MIL NGO Engine

Source: Amnesty International –

At least 19 people killed, more than 300 injured on day one of protests

Security forces fired into crowds hitting protesters, children, bystanders and journalists

‘The firing began wildly – from inside the Parliament compound, from outside, and from armed units near the main gate’ – Journalist at the scene

‘All those responsible for ordering, enabling, or carrying out these abuses – regardless of rank or position – must be brought to justice through a fair and transparent process’ – Nirajan Thapaliya

Widespread failings by Nepal’s law enforcement agencies in policing September’s youth-led “Gen-Z” protests resulted in unlawful killings, unnecessary and excessive use of force, and severe injuries, Amnesty International said in a new briefing.

The 25-page briefing, “We went there to raise our voice, not to be killed”: Nepal’s Deadly Crackdown on Protesters, documents how security forces used mounting and ultimately lethal force – including live ammunition – against largely peaceful protesters in the capital Kathmandu on 8 September, in which at least 19 people were killed and more than 300 injured. Across the country, the two-day protests and subsequent six days of unrest left 76 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.

Amnesty verified eyewitness accounts, photographic and video evidence, and interviewed medical personnel, protesters, protest observers, organisers and journalists. The organisation’s findings reveal a series of systemic failures in the policing of protests, including the failure to exhaust non-violent means before resorting to force; the dangerous and unlawful use of less-lethal weapons; poor planning, preparation and training for policing of protests; unnecessary and unlawful use of lethal force in situations with no imminent threat of serious injuries or to life.

These actions violated the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Escalation of force against peaceful protesters

The briefing details how, after the protests had initially started without incident, tensions rose when a section of the crowd dismantled a police barricade that had been erected to prevent access towards the federal parliament building, less than 500 metres away.

Security forces responded by deploying a water cannon, in some cases using high-pressure jets at close range against protesters in a manner that raises serious concerns over the principles of necessity and proportionality under international human rights standards. The use of force quickly escalated over the course of the next few hours, with witnesses describing panic and chaos as security forces intensified their response.

According to witnesses, tear gas grenades were launched from elevated positions, an extremely dangerous practice that violates the UN Guidance on less lethal weapons. Some were discharged in and around hospital premises, and disrupted emergency medical services. Medical workers reported that tear gas was fired inside and around hospital areas, causing breathing difficulties among admitted patients, children, and older people who were not part of the protest.

Kinetic impact projectiles, including rubber bullets and rubber-coated metal bullets, were fired directly into dense crowds without warning and without meaningful attempts at de-escalation, hitting those as young as 14 years old. Doctors who treated the injured confirmed that rubber bullets were removed from patients’ skulls.

Such misuse of less lethal weapons is in violation of international standards such as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement and Nepal’s Local Administration Act.

Unlawful use of lethal force

Amnesty also documented the rapid escalation of force to unlawful use of live ammunition.

A journalist who was documenting the protest near the Parliament gate said:

“The firing began wildly – from inside the Parliament compound, from outside, and from armed units near the main gate.”

Testimonies from healthcare workers and injured people describe gunshot wounds to vital organs. Security forces fired into crowds – including protesters, children, bystanders and journalists – striking people in the head, neck and chest.

A doctor at a hospital where many of the injured were treated said:

“In mass-casualty disasters, the usual pattern is that there are relatively fewer severe cases and more mild to moderate cases, with only some deaths. We plan for that. Typically, we might expect 10–20% to be severe. But this time it was reversed – there were far more severely injured patients, perhaps 50-60%.”

Another doctor who had attended to injured and wounded protesters said:

“Some had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, others had life-threatening injuries to the abdomen or major blood vessels… Around 2pm, the emergency ward was in its worst state – blood everywhere, patients collapsing, doctors and nurses working nonstop. It felt like a butcher’s house.”

Amnesty found evidence of the use of lethal force by police in circumstances that did not involve an imminent threat of death or serious injury, resulting in arbitrary deprivations of life.

The deliberate or reckless use of live ammunition, kinetic impact projectiles, water cannon and tear gas against largely peaceful demonstrators cannot be justified under any circumstance.

Nirajan Thapaliya, Amnesty International Nepal’s Director, said:

“The violent and unlawful Government response to young people exercising their right to peaceful assembly reflects a shocking and callous disregard for human life.

“All those responsible for ordering, enabling, or carrying out these abuses – regardless of rank or position – must be brought to justice through a fair and transparent process.

“The young people killed and injured during the Gen-Z uprising deserve truth and justice. By failing to ensure accountability for past protest-related human rights violations, successive governments have allowed impunity to take root and undermine the rule of law.

