Rachel O'Brien Journalist Profile

Articles

FIVE YEARS OF SILENCE AND STRUGGLE IN KASHMIR

Aug 9, 2024 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

By Ahmad* with Cherry Bird, Country Coordinator for IndiaIt has been five years since India revoked Jammu and Kashmir's semi-autonomous status, a decision that plunged the region into a stringent lockdown marked by extensive control over freedom of the press, expression, and politics. Thousands of activists, human rights defenders, journalists, and political figures found themselves imprisoned, either within Kashmir or in facilities across India.
United Nations Committee against Torture expresses concern that torture and ill-treatment still endemic in Türkiye

Aug 9, 2024 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien |Chris Ramsey

Written by Chris Ramsey, Country Coordinator for Türkiye On 26 July the United Nations Committee against Torture that monitors states’ compliance with the UN Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or punishment published its latest review of the situation in Türkiye. The Committee was concerned by allegations that torture and ill-treatment continued to occur in Türkiye, including beatings and sexual assault by law enforcement officers.
Activism or Life?

May 15, 2024 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

Hey everyone,Thanks for checking out our blog. We hope you find the content worthy of a read and share. I wanted to leave a personal note as I was inspired by another newsletter from Emily Horton, a piece titled ‘Rest: a political act of resistance’. So here I am taking a moment to reflect and process the past few months, walking myself through recent experiences to share them with you. A reflection on our multifaceted existence.
TOURISTS ARE SAFE IN KASHMIR BUT NOT KASHMIRIS

Feb 13, 2024 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

Written by Cherry Bird with Ahmad* and Mysha*If you read the headlines of tourism magazines and reports you would believe Kashmir is now a peaceful and happy place, with no remaining problems since the Indian government revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as India’s only Muslim majority state in 2019.
Observations during the election campaign and on election day in Bangladesh

Feb 13, 2024 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien |Jeremy Allen

Written by Jeremy Allen, Country Coordinator for Sri Lanka and BangladeshThe recent elections ended with Bangladesh effectively becoming a one-party state. The AIUK Country Coordinator for Bangladesh and Bernhard Hertlein, the AI Germany Bangladesh expert, were both in Bangladesh observing the sad events. Bernhard wrote this report for the German government and NGOs working in the area. Jerry Allen translated and edited it.
Help release activists, journalists and human rights defenders detained by the Algerian authorities

Jan 5, 2024 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

Blog written by Hadil El-Khouly, Country Coordinator for AlgeriaOn the 20th of September 2023, Amnesty International launched a new campaign to help put an endto Algeria’s mounting climate of repression. It calls on the Algerian government to immediatelyrelease citizens arbitrarily detained for solely exercising their right to freedom of expression,assembly, and association.
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT’S HAPPENING IN KASHMIR

Nov 15, 2023 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

Written by Cherry Bird (Country Coordinator for India) with MyshaMysha* hasn’t seen her husband for four years. He left their home in Kashmir in 2019, the year of the abrogation of article 370, when Kashmir’s status as India’s only Muslim majority state was removed, downgrading it to two union territories ruled directly from Delhi. For more information about this see Amnesty International’s report We are Being Punished by the Law here.
The Long Reach of the Indian Government

Oct 10, 2023 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

This blog was written by Cherry Bird, Country Coordinator for India. In the period just before the fourth anniversary of the revocation of article 370, which deprived Kashmir of its status as India’s only Muslim majority state, downgrading it to two Union Territories ruled directly from Delhi, Kashmiri activists noticed a significant increase in levels of harassment.
Fox17: Metro Nashville Public Schools Threats

Oct 6, 2023 | openthebooks.com | Rachel O'Brien

By Rachel O'Brien, OpenTheBooks Deputy Policy Editor Metro Nashville Public Schools have had 14 violent threats this school year and are spending millions of dollars to keep students and staff safe. School officials said in the end, they didn’t consider any of the threats credible, but they led to lockdowns and police sweeps of middle schools and high schools, disrupting the school day and striking fear into students and staff.
Bangladesh: Increasing repression of Freedom of Expression and the Right to Protest

Sep 5, 2023 | amnesty.org.uk | Rachel O'Brien

This blog was written by Jerry Allen, Country Coordinator for Sri Lanka and BangladeshFreedom of expression and the right to protest are being repressed in Bangladesh in the build-up to the elections in January 2024. The situation is increasing volatile in Bangladesh. This Blog raises awareness of this situation based on Amnesty reports.