News : Sam Zarifi

(Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty International has urged authorities in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir to release a 14-year-old child who has been detained without charge or trial for seven months, for allegedly taking part in anti-government protests.

"Mushtaq Ahmad Sheikh must either be charged with a recognizable criminal offence or released immediately," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s...

(Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty International is urging NATO leaders to protect human rights and ensure security for the people of Afghanistan as they prepare for the 2010 NATO Lisbon Summit.
“As NATO begins to discuss its withdrawal from Afghanistan, it’s crucial to explain to the Afghan people exactly how the international community will follow through on its promise to protect and promote their human rights,” said...

(Washington, D.C.) – Amnesty International today urged the Chinese authorities to release a woman sentenced to a year in a labor camp for retweeting a supposedly anti-Japanese message.
Chinese online activist Cheng Jianping was sentenced to one year of ‘Re-education Through Labor’ on Monday for “disturbing social order”, having retweeted a satirical suggestion on October 17 that the Japanese Pavilion at the...

(Washington, D.C.) – Singapore dealt a sharp blow to freedom of expression by sentencing 76-year-old British author Alan Shadrake to jail for publishing a book which criticizes the Singaporean judiciary, Amnesty International said today.
Shadrake was sentenced to six weeks in jail and a fine of 50,000 Singapore dollars (US$15,400). He was convicted of contempt of court for ‘scandalizing the judiciary’ over...

(Washington, D.C.) - Singapore’s conviction of author Alan Shadrake for contempt of court will further stifle freedom of expression and legitimate criticism of the Singaporean judiciary, Amnesty International said today. 

“This judgment creates a chilling effect on freedom of speech, for Singaporeans and foreigners alike,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s director for the Asia-Pacific.  

Alan Shadrake,...

The Pakistani government must investigate the torture and killings of more than 40 Baloch leaders and political activists over the past four months, Amnesty International said today.

“The Pakistani government must act immediately to provide justice for the growing list of atrocities in Balochistan,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director. “Baloch political leaders and activists are clearly...