Schlagwort: human rights

Responding to the arbitrary and secret executions of four dissidents in Iran since yesterday as at least seven other protesters and dissidents face the imminent risk of execution, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa Diana Eltahawy said:

“Iranian authorities must immediately halt any plans to execute dissidents Vahid Bani Amerian and Abolhassan Montazer and protesters Mohammad Amin Biglari, Ali Fahim, Abolfazl Salehi Siavashani, Amirhossein Hatami, and Shahin Vahedparast Kolo, held in Ghezel Hesar prison, Alborz province.

“It is unconscionable that even as the population is reeling from conflict and mass bereavement amid the ongoing aerial bombardment by Israel and the USA, the authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran continue to weaponize the death penalty to eradicate dissenting voices and further terrify people. 

“Earlier this morning, the authorities executed in secret Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi. This followed yesterday’s execution in secret of Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar and Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi. According to information available to Amnesty International, authorities carried out the arbitrary executions of the four without providing them or their families and lawyers advance notice or allowing them to say their final goodbyes. An informed source said the authorities have not returned the bodies of at least three – Babak

Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi and Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar – to their families, deepening families’ anguish and suffering. 

“Fears have now intensified over the fate of Vahid Bani Amerian and Abolhassan Montazer, convicted in the same case following a grossly unfair torture-tainted trial. The authorities have refused to provide any information regarding their fate and whereabouts to their families or lawyers since their transfer to an unidentified location on 30 March.

“In another distressing development, authorities transferred five young protesters – Mohammad Amin Biglari, Ali Fahim, Abolfazl Salehi Siavashani, Amirhossein Hatami, Shahin Vahedparast Kolo – from Ghezel Hesar to an unidentified location this morning, also sparking fears of their imminent execution. They were sentenced to death in a separate case related to alleged offences committed in the context of the January 2026 protests.

“All 11 men have said they were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment in detention, including beatings, floggings, prolonged solitary confinement, and death threats at gunpoint before being convicted in grossly unfair trials that relied on forced ‘confessions’ extracted under torture and lasted only a few hours.

“The death penalty violates the right to life and is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Carrying out death sentences imposed after serious fair trial violations render the execution arbitrary. All states must urgently call on Iranian authorities to immediately halt all executions and establish a moratorium on all executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty.”

 Background:

Vahid Bani Amerian, Abolhassan Montazer, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar and Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi – were sentenced to death following grossly unfair proceedings before a Revolutionary Court in Tehran in October 2024,

which convicted them of “armed rebellion against the state” (baghi) on allegations of affiliation with banned opposition group, the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran (PMOI). They repeatedly denied all accusations of taking up arms against the state.

According to information obtained from informed sources, in the evening of 29 March 2026, Akbar (Shahrokh) Daneshvarkar and Mohammad Taghavi Sangdehi were suddenly transferred from Section 4 of Ghezel Hesar prison to an unidentified location. The next morning, 30 March, authorities announced their executions. They then took four other men, Babak Alipour, Pouya Ghobadi, Vahid Bani Amerian and Abolhassan Montazer, along with 14 other dissidents, also held in Section 4, to an unidentified location.

In the morning of 30 March, the authorities cut off all phone lines for political dissidents imprisoned Section 4 of Ghezel Hesar prison, who have since been held incommunicado. 

On 31 March, the authorities announced the executions of Babak Alipour and Pouya Ghobadi.

The executions of 30 and 31 March follow the executions of four other men; Saleh Mohammadi, Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi- on 19 March 2026, who had been arrested in connection with the January 2026 protests, and the reported execution of Kouroush Keyvani on espionage-related charges on 18 March 2026.

Saleh Mohammadi was sentenced to death by Criminal Court One in Qom on 4 February, less than three weeks after his arrest on 15 January 2026 in connection with the death of a security agent during protests in Qom on 8 January 2026, an accusation he denies. The verdict, reviewed by Amnesty International, shows that he retracted his “confessions” in court saying they were extracted under torture, but the court dismissed this without any investigation. An informed source said he sustained hand fractures as a result of beatings.

