MIL NGO Engine

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.

Source: Amnesty International –

Commenting on Amnesty International’s designation of Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko – poets imprisoned in 2022 for public reading of their anti-war poetry – as prisoners of conscience, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“What crime have these men committed? Reading poetry in public cannot threaten national security, nor did their poems express prohibited forms of hatred or contain calls to violence. Quite the opposite – the messaging was anti-violence and anti-Russia’s war of aggression. Their imprisonment is nothing but retaliation for daring to express their views.”

“Even more disgraceful is the torture including brutal sexualized violence that Artyom Kamardin was subjected to, as well as their ongoing imprisonment in inhuman or degrading conditions.

“Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression. The Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release them and quash their convictions. Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment must be promptly, independently and effectively investigated, and those responsible brought to justice in fair trials.”

Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko are prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for exercising their right to freedom of expression

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

Background

The case originates from the anti-war poetry readings held on 25 September 2022 in front of Vladimir Mayakovsky’s monument in Moscow’s Mayakovskaya Square.

On 28 September 2022, Artyom Kamardin, Yegor Shtovba and Nikolai Dayneko, were detained on remand as suspects in a criminal case of “incitement of hatred and enmity with a threat to use violence” (Article 282(2)(a) of the Criminal Code). Artyom Kamardin was reportedly subjected to torture, including sexualized violence, during his arrest and search of his flat. Despite documented injuries, he was denied adequate medical care. The three were charged in October 2022. The charge was later changed to “incitement of hatred done as an organized group” (Article 282(2)(v)). In March 2023, they were additionally charged with “public calls to actions directed against the state security” (Article 280.4(3)).

In December 2023, Artyom Kamardin and Yegor Shtovba were sentenced to seven and five and a half years’ imprisonment, respectively. Nikolai Dayneko, who entered a guilty plea, was sentenced to four years in a penal colony in May 2023. Their sentences were later upheld on appeal.

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to FIFA’s announcement that no action will be taken against the Israeli Football Association (IFA) over the participation of clubs based in illegal settlements in Israel’s leagues, Steve Cockburn, Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International said: 

“By refusing to take action against clubs based in Israeli settlements, FIFA has failed to enforce its own rules and is blatantly flouting international law. FIFA had a clear opportunity to stand up for Palestinians’ rights and international law – with this decision it has shamefully chosen to abandon both. 

By refusing to take action against clubs based in Israeli settlements, FIFA has failed to enforce its own rules and is blatantly flouting international law. 

Steve Cockburn, Head of Economic and Social Justice at Amnesty International

“The International Court of Justice has unambiguously declared that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful, that settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) are illegal and that Israel’s presence in the OPT must rapidly end. FIFA’s own statutes are clear that its members cannot play games in the territory of another association without permission. 

“By continuing to condone the presence of clubs based in illegal settlements in the OPT in Israel’s league, the Israeli Football Association is indirectly legitimizing Israel’s unlawful occupation and its severe human rights violations against Palestinians, including the crime against humanity of apartheid. FIFA must not continue to ignore the International Court of Justice’s 2024 Advisory Opinion. FIFA has an unequivocal responsibility to act. It must also ensure full transparency and publish the legal advice FIFA received on this matter and provide the full rationale for its unjust decision.” 

Background 

There are at least six clubs based in illegal settlements in the OPT currently playing in Israeli leagues. Article 64.2 of FIFA’s statutes states that: “Member associations and their clubs may not play on the territory of another member association without the latter’s approval.”  

In March 2024, the Palestinian Football Association (PFA) submitted a complaint to FIFA calling for sanctions against the IFA over anti-Palestinian racism in Israeli football and calling for the exclusion of settlement clubs.  

In its response on 19 March 2026 the football governing body said FIFA would not take action declaring that the “legal status of the West Bank remains an unresolved and highly complex matter under public international law”. 

In October 2025, Amnesty International had written to FIFA and UEFA calling for the suspension of the IFA unless clubs from illegal settlements in the OPT were immediately excluded from participating in domestic Israeli leagues. 

In November 2025, Amnesty International wrote to law firm Bonnard-Lawson, which was commissioned by FIFA to provide legal advice on its response to the PFA complaint. Bonnard-Lawson responded declining to provide a comment. 

With respect to the anti-Palestinian racism allegations, FIFA’s disciplinary committee fined the IFA 150,000 Swiss francs ($190,700) for “multiple breaches” of its anti-discrimination obligations. 

FIFA and UEFA have both provided funding for the IFA, meaning they may also be contributing to the expansion of illegal settlements, and therefore Israel’s human rights violations.  

Source: Amnesty International –

Reacting to the release of 250 individuals imprisoned in Belarus on politically motivated grounds, including human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova and Nasta Loika, as a part of a deal with the United States, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director, said:

“While the release of hundreds of individuals unjustly detained on politically motivated charges is a welcome step, it must not be mistaken for justice. Marfa Rabkova, Nasta Loika, Valiantsin Stefanovich and others should not have spent a day in prison. Freedom should never be the product of geopolitical bargaining in human beings. Justice will not be served until those responsible for their unlawful imprisonment are held accountable.

“The Belarusian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release all those still imprisoned solely for exercising their human rights, quash their convictions and put an end to the systemic repression against government critics. Further reprisals, including arrests and imprisonment that we are observing, are unacceptable.”

Further reprisals, including arrests and imprisonment that we are observing, are unacceptable

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

Background

On 19 March, Belarusian authorities released 250 prisoners, including prominent human rights defenders Marfa Rabkova, Nasta Loika and Valiantsin Stefanovich. Among those released is also Mikita Zalatarou, arrested in 2021 when he was 17 years old and sentenced to five years.

The releases followed negotiations with the US, which in turn agreed to ease certain sanctions targeting Belarusian financial institutions and key export sectors. According to available information, while the majority of those freed remained in Belarus, at least 15 individuals were transferred to Lithuania accompanied by the US delegation.

Those released were detained, prosecuted and imprisoned under politically motivated charges, in retaliation for their professional activities such as human rights work or for peacefully exercising their human rights during protests that followed the widely contested 2020 presidential election, which triggered a wave of large-scale reprisals that continue to this day.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

SYDNEY, 20 March 2026 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has slammed the Federal Government’s decision to approve a massive gas expansion in Queensland, saying the decision prioritises corporate superprofits over our communities and climate. 

The approval allows Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG), a joint venture between Origin Energy and multinational giants ConocoPhillips and Sinopec, to drill 1,695 new gas wells until 2081. 

APLNG exports over 75% of their gas overseas for massive profit, while everyday people face soaring energy bills, and climate disasters like floods and fires.

This decision marks the 36th oil or gas approval by the Albanese Government since taking office in 2022. APLNG still requires approval from the Queensland Government for the project to move ahead. 

Solaye Snider, Climate Campaigner at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “This is first and foremost a betrayal of our climate, flying in the face of commitments Australia has made on the world stage to transition away from fossil fuels. 

“This massive expansion serves only one purpose: deliver superprofits to greedy corporations like Origin Energy, ConocoPhillips and Sinopec who have an endless appetite for more gas. They are bleeding our country dry and burning it at the same time, with the green-light from the government.

“While the gas industry uses the war in Iran to scaremonger and price-gouge, distracting from the fact they are making superprofits from the windfall profits of war and paying barely any tax, the rest of the world is waking up to the fact that fossil fuels are the ultimate liability.

“The truth is, we don’t need to drill for more polluting dirty gas. We already have enough gas in Australia to support the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy without locking in more harm. 

“The Australian government needs to wake up and realise there is no future in fossil fuels. Australia’s economic future is in clean energy and green industries. The longer we delay that reality, the further we will be left behind.” 

-ENDS-

Further information:

• The value of Australia’s coal and gas exports is predicted to plummet by 50% over the next five years as global demand for fossil fuel falls, according to Treasury modelling.
• The approval permits APLNG to clear up to 853 hectares of Koala habitat and 428 hectares of Greater Glider habitat — both listed as threatened species under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
• The approval also requires APLNG to maintain a public Register of Assessed Chemicals — including drilling chemicals assessed for toxicity and persistence in the environment — because the government recognised these chemicals pose a risk to groundwater and protected species.

