Keypoints
- Amnesty International’s 2025/2026 annual report, released Tuesday, April 21, 2026, warns that the international rules-based order is under the most sustained pressure since 1945.
- The report explicitly labels the administrations of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Benjamin Netanyahu as primary drivers of a “predatory alternative world order” based on suppression and violence.
- Germany is singled out for “prioritizing economic and security interests” over human rights, with Berlin accused of silence regarding U.S. actions and its own controversial support for Israel.
- The U.S. under Trump is described as an “accelerant” of the global crisis, cited for undermining judicial independence and media protections.
- Domestically, Amnesty criticized Germany for disproportionate police force against pro-Palestinian protesters and breaching international law by deporting individuals to high-risk zones like Syria and Afghanistan.
Main Story
The annual assessment from the world’s leading human rights watchdog painted a bleak picture of global governance this Tuesday. Julia Duchrow, head of Amnesty International’s German section, issued a stinging rebuke of Berlin’s “appeasement” policy.
According to the report, the post-World War II institutions designed to protect universal rights are being hollowed out by major powers who now view international law as an obstacle rather than a framework.
Amnesty’s analysis suggests that the emergence of a “predatory” order is no longer a fringe threat but a global reality. In the U.S., the report claims the Trump administration’s stricter migration enforcement and rhetoric against the judiciary have emboldened authoritarian leaders elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Germany’s reliance on authoritarian states for migration management and its domestic restrictions on freedom of expression—particularly concerning Middle East protests—are seen by Amnesty as a betrayal of the country’s “Human Rights First” diplomatic mandate.
The Issues
The primary challenge is the “selective-accountability” gap; major powers are accused of enforcing international law only when it suits their geopolitical interests, such as condemning Russia while remaining silent on the humanitarian situation in Gaza or U.S.-led sanctions in Venezuela. Authorities must solve the problem of domestic dissent management, as Amnesty notes a sharp rise in the use of “emergency powers” to shut down peaceful protests in Western democracies.
Furthermore, there is a non-refoulement risk; by deporting individuals to unstable nations like Afghanistan and Syria, Germany is accused of violating the fundamental legal principle that forbids returning people to places where they face torture or death. To succeed, the “rules-based order” requires a return to universal enforcement where human rights take precedence over trade deals.
What’s Being Said
- “Berlin remains silent far too often on contentious issues… prioritizing economic interests over human rights,” stated Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty Germany.
- The report describes the Trump administration as an “accelerant” that has weakened global minority protections and media freedom.
- In response to the report, German government spokespersons have maintained that Berlin’s policies are “calibrated to balance security needs with humanitarian obligations.”
What’s Next
- Amnesty International is calling for a UN General Assembly emergency session to address the “hollowing out” of the international legal framework.
- In Germany, civil rights groups are expected to file lawsuits against recent deportation orders to Syria, citing the Amnesty report as evidence of legal breaches.
- The U.S. State Department is anticipated to release its own counter-report, likely defending its migration and judicial policies as matters of “national sovereignty.”
- A series of “Rights Summits” led by smaller, non-aligned nations (the “Global South”) is planned for late 2026 to propose reforms to the UN Security Council’s veto power.
Bottom Line
Amnesty’s message for 2026 is clear: the institutions built to prevent the horrors of the 20th century are being dismantled by the very leaders tasked with protecting them. For Germany and the U.S., the report serves as an indictment of a “transactional” foreign policy that Amnesty argues is making the world a more dangerous place for everyone.
