from prison on 21 July 2021 after spending nine months detained, six of which under house arrest. Her courage, together with the global support she received, shows the power of solidarity.

What are some of the most unexpected barriers people face when it comes to getting an abortion?

Even when legal, access can be undermined by waiting periods, mandatory counselling, third-party authorizations or police-report requirements. Conscientious objection/denial of care by providers restricts availability in practice, as was seen during our work in South Africa.

Digital censorship and misinformation on major platforms limit reliable guidance. Stigma, as well as religious and social pressures deter people from seeking care. Distance, cost, lack of privacy and weak infrastructure, especially in rural areas, further constrain access. Where services are blocked, people often resort to unsafe methods, driving preventable maternal harm.

One of the most overlooked barriers is online censorship. Social media platforms like Meta and TikTok are removing abortion-related content, making it harder for people to access life-saving information.

How can people support the right to abortion?

Share accurate information, challenge stigma and support abortion defenders in your country. Write a song or a theatre play about the right to abortion. Wear a pro-choice pin, or stick a pro-choice sticker on your car or laptop. Every action counts.

There are so many ways. Join local campaigns led by Amnesty International in Poland, Morocco, USA, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. Get in touch with our colleagues and join the fight. Sign this petition to protect the right to access to abortion in the US. Learn more about how to support human rights activists who defend the right to abortion.

You can also share accurate information and challenge myths to reduce stigma; engage in advocacy through petitions, campaigns and direct outreach to decision-makers (in Africa targeting parliamentarians has worked in places like Malawi); and press tech platforms to keep reliable, localized content accessible.

Can you tell me how your background in law has supported your role at Amnesty?

Law gives me the tools to analyse systems of oppression and advocate for change. It helps us hold governments accountable, draft policy recommendations and frame abortion rights as human rights. But it’s not just about legal expertise—it’s about using the law to amplify voices and dismantle injustice.

How do you unwind after dealing with heavy subject matters?

I find solace in community and collective solidarity—connecting with colleagues, friends and activists who share my values and mission. I also make time for nature, music and reading. It’s important to recharge, because the struggle for human rights is a marathon, not a sprint.

What is Amnesty doing to support people’s right to abortion?

We’re running a global campaign called “1000 Ways to Support Abortion Rights”, advocating for the right to abortion in key countries like Sierra Leone, Poland, USA, Morocco and Northern Ireland.

We’re publishing reports, launching podcasts, supporting abortion rights defenders, and pushing for legal reform.

Our goal is to create an enabling environment where abortion is safe, legal and accessible for all.

The post Protecting the right to abortion: An interview with Fernanda Doz Costa appeared first on Amnesty International.

Responding to today’s European Court of Human Rights’ (ECtHR) decision which will allow the Austrian government to deport a man to Syria, Shoura Zehetner-Hashemi, Executive Director of Amnesty International Austria said:

“Today’s decision effectively allows Austria to deport a man to Syria, in spite of UNHCR’s current guidance to halt all forced returns to the country, and despite reports that a man previously deported by Austria to Syria has since disappeared.

“This sets an extremely worrying precedent and should not serve as a green light for Austria’s reckless and premature deportation policy. In all cases the safety of people seeking protection must come first. 

Shoura Zehetner-Hashemi, Executive Director of Amnesty International Austria

“This sets an extremely worrying precedent and should not serve as a green light for Austria’s reckless and premature deportation policy. In all cases the safety of people seeking protection must come first. 

“The situation in Syria remains very unstable with ongoing outbreaks of violence and human rights violations. The Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs itself classifies the entire country at the highest threat level. Amnesty International has repeatedly warned that forced returns to Syria violate the principle of non-refoulement and has recently documented unlawful killings and abductions in the country.

“It’s time for the Austrian government to heed its own warnings and follow UNHCR’s advice: halt forced returns to Syria immediately.”

Background

In its decision today, the ECtHR lifted the interim measure that it issued in August 2025, ordering Austrian authorities to halt a planned deportation to Syria.

Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, the UN Convention against Torture, and the European Convention on Human Rights, states are obliged to ensure that no deportations take place to a country where there is a risk of life, or torture, inhuman treatment, or degrading punishment or treatment and other serious human rights violations. The principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international law, explicitly prohibits this. UNHCR continues to oppose all forced returns to Syria. 

On 3 July 2025, the Austrian authorities deported a Syrian man to Syria – reportedly the first such deportation in 15 years. According to reports, he has since disappeared and his whereabouts remains unknown.

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Eswatini’s authorities must disclose why Orville Etoria was held in detention without charge for more than two months, Amnesty International said today following his arrival in Jamaica.