“Authorities must not repeat the past mistakes and abandon the victims. Without accountability – and unless Nepal urgently reforms its policing practices – the conditions that enabled these unlawful killings will persist, putting future assemblies and lives at risk.”

Amnesty calls on the Government to review the general approach towards protests and ensure that police facilitate peaceful protests and amend domestic laws, including those governing the use of force, so that they fully comply with international human rights standards.

Use of mob violence

Amnesty’s briefing focuses on the events of the first day of the protests on 8 September 2025. While the incidents on subsequent days are not documented in the briefing, Amnesty condemns the use of mob violence against people and property resulting in deaths, injuries and serious damage to property that occurred amid the wider unrest in September. The authorities must thoroughly, effectively, independently and impartially investigate these acts of violence and exercise due diligence to identify suspects, who should be brought to justice in fair trials.

Source: Amnesty International –

Widespread failings by Nepal’s law enforcement agencies in policing September’s youth-led “Gen-Z” protests resulted in unlawful killings, unnecessary and excessive use of force, and severe injuries, Amnesty International said in a new briefing.

The briefing, “We went there to raise our voice, not to be killed”: Nepal’s Deadly Crackdown on Protesters, documents how security forces used mounting and ultimately lethal force – including live ammunition – against largely peaceful protesters during the assembly in Kathmandu on 8 September, at which at least 19 people were killed and more than 300 injured. Across the country, the two-day protests and six days of subsequent unrest left 76 people dead and more than 2,000 injured.

“The violent and unlawful government response to young people exercising their right to peaceful assembly reflects a shocking and callous disregard for human life. All those responsible for ordering, enabling, or carrying out these abuses, regardless of rank or position, must be brought to justice through a fair and transparent process,” said Nirajan Thapaliya, Director of Amnesty International Nepal.

All those responsible for ordering, enabling, or carrying out these abuses, regardless of rank or position, must be brought to justice

Nirajan Thapaliya, Director of Amnesty International Nepal

Amnesty International verified eyewitness accounts, photographic and video evidence, and interviewed medical personnel, protesters, protest observers, organizers and journalists. The organization’s findings reveal a series of systemic failures in the policing of assemblies, including the failure to exhaust non-violent means before resorting to force; the dangerous and unlawful use of less-lethal weapons; poor planning, preparation and training for policing of protests; unnecessary and unlawful use of lethal force in situations with no imminent threat of serious injuries or to life.

These actions violated the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and expression guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Escalation of force against peaceful protesters

The briefing details how, after the protests had initially started without incident, tensions rose when a section of the crowd dismantled a police barricade that had been erected to prevent access towards the federal parliament building, less than 500 metres away.

Security forces responded by deploying a water cannon, in some cases using high-pressure jets at close range against protesters in a manner that raises serious concerns over the principles of necessity and proportionality under international human rights standards. The use of force quickly escalated over the course of the next few hours, with witnesses describing panic and chaos as security forces intensified their response.

According to witnesses, tear gas grenades were launched from elevated positions, an extremely dangerous practice that violates the UN Guidance on less lethal weapons. Some were discharged in and around hospital premises, and disrupted emergency medical services. Medical workers reported that tear gas was fired inside and around hospital areas, causing breathing difficulties among admitted patients, children, and older people who were not part of the protest.

Kinetic impact projectiles, including rubber bullets and rubber-coated metal bullets, were fired directly into dense crowds without warning and without meaningful attempts at de-escalation, hitting those as young as 14 years old. Doctors who treated the injured confirmed that rubber bullets were removed from patients’ skulls.

Such misuse of less lethal weapons is in violation of international standards such as the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement and Nepal’s Local Administration Act.

Unlawful use of lethal force

Amnesty International also documented the rapid escalation of force to unlawful use of live ammunition.

A journalist who was documenting the protest near the parliament gate said: “The firing began wildly – from inside the parliament compound, from outside, and from armed units near the main gate”

Testimonies from healthcare workers and injured individuals describe gunshot wounds to vital organs. Security forces fired into crowds – including protesters, children, bystanders and journalists – striking people in the head, neck and chest.

A doctor at a hospital where many of the injured were treated said:

“In mass-casualty disasters, the usual pattern is that there are relatively fewer severe cases and more milder to moderate cases, with only some deaths. We plan for that. Typically, we might expect 10–20% to be severe. But this time it was reversed – there were far more severely injured patients, perhaps 50–60%.”

Another doctor who had attended to injured and wounded protesters said: “Some had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, others had life-threatening injuries to the abdomen or major blood vessels… Around 2pm, the emergency ward was in its worst state – blood everywhere, patients collapsing, doctors and nurses working nonstop. It felt like a butcher’s house.”

