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.

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Correction: Amnesty Taunton group meeting Tuesday 8th April @ Silver Street Baptist Church

6 Apr


Sorry for the incorrect date on the title of our earlier post! To confirm:

Our next monthly meeting is next week, on Tuesday 8th April, at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH.  8pm start.

All are most welcome to join us for campaign updates, news and actions and to find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International.

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

4 Apr

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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

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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.

 

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Missed our March meeting? Catch up here…

18 Mar

“The world’s worst humanitarian crisis”. March 15th 2014 marks the third anniversary of the Syrian uprising.

Amnesty, along with other humanitarian organisations such as Oxfam, Save the Children & Christian Aid, plans to highlight the plight of over 250,000 civilians trapped in besieged areas of Syria with little food, water or medicine. We are pressing for humanitarian aid to be delivered to Syria, shining a light these people’s plight.

We signed letters and emails to the Syrian Government and the main Opposition parties, urging them to deal with this appalling situation.

Our speaker this month was Ann Marcus of Amnesty International UK, who is the Country Co-ordinator for Egypt and spoke most interestingly and with great authority on the affairs of that troubled country.

After a period of hope for Egypt’s future after the events of the Arab Spring, and the election of Mohamid Morsi as the new President, a familiar pattern of repression has been re-asserted. There is, sadly, plenty of work for Amnesty to do.

We meet on the second Tuesday of the month at the Silver Street Baptist church; all are welcome.

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Putin: Stop the crackdown on civil rights in Russia

23 Feb

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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.

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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.

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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

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Join us for our group AGM and meeting on Tuesday 11th February 2014

4 Feb

All are welcome to join us at 8pm on Tuesday 11th February at the Silver St Baptist Church.  Part of this meeting will be the group’s 2014 AGM. Click here to view location on a map.

Missed January’s meeting?  Read all about it here.

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