Amnesty International warns of ‘predatory world order’ in grim rights report

By Rédaction Africanews with AFP

The world faces a “perilous new era” driven by states’ “predatory” behaviour leading to an “anti-rights” international order, rights group Amnesty International warned on Tuesday.

The NGO painted a grim picture of the global state of human rights in its new annual report, which comes at a “challenging moment” that could “destroy all that was built up over the last 80 years,” Secretary General Agnès Callamard warned in the preface.

The document especially singled out the leaders of the United States, Israel and Russia, with Callamard condemning US President Donald Trump, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu as “predators.”

Such leaders have rejected the multilateral system developed since World War II in favour of a “vision without moral compass,” where “war, not diplomacy, rules,” the report into global protection of human rights said.

The organisation denounced Washington’s “act of aggression” against Venezuela in January 2026, as well as the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and Russia’s ongoing assaults against Ukraine.

Focusing on Israel’s actions in Gaza, the report said: “The world’s most powerful governments failed to take meaningful action to stop the genocide or to bring an end to Israel’s unlawful occupation and apartheid.”

The report also underlined continued acts of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan.

‘Silence and inaction’

“World leaders have been far too submissive in the face of attacks on international law and the multilateral system. Their silence and inaction are inexcusable,” said Callamard, who especially slammed European governments.

Amnesty International also criticised attacks on civil society, naming Nepalese and Tanzanian authorities as “particularly brazen in their unlawful use of lethal force to repress protests.”

The report also slammed the United Kingdom for proscribing the Palestine Action group and arresting thousands of peaceful protesters against the ban.

“Governments should stop cracking down on and criminalising dissent, including peaceful acts of civil disobedience,” the report said.

The NGO did acknowledge citizens who resisted “injustice and authoritarian practices,” including Gen Z protesters in dozens of countries like Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, Nepal and Peru.