Amnesty International found evidence of the use of lethal force by police in circumstances that did not involve an imminent threat of death or serious injury, resulting in arbitrary deprivations of life.

The deliberate or reckless use of live ammunition, kinetic impact projectiles, water cannon and tear gas against largely peaceful demonstrators cannot be justified under any circumstance.

The young people killed and injured during the Gen-Z uprising deserve truth and justice

Nirajan Thapaliya

“The young people killed and injured during the Gen-Z uprising deserve truth and justice. By failing to ensure accountability for past protest-related human rights violations, successive governments have allowed impunity to take root and undermine the rule of law. Authorities must not repeat the past mistakes and abandon the victims. Without accountability, and unless Nepal urgently reforms its policing practices, the conditions that enabled these unlawful killings will persist, putting future assemblies and lives at risk,” said Nirajan Thapaliya.

Amnesty International calls on the government to review the general approach towards assemblies and ensure that police facilitate peaceful protests; and amend domestic laws, including those governing the use of force, so that they fully comply with international human rights standards.

Background

Amnesty International’s briefing focuses on the events of the first day of the protests on 8 September. While the incidents on subsequent days are not documented in the briefing, Amnesty International condemns the use of mob violence against people and property resulting in deaths, injuries and serious damage to property that occurred amid the wider unrest in September 2025. The authorities must thoroughly, effectively, independently and impartially investigate these acts of violence and exercise due diligence to identify suspects, who should be brought to justice in fair trials.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

SYDNEY, Monday 8 December 2025 — Greenpeace Australia Pacific has warned the Albanese government against plans to subsidise gas for industrial users, saying it should instead be supporting industry to decarbonise.

Media reports today that Labor is weighing up an intervention to start bulk-buying gas and selling it at discounted rates to industrial users, comes as the government is expected to announce an East Coast gas reservation policy in the coming weeks.

Greenpeace says the intervention would be at odds with Australia’s commitment to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, including under the Glasgow Climate Pact and the Belém Declaration on the transition away from fossil fuels inked outside the UN COP30 conference in Brazil less than three weeks ago. 

Joe Rafalowicz, Head of Climate and Energy at Greenpeace Australia Pacific, said: “When it comes to fossil fuels and climate action, the government wants to have its cake and eat it too — joining the Belém Declaration to transition from fossil fuels on the global stage, while pouring subsidies into polluting gas at home.

“The fact the government is considering interventions to prop up the dirty gas industry while homes are being burned to the ground as bushfires rage across NSW and Tasmania, is a level of cognitive dissonance not easily understood.  

“It is mind-boggling the Albanese government is seriously considering propping up the gas industry who profit from selling our gas overseas, and actively lobby to weaken and block climate policy in Australia. 

“Gas is expensive, unreliable and unnecessary, and the government should be seeking to exit gas as quickly as possible rather than prolonging its death throes.

“The Albanese government should instead be supporting industry and workers to decarbonise and reduce their gas demand, so they can be competitive as the world moves away from fossil fuels and our trading partners demand low carbon products. If the government doesn’t invest in the green economy of the future, workers and industry will be left behind.”

-ENDS-

For more information or interviews contact Kate O’Callaghan on 0406 231 892 or [email protected]

Source: Amnesty International –

The appalling response by Georgian authorities to allegations that prohibited toxic chemicals were used against protestors to suppress peaceful demonstrations must be met with an international investigation and a complete embargo on all policing equipment, Amnesty International said today in a public statement.

On 1 December 2025, the BBC documentary When Water Burns presented evidence suggesting that water cannon deployed during protests in Georgia in November-December 2024, sprayed water mixed with bromobenzyl cyanide. This World War I-era tear gas, also known as camite, is an harmful toxic chemical that can cause burns, vomiting, shortness of breath and other serious long-lasting injuries. The findings reinforced concerns previously raised by local watchdogs, medical professionals and Amnesty International about the alleged use of toxic chemicals against protestors during the 2024 anti-government rallies.

The Georgian authorities’ immediate reaction was to deny the allegations. The ruling party has publicly denounced the BBC documentary as containing “absurd and false claims” and labelled the BBC a “fake media” organisation. However, following public outcry over the BBC report, the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG) announced an investigation into the allegations. But instead of taking steps to establish the relevant facts and verify the evidence presented, Georgian authorities have begun targeting experts, witnesses, human rights defenders and journalists whose testimonies were presented in the documentary, on suspicion of “abuse of official powers” and “assisting a foreign organization in hostile activity”.