Seven men, namely Mohammad Amin Biglari, Ali Fahim, Abolfazl Salehi Siavashani, Amirhossein Hatami, Shahin Vahedparast Kolor, Shahab Zohdi and Yaser Rajaifar were sentenced to death for “enmity against God” (moharebeh) by Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court of Tehran for allegedly setting a Basij base on fire in Tehran. Their sentences were issued on 9 February 2026, less than a month after their arrests in January 2026.

An informed source said Mohammad Amin Biglari was forcibly disappeared for several weeks before being moved to Ghezel Hesar prison.  Authorities denied him access to a lawyer during investigations and then assigned him a state-appointed lawyer, who failed to represent his interests during a fast-tracked trial in which the court relied on forced “confessions” to convict him. They subsequently denied an independent lawyer, appointed by his family, access to his casefile, hindering his ability to file an appeal before the Supreme Court.

Since the 2022 Woman Life Freedom uprising, Iranian authorities have embarked on an execution spree putting to death thousands following grossly unfair trials, with the pace of accelerating following the 12-day war in 2025 and reaching a scale not seen in over four decades.

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• Strike on Ramat Lehi neighbourhood destroyed Tiferet Israel synagogue
• New investigation shows no military objective in vicinity of strike
• “The weapon used in the strike is wildly inaccurate” – Erika Guevara-Rosas

A missile strike by the Islamic Republic of Iran’s authorities on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh that killed nine civilians – including four teenagers – must be investigated as a war crime, Amnesty International said in a new investigation.

The strike, just before 2pm local time on 1 March on the Ramat Lehi neighbourhood, destroyed the Tiferet Israel synagogue and caused extensive damage to the bomb shelter beneath it. An estimated 46 people were also injured.

Amnesty International analyzed verified digital evidence posted on social media, along with photos and videos the organization collected from the site of the strike, and found that an Iranian ballistic missile was used in the attack.

“The weapon used in Iran’s strike on the Ramat Lehi neighborhood in Israel is wildly inaccurate and carries a massive warhead, making it completely inappropriate for use in densely populated civilian areas,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns.

This attack destroyed a synagogue and a bomb shelter – two places that should have been areas of refuge and safety for civilians

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Senior Director of Research, Advocacy, Policy and Campaigns

Amnesty International’s research found no evidence of the presence of legitimate military objectives in the immediate vicinity of the attack. The nearest military objective to the site of the strike appears to be an Israeli military base near the town of Sdot Micha, which is located approximately 3.5km to the west of the impact site.

“This attack destroyed a synagogue and a bomb shelter – two places that should have been areas of refuge and safety for civilians. Nine civilians were killed, including four children. The strike must be investigated as a war crime,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas.

“The Iranian authorities’ use of a ballistic missile in this attack renders it indiscriminate and therefore a violation of international humanitarian law. Launching an indiscriminate attack that causes civilian deaths, injuries or damage to civilian objects constitutes a war crime. There must be an independent and impartial investigation, and anyone for whom there is sufficient evidence of responsibility must be prosecuted in a fair trial.”

Amnesty International verified social media footage showing the munition falling in the city of Beit Shemesh. The trajectory of the munition and the extent of the damage at the scene of the strike are consistent with the use of a ballistic missile carrying a large warhead, rather than a cruise missile or smaller drone-delivered munition. Images from the aftermath show the razed synagogue, along with widespread damage across an approximate 500-metre radius.

Israeli media outlets reported that the warhead used was approximately 500kg. Amnesty International has not been able to confirm the payload of the weapon. A 2024 analysis of the accuracy of Iranian ballistic missiles found they routinely missed their target by at least half-a-kilometre.

Between 16 March and 19 March, Amnesty International interviewed four survivors of the attack, and a rescue worker who arrived soon after the strike. The organization also analyzed satellite imagery of the site before and after the attack to corroborate the scale of destruction.

“We are all in despair. We are broken”

Nine civilians were killed as a result of the strike: siblings Sara Biton, aged 13, Avigail Biton, 15, and Yaakov Biton, 17; Gabriel Revah, 16; Oren Katz, 46; Sara Elimelech, 67, and her daughter, Ronit Elimelech, 45; and Bruria Cohen, 76, and her son, Yossi Cohen, 41.

