Monday, November 26, 2018
Saturday, November 24, 2018
CANADA: Stop Forced Sterilization of Indigenous Women - ONLINE ACTION
When 29-year-old Lisa* entered a Saskatchewan hospital to give birth in 2001, she could never have expected her doctor would also perform a tubal ligation against her will, leaving her unable to have more children.
Yet, that is exactly what happened -- and Lisa* is not alone.
Across Canada, and as recently as 2017, Indigenous women report being forcibly or coercively sterilized after giving birth. Some women were incorrectly told the procedure is reversible. Others were separated from their babies until they consented to a tubal ligation surgery.
Today, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, will you call on Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau to make sure that not one more Indigenous woman is sterilized without consent?
Wednesday, November 21, 2018
CONGO: Activists Held Incommunicado - URGENT ACTION
Activists Arsene Katolo, Alain Muwaka, Oto Shaminga, Heritier Losomba, Miko Booto, Enoch Muanda and Mwanza are being held incommunicado at an unknown location in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Arsene Katolo, Alain Muwaka, Oto Shaminga, Heritier Losomba, Miko Booto, Enoch Muanda and Mwanzawere arrested on 11 September in Kinshasa as they were handing out leaflets against controversial plans to use electronic voting machines in next month’s election. The elections are scheduled for 23 December.
Their families and lawyers have not been allowed to see them and they have not been presented in court. There is concern that they could be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment while in detention.
The activists are members of “Les Congolais Debout”, a movement of Congolese activists opposed to human rights violations, and defending civil and political liberties in the country.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - SAD NEWS
Dear AIUSA members,
Today at 4:30pm GMT, the International Secretariat posted on the Amnesty International website the Laddie report which investigates the death of Gaëtan Mootoo, who was a long-time Africa researcher for Amnesty. The UK barrister James Laddie had a scope of work to determine whether there was a breach of the duty of care Amnesty is obligated to provide staff in the case of Gaëtan taking his own life. While the report does not find a breach in the duty of care, Laddie does highlight a number of serious concerns regarding the culture and structure of Amnesty. It is also particularly critical of the organization’s management, and there are a series of recommendations in the report that have been accepted in full by Kumi and the SLT.
You can find Kumi’s response to the report here. Please note that any media queries should be directed to the AIUSA media team – media@aiusa.org – and we are deferring all comments to the IS spokespeople.
Today’s report includes information that is difficult to read and includes recommendations that can be applied to our work here in the U.S. as well as across the global movement. Our thoughts are with people who have been impacted by Gaëtan’s tragic death. When a colleague takes their own life, it can affect any of us in different ways and we all need to be mindful of the potential impact on our colleagues and ourselves.
Friday, November 16, 2018
MYANMAR: Acquitted Former Child Soldier Held - URGENT ACTION
Amnesty International, USA, Nov. 15, 2018.
Former child solider Aung Ko Htwe has been acquitted of the latest in a series of charges against him after he gave a media interview about being forcibly recruited by the Myanmar military when he was only 13. Despite this acquittal, he remains in prison serving two years and six months on other politically motivated charges. He should be immediately and unconditionally released.
VIETNAM: Prisoner Critically Ill - URGENT ACTION
Amnesty International, USA, November 15,2018.
Nguyễn Văn Túc health is quickly deteriorating to the point where he is fainting on a daily basis, yet the authorities continue to deny him adequate medical treatment and have moved him to a remote prison, making family visits much more difficult. Determined to be a prisoner of conscience, Nguyễn Văn Túc should be immediately and unconditionally released.
Wednesday, November 14, 2018
EGYPT: Death Sentence Upheld - URGENT ACTION
On 24 September 2018, Egypt’s Court of Cassation...upheld the death sentences of 20 Egyptians, including Sheikh Abdel Rehim Abdel Halim Gabreel. They were convicted of killing 13 policemen during the 2013 attack on a police station in the Giza suburb of Kerdasa.
On 26 September 2013, Sheikh Abdel Rehim Abdel Halim Gabreel was arrested from a mosque. After six months of investigations without a lawyer, he was put on trial. On 2 February 2015, he was sentenced to death. The sentence was upheld by the Court of Cassation on 24 September 2018.