“The Georgian authorities are responding to these serious allegations with a Kafkaesque combination of measures: on the one hand, a wave of fear-mongering and reprisals against witnesses and journalists who came forward; on the other, outright denial and dismissal of evidence as ‘absurd’ – all while keeping the appearance that the investigation into injuries sustained by protesters is underway,” said Denis Krivosheev Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The Georgian authorities are responding to these serious allegations with a Kafkaesque combination of measures: on the one hand, a wave of fear-mongering and reprisals against witnesses and journalists who came forward; on the other, outright denial and dismissal of evidence as ‘absurd’ – all while keeping the appearance that the investigation into injuries sustained by protesters is underway

Denis Krivosheev Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Experts, witnesses and civil society targeted

Following the BBC broadcast, experts, witnesses and human rights defenders who shared information were summoned for questioning by the SSG, including under procedures typically used for serious criminal cases. The authorities alleged that their testimonies may amount to a criminal offence, by harming Georgia’s national interests and reputation.

On 2 December, Konstantine Chakhunashvili, a doctor who assessed protesters exposed to chemical agents, was summoned less than 24 hours after the documentary aired. He and his colleagues, David Chakhunashvili and Gela Ghunashvili, who co-authored the study into the injuries caused by the toxic chemicals used against protesters, were also questioned about their contacts with journalists.

Representatives of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and Transparency International Georgia, both of which provided publicly available information to the BBC, were also summoned before magistrate judges.

“By branding the sharing of information with journalists as ‘hostile activity’ and summoning and casting experts, civil society groups, and victims as threats to ‘state interests,’ the authorities are undermining the integrity of the investigation and creating a chilling effect on freedom of expression for those contradict government narratives,” said Denis Krivosheev.

By branding the sharing of information with journalists as ‘hostile activity’ and summoning and casting experts, civil society groups, and victims as threats to ‘state interests,’ the authorities are undermining the integrity of the investigation

Denis Krivosheev Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Call for accountability and a complete embargo on transfers of policing equipment

The SSG’s flawed investigation is part of a wider pattern in which Georgian authorities seek to shield law enforcement from accountability. Amnesty International has consistently documented the systemic abuse of the justice system to silence dissent and sustain a climate of impunity for human rights violations committed by law enforcement officers.

“The intimidation of experts and witnesses, combined with the authorities’ perverse approach to the very idea of an investigation into these allegations, makes independent international scrutiny essential,” said Denis Krivosheev

“Amnesty International calls for the creation of an international mechanism of enquiry into the alleged use of toxic chemicals against protesters and other use of unlawful force by Georgian law enforcement during 2024 protests and for state parties to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to support a Fact-Finding Mission.”

In addition, Georgia’s international partners must adopt robust measures, including a compete embargo on transfers of law enforcement equipment and weapons used against protesters.

States must ensure that equipment capable of causing harm is not supplied to a government that has already violated basic human rights

Denis Krivosheev Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia

“States must ensure that equipment capable of causing harm is not supplied to a government that has already violated basic human rights,” Denis Krivosheev said.

Source: Amnesty International –

View latest press releases

Source: Amnesty International –

Reacting to the Kremlin’s latest abuse of the criminal justice system to target Yabloko, the last remaining officially registered political party in Russia that has been openly calling for an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Marie Struthers, Amnesty International’s Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said:

“In preparation for the September 2026 parliamentary election, Russian authorities are steadily dismantling what remains of peaceful political opposition. It is clear they want to purge the political landscape of any groups which are not under the Kremlin’s control and do not share its agenda, including its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.

It is clear [that the Russian authorities] want to purge the political landscape of any groups which are not under the Kremlin’s control and do not share its agenda, including its ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine

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

“The pressure on Yabloko’s leadership is relentless. Deputy Chair Lev Shlosberg, convicted under the “foreign agents” law, faces a new criminal case opened today. Another Deputy Chair, Maksim Kruglov, was arrested in October, and party leader Nikolai Rybakov is farcically convicted for “extremism.” These reprisals are a deliberate effort to silence the last organized political force in Russia that consistently calls for peace and speaks out against human rights violations.

“Criminalizing calls for a ceasefire and prosecuting individuals for peacefully expressing views on Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine are blatant attacks on freedom of expression. The Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally overturn these convictions and drop all the baseless charges against the Yabloko leadership, as well as release all those detained solely for their anti-war views, and repeal war censorship legislation that criminalizes dissent.”

Background

On 5 November 2025, Lev Shlosberg was sentenced to 420 hours of community service for “violation of foreign agent’s duties”. The authorities claimed that he had not marked five videos posted on social media with the “foreign agent” disclaimer. The second criminal case against him – under the “discreditation of Armed Forces” charge – is ongoing.

