Archive | Take action RSS feed for this section

Act for 529 Egyptians sentenced to death

8 Apr

PeacefulPeteD's avatarAmnestyBrum

Last month 529 people sentenced to death in Egypt in the biggest single batch of death sentences seen in recent years.

Amnesty described the ruling as ‘grotesque’ and called for it to be quashed.  Meanwhile there is an AVAAZ petition asking for the death sentences to be overturned.

Unfortunately AVAAZ did attempt to present this petition on Friday and were blocked.  However, this demonstrates that the authorities are worried about petitions like this, which is all the more reason to add your signature and show that the pressure will not be dropped.

View original post

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Call on the Egyptian authorities to release journalists held for “airing misleading news”

4 Apr

20140404-154830.jpg
Australian journalist Peter Greste was arrested last December alongside his Al Jazeera colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed.

Their crime? Airing ‘misleading news’ about Egypt’s political situation.

If convicted, they could face life imprisonment.

Peter’s arrest is part of an increasingly disturbing and violent crackdown by the Egyptian authorities. Journalists, protesters, and anyone seen as a threat to the government are targets.

Thousands have been killed in the streets. And in a single shock ruling last week, 528 people were sentenced to death after only two hearings.
If Egypt has any chance at a peaceful future, it must be built on respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Journalism is not a crime. Call on the Egyptian authorities free Peter and his colleagues immediately

Tags: , , , , , ,

Central African Republic: Call on US and UN to protect civilians

3 Apr

Central African Republic is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis. Muslims are being ethnically cleansed and millions need urgent help.

Please sign the petition telling President Obama its time to take the lead on establishing a UN peacekeeping force to effectively protect civilians, stop people being forced to flee their homes and to end the bloodshed.

For background information to the conflict, download Amnesty’s report here.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Image

Putin: Stop the crackdown on civil rights in Russia

23 Feb

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Read all about it! Report from our February meeting

18 Feb

AI LogoIn March 2010, Darius Evangelista was arrested by police in the Philippines, on suspicion of theft. Fellow detainees saw him brought back to their cell badly injured. “Get rid of him” a policeman ordered. They never saw him again. Neither have his family. 

No one has been brought to justice for his torture, enforced disappearance and possible extrajudicial execution. As part of Amnesty’s focus this year on victims of torture, we wrote to the Director General of Police in Manila. Find out how you can join us in appealing for justice for the Evangelista family.

The Group held their AGM this month. Highlights have been Laura’s development our new website, our campaign for Dr Tun Aung of Burma, Barbara’s untiring efforts on the Death Penalty and Pat’s very successful Write for Rights day.

National feed-back on Write for Rights (where people are asked at Christmas to send greetings & appeals for those imprisoned or persecuted) has been encouraging. Ihar Tsikhanyuk of Belarus wrote: “When I feel left with no hope to fight, I’ll get a letter and it inspires me. The light of hope appears again.”

At our March meeting Ann Marcus of Amnesty UK will speak on the Middle East and North Africa. All are extremely welcome to attend at 8pm on Tuesday March 11th 2014 at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton.

Tags: , , , , ,

Demand Afghanistan scrap a law silencing survivors of domestic violence

16 Feb
Teenager Sahar Gul recovers in hospital after being beaten and tortured by her in-laws © AFP PHOTO/ SHAH Marai

Sahar Gul recovers in hospital after being beaten and tortured by her in-laws © AFP PHOTO

Afghanistan is set to pass a law that will allow people to attack their wives, sisters and daughters without fear of punishment, because relatives won’t be allowed to testify as witnesses to these crimes.

An estimated 87% of women in Afghanistan have experienced at least one form of physical, sexual or psychological violence or forced marriage. In a country blighted by ‘honour killings’ and child marriage, we know that most of this violence takes place within the family – that’s why this law will be so devastating.

But it’s not too late.  Enough international and local pressure could turn this situation around. Just last November, we were successful in stopping the approval of another proposed law which would have allowed death by stoning for ‘adultery’.

Click here to stand with the women and girls of Afghanistan and help us stop this outrageous law from becoming reality.

Tags: , , , , ,

Call for justice for the family of Darius Evangelista

8 Feb

Darius EvangelistaIn March 2010, Darius Evangelista was arrested in Manila on suspicion of theft. Fellow detainees saw him brought back to their cell badly injured, before being taken from the police station. They never saw him again.

In August 2010, a video was broadcast on national television of a naked man crying out in pain on the floor, while a police officer beat and abused him. Darius’s wife is convinced that the man in the video is her husband as she recognised his tattoos. It’s the last time she saw her husband alive.

No one has been brought to justice for the torture, enforced disappearance and possible extra-judicial execution of Darius Evangelista.

What you can do to help.

1. Write to the Chief of Philippine National Police calling for justice for the Evangelista family.  Address: PDG Nicanor Bartolome, PNP National Headquarters Camp General Crame, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines.

2.Send a message via Facebook on the Philippines Police Chief’s Facebook page.

3. Send a message of support to the Evangelista family.  Address: Margie Evangelista, c/o Center for International Law, Unit 1904 Antel Corporate Center, 121 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Philippines

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Please write on behalf of our adopted prisoner of conscience, Dr Tun Aung

28 Jan
Dr. Tun Aung

Dr. Tun Aung

Dr Tun Aung has been imprisoned since 11th June 2012 following riots in Maungdaw, Myanmar (Burma).  Despite eyewitnesses testifying that Dr Aung actively tried to calm the situation, he has been convicted of inciting communal violence.  

He was held incommunicado for at least three months and denied the right to appoint a lawyer of his own choice. Dr Aung suffers from a pituitary tumour and may not be receiving the medical care he needs.

During his visit to London in July 2013, President Thein Sein gave his guarantee that all prisoners of conscience would be freed from his country’s jails by the end of the year, but Dr. Tun Aung has not been released.

Ask the Burmese authorities to release Dr Aung immediately and unconditionally.

Please write to President Thein Sein, Office of the President, Building No. 18, Naypyitaw, Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

If possible, please also write to Chief Justice, U Win Tun Tun Oo, Office of the Supreme Court, Office No. 24, Naypyitaw, Republic of the Union of Myanmar.

And send copies of your letters to H. E. The Ambassador Of The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, 19A Charles Street, London W1X 8LR

Copies also to U Win Mra, Chairman, Myanmar National Human Rights Commission, 27 Pyay Road, Hline Township, Yangon, Republic of the Union of Myanmar

Tags: , , , , , , ,

My Body, My Rights – Tell world leaders to protect sexual and reproductive rights

4 Jan

My Body, My Rights

Being able to make your own decisions about your body, your life and your sexual and reproductive health is a basic human right. But for millions worldwide – many of them young people – this right is denied on a daily basis.

Please take a moment to sign the My Body, My Rights petition and call on World Leaders to stand up for the health and human rights of young people everywhere.

Tags: , , , ,

Justice For Hakamada

28 Dec

Hakamada IwaoThis is Hakamada Iawo as a young man.  He is now 77 years old and is the world’s longest-serving death row prisoner.  He has spent 45 years in prison since his trial in 1968 and always maintained his innocence.

The main evidence used to convict Hakamada was a confession, allegedly obtained under torture and later retracted.  One of the trial judges, Kumamoto Norimichi, maintains that Hakamada is innocent and believes that he should not have sentenced Hakamada to death on such limited evidence.

Despite such grave doubts, Hakamada continues to await execution every day.  New DNA evidence could finally prove his claim of innocence right. Click here to ask Japan to grant him a retrial.

 

Tags: , , , , ,

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →