The Chinese authorities should now hold an open and independent inquiry into the 1989 violent military crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square, Amnesty International has declared today.

As billions of people suffer from insecurity, injustice and indignity, international NGO Amnesty International is demanding that world leaders invest in human rights as strongly as they are investing in the economy.

Amnesty International's annual report for 2009, which will be launched on Thursday 28 May from London, will highlight, among other global concerns, continuing investigations into human rights abuses in the Russian Federation.

Emad Baghi, a leading Iranian human rights advocate based in Tehran, has been awarded the 2009 Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders - a global award highlighting courageous and significant action for social justice.

Fujian-based legal activist Ji Sizun was originally detained in August 2008. He was handing in to a police station an application to protest at the Olympic games in Beijing.

The leader of Africa's largest grouping of churches is urging faith communities and civil society on the continent to unite in a campaign for human rights, acknowledging that "we have often failed to speak with one voice" on this vital common concern.

Claims made by the Philippines government to a good human rights track record "are utterly false", the Rev Berlin Guerrero told the United Nations Committee against Torture this week. He said it was "remiss in its responsibility to prevent torture".

Amnesty International has welcomed news that Marnie Pearce, a British woman jailed in Dubai for adultery, has been released. But it says that the decision to deny her custody of her children must be reversed.

Following on from China's recently-released Human Rights Action Plan, the new head of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong has called for further initiatives on civil rights across the 1.3 billion nation.

China's recently-released National Human Rights Action Plan has been generally welcomed by human rights groups, while they have highlighted some weaknesses and urged further change.