On 5 December 2025, authorities opened a third criminal case against Lev Shlosberg for “spreading false information about the Armed Forces” over a repost from February 2022. It happened just days before he was due to be released from six months of house arrest that could no longer be legally extended, under a previous “discreditation” case. A day earlier, in two separate cases, St Petersburg courts fined party Chair Nikolai Rybakov RUB 1,500 (USD 19.5) and senior politician, Boris Vishnevsky, RUB 15,000 (USD 195). Rybakov was fined for “sharing extremist symbols” – namely, a photograph of the late opposition figure Aleksei Navalny which Rybakov posted on the day of Navalny’s death. Vishnevsky was fined for allegedly “cooperating with an undesirable organization” in an interview with the elections-monitoring group Golos, which authorities claim is linked to the banned European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations.

These fines serve as pretexts for further reprisals: Rybakov’s “extremism” case already bars him from running in the September 2026 parliamentary election, while the case against Vishnevsky paves the way for subsequent criminal prosecution if he is accused of “cooperation with an undesirable organization” again.

On 2 October 2025, Yabloko’s Deputy Chair Maksim Kruglov was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention over two 2022 Telegram posts referring to UN estimates of civilian casualties in Ukraine and the killings of civilians in Bucha.

At least five other Yabloko party regional leaders and members have been prosecuted. Around 50 administrative cases have been initiated against Yabloko members across Russia’s regions. Eleven Yabloko members, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov and veteran human rights defender Svetlana Gannushkina, have been designated “foreign agents.”  

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to an announcement on 04 December that Burkina Faso’s government has decided to reintroduce the death penalty seven years after it was abolished for ordinary crimes as part of a reform of the Penal Code, Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa said:

“The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, and an irreversible denial of the right to life.

“This punishment has no unique deterrent effect, it disproportionately affects those from disadvantaged backgrounds and carries the danger of being used as a repressive tool to punish dissent.

Burkina Faso must immediately halt any plans to reinstate the death penalty regardless of the nature of the offences or crimes committed.

Marceau Sivieude, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa

“The Transitional National Council must oppose the reintroduction of death penalty in the Penal Code, which would set Burkina Faso against the goal of abolition of the death penalty enshrined under various international and regional human rights treaties and instruments.

“Burkina Faso must immediately halt any plans to reinstate the death penalty regardless of the nature of the offences or crimes committed. Countries that still retain the death penalty are an isolated minority as the world continues to move away from this cruel punishment.”

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Responding to reports that machines mining minerals in the deep ocean have been found to cause significant damage to life on the seabed, reducing the number of animals found in the tracks of the vehicles by 37% compared to untouched areas, Georgia Whitaker, Deep Sea Mining Campaigner at Greenpeace International, said: 

“Once again the science is making it clear that deep sea mining would make things worse, and this was just a test with a machine half the size of those intended to be used. The Metals Company is trying to spin attention away from the headline bad news but we’re talking about harming unique and precious newly-discovered marine creatures. It is misleading for TMC to claim that only the mining site itself would be affected. 

“Millions of people across the world are calling on governments to resist the dire threat of deep sea mining. Even those that were previously in favour, like Norway and the Cook Islands, are turning away from this industry. The UK government is reviewing its sponsorship of deep sea mining exploration licences. It must focus its efforts on building further support for a global moratorium. We must not let this industry destroy unique marine life, not in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, the Arctic or anywhere.”

Ends

Contact: 

Alexandra Sedgwick, Greenpeace UK press officer, +44 7739 963 301, alexandra.sedgwick@greenpeace.org 

Editors’ notes: 

BBC News – ‘Deep-sea mining tests impact over a third of seabed animals – scientists’ 

A recent study by scientists at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and published in the journal Nature Communications found that the sediment plumes caused by deep sea mining operations can disrupt marine life in the water column. It found evidence that the murky plume produced by mining operations dilutes the organic-rich food normally consumed by tiny drifting animals like zooplankton. Researchers warn that this could harm over half of these critical small organisms, potentially causing system-wide disruptions that impact bigger creatures.

BBC News – ‘Oxygen discovery defies knowledge of the deep ocean’ 

EE News – ‘Scientists, deep-sea miner spar over ‘dark oxygen’ discovery’

France 24 – ‘’Significant declines’ in some species after deep-sea mining: research’ 

Forbes – ‘Deep-Sea Mining Could Push Sharks and Rays Closer To Extinction’

British Geological Survey – ‘New study reveals long-term effects of deep-sea mining and first signs of biological recovery’ 

University of Exeter – ‘Deep-sea mining could harm remote ocean ecosystems’