Paul O'brien: Executive Director of Amnesty International - USA: This is Gaza Genocite

 Amnesty International - USA.

This is Gaza Genocite
An interview by Chris Hayes at MSNBC with Paul O'Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International - USA. For more information, Click here.

Amnesty International: 2024 Write For Rights

Amnesty International: 2024 Write For Rights

Every year, Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign brings together people from around the world to fight injustice and support people whose human rights are under threat.

Over the past few years your actions have made a real difference to people’s lives. From Zimbabwe to Guatemala to Kyrgyzstan, activists have been freed and justice has been served.

This year’s campaign features people from around the world who are all connected because their human rights have been violated.

By writing letters, signing petitions and sharing stories, you can demand justice calling decision makers to do the right thing.

Join this year’s campaign and become part of a community working to make the world a more just and compassionate place. Join Write for Rights today. 

Click here to support all or any individual cases: https://join.amnesty.org/page/152448/petition/1?locale=en-US

Good News: Amnesty International (October 2024)

 

Palestinian surgeon Dr. Khaled Al Serr was just released from Israeli detention after spending more than six months without charges of trial. Amnesty has been campaigning and advocating for Dr. Al Serr ever since he was taken by Israeli forces while working at a hospital in Gaza, along with other healthcare workers. For over five months, his family did not know if he was safe or even alive. We are so grateful for the thousands of you who helped amplify calls for his release.

Education activist Ahmad Fahim Azimi was just released after 11 months in prison. He should never have been jailed for promoting girls' rights to access education. His arrest, arbitrary detention, and unfair trial were against international human rights law. Since its return to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has detained, tortured, and in some cases killed activists, journalists, poets, and others across the country. Thank you to all who worked tirelessly calling for his release.

7 Maps Showing How the World is Actually Getting Better: By Ian Wright October 14, 2024

Here are just a few highlights:

All but 6 countries in the world have higher life expectancy rates today than in 1982. With East Timor more than doubling its life expectancy.  China reduced it’s extreme poverty rate from 91.8% in 1981 to 0% today, this is due to it’s incredible economic growth which has seen the average Chinese person increase their wealth 9X in real terms in 40 years.  Infant Mortality rates have fallen in every country on earth expect for one, with many countries reducing deaths by over 90%!  CO2 emissions per capita have grown a lot less slowly than I expected, they grew 14% per person globally, but have fallen in many rich countries such as Canada (-14%), US (-23%), Germany (-39%), France (-43%) and the UK (-51%).

To me the UK number is the most interesting. It was the birthplace of the industrial revolution power by coal.

Yet on 30 September 2024, UK shut down it’s last coal power station after 142 years. The UK now produces less CO2 per capita than it did at the end of the Crimean War in 1856!

This suggests that economic growth does not have to equal a growth in CO2 emissions. Combined with falling fertility rates (especially in China and India) means our impact on the planet is very likely close to reaching its peak.

So while the world is far from perfect, and there a lots of thing that can still be improved, I’m actually even more of an optimist about the future after researching these maps than I was before.

Click here to get more information

World Day Against Death Penalty: October 10, 2024

 

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO); October 10, 2024: 10th October marks World Day Against the Death Penalty. In anticipation, the Islamic Republic hanged 12 people the day prior. At least 531 people including a juvenile offender and 18 women have been executed in 2024. 

Iran Human Rights once again urges the international community to not remain silent about the daily executions under the shadow of war and to do everything in their power to stop the rising executions in Iran.

IHRNGO Director, Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam said: “Under the shadow of the threat of war with Israel, and taking advantage of the neglect of the media and the international community, the Islamic Republic has begun a widespread execution wave in Iranian prisons, targeting the most vulnerable individuals in society who have been sentenced to death in unjust courts. The aim of these executions is to instil fear in society and ensure the survival of the regime. We and the people of Iran today need more than ever solidarity and support from the global movement against the death penalty and the international community. The international community, especially the governments committed to human rights that have diplomatic relations with the Islamic Republic, must not remain silent in the face of an execution every five hours in Iran.” For more information, Click here. 

