Legacy issues, unlawful PSNI surveillance, attacks on press freedom and record levels of racist violence have contributed to what Amnesty described as a shameful year of human rights failure. 

Amnesty said the UK government, Northern Ireland Executive and other authorities are failing to meet their human rights obligations at a time when the global human rights system is under unprecedented pressure. 

Gráinne Teggart, Amnesty International UK’s Northern Ireland deputy director, said: “At home and around the world, hard-won rights and freedoms are being steadily eroded, and Northern Ireland is no exception. 

“This report lays bare a pattern of failure. Victims of the Troubles are still being denied truth and accountability, while the current Westminster government, despite earlier promises, is dragging families through further, deeply distressing legal battles to preserve its ‘neither confirm nor deny’ policy and avoid full disclosure of state wrongdoing. 

“National security vetoes drape a cloak of secrecy over the past, blocking answers for families who have waited decades and setting a dangerous precedent for future cases where transparency and justice are demanded. 

“At the same time, the unlawful surveillance of journalists strikes at the heart of a free press, and record levels of racist violence expose a failure to protect some of the most vulnerable in our society. 

“These are not isolated failings, they point to a system falling short of its most basic human rights obligations. Northern Ireland must not become a place where impunity is tolerated, journalism is undermined, and racism is allowed to flourish. 

“The erosion of rights cannot be normalised. With no sign of progress in 2026, governments must urgently change course and commit to fully respecting and protecting human rights. People here deserve nothing less.”