Sheikh Abdel Rehim Abdel Halim Gabreel does not have any political affiliation and did not participate in the criminal acts at Kerdasa. During the trial, two prosecution witnesses denied the testimonies written in the affidavits presented by the prosecution and that incriminated Sheikh Abdel Rehim Abdel Halim Gabreel.
Sheikh Abdel Rehim Abdel Halim Gabreel’s lawyers performed a forensic medical examination, confirming that he suffers from Psoriasis...His overall physical and psychological health deteriorated in prison, as he cannot have access to adequate health care. The Wadi al-Natrun prison authorities did not allow his family to bring him medication; they only accept giving him some medication and refuse to let his family provide him with all the medication he needs.
Tuesday, November 13, 2018
IRAN: Activists Executed - NEWS
IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS, November 11, 2018
Two different sources have reported to Iran Human Rights (IHR) that several Ahwazi Arab activists were executed on Thursday, November 8, at one of the prisons in the Iranian city of Ahvaz (Ahwaz).
One of the sources said: “In the aftermath of the September attack to a military parade in Ahvaz, Iranian Ministry of intelligence announced that 22 people were arrested for alleged connection to the incident. It seems that authorities executed all of them on Thursday. Today [Sunday, November 11] they told the prisoners’ families that the executions were carried out. They (authorities) warned the families against public mourning.”
Friday, November 9, 2018
MEXICO: Indigenous Leaders Killed - ONLINE ACTION
The mountains, canyons and forests of Mexico’s Tarahumara Sierra are renowned for their breathtaking beauty.
They are also a place of extreme danger for Indigenous people trying to defend their ancestral territory and the environment on which their survival depends.
The shocking reality is that more than a dozen Rarámuri Indigenous leaders from the tiny community of Coloradas de la Virgen have been killed since 2015.
That terrible toll worsened on October 24 when the disfigured body of Julián Carrillo was found after shots were heard.
Like others before him, Julián had courageously spoken out to denounce illegal logging and mining concessions that threaten Rarámuri lands. He knew he was in danger and reported death threats on repeated occasions. Yet authorities failed to protect him, just as they failed to protect other Rarámuri leaders.
Julián’s voice has been silenced. Ours are urgently needed.
This is literally a matter of life and death. The people of Coloradas de la Virgen have good reason to fear more attacks. They are counting on our support. Please sign our action calling on Mexico to stop the killers and protect Indigenous environment defenders.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
EGYPT: Human Rights Lawyer Detained - URGENT ACTION
Amnesty International, USA, Nov 7, 2018
On 1 November 2018, State Security forces broke into the house of Hoda Abdelmoniem in Cairo at 1:30 am, ransacked it, and took her blindfolded to her mother’s house. While the Security forces searched her mother’s house, she was left blindfolded in a police vehicle. Hoda was then forcibly taken to an unknown destination. Hoda’s daughter witnessed her arrest.
The officers confirmed to Hoda’s daughter that they belong to the State Security forces. However, they did not show an arrest warrant, and refused to tell her daughter about the reason of the arrest or the destination where she was being taken. Hoda was not allowed to take any medicines or personal belongings with her. She has a blood clot in her leg and high blood pressure, resulting in repeated instances of imbalance. Hoda’s lawyers have been asking about her fate and whereabouts in different police stations but have not been unable to locate her. The authorities denied the fact that Hoda has been arrested and said that they do not know her whereabouts. Amnesty International believes that Hoda Abdelmoniem has been forcibly disappeared.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Bahrain: Opposition Leader Sentenced to Life - URGENT ACTION
On 4 November 2018, the Bahraini Appeal Court sentenced opposition leader and prisoner of conscience, Sheikh Ali Salman, to life imprisonment. The court overturned an earlier acquittal, and convicted him and two others of communicating sensitive security information to Qatar.
On 4 November 2018, the High Criminal Court of Appeal in Manama, Bahrain’s capital, sentenced Sheikh Ali Salman, the Secretary General of al-Wefaq National Islamic Society (al-Wefaq), Bahrain’s main opposition party, to life imprisonment. He was convicted with two others of “exchanging intelligence information with a foreign country [Qatar] and with those serving its interests to carry out hostile acts against Bahrain....
