CHINA: Uyghyr Model Held Incommunicado - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, August 24, 2020.

Merdan Ghappar has not been seen or heard from since March 2020, after his messages and photos describing his poor detention conditions were shared on social media. 

Detained since January 2020, the authorities only recently disclosed that Merdan Ghappar is under “compulsory measures” on suspicion of assaulting health care workers. There are serious concerns for Merdan Ghappar’s wellbeing, as it is feared he is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. 

https://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent-actions/urgent-action-uyghur-model-held-incommunicado-for-months-china-ua-106-20/

CHINA: Human Rights Lawyer Tortured - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, August 24, 2020.

Held incommunicado for over 18 months, human rights lawyer Yu Wensheng was finally allowed to meet his lawyer on 14 August. According to his lawyer, Yu was tortured in detention and his health has drastically deteriorated. 

Charged with “inciting subversion of state power”, Yu was sentenced on 17 June 2020 to four years’ imprisonment and deprivation of political rights for three years. He is a prisoner of conscience, detained solely for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression, and must be immediately and unconditionally released.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa17/2897/2020/en/.

 

NIGER: Journalist/Blogger Freed - GOOD NEWS

Amnesty International, USA, Aug 11, 2020

Samira Sabou, a journalist and President of the Niger bloggers association, was freed from Niamey pris-on on 28 July after the judge dismissed all charges of defamation against her. 

She had been arbitrarily detained for 48 days, in pre-trial detention, after a defamation complaint, filed by the son of the President, was made against her following a Facebook user’s mention of the President’s son’s name in a comment on a post made on Samira Sabou’s Facebook page. 

The 26 May post related to allegations of corruption in the procurement of military equipment on. 

https://www.amnestyusa.org/victories/urgent-action-victory-niger-journalist-samira-sabou-has-been-freed-niger-ua-117-20/

IRAN - Quash Death Sentences - ONLINE ACTION

Amnesty International, Australia, August 9, 2020

There has been an alarming rise in the use of the death penalty against protesters and members of minority groups in Iran. Right now, three protesters face execution after grossly unfair trials.

Amirhossein Moradi, Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi were sentenced to death in connection with protests that took place in November 2019. Iranian authorities have accused them of being “riot leaders”. 

https://www.amnesty.org/en/get-involved/take-action/iran-stop-execution-of-protesters/.

IRAN: Free Iranian Kurd from Execution - URGENT ACTION

Amnesty International, USA, 8-3-2020.

Arsalan Khodkam, from Iran’s Kurdish minority, is at risk of execution in West Azerbaijan province. He was sentenced to death for “spying” after a grossly unfair trial that lasted about 30 minutes and relied on “confessions” he says were obtained under torture. He has never been allowed access to a lawyer of his own choosing. The use of the death penalty for “espionage” violates international law.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/iran/.