CHINA: No Known Whereabouts for Writer - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, April 27, 2020.

Kazakh writer Nagyz Muhammed was arrested in March 2018 in Xinjiang, China, after his last visit to Kazakhstan. 

His family learned through word of mouth that, due to a dinner he had with friends on Kazakhstan Independence Day about 10 years ago, Nagyz Muhammed was convicted in a secret trial on charges of “separatism” and sentenced to seven years in prison. 

No contact has been made with him for more than two years and, without official information about his whereabouts or alleged trial and conviction, there are grave concerns for Nagyz Muhammed’s well-being.

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UGANDA: Activist Arrested - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, April 25, 2020.

On 13 April, Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, a Ugandan activist, was arrested by military police at his home in Iganga, eastern Uganda. 

He was charged with trumped-up charges of defamation and cyber related crimes and detained in the military barracks at Mbuya, near the capital Kampala. 

He is popularly known as the author of “The Greedy Barbarian”, a book that criticizes the ruling first family of Uganda and is also a political activist linked to the Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) party.

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INDIA: Crackdown on Human Rights Defenders - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, April 22, 2020.

Activists Gautam Navlakha and Anand Teltumbde were arrested by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) on 14 April 2020 and charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code along with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their involvement in the 2018 Bhima Koregaon riots. 

These arrests appear to be politically motivated and relate to the massive crackdown on human rights defenders in 2018, when nine other prominent activists were arrested in the same case.

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Virtual AGM 2020: End Rape and Violence Against Native Women and Girls

Virtual AGM 2020: End Rape and Violence Against Native Women and Girls

As AIUSA adapts to life during COVID-19, all AGM 2020 sessions are being conducted online and being made available to view! 

Click the link below to register, then you will be redirected to the recording of the session "End Rape and Violence Against Native Women and Girls", originally presented April 20,2020 by Tarah Demant, Director, Gender, Sexuality, and Identity Program

Click here to access this AGM 2020 session

MOZAMBIQUE: Journalist Disappeared - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, April 15, 2020.

On 7 April 2020, Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco, a journalist at Palma Community Radio, did not return to his home in Palma, northern Mozambique, after work. 

His family and colleagues fear that he could be a victim of military arbitrary detention. Army officers approached Ibraimo Abú Mbaruco on his way home after leaving the radio station. 

Since then, he has not been seen or heard from and his whereabouts remain unknown.

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EGYPT: Human Rights Researcher Health Deteriorating in Tora Prison - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, April 9, 2020.

Detained human rights researcher Ibrahim Ezz El-Din’s health has deteriorated in Tora prison putting him at particular risk if exposed to COVID-19. Ibrahim remains in pre-trial detention following his arrest on 11 June 2019 and enforced disappearance for 167 days.

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VENEZUELA: Opposition Members Detained - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, April 9, 2020.

FAES police officers detained on 2 April, and still hold in custody, Maury Carrero, local council staff, and Demóstenes Quijada, advisor to Venezuelan National Assembly President Juan Guaidó. 

On 30 March, unidentified officers detained Andrea Bianchi, partner to another advisor to Juan Guaidó. Later released, she claims that she was beaten and threatened with sexual violence. At least 10 other individuals connected to National Assembly opposition representatives and staff have been detained in different circumstances in recent months. We demand an immediate halt on the repressive policy against opposition members in Venezuela.

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IRAN: Juvenile Offender Murdered - NEWS

IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS, April 5,2020.

Following IHR’s report on the murder the death row juvenile offender, Danial Zeinolabedini, by the security officers in an Iranian Prison, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Iranian authorities to immediately conduct an independent and impartial investigation into Zeinolabedini's death and hold those responsible to account.

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BANGLADESH - Opposition Leader at Risk for Execution - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, UK, April 4, 2002.

A senior leader of Bangladesh’s opposition party, ATM Azharul Islam, is at imminent risk of execution following Bangladesh authorities’ issuance of a death warrant on 16 March 2020. Convicted and sentenced to death by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in December 2014, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh denied the appeal on 31 October 2019 and upheld his death sentence.

Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have consistently raised serious flaws in trial and appeal proceedings of ICT tribunals, leading to a gross miscarriage of justice.

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IRAN: Report on Death Penalty - NEWS

IRAN HUMAN RIGHTS

2019 ANNUAL REPORT AT A GLANCE 

• At least 280 people were executed in 2019, 7 more compared to 2018 
• 84 executions (30%) were announced by official sources. In 2018 and 2017, respectively 34% and 21% had been announced by the authorities 
• 70% of all executions included in the 2019 report, i.e. 196 executions, were not announced by the authorities 
• At least 225 executions (80% of all executions) were for murder charges (it is the second-highest number in 10 years) 
• At least 30 people (approximately 11%) were executed for drug-related charges 
• 13 executions were conducted in public spaces 
• At least 4 juvenile offenders were among those executed 
• At least 15 women were executed 
• At least 55 executions in 2019 and more than 3,581 executions since 2010 have been based on death sentences issued by the Revolutionary Courts 
• At least 374 prisoners sentenced to death for murder charges were forgiven by the families of the murder victims - a significant increase compared to previous years.

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