The two other men, Ali al-Aswad, a former al-Wefaq Member of Parliament, and Sheikh Hassan Sultan, a party member whose nationality was revoked in January 2015, were tried in abstentia.
Sheikh Ali Salman is held in Jaw Prison, south of Manama. He was due for release at the end of December, having served his four-year prison sentence in another case relating to his peaceful speeches.
Monday, November 5, 2018
URGENT ACTION: Activist charged for peaceful anti-military protest
ACTIVIST CHARGED FOR PEACEFUL ANTI-MILITARY PROTEST
Activist Tin Maung Kyi has been detained for staging a peaceful solo protest calling on the international community to arrest senior Myanmar generals. He has been charged under laws often used to silence peaceful activists and faces up to two years and one month in prison if found guilty. He must be immediately and unconditionally released.
Take Action:
Write a letter, send an email, call, fax or tweet:
- Release Tin Maung Kyi immediately and unconditionally as he has been detained solely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly;
- Ensure that, pending his release, Tin Maung Kyi is protected against torture and other ill-treatment, that he has unfettered access to his family and legal counsel of his choosing, and is provided with any medical treatment he may require.
- Repeal or amend all laws criminalizing the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including Article 505(b) of the Penal Code and the Peaceful Assembly Act, and bring them in line with international human rights law and standards.
Contact these two officials by 17 December, 2018:
Lt. Gen. Kyaw Swe, Minister of Home Affairs
Ministry of Home Affairs,
Office No. 10, Nay Pyi Taw,
Republic of the Union of Myanmar
Fax: +95 67 412 439
Email: mohamyanmar@gmail.com
Salutation: Dear Minister
Ambassador U Aung Lynn, Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
2300 S St. NW, Washington DC 20008
Phone: 202 332 3344 OR 202 332 4350 I Fax: 202 332 4351
Email: pyi.thayar@verizon.net -OR-
washington-embassy@mofa.gov.mm
Contact form: https://goo.gl/t7XddG
Facebook: https://goo.gl/ZSjisy
Salutation: Dear Ambassador
Click here to let Amnesty know if you took action on this case! This is Urgent Action 188.18.
Here's why it is so important to report your actions: we record the actions taken on each case—letters, emails, calls and tweets—and use that information in our advocacy.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CASE: Read and download the full Urgent Action
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CONTACT US: uan@aiusa.org
Thanks for all you do!
Saturday, November 3, 2018
EVENT: A Conversation with Congressman Mark Pocan: Clean Water for Children in Gaza
In Gaza, 97 percent of the water is unfit for human consumption!
Amnesty Internationl Local Group #139 - Madison is proud to be a supporter of Clean Water for the Children of Gaza - a joint project of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, First Unitarian Society of Madison, Jewish Voice for Peace/Madison, and Madison-Rafah Sister City Project.
We are co-sponsoring a fundraiser for this project on Tuesday, November 20th at 7:00 pm at First Unitarian Society – 900 University Bay Dr. in Madison.
At this event, Congressman Mark Pocan will discuss the water crisis in Gaza and share his insights with our community. We will also be raising money to purchase a water filtration system that will serve two schools in Gaza, thus providing clean water to over 3,250 children and their families.
There will also be a brief presentation about the project, a musical performance by Beat Road, and light refreshments. This event is free and open to the public. Donations at this fundraiser will be greatly appreciated!
Event flyer and poster are attached. You can also share our Facebook event and our project brochure. For more information call Tim Cordon at 608-630-3633.
Hope to see you on November 20th!
Friday, November 2, 2018
Thursday, November 1, 2018
AUSTRALIA: Free Remaining Children on Nauru - ONLINE ACTION
38 children and their families remain on Nauru. And tomorrow our government will still go to the Federal Court to stall the immediate transfer of critically ill children.
It begs the question: if the government is serious about bringing kids to safety, why block their immediate transfer? Why are the remaining children and families not being moved right now?
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