Rabbi Yitzak Biton lost three of his children in the attack. On the morning of the attack, he gave a lesson to Torah students. His two daughters, Sara and Avigail, convinced his son Yaakov to go to the nearby bomb shelter with them, while he, his wife Tamar, and his four-year-old daughter Rachel stayed at their house, located one block from the synagogue.

He told Amnesty International: “The ceiling and the roof [of their house] collapsed… I looked through the window, and I saw the area where the synagogue was. It was on fire, and there was very black smoke in the sky. I was afraid to go… After I worked up the courage to go, I saw the synagogue was completely destroyed, and the [bomb] shelter was split open. The shelter wasn’t safe. It did not provide protection.

“I lost not one, not two, but three children… One day, out of the blue, half of the family is gone.”

Sarah Fanny Amar, 53, was in the bomb shelter when the strike hit the synagogue. She told Amnesty International: “There was a big boom… I was hanging from metal, and metal was on top of me. Before the boom I was sitting, so the shockwave had thrown me. Around me everything was black and dust… The ceiling collapsed on top of me… I started walking, but I could barely see anything, and I was feeling my way with my hands. I was walking on top of ruins and people… Outside, there was fire… Cars were burning… I got to the grass, and that’s where I collapsed. I opened my eyes in an ambulance.

“With these bombs, you’re left with no desire to live, to sleep, to eat… I can’t live like this… Even in the shelter you are not safe… I knew everyone who was killed.”

Nissim Edery, 71, was sitting with his neighbour about 100m from the site of the attack. He told Amnesty International: “At the moment of the explosion, I was thrown 4-5m from the shockwave… I realized it was a missile that hit our area… I walked toward the explosion, and there was a huge fire and smoke… It was unbelievable to see what destruction this missile made.

“I know three of the victims, a brother and his two sisters. It tore my heart… We are all in despair. We are broken.”

Reuven Harow, 56, is a senior medic for the emergency medical service Magen David Adom. He arrived at the site around 10 minutes after the attack. He told Amnesty International: “People were coming out all bloodied and bruised… No one knew where the missile strike was – there was damage everywhere…

“Bodies were blown apart… There were body parts lying around for hours after. The focus was on saving anyone who was alive… The people who were giving treatment at the scene – they were treating family and family friends they had known for years. Everyone knows everyone here… What I kept saying over and over is ‘This isn’t real’… It looked like I was watching a movie.”

Background

On 28 February, the US and Israel launched joint attacks on Iran, with thousands of strikes across the country since. The Iranian authorities have launched retaliatory attacks across the region. The armed conflict rapidly expanded into regional hostilities across the Middle East and has resulted in significant loss of civilian life and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Israel has also escalated its attacks on Lebanon in response to Hezbollah’s attacks.

According to various media sources, Iranian forces have used cluster munitions in multiple attacks in Israel since 28 February, including on 18 March, in an attack near Tel Aviv that killed two civilians. Cluster munitions are inherently indiscriminate weapons, and their use is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Last year, Amnesty International documented how Iranian forces’ use of cluster munitions in the ‘12 Day War’ with Israel violated international humanitarian law.

As of 27 March, according to reports, as a result of Israeli and US attacks, at least 1,900 people, including at least 100 Minab schoolchildren, have been killed in Iran; more than 1,116 in Lebanon. Iranian attacks have thus far killed at least 16 civilians in Israel and four in the occupied West Bank; and at least 23 killed across other Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the region.

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Speaking ahead of the public hearings on the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 3) Bill, 2026, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, for East and Southern Africa, Vongai Chikwanda, said:

“Amnesty International urges the Zimbabwean authorities to guarantee, without discrimination, the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly during the upcoming public hearings.

“Restriction of public debate before, during, or after public hearings shuts down genuine participation, accountability, and the rule of law. Given past incidents of violence and suppression of dissenting voices, authorities must take concrete measures to ensure all participants can freely express their views and assemble without fear of intimidation, harassment, assault, or arrest.

Amnesty International urges the Zimbabwean authorities to guarantee, without discrimination, the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly during the upcoming public hearings. Restriction of public debate before, during, or after public hearings shuts down genuine participation, accountability, and the rule of law

Vongai Chikwanda, Deputy Regional Director, Amnesty ESARO

“Article 61 of Zimbabwe’s constitution guarantees freedom of expression, rights to peaceful assembly and association, which are key pillars of democratic participation. We urge the authorities to uphold these rights during the upcoming hearings, ensuring any restrictions are lawful, achieve a legitimate aim, and are necessary and proportionate. Overly restrictive or intimidatory measures risk creating a climate of fear and undermining the credibility of the consultative process.”