Images available for download via the Greenpeace Media Library

Media contact: 

Lucy Keller on 0491 135 308 or [email protected]

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Greenpeace Australia Pacific has welcomed reports that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s department is considering options to tax the profits gas companies are making from the war in the Middle East, praising the move as strong leadership in a time of war, climate disruption and a cost‑of‑living crisis.

David Ritter, Chief Executive Officer at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said:

“The Albanese Government deserves due credit for standing up to gas corporations like Woodside and Santos as Australia faces a cost-of-living crisis, created by dependence on fossil fuels like gas. 

“For years, rent-seeking gas companies have used every geopolitical shock as an excuse to demand more subsidies and more approvals for expansion, while paying little or no tax. Not only is it economically unjust that gas executives profit while communities pay the price for spills, abandoned infrastructure and climate damage, it is also morally reprehensible.

“A well-designed tax on gas corporations is a vital circuit‑breaker that could help Australians while holding polluters accountable, and it’s heartening to see this government moving in this direction. 

“When considering next steps, the Government must be careful to avoid the loopholes and weak settings that have rendered the Petroleum Rent and Resources Tax ineffective. We need strong tax settings that channel the gas industry’s war profits into helping people and communities. 

“From Ukraine to Iran, every recent conflict has been a cash grab for oil and gas giants, who pocket windfall war profits while people at home are smashed by soaring fuel and power bills.

“By making gas corporations pay their fair share and investing in homegrown renewables and green exports, this government can protect Australians from the next fossil‑fuel‑driven shock while shoring up our energy security and accelerating regional decarbonisation.

“Fairer taxes on gas corporations must be accompanied by stronger government support, accelerating the growth of clean industry. 

“In my home state of Western Australia, where the gas industry has historically been a big player, there are all the ingredients needed to become a powerhouse in industries such as renewable‑powered hydrogen, green metals and clean manufacturing, which will create secure jobs and reliable energy for our trading partners without the climate pollution.

“Greenpeace Australia Pacific calls on gas corporations to lean into the prospect of a tax on war profits, rather than close ranks to protect their ill-gotten gains at the expense of the Australian people.” 

ENDS

For interviews, please contact Vai Shah at 0452 290 082 or [email protected]. 

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to statements from Pakistani officials claiming that an airstrike that hit a drug rehabilitation centre in Kabul on 16 March was targeting an ammunition depot, Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, Research, said:  

“While the total death toll from this attack has yet to be independently verified, it’s clear that it resulted in a significant number of deaths and injuries to civilians, at least in the hundreds.  

“It’s well-documented that a large part of Camp Phoenix, a former NATO camp, had been operating as a drug rehabilitation facility since 2016. Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects before launching this strike. Any reasonable assessment and information gathering would have concluded that the camp had a high civilian presence. 

“Even if an ammunition depot was present inside the wider camp, the decision to attack should have been weighed against any excessive harm that it was likely to cause to civilians. The scale of death and destruction raises serious concerns about whether the Pakistani military conducted an adequate proportionality assessment and took all necessary steps to gather information about the intended target and minimize civilian harm. 

Pakistan’s military should have taken all feasible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects before launching this strike.

Isabelle Lassee, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, Research

“The Pakistani authorities must now explain what information they acted upon, and steps taken for verification. They must also carry out an independent, impartial and timely investigation into the circumstances of this strike and the resulting civilian casualties, with the results made public with a view to ensuring accountability. 

“Amnesty International calls on all parties to the conflict to strictly adhere to international humanitarian law and to take urgent measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals and other healthcare facilities.”  

Background 

As part of “Operation Ghazab Lil Haq”, Pakistan carried out airstrikes on 16 March in Kabul and Nangarhar. The strikes hit a camp used as drug rehabilitation centre known as Omid, which was established in 2016 on the site of Camp Phoenix, a former US and NATO military base on the outskirts of Kabul. The rehabilitation centre and other complexes on the site are reported to have had capacity for around 2,000 people. According to the Taliban, the strike killed over 400 civilians and injured more than 200 others. These figures could not yet be verified. The United Nations has reported 143 deaths so far. 

Prior to this attack, UNAMA documented at least 76 civilian casualties in Afghanistan since the armed conflict with Pakistan began in February. Pakistani officials reported four civilian deaths on 15 March in Bajaur district and that a child was killed in North Waziristan by mortar shells allegedly fired from Afghanistan on 8 March.