Orville Etoria was one of five men who were deported from the United States to Eswatini on 16 July and held in arbitrary detention. A statement released by the Government of Eswatini on Sunday announcing Etoria’s repatriation failed to address the serious human rights violations he faced together with the four other men, who remain arbitrarily detained and without charge in Eswatini.

“The safe arrival of Mr Etoria to Jamaica, cannot be an excuse for silence about what happened to him while he was held without charge and without full and confidential access to lawyers,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.

“Eswatini authorities must account for the legal basis of his detention, ensure access to justice and effective remedies, and immediately clarify the status and whereabouts of the four other men transferred in July.”

Eswatini officials previously indicated that the five men — from Jamaica, Cuba, Laos, Vietnam, and Yemen — deported by the United States would be repatriated to their countries of nationality.

The authorities must now disclose the whereabouts and legal status of the remaining four men and guarantee their human rights, in line with Eswatini’s international human rights obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment to which Eswatini is a state party.

Any facilitation of return by international organizations must meet Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) standards. This requires documented, informed, and freely given consent, obtained while the person has confidential access to qualified legal counsel and interpreters, free of any coercion or inducement tied to release from detention, with robust data protection and no adverse consequences for declining AVR. AVR cannot be used to legitimize arbitrary detention.

“Return is only acceptable when it is truly voluntary and rights-compliant,” said Tigere Chagutah. “Authorities must guarantee unmonitored family contact and confidential access to lawyers, appropriate medical care, and protection from refoulement for anyone still detained.”

Background

Lawyers representing the five men reported obstacles to confidential legal access and delays to court proceedings. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has urged transparency and protection in any migration accords between African Union member states and the United States.

For more details on their case, see here.

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Ahead of the vote in the Slovak parliament on 25 September on amendments to the constitution that would recognize only two genders (male and female), restrict comprehensive sexuality education and limit adoption to only married heterosexual couples, Rado Sloboda, Director of Amnesty International Slovakia said: 

“If adopted, the proposed constitutional changes would deal a devastating blow to gender equality, human rights and the rule of law in Slovakia. Cloaked in the language of ‘national identity’, these amendments would strip away rights to private and family life, education and healthcare from children, women and LGBTI people. 

If adopted, the proposed constitutional changes would deal a devastating blow to gender equality, human rights and the rule of law in Slovakia

“While the proposed changes specifically target the rights of LGBTI persons and reproductive rights, they also threaten the principle of primacy of EU and international law and undermine the application of international court rulings concerning a wide range of human rights issues. 

“These draconian measures clearly breach EU law and international human rights treaties. On 25 September parliamentarians must take a stand for fairness, equality and dignity for everyone: reject these amendments and protect people’s human rights.”  

Background 

The current Slovak legislation only recognizes two sexes. The proposed constitutional changes would further entrench this, making any future progressive reforms – including recognition of gender diverse, intersex and non-binary people – more complicated, if not impossible. It could also further restrict legal gender recognition rights of transgender people. 

Another proposed amendment would require parental approval on comprehensive sexuality education in schools. This would restrict children’s access to information necessary for sexual violence prevention, education about consent, and sexual and reproductive health, for example.  

Amnesty International has long warned that these amendments are part of a wider attempt by authorities to roll back rights in Slovakia. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, multiple UN Special Rapporteurs in the fields of education, health and privacy as well as the EU institutions have also expressed their concern regarding the amendments and have recommended withdrawal or rejection of the proposed changes.  

On 1 Septemberthe UN Special Procedures mandate holders published a legal review underlined that the changes are incompatible for international human rights standards and called on MPs to reject the draft law. 

For more information see here. 

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On 11 March 2025, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for the crime against humanity of murder.

A few days later, Maria (not her real name) marked the eighth anniversary of her husband’s death. He was one of the tens of thousands of people, mostly from poor and marginalized communities, killed during the Duterte government’s “war on drugs”.

Here, Maria speaks about her continued fight for truth, justice and accountability alongside the families of other victims.

My husband was gunned down in 2017 at a crowded terminal in Caloocan City. He was a jeepney* driver. When I last saw him alive, he was waiting for the jeepney that he was using alternately with another driver. That night, he didn’t come home. 

The next morning, I told my children that I needed to look for their father. Later that day, I learned from my husband’s parents that he was killed by two men “riding in tandem”*.

In an instant I lost my husband. The next time I saw him, he was in the morgue. It seemed so simple. Someone waited for him and shot him dead. That’s it.

No sympathy for tokhang victims

There were witnesses, but no one wanted to testify. No one wanted to talk to me. It seemed like they’d kill anyone just for the sake of killing.

I wanted to file a case but all I could think of was that I needed to find work. How could I feed our children or send them to school? How could I pay our rent and other bills? How could we survive?