Background

The Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No. 3) Bill, 2026, was gazetted on February 16, 2026. The bill, among many proposals, has clauses that seek to extend presidential and parliamentary terms from five to seven years, thereby prolonging President Mnangagwa’s tenure until 2030, replacing direct presidential elections with parliamentary selection of the president, and consolidating executive control over key state institutions. Key opponents to the bill, such as National Constitutional Assembly’s Lovemore Madhuku and Constitutional Defenders Forum’s Tendai Biti, have been arrested, detained, and assaulted. Public hearings on the bill will run from 30 March 2026 to 2 April 2026.

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Millions of football fans attending the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA risk coming face to face with troubling attacks on human rights, not least those stemming from abusive and deadly US immigration policies, Amnesty International said today. The human rights organization warned that severe restrictions on freedom of expression and peaceful protest threaten the “safe, welcoming and inclusive” tournament promised by FIFA.

Its new report, Humanity Must Win: Defending rights, tackling repression at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, details significant risks to and impact on fans, players, journalists, workers and local communities in all three host countries. The USA under President Trump – where three-quarters of World Cup matches will be held – is facing a human rights emergency marked by discriminatory immigration policies, mass detentions and arbitrary arrests by masked, armed agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other agencies.  

“The US Government has deported more than 500,000 people from the USA in 2025 – more than six times as many people than will watch the World Cup final in the MetLife Stadium,” said Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice, Steve Cockburn.

“The record-breaking surge of unlawful arrests and deportations has only been possible because of the erosion of due process safeguards, undermining the rights to liberty and security of hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees. These policies have torn communities apart and created a climate of fear throughout the USA. It’s a deeply troubling time in the US, which will certainly extend to fans who want to take part in World Cup celebrations.”

World Cup host cities have been impacted by the US government’s crackdown on rights. President Trump federalized and deployed approximately 4,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June 2025, in response to protests against immigration raids. Host cities Dallas, Houston and Miami have all signed problematic agreements for local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with ICE, which increases racial profiling and targeting of immigrants, and erodes trust between communities and local law enforcement, leading to reduced public safety.

© AFP via Getty Images

In the other host countries, Mexico has mobilized 100,000 security personnel, including the military, in response to high levels of violence, raising risks for people protesting. This includes women activists who are planning a peaceful protest for the opening match at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, seeking truth justice and remedy for the disappearance of loved ones. In Canada, the impact of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and a growing housing crisis have raised fears that people experiencing homelessness will again be displaced and pushed further to the margins. On 15 March, authorities in Toronto closed a winter warming centre providing shelter for people experiencing homelessness, as the venue had been pre-booked for use by FIFA.

US travel restrictions and abusive immigration policies mar the beautiful game

In 2025 alone, the U.S. government deported over 500,000 people, including 230,000 arrested in the interior of the country and 270,000 at the border, according to analysis of official government data by the New York Times. Many have been deported in violation of the principle of non-refoulement to third countries to which they have no connection, to face arbitrary and prolonged detention.

Throughout the US, federal agents, behaving in the manner of a paramilitary-style operation, have repeatedly targeted Latino, Black, Asian and other communities of colour, violently and arbitrarily detaining people, including children, near their homes, schools and workplaces.

With many immigrant communities in the USA likely to want to come together to watch the World Cup, and millions of fans travelling from all over the world, ICE and other agencies pose a chilling threat to people living in the US, those traveling to see a game, and players themselves.

Due to travel bans under the Trump administration, fans from Côte d’Ivoire, Haiti, Iran and Senegal will be unable to travel and enter the US to support their team unless they had valid visas before 1 January 2026. Other fans face intrusive surveillance, with proposals to force visitors to make their social media accounts available for vetting, and screening for “anti-Americanism”.

This World Cup is no longer the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be… urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise.”

Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s Head of Economic and Social Justice

“Despite the astounding numbers of arrests and deportations, neither FIFA nor the US authorities have provided any guarantees that fans and local communities will be safe from ethnic and racial profiling, indiscriminate raids, or unlawful detention and deportation,” said Steve Cockburn.

