Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Wednesday, June 3 – Internal Shell documents obtained by the BBC show that Shell continued operating the Nembe Creek Trunk Line in Nigeria for years while it knew the pipeline was causing widespread pollution, overriding warnings from its own technical executives and its own operating standards. Sections of the pipeline were classified “red” under Shell’s own rules, a status requiring immediate shutdown. Shell kept the oil flowing.

Responding to the revelations, Sherelee Odayar, Oil and Gas Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, said:

“Shell saw the danger in its own files and chose profit over people. Its engineers raised the alarm. Its own standards demanded a shutdown. Its executives kept the oil flowing and worried about legal privilege while the rivers of the Niger Delta turned to poison.”

“This is wilful neglect. The communities of Bille lost their fishing grounds to a company that weighed their lives against its margins and decided the margins came first.”

“Shell banked the profit for decades while Bille paid in lost fishing grounds and ruined health. Under the Polluter Pays Principle, that debt comes due. Shell must pay to clean the water, restore the land, and compensate the people whose livelihoods it destroyed. Justice for the petitioners means Shell answers for every barrel spilt and every life upended.”

Greenpeace Africa stands with the Bille community and every Niger Delta family demanding accountability. The verdict the people of the Delta deserve is simple. The polluter must pay, and in full.

ENDS

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to reports that Chinese authorities have barred the mothers of protesters killed in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown from visiting their loved ones’ graves on this week’s anniversary of the atrocity, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks said:

“Banning the relatives of people killed in the Tiananmen crackdown from visiting their loved ones’ graves is a heartless act by the Chinese authorities.

“The Tiananmen Mothers were not previously blocked from cemetery visits on the 4 June anniversary, and it is deeply troubling that this year the suppression of Tiananmen commemoration appears to be escalating – reflecting the government’s deep-seated insecurity about people’s demands for accountability.

“For years the Chinese authorities have sought to erase the public’s collective memory of the bloody events of 4 June 1989, but this latest prohibition is an attempt to stamp out even the personal memories of the victims’ families.

“This suggests an approach that is increasingly hardline and devoid of compassion. To continually deny the truth about the Tiananmen crackdown is abhorrent; but to deny relatives the ability to mourn their dead shows another level of cruelty.

“The Chinese authorities must be held accountable for the grave human rights violations perpetrated on 4 June 1989, and families must be allowed to commemorate those killed 37 years ago simply for exercising their right to protest.”

Source: Amnesty International –

Amnesty International has today added its name to a complaint filed against FedEx Belgium alleging the unlawful transit of arms, including parts for F-35 fighter jets which have been used extensively by Israel during its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.

The human rights organization has joined a coalition of civil society organizations, including Vredesactie, Ligue des droits humains, and Coordination nationale d’action pour la paix et la démocratie, which filed a criminal complaint with the Public Prosecutor of Liège in Belgium’s Wallonia region, against FedEx Belgium. The company is the Belgian subsidiary of the US shipping giant.

Under laws governing Wallonia, a federal region with legislative power, FedEx Belgium was required to obtain a transit licence from local authorities for the shipment, which it failed to do. The transfer of such arms without this license is a criminal offence under Belgian law.

“F-35 fighter jets are the most advanced combat aircraft in the Israeli Air Force, which has caused widespread death and destruction, wiping out entire generations of Palestinian families and reducing most of the Gaza Strip to rubble. Israel’s ongoing genocide demands constant re-supply of weapons; and all states, including Belgium, have a duty to prevent and punish genocide and not to contribute to Israel’s unlawful occupation of the Palestinian territory which requires also immediately halting any transfer or transit of arms that may be used to commit crimes under international law,” said Carine Thibaut, Director of Amnesty International (Francophone) Belgium.

In October 2024, a shipment subject to the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) was transported by FedEx from the Hill Air Force Base in Utah to the Nevatim military airbase in Israel, according to information available on FedEx’s website.

In June 2025, statements made by FedEx indicated that “certain FedEx flight routes have been reconfigured at short notice for operational reasons” owing to the closure of Israeli airspace during the so-called “12 Day War” between Iran and Israel. As a result, “certain goods subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations may have passed through Liège unintentionally”.

The cargo was unloaded at Liège airport, then transported by road to Cologne airport in Germany before continuing on to Israel.

Violations of international law

There have been further media reports of suspected illegal transits of shipments at Liège Airport since then, indicating a failure to enforce local laws.

“We are concerned that a pattern is emerging where Belgian and Walloon authorities are not putting mechanisms in place to effectively regulate the transit of arms. By bringing this case, we hope to stop the further unlawful transit of arms through Belgium to Israel and secure accountability. It’s not acceptable that multinationals like FedEx can ignore the rules when it suits them. They are not above the law,” said Carine Thibaut.

It’s not acceptable that multinationals like FedEx can ignore the rules when it suits them. They are not above the law.

Carine Thibaut, Director of Amnesty International (Francophone) Belgium

International law prohibits all states from transferring weapons to any party to an armed conflict where there is a clear risk that such transfers could contribute to serious violations of international humanitarian law. The International Court of Justice’s July 2024 Advisory Opinion concluded that states have an obligation not to assist in maintaining Israel’s unlawful occupation of Palestinian territory.

States that continue to transfer arms to Israel are acting in contravention of their obligations under the Geneva Conventions, and for those that have ratified it, the Arms Trade Treaty.

Amnesty International’s research also shows that Lockheed Martin Corporation (Lockheed Martin) continues to supply and service F-16s and the growing fleet of F-35 combat aircraft which has been used extensively in the bombardment of the occupied Gaza Strip.

Companies manufacturing and exporting arms also have a responsibility to respect human rights and international humanitarian law, including by conducting heightened human rights due diligence throughout their value chains to ensure the arms exported are not used to commit grave abuses that may amount to international crimes.

“This case comes at a time of renewed pressure on EU governments and companies to move beyond words of condemnation to actions which are essential to bring an end to Israel’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip, its unlawful occupation of the whole Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and its cruel system of apartheid against all Palestinians whose rights it controls. Human dignity is not a commodity. States, companies and many others must end their lethal addiction to economic gains and profits at all costs,” said Carine Thibaut.

Background

In 2024, the Walloon authorities suspended licences for the export of explosive powder to Israel, citing the International Court of Justice ruling of 26 January 2024 which found a plausible risk of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The authorities also cited the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza and subsequently banned the transit of weapons to Israel through Liège and Charleroi airports.

Another case was also opened by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office and is the subject of a judicial investigation.

Amnesty International approached FedEx Belgium for comment and received the following statement from a spokesperson for the company: “FedEx is committed to complying with applicable laws and regulations. We do not ship weapons or ammunition internationally and have put in place strict screening procedures to prevent such shipments.”

Amnesty International calls on all states to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel. This should include all arms or equipment or technology or parts that risk enabling Israel to continue its genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, as well as its unlawful occupation and system of apartheid, including policing and surveillance equipment.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Amsterdam, Netherlands – Greenpeace International launched a new report warning that the global target to protect at least 30% of the world’s oceans and other vital ecosystems by 2030 is on a path to failure, unless governments place human rights at the centre of marine conservation, today.

The report, “Global Ocean Justice Now: Making the Case for a Human Rights-Based Approach to Marine Conservation,“ is founded in long-standing collaboration with impacted communities. Ecosystems managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities tend to be healthier, more biodiverse, and more resilient than surrounding areas with different governance. Yet, the report documents how communities are being pushed out, ignored, and actively harmed by state-sanctioned industrial developments and extractive industries. By consistently prioritising corporate profit and extractive industries, and by starving community-led conservation of critical support, governments are fundamentally failing to meet their international commitments.

Nichanan Tanthanawit, Global Project Lead, Greenpeace Ocean Justice Campaign said: “Too many governments are treating the 30×30 targets like a numbers game. You cannot claim to protect the ocean while excluding the very communities who have protected these ecosystems for generations. The science is already clear: oceans are healthier where communities have rights, power, and stewardship.” 

The report is being launched as world leaders begin the six-month countdown to the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia, where for the first time, countries will take stock of the stay of play of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. COP17 offers a critical window for course correction, where world leaders must accelerate efforts to recognise Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ rights on the ground as well as their key role in nature protection and management. At its core, the report exposes the rise of so-called “paper parks”: protected areas that exist on maps but offer little real-world protection, and non-inclusive conservation tools that are collecting dust on a shelf and are not implemented in practice.

This failure, the report shows, is structural. Governments consciously choose to routinely overlook the most time-tested form of ocean stewardship in human history: the knowledge, governance systems, and daily practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities who have sustained coastal ecosystems for generations. Instead, by displacing those communities to make room for industrial projects described as “national development,” the ecological damage mounts and the biodiversity targets slip further out of reach.

Tanthanawit added: “Development cannot continue to be defined only through top-down policies,”  “Across the world, coastal communities are already showing the will and leadership to move development and conservation forward on their own terms. Without meaningful participation, 30×30 risks becoming just another number on paper.” 

From industrial salmon farming in Patagonia, to fishmeal factories in West Africa, to sand mining in Sri Lanka and mega-port developments in Southern Thailand, the report exposes this growing contradiction: governments are promising ocean protection internationally while enabling ecological destruction domestically. But communities are not victims –  Indigenous Peoples and local communities are the architects of some of the world’s most effective marine protection systems.

Mamadou Kaly Ba, Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa said: “Senegal’s coastal communities are facing an unprecedented crisis driven by industrial overfishing, fishmeal and fish oil production, pollution, and offshore oil and gas expansion, all of which threaten our marine ecosystems, food security, and traditional livelihoods. Yet across our coastline, communities are proving that sustainable and community-led marine conservation works when local people are empowered and included in decision-making. We urgently need stronger protection for small-scale fisheries, greater recognition of community rights, and a phase out of fishmeal and fish oil production if we are to secure a just and sustainable future for Senegal’s ocean and coastal communities.”

