The deliberate targeting of civilians for attack can never be justified and is always an abuse of human rights. As well as causing terrible suffering to immediate victims and their families, such attacks create a climate of fear in which entire communities live in terror.

This suffering is often made worse by the failure of states to properly investigate and bring those responsible to justice, to expose the truth about what has happened or to provide survivors with access to justice or reparations.  

Amnesty International’s work on victims of terrorism and armed groups

Amnesty International is building a campaign of solidarity and support, working with victims and survivors of attacks by armed groups to promote their rights. We will talk to victims, listen to their personal stories, and gather testimony in order to document and analyze their experiences. We will help highlight the challenges they face in realizing their rights as victims, helping to ensure that their voices are heard, and their concerns are addressed.

We will:

• urge all armed groups to end attacks that target civilians or are indiscriminate

• demand that governments thoroughly investigate all such attacks by armed groups on civilians, and bring those responsible to justice

• build a campaign of solidarity and support, working with victims of such attacks by armed groups to promote their rights to justice, reparation and truth

Read more

'As if hell fell on me': The human rights crisis in northwest Pakistan report (June 2010)
Iraq: Civilians under fire  report (April 2010)