“Only four of the 16 host cities have so far published their human rights plans, and none of those that have done so to date say anything about protection from abusive immigration enforcement. This World Cup is no longer the ‘medium risk’ tournament that FIFA once judged it to be – whether it is to protect people from ICE, guarantee the right to protest or prevent homelessness, urgent action is needed to make sure the reality of this World Cup matches its original promise.”

Right to protest and freedom of expression under threat

World Cups are often the focus of protests and there are risks that demonstrations could be repressed.

Across the USA, Canada and Mexico, there have been restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. The Trump administration has particularly targeted foreign-born students protesting the Israeli government’s ongoing genocide in Gaza, while US citizens protesting and monitoring aggressive immigration enforcement actions have been killed by federal agents.

© AFP

Canada has seen a wave of protests against the genocide in Gaza, including large scale peaceful demonstrations and student encampments that were unduly dispersed or cleared by the police.

Mexico has also experienced a series of World Cup-related protests by residents angry about the disruptions to water supplies, access to land, rising costs and gentrification linked to infrastructure development in host cities. The militarized nature of Mexico’s security mobilization for the tournament brings risks that further protests could be repressed.

Human rights must remain at heart of tournament

With just over 10 weeks until the World Cup kicks off, FIFA’s commitment to a tournament where everyone “feels safe, included, and free to exercise their rights” requires urgent action to ensure the beautiful game is not at risk of an ugly outcome.  Members from LGBTQI+ groups in the UK and across Europe have said it is not safe for them to have a visible presence at the tournament.

“While FIFA generates record revenues from the 2026 World Cup, fans, communities, players, journalists and workers cannot be made to pay the price. It is these people – not governments, sponsors or FIFA – to whom football belongs, and their rights must be at the centre of the tournament,” said Steve Cockburn.

Background

Amnesty International is part of Sports & Rights Alliance, a movement of fans, athletes, workers, local community members, and human rights organizations calling on FIFA to work with host countries to protect host city residents and communities.

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Responding to the tabling of an amendment to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) in Lok Sabha (lower house of the Indian Parliament) that would grant the authorities sweeping new powers over the assets of NGOs that have had their licenses withdrawn, Aakar Patel, Chair of Board at Amnesty International India, said:

“Since coming into force in 2010, the FCRA has been cynically amended and misused to harass, intimidate and censor human rights defenders and NGOs carrying out vital human rights work across India.

“As of 26 March 2026, official data shows that 21,933 organizations had lost their FCRA licenses, depriving them of essential funds and often resulting in their closure or severe restrictions on their activities. Our research has demonstrated that those most impacted are organizations associated with minority rights, right to freedom of expression, environmental rights and climate action.

This amendment would be a blatant abuse of this legislation designed to further crack down on civil society under the pretext of national security.

Aakar Patel, Chair of Board at Amnesty International India

“This amendment would extend these sweeping powers even further. The FCRA already enables the authorities to cancel, suspend or refuse to renew FCRA licenses on arbitrary and vague grounds. These changes would grant them sweeping new powers to create a mechanism to appropriate, manage and dispose of the assets of organizations that have lost their licenses.

“Many organizations are currently litigating in various courts against the cancellation, suspension or non-renewal of their FCRA licenses. This amendment would be a blatant abuse of this legislation designed to further crack down on civil society under the pretext of national security. The Lok Sabha must reject this abusive amendment and uphold the country’s Constitution and international human rights obligations regarding the rights to freedom of expression and association.”

Background

Under the proposed changes, a “designated authority” would take over, manage or dispose of assets created out of foreign funds by an NGO or association, which has had its FCRA registration suspended, cancelled, or not renewed. The Indian government has repeatedly amended the Act to make it more stringent and burdensome for the civil society to carry out their legitimate human rights activities.

In 2024, the Financial Action Task Force found India only “partially compliant” on safeguards for non-profits, warning that measures such as the FCRA risk being misused to restrict legitimate civil society activity, and urged as a priority that they be made risk-based, proportionate, and developed in consultation with the sector. In 2016, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association warned the Indian government that the FCRA contains overbroad and vague provisions that undermine the right to freedom of association.

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