I needed witnesses, but friends and relatives could not even visit my husband’s wake for fear of being identified and targeted next. That was how things were back then: no one wanted to sympathize with the family of a tokhang* victim.

Children bullied over father’s death

Life has been difficult ever since. My husband was our breadwinner. I didn’t know where to begin, what to do. Even while we were holding my husband’s wake, I had to start working.

My children were bullied at school. It felt so heavy when they would come to me crying and saying, “Mama, other kids told me that Papa was killed because he was a drug addict. Is that true?” How could I answer that?

When filling out school forms and indicating that their father is dead, their teachers would ask, what happened? He was killed; he didn’t die of an illness. Society looks at death differently based on how a person dies. It’s always viewed negatively when you say someone died because they were shot dead, because they were tokhang victims.

Support from church members and lawyers

I became a community organizer of our group Rise Up for Life and for Rights, composed of families of victims of the “war on drugs” supported by church members and lawyers from the NUPL (National Union of People’s Lawyers). Initially, I only wanted to find something else to do other than work, so I started joining their check-in sessions.

When we all felt at ease with each other, we began sharing our stories. There was trust and comfort, knowing that others would listen to your story of how you lost your husband, or your father, or your child.

Sometimes, I’d bring my children to these sessions so they would understand why I had to be away often. I wanted to show them how proud I am of being part of this group. I wanted them to see how I regained my self-confidence.

‘I have no reason to stop’

It was also my personal interest to prove that my husband did nothing wrong, that he didn’t use or sell drugs. I wanted to clear his name.

Eventually, I began asking: why did they have to kill him and many others? What about the families left behind? If they were indeed bad people who violated the law, why did they have to be killed?

My husband was just 34 years old when he was killed. He had so much hope; he wanted to achieve more. He didn’t even get to see his children grow up. I keep telling myself, I have no reason to stay silent. I have no reason to stop.

Duterte’s arrest: This is because of us

I was at work, cooking at a school canteen, when I heard the news. I jumped for joy. I was screaming in the kitchen, “Yes, yes, yes!”. When I got home, I asked my children, did you hear the good news? I told them to open their social media and the TV. Duterte was arrested. I told my children, “See, we can do it if we work together.”

The other families and I were calling each other, and we agreed to come together for a solidarity action. I was so excited to see them. I know he was just arrested, but it felt like we won already.

Friends called to congratulate me on Duterte’s arrest, and I told them this is because of us, because of me. Yes, I claimed credit for it. Because it had been so difficult for us to fight back, to stage protests and speak up in the streets, even when we also have our children and families to take care of. 

Requests for interviews started pouring in. At one point, I could no longer say I was happy. I felt drained, especially as Duterte’s arrest made me recall the difficulties I went through before.

I pitied myself, that this is all a gamble. I wanted to say, I want to be a normal person. This isn’t me. I should not be in the streets protesting, nor on the TV granting interviews. I don’t want any of this.

But this is what my circumstances demanded of me. I would often think of the other families. It gave me strength, knowing what we could achieve if we stood together.

Continuing lack of justice and accountability

I want the ICC and the world to know that we are not just numbers; we are real people, real families. We are not just past victims; we continue to be victimized by a lack of truth, justice and accountability. We may be under a new administration now, but we still feel unsafe.

I want Duterte and all others who are responsible to be held accountable. When that happens, we can be proud of ourselves that we were able to do this against the odds. We don’t want to continue living in fear.

We want protection for ourselves and for our families from any reprisal for speaking up. I hope the ICC sides with the truth. Even as we are unable to obtain justice here in our own country, we are grateful for anyone who can give us some hope. 

Strength and opportunity to fight back

I hope our country’s policies will really serve to protect us and not target and kill us like the policy on the “war on drugs”. I hope this does not happen again, because what if there were no more people like me, like us, who would collectively work for justice?

At the moment, I feel we have the opportunity and strength to fight back. I will use this to keep telling not just my story but the stories of countless other victims still searching for justice.

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The text was translated from Filipino and has been edited for brevity and clarity.

*A jeep or jeepney is a public utility vehicle that is the primary mode of transportation in the Philippines.

*Across the Philippines particularly during the height of the “war on drugs”, masked individuals arrive on motorcycles in groups of two and gun down their targets who allegedly use or sell drugs—a practice known commonly as “riding in tandem.”

*The notorious police operation “Oplan Tokhang” involved door-to-door visits by the police to demand that people suspected of using or selling drugs ‘voluntarily’ surrender to the authorities, stop their drug activities and enter drug rehabilitation and treatment programmes that are in reality a form of arbitrary detention. In practice, however, many faced punitive action and even death.

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