Some good news – Rita Karasartova of Kyrgyzstan, featured in Write for Rights 2023, has been acquitted and released – ‘We didn’t expect it at all. We were crying from surprise,’ said Rita.
In Bangladesh over 100 indigenous Bawm people have been arbitrarily arrested as part of an ongoing military operation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the south east. Accused of being terrorists there have been indiscriminate arrests. See www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/over-100-indigenous-people-arbitrarily-arrested.
In Argentina Pierina Nochetti, a lesbian human rights activist, is facing criminal charges of aggravated damage – an Urgent Action calling on the authorities to drop these charges has been extended. https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/amr13/7621/2024/en/
Since AIUK no longer feature monthly cases for Groups to work on we’ve decided to feature our own selection each month. Liz wrote a letter of protest for us to sign to the Cuban Ambassador about the unjustified imprisonment of artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara. She also passed on an online petition for Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi sentenced to death for singing for freedom. His death sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court, but he’s now facing new charges.
The Group is hoping to get together enough people to run a stall at the Pride Festival in Taunton on 21 September – look out for us there.
Ben updated us on the Death Penalty, with particular reference to the US, noting its politicisation – its use increases in election years. Noted too was the fact that since 1972 in the US 200 death row prisoners have been exonerated, their death penalty convictions quashed.
There will be no meeting in August, but we’ll be back at 7.30pm on 10 September in the Quaker Meeting House, Bath Place, Taunton. See you there!
Amnesty International Taunton Local Group 
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