 Anita Perera, Campaigner, Greenpeace South Asia said: “From severe environmental degradation and external development pressures to a recent catastrophic shipping disaster that dumped over 1,600 tonnes of plastic into South Asian waters, the communities in Mannar have withstood a continuous ecological onslaught. Yet, through unyielding resistance, they fought their way to a landmark Presidential decree requiring local consent before any energy project can proceed. When frontline communities assert their right to self-determination, they don’t just protect biodiversity – they reshape legal frameworks.”

Greenpeace is calling on governments to urgently implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF) and the 30×30 protection target. To do so, global efforts must prioritise redirecting conservation funding to community-led stewardship, halting destructive industrial activity in sensitive marine areas, and centering the rights and food security of Indigenous and coastal communities at every step.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Download the full report.

Executive summary of the report.

Photos available in the Greenpeace Media Library.

Source: Oxfam –

Source: Amnesty International –

In response to the announcement of the death of Brooklyn Rivera, Miskitu Indigenous leader and prisoner of conscience, Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International, said:

“Brooklyn Rivera should not have died in the custody of the Nicaraguan state. His death followed the deterioration of his health while he was being arbitrarily detained. During this time, the authorities held him without confirming his whereabouts, without access to his family or to trusted legal counsel, and without independent oversight to verify his situation. Amnesty International repeatedly warned that these circumstances placed his personal integrity and life at risk. Today, those warnings have materialized into a death that the state must explain.” 

Brooklyn Rivera should not have died in the custody of the Nicaraguan state. His death followed the deterioration of his health while he was being arbitrarily detained. During this time, the authorities held him without confirming his whereabouts, without access to his family or to trusted legal counsel, and without independent oversight to verify his situation.” 

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International

“This grave event cannot be met with silence or impunity. Under international human rights standards, all deaths in state custody must be investigated, as they may constitute unlawful deaths and, therefore, a violation of the right to life. We urgently call on governments in the region and international protection mechanisms to demand accountability from the Nicaraguan state and to call for a prompt, effective, thorough, independent, impartial and transparent investigation to clarify the circumstances of this potentially unlawful death. Now more than ever, they must also intensify their efforts on behalf of those who remain imprisoned for political reasons under conditions similar to those to which Rivera was subjected. Their lives are in grave danger.”

“The Nicaraguan authorities have an obligation to provide Brooklyn Rivera’s family with immediate and unrestricted access to all information related to his detention, the conditions in which he was deprived of his liberty, and the circumstances of his death. They must also ensure the dignified return of his remains so that he may be laid to rest in accordance with his wishes, respecting his identity as a Miskitu Indigenous leader and the traditions of his people. Any delay, concealment of information or reprisal against his family would further aggravate the state’s responsibility in this matter. Brooklyn Rivera’s family has the right to truth.”

The Nicaraguan authorities must ensure the dignified return of his remains so that he may be laid to rest in accordance with his wishes, respecting his identity as a Miskitu Indigenous leader and the traditions of his people. Brooklyn Rivera’s family has the right to truth.”

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact [email protected]

Source: Amnesty International –

As a result of Venezuelan victims’ fight for justice under universal jurisdiction in Argentina, manifested by filing complaints before Argentine courts, and responding to recent reports of an extradition request from Argentine to Spanish authorities, Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International, stated today:

“Crimes against humanity, such as those committed in Venezuela, must stir the conscience of the entire international community and lead to tangible action towards protecting victims against past and future human rights violations and crimes under international law.”

Crimes against humanity, such as those committed in Venezuela, must stir the conscience of the entire international community and lead to tangible action towards protecting victims against past and future human rights violations and crimes under international law.”

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

Avenues for international justice have been opened and are sustained by courageous victims, including the investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor in the International Criminal Court – the first of its kind for a situation in the Americas-, and cases of universal jurisdiction.

Since 2023, we have closely monitored the case filed by the surviving relatives of victims of extrajudicial executions before Argentine courts and supported the jurisdiction of the local courts. News that this case and related criminal investigations are progressing, and an extradition request has been formally filed before Spanish authorities is a welcome step. We call on Spanish authorities to cooperate promptly and fully with this and any potential future requests, in view of contributing to justice and accountability for the crimes committed in Venezuela.

Victims, communities, and their representatives face continued risks in Venezuela. Their safety and rights, including, crucially, their right to truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-repetition, must be a paramount priority for Venezuelan authorities moving forward. Amnesty International calls for the immediate dismantling of the state’s policy of repression, including the unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained for political reasons, and for the overhaul of the justice system.

“Amnesty International’s research on universal jurisdiction underscores that states worldwide have both the authority and responsibility to act against crimes under international law, lending weight to current efforts for justice in Venezuela.”

Amnesty International’s research on universal jurisdiction underscores that states worldwide have both the authority and responsibility to act against crimes under international law, lending weight to current efforts for justice in Venezuela.”

Ana Piquer, Americas Director at Amnesty International.

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact [email protected]

Source: Amnesty International –