Vatican Told Irish Clergy to Keep Abuse Reports From Police

Staff / Truthdig Jan 19, 2011 According to an official letter issued by the Vatican in 1997, the Holy See issued a warning to higher-ups in the Irish Catholic Church, strongly suggesting that they keep reports of child abuse by clergy members from outside authorities or they could face "embarrassing" consequences. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Death Penalty Keeps U.S. in Bad Company

Staff / Truthdig Mar 24, 2009 Here's a list of countries where you don't want to find yourself when it comes to human rights: Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Iraq, Pakistan and the good ol' US of A Those six states execute more of their citizens than any others, according to Amnesty International's latest tally The U is the fourth-worst offender. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Dissidents Are Held Back as Clinton Holds Forth in China

Staff / Truthdig Feb 22, 2009 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton this weekend made her first visit to China in her new role, but Amnesty International and other activist groups didn't like her position when it came to addressing China's treatment of dissidents -- more specifically, she didn't take a firm stand on the issue during her meetings with Chinese officials. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Unions Join Greek Unrest

Staff / Truthdig Dec 10, 2008 In a move that further complicates the anti-government unrest rocking Greece for the past four days, the country's two biggest trade unions have declared their intention to go ahead with a planned 24-hour strike, likely to paralyze the economy in protest against government policies and incompetent handling of the economic crisis. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

China Under Fire for Olympic Crackdowns

Staff / Truthdig Jul 29, 2008 When Beijing was chosen to host the Olympics, the Chinese government pledged to make human rights improvements, but Amnesty International says the situation has actually gotten worse because of the coming games: "Specifically we've seen crackdowns on domestic human rights activists, media censorship and increased use of re-education through labor as a means to clean up Beijing and surrounding areas." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Aid Groups Slam Gaza Blockade

Staff / Truthdig Mar 6, 2008 A coalition of human rights and development groups has condemned Israel's blockade of Gaza as the worst humanitarian crisis the territory has suffered since 1967. The Israeli government has defended the blockade as a necessary strategy against rocket attacks, a claim the aid groups reject. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

International Protest Targets Guantanamo

Staff / Truthdig Jan 12, 2008 Activists around the world took to the streets Friday wearing orange jumpsuits in protest of the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, which Amnesty International calls an "unlawful black hole." Eighty demonstrators were arrested in or near the Supreme Court building, where justices are reviewing the legality of the government's detention program. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Vatican Shuns Amnesty International

Staff / Truthdig Jun 14, 2007 The Vatican is urging Catholics not to donate to Amnesty International because, it says, the group selectively promotes abortion. The human rights organization says the church has misrepresented its policy and, in the process, imperiled human rights. The World Health Organization estimates that 70,000 women die every year from unsafe abortions. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

China and Russia Deny Involvement in Darfur Genocide

Staff / Truthdig May 8, 2007 Amnesty International has accused China and Russia of violating a U.N. arms embargo against Sudan. The human rights organization says the weapons end up in Darfur, where they are used against civilians in the ongoing genocide. The two Security Council members deny any wrongdoing. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Shutting Down Guantanamo

Staff / Truthdig Apr 25, 2007 Jumana Musa, advocacy director for domestic human rights and international justice at Amnesty International, speaks with Truthdig about the war on human rights, why conditions at Guantanamo have only gotten worse and why she has hope for the future. Dig deeper ( 18 Min. Read )

Cuba Leads Charge to End U.N. Human Rights Investigations

Staff / Truthdig Mar 20, 2007 The newly formed U.N. Human Rights Council is debating whether to do away with the special rapporteurs whose job is to investigate global human rights abuses. A group of countries typically subjected to such scrutiny, with Cuba and China at the helm, argues that domestic reports should be sufficient. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Amnesty Says Iraq Prison Abuses Continue

Staff / Truthdig Mar 6, 2006 Even in the wake of Abu Ghraib, reports of torture in American-run Iraqi prisons continue to "pour out of Iraq," according to Amnesty International. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )