Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to a decision by a court in Kyrgyzstan to release investigative journalist and Temirov LIVE editor-in-chief Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy from custody and subject her to a travel ban pending a retrial, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“While Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy’s release from prison is a long-overdue step towards justice that allows her to reunite with her son, it does not erase the human rights violations she has already endured and those she faces with possible retrial.”

“The Kyrgyzstani authorities should immediately drop all charges and lift the travel ban against Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy, and provide her with an effective remedy for the violations she has already suffered.

“The targeting of Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy, and earlier, of her colleagues from Temirov LIVE and Ayt Ayt Dese media projects, sends a chilling message to investigative journalists across the country. No journalist should be prosecuted solely for reporting on matters of public interest. The authorities must abide by Kyrgyzstan’s international human rights obligations and provide a safe environment for independent journalism and ensure full respect for the right to freedom of expression.”

The targeting of Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy, and earlier, of her colleagues from Temirov LIVE and Ayt Ayt Dese media projects, sends a chilling message to investigative journalists across the country. No journalist should be prosecuted solely for reporting on matters of public interest

Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director

Background

On 23 March, the Lenin District Court of Bishkek ordered Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy’s release after more than two years’ detention, replacing her custodial measure with a travel restriction. The decision followed a ruling by the Supreme Court on 10 March to overturn her previous conviction and retry her case.

Makhabat Tazhibek-kyzy was arrested in January 2024 along with other journalists and media workers associated with Temirov LIVE and Ayt Ayt Dese, two independent media projects that have investigated alleged corruption in Kyrgyzstan. She and her colleague Azamat Ishenbekov faced trumped up charges of “inciting mass unrest,” and were sentenced to six and five years’ imprisonment respectively, on 10 October 2024. Makhabat’s husband, prominent investigative journalist Bolot Temirov, had previously been stripped of his Kyrgyzstani citizenship and forced into exile. Azamat Ishenbekov was released on 9 April 2025 by presidential pardon.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

The Guardian has reported that the largest methane emissions in the U.S. in 2025 detected by space-based observers appear to originate from an Energy Transfer facility in Texas. Greenpeace USA’s December 2025 report, Bad Neighbor, documented Energy Transfer’s long track record of pollution and violations. While this methane plume was not included in our report, it definitely fits the pattern documented there.

This dubious distinction comes from an analysis by the Stop Methane Project at UCLA, using methane detection data from two space-based instruments (Planet Labs’ Tanger-1 satellite and NASA’s EMIT instrument based on the International Space Station) as compiled by Carbon Mapper. Of the top 25 biggest plumes globally, 23 were attributed to state-owned oil and gas companies in Turkmenistan, Iran and Venezuela. 

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 84-87 times stronger than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timescale. Methane emissions often happen together with the release of other air pollutants that can damage human health – including cancer-causing pollutants such as benzene. As one of the UCLA researchers told the Guardian, “Americans should be surprised and angered by the fact that the US lands pretty high on this list of top super-polluting plumes.”

Inspection of the Carbon Mapper data indicates that the source could be associated with Energy Transfer’s Red Lake or Lenorah Gas Plants, which are located in Stanton, TX near the Permian Basin. The data shows that methane emissions were detected on two dates in 2025 (with no emissions detected on two other dates). The largest event on August 8, 2025 released an estimated 21.5 metric tons of methane per hour, and the weighted average emissions rate for the year was 5.5 metric tons per hour. The Guardian estimates these emissions were equivalent to “a million fuel-guzzling SUVs.”

This average rate was the  9th largest oil and gas source in 2025. Energy Transfer was one of only two private oil companies, and the only U.S. company, to make the global top 25. According to The Guardian, Energy Transfer “did not reply to a request for comment.” The Permian Basin is the largest oil and gas producing region in the U.S. and other satellite observations have found it to be one of the largest methane hot spots around the globe.

As our Bad Neighbor report documented, Energy Transfer has grown significantly in recent years and now claims to transport approximately 30% of U.S. natural gas and 40% of U.S. crude production. During this time period, ET’s operations in the Permian have experienced numerous methane emissions events that have been detected by land-, air-, and space-based observers.

These are not the only events detected from the Red Lake Gas Plant. In September 2025, investigators with Oilfield Witness observed emissions from a flare at the Red Lake Gas Plant using optical gas imaging (OGI) cameras.

A search of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Air Emissions Event database does not show any reported events on the two dates reported by Carbon Mapper for either the Red Lake or Lenorah gas plants. However, both plants did report a large emissions event on January 23, 2026. The event lasted 16 hours and involved flaring of “residue gas” as a result of disruptions from Winter Storm Fern. Thousands of pounds of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds were emitted from the two plants during the event.

Oilfield Witness has documented nearly 70 similar emissions events from oil and gas operations in Texas as a result of Winter Storm Fern.

As part of his reckless assault on environmental protections, the Trump Administration has weakened, eliminated, and rolled back numerous regulations designed to fix the methane problem.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Yaoundé, March 21, 2026 – On the occasion of the International Day of Forests, Greenpeace Africa organized a public mobilization in Yaoundé aimed at raising awareness about the protection of the Congo Basin forests and the rights of local communities.

To mark this day, the organization brought together youth, civil society actors, public institutions, journalists, and scientists around public engagement activities, including panel discussions, exhibitions, and mobilization initiatives. The objective was to strengthen collective awareness and build a united front against the threats facing forests and biodiversity.

The results of investigations conducted by journalists in Cameroon reveal an alarming expansion of mining activity in the East of the country. In just 14 years, the mining area there has increased by 5,000%, growing from 82 hectares in 2010 to over 4,600 hectares in 2024. This dynamic has been accompanied by an estimated loss of nearly 270,000 hectares of primary forest.

Forests play an essential role in climate regulation, particularly at the local level, and contribute, along with soils, to carbon storage. In this context, the International Day of Forests serves as a reminder of the urgent need to strengthen their protection and to combat environmental crime and governance failures more effectively.

The mobilization held in Yaoundé also facilitated a constructive dialogue on forest governance, the securing of community land rights, and the promotion of sustainable solutions led by indigenous peoples and  local communities (IPLCs).

For Greenpeace Africa, these reforms are essential to ensure the effective protection of forests and the well-being of the populations that depend on them.

“The exploitation of natural resources very often takes place on lands claimed by communities under their customary land rights. Far from fostering local development, these projects cause considerable environmental and social damage and threaten ecosystems that communities have protected for generations,” stated Stella Tchoukep, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.

Local communities and indigenous peoples are thus deprived of their agricultural lands and forests, once sources of livelihood, today degraded and polluted.

Greenpeace Africa calls on the Cameroonian government to strengthen forest protection mechanisms and guarantee the rights of the communities whose livelihoods depend on them. Specifically, the organization urges decision-makers to:

• Recognize and secure the customary land rights of indigenous peoples and local communities within the ongoing reforms;
• Establish a moratorium on new oil, gas, mining, and agro-industrial projects in areas of high ecological value;
• Guarantee direct and equitable access for communities to climate and biodiversity funding;
• Promote community-led solutions, such as agroecology and sustainable local economies developed within community forests.

This mobilization also takes place in a context where Greenpeace Africa has launched a petition calling on the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights to recognize the climate crisis, caused in part by deforestation, as a human rights violation.

Stella Tchoukep, Forest Campaigner,  [email protected] , +237 6 94 59 06 79

Luchelle Feukeng Tabo, Communication and storytelling manager, Greenpeace Afrique  [email protected]/+237656463545

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Greenpeace is demanding governments curb corporate interference in ocean protection, as crucial Ocean Treaty talks begin at UN headquarters in New York today.

The talks are expected to have a crucial impact on the power of destructive industrial fishing activity on the high seas, which campaigners say could have “catastrophic” consequences.[1]

Megan Randles, head of Greenpeace’s delegation to the talks, said:

“The fishing industry has been lobbying to weaken the Ocean Treaty for years. We need governments to curb corporate influence now, stop kowtowing to industry pressure, and stop the process from being tied up in delays. If they don’t, the result will be catastrophic for ocean protection. 

“The organisations that manage fishing in the high seas have always protected industry interests, that’s why we’re calling for a limit on how much influence they would have on sanctuary proposals, which are urgently needed for the ocean to recover. Governments must not allow the fishing industry’s influence to hold the Treaty process to ransom.”

Fully protected sanctuaries would cordon off huge areas of the ocean from destructive human activity, but it’s something that the fishing industry has been lobbying against for years. 

Greenpeace is calling on governments to curb the influence of fishing industry lobbying before it’s too late, and ensure that fully protected high seas sanctuaries can be created without delay. Governments must therefore impose a maximum 120 day time limit for the review of sanctuary proposals, this would prevent the organisations that control high seas fishing, and fishing industry interests, from stalling the process. These Regional Fishing Management Organisations (RFMOs) have always protected the interests of the fishing industry, overseen the decimation of biodiversity and destruction of entire ecosystems, and therefore must not be allowed to tie up ocean protection in delays.[2]  

Governments have committed to protecting 30% of the ocean in the next four years, a target that scientists say is the absolute minimum required for the ocean to bounce back from decades of destruction. Making sure that the process of creating sanctuaries isn’t tied up in delays will be vital to this progress. 

It is in the best interest of the fishing industry that RFMOs retain their power over the high seas. That’s why during the Ocean Treaty negotiations, they lobbied governments hard to ensure that the Treaty wouldn’t undermine RFMO power. They even tried and failed to remove fishing activity from the scope of the Global Ocean Treaty altogether. This would have been a disaster for ocean protection.

ENDS 

Notes: 

1. The next round of Ocean Treaty talks, the Third Preparatory Commission (Prepcom 3), will begin at the United Nations in New York on 23 March. They are extremely important as key recommendations will be made on how the first Ocean COP (expected some time before January 2027) can deliver the protection needed to allow the ocean to recover from decades of destruction.
2. Out of an assessment of 48 high seas fish stocks we know to be in the high seas 75% were considered depleted or overfished in 2016. 
3. The fishing industry has been actively lobbying against ocean protection measures and to protect its profit margins for decades. Last year, InfluenceMap found that nearly all major seafood companies lobby against ocean protection. Twenty-nine of the 30 biggest seafood firms analysed were pushing policies that clash with global biodiversity goals. Behind the scenes, the same players were working to block the creation or expansion of ocean sanctuaries. 
4. A full media briefing is available.

Contact:

Florri Burton, Global Media Lead, Oceans Are Life, Greenpeace Nordic

 +447896523839, florri.burton@greenpeace.org 
Greenpeace International Press Desk: +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), pressdesk.int@greenpeace.org

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

SYDNEY, Monday 23 March 2026 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has labelled the Federal government’s new expectations for data centres and AI infrastructure released today as seriously inadequate, failing to address the massive impacts of the facilities on our energy systems and society, and enabling US-style Big Tech overreach and deregulation.

Greenpeace says the dizzying scale of new AI data centre development in Australia threatens to derail the energy transition by prolonging reliance on polluting fossil fuels, increasing electricity prices and consuming enormous quantities of water — all to power an industry which may be enabling socially harmful outcomes. 

Joe Rafalowicz, Head of Climate and Energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “The frenzied build out of AI data centres in Australia is breathtaking, and following a dangerous US-style path where Big Tech corporations have carte blanche to drain local energy and water, and build new, polluting gas and diesel-powered plants to fuel their operations.

“Australia is following the US down the same dystopian path of unregulated AI data centre expansion and overreach by Big Tech corporations that are at best driving significant climate and environmental harm and at worst, generating illegal explicit images or supporting the US military to bomb civilians in Iran. 

“These billionaire-run companies like Amazon, Open AI, Meta have time and again shown themselves to be morally impaired, with not even the best interests of humanity, let alone Australians, at the core of their decisions. Expecting them to just do the right thing because we ask nicely is baffling. 

“We’re also seeing vested-interest lobby groups like the newly formed Data Centres Australia aggressively pushing to cut regulations that would protect Australians from the climate, environmental and social impacts of data centres. 

“Last year, the Albanese government abandoned its own recommended AI guardrails when it announced its National AI Plan — a move applauded by these lobby groups.

“The gas lobby has also now seized on data centre growth to justify extracting more gas, just as the world needs to rapidly phase out fossil fuels for energy security and to tackle the climate crisis. 

“We have a short and closing window to choose a different path in Australia — without strong guardrails, we risk replicating the US pattern where Big Tech corporations make huge profits at the expense of locals. The government must not roll out the red carpet to these corporations without adequate, legislated protections and scrutiny — not just ‘nice-to-haves’.”

ENDS

Media contact: 

Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 or [email protected]

Source: Amnesty International –

Several countries across the Americas are adopting restrictive legal frameworks to weaken, control, and even dismantle civil society organizations, Amnesty International said today as it launched its new report Tearing Up the Social Fabric: Impact of restrictive laws on civil society organizations in the Americas.

Between 2024 and 2025, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela adopted or reformed legal frameworks that impose disproportionate controls on civil society organizations (CSOs), directly affecting their ability to support communities, defend human rights, operate, and access resources.

“What we are seeing is a worrying regional pattern. So-called ‘anti-NGO laws’ reflect the rise of authoritarian practices aimed at silencing critical voices and consolidating power at any cost,” said Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

What we are seeing is a worrying regional pattern. So-called ‘anti-NGO laws’ reflect the rise of authoritarian practices aimed at silencing critical voices and consolidating power at any cost.”

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

Source: Amnesty International –

In 2018, Sylvie Njobati’s grandfather told her about a sacred ancient artefact known as Ngonnso, stolen by the Germans during the colonial period from 1884 to 1916, and donated to Berlin’s Ethnological Museum, by German Military Officer, Kurt Von Pavel.

Ngonnso was seen as a cultural cornerstone for the Nso people, an ethnic group from the Northwest Region of Cameroon, embodying their history and identity.

Keen to see it returned to its rightful home during his lifetime, Sylvie’s grandfather asked her if she could try and bring it back to Cameroon.

Determined to make her grandfather proud, Sylvie launched the campaign #BringBackNgonnso and embarked on a lifechanging mission…

My grandfather was 75 when he bestowed a mission on me, involving a sacred wooden statue called Ngonnso.

Ngonnso was the founding mother of the Nso people. After her death, a wooden statue of her took on great significance and it was seen as a cultural cornerstone for the Nso people. During our conversations, my grandfather told me how it was taken by German colonial officer Kurt Von Pavel in 1902 and donated to Berlin’s Ethnological Museum.

My grandfather was a pastor, a wise man and my rock. His last wish was to return to the big compound [villages that make up the Nso Kingdom] he had abandoned, find Ngonnso and return it to its rightful place. But given his age, he needed my help. It was an opportunity to reconnect with my culture, and a history that had been intentionally denied as I didn’t have access to that kind of knowledge

When I agreed to the mission, I didn’t know much about Ngonnso. We were never taught about it in school, however after researching the importance of it myself, I realised it was an opportunity to educate other people. If I could bring Ngonnso back, it would show how my people had survived the colonial era.

This mission wasn’t just for my grandfather; it was for my community too.

Starting the campaign

My community had been trying to return Ngonnso for close to 30 years. I started organizing talks in churches, local community groups and schools, where we talked about the restitution of Ngonnso.  A key part of my campaign was film – and I knew if I wanted my campaign to reach my people and my community, I had to take them to Germany without them having to physically travel there. I filmed a piece with my grandfather, granting me this mission, and it captured the essence of the campaign. It was very powerful as it helped people understand the importance of objects, especially in the context of Cameroon.

Having started conversations with the community, the next step was to connect with the Germans and, most importantly, the institutions with the power to make decisions. To bring the campaign to life, I created a Facebook account –  “the official restitution page for Ngonnso”. From there, a social media campaign was born, using the hashtag #BringBackNgonnso.

I researched institutions and individuals working on decolonization in German and contacted them, including the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, the supposed owner of Ngonnso. In less than two weeks, I had a meeting with the German contact point for collections of colonial artefacts. During our conversation, I learnt an individual nor a community member could ask for restitution – it had to be done by the king, the local government, the president or the embassy.

The time to act is now

In 2021, Ngonnso was going to be on exhibition in Germany at the museum the, Humboldt Forum For us, this was sacrilege. I decided to go to Germany to make my voice heard. During my visit, I met the President of the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, where I presented the official restitution letter.  I played a clip of my grandfather saying how he would love to see Ngonnso returned. The room fell quiet. It was an incredible moment. My request of restitution was finally acknowledged and I was promised help going forward.

I played a clip of my grandfather saying how he would love to see Ngonnso returned. The room fell quiet. It was an incredible moment. My request of restitution was finally acknowledged.

Sylvie Njobati

Sadly, during that week of meetings, my grandfather passed away. It was a difficult week, as I’d wanted to bring back Ngonnso before he passed. I felt so mad and questioned whether I’d been too slow. But in our culture, when someone passes on, they transcend. The passing of my grandfather reminded me that life is fragile. If you have to do something, then it now is the time. 

I felt energized and motivated to keep going. After that, things moved quickly – we had a workshop in 2021, compiled the results in 2022 and by June of the same year, the decision to return Ngonnso to Cameroon had been confirmed.

I called our King to tell him, but I couldn’t stop thinking about my grandfather. When I returned to Cameroon, I wrote a letter to my grandfather and took it to his grave. I spoke to him and said I had brought good news. I knew he was smiling, wherever he was – he’s still smiling at me right now.

Restitution is a priority for my country

That was four years ago. Prior to my campaign, Cameroon was not interested in restitution. But now it’s a priority for them and they’ve created a commission in charge of illegally exported goods.

 Ngonnso is still not back in Cameroon and it’s all to do with politics. The next step involves negotiations between Germany and the state of Cameroon. It’s frustrating as a lot of other people have passed without being able to see this happen.

I’ve learnt a lot from participating in this campaign and travelling to Germany. I have walked through museums, reliving the experiences of my ancestors. It inspires me to continue the fight, as I can reimagine what it was like then.

Reshaping the narrative

At the moment, it feels like we’re in the midst of a colonial resistance. We’re fighting for restitution and for reparations and we’re resisting so history doesn’t repeat itself. For me, restitution doesn’t just mean the physical return of objects. It also means reclaiming our stories and reshaping our narrative, so we can tell our own stories.

Reparations aren’t seen as a two-way street. Survivors and victims of these colonial crimes are having to fight for reparation, while the perpetrators – such as Germany in this case – fail to take any kind of initiative. We need to make space in our hearts to repair and heal, otherwise these conversations won’t amount anything.

To me reparatory justice also takes the form of access to information and awareness raising, at a community level. Having recently attended the Wakati Wetu Festival, alongside organizations such as Amnesty International, I hope we can help build and support campaigning at a grassroots level so conversations aren’t just taking place among a privileged few.

Sometimes, I feel as though I have exhausted all avenues as many of the people who were pushing for the return of Ngonnso have now passed away, but it just reminds me that I need to push harder. It can be exhausting at times, but I feel hopeful that Ngonnso will be returned in 2026.

To mark International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Amnesty International is launching a series of Perspectives titled ‘Voices of Reparatory Justice’. In this series, we speak with artists, activists and leaders who share their stories of repair and resilience in fighting against the negative impacts of historical injustices, slavery, and colonialism.  Despite existential challenges, their journey to secure dignity and rights of racialised groups, restores hopes for our collective future, humanity must always prevail. This is one of those stories. Find out more about our work.