Abdorrahman Boroumand Center of Human Rights: October 9, 2024

World Day Against the Death Penalty,

From October 2023 to October 2024, at least 811 executions have been carried out, marking a sharp increase from the previous year and reaching levels not seen in nearly a decade. In August alone, at least 97 executions were reported, 45 of which were for drug-related offenses—charges that do not meet the threshold of “most serious crimes” under international law. This year also marks the highest number of women executed in the past decade, with 23 women being put to death.

For more information, Click here

September 16, 2024: Two Years after Woman Life Freedom Uprising when Mahsa-Zhina Amini was killed

                 

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/09/iran-two-years-after-woman-life-freedom-uprising-impunity-for-crimes-reigns-supreme/

Iran: Two years after ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprising, impunity for crimes reigns supreme

People in Iran continue to endure the devastating consequences of the authorities’ brutal crackdown on the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising amid systematic impunity for crimes under international law, Amnesty International said today, ahead of the two-year anniversary of the protests that saw people across Iran challenge decades of oppression and gender-based discrimination.

The anniversary of the ‘Woman Life Freedom’ uprising is a haunting reminder that countless people in Iran are still reeling from the consequences of the authorities’ brutal crackdown.

                                Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International

Voices of Women Chanting in Evin Prison Yard

Hear them in their own voices from their second all-night sit-in on July 27 and read our translation on any of the links posted at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anZQAO4vu88

•  -No to threats, No to repression, No to execution!
• -Political Prisoners Must be Freed!
• up life, but we do not give up on emancipation!
• -The Execution State must be Destro
• -We may give up health, we may give
• yed! The Islamic Republic will be Destroyed!
• Kurdistan is the light in the eye of Iran.
• -Jin Jian Azadi ( Woman, Life Freedom)!
• -Free
• -Kurdistan will be the Graveyard of Fascists!
• dom is our right! Unity is our power!
• -We swear by the blood of our comrades that we will resist to the end!
• h Mohammadi, Pakhshan Azizi
• -Women’
• -We Stand United to End Executions!
• -The Islamic Republic is a weakling.We will not let the IRI rest.
• -Sharif
• es ward at Evin in one voice, With one oath
• ll the end
• Until the annulment of execution We stand together

Amnesty International Succes Cases: 2024

Amnesty International has released a statement describing a series of wins for human rights during the past six months to which Amnesty contributed.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/impact/2024/07/six-months-of-wins-for-human-rights/ 

Urgent Action: Please Take Action To Save Lives

June 14, 2024: Today, the NRA-endorsed members of the Supreme Court made a decision to strike down the federal ban on bump stocks, devices that enable semi-automatic firearms to fire at a rate similar to automatic weapons. This decision represents a significant setback in our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and reduce gun violence in our communities.  The ban on bump stocks was implemented following the tragic mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, where a gunman used these devices to unleash rapid fire on concertgoers, resulting in the deaths of 60 individuals and injuries to over 400 more. The Supreme Court's ruling undermines this critical measure aimed at preventing such devastating incidents.  Don't let the SCOTUS get away with sacrificing our lives for the gun lobby/industry. Please take 5 minutes of your time to fill out THIS FORM to send your Representative and Senators an email to urge them to cosponsor and pass the following bills:   H.R.396: Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2023: Sponsor:Titus, Dina [Rep.-D-NV-1] (Introduced 01/17/2023) Cosponsors: (136) S.1616: Judiciary Act of 2023: Sponsor:Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA] (Introduced 05/16/2023) Cosponsors: (2) H.R.3422: Judiciary Act of 2023: Sponsor:Johnson, Henry C. "Hank," Jr. [Rep.-D-GA-4] (Introduced 05/17/2023) Cosponsors: (63) Thank you so much for your advocacy!    Sincerely, Po Murray, Chairwoman of Newtown Action Alliance

SEND AN EMAIL TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE & SENATORS

 

Amnesty International - Iran Team

Iran: President Raisi’s death must not deny victims of his grim human rights legacy their right to accountability

The death of president Ebrahim Raisi must not deny people in Iran their right to justice, truth and reparation for the litany of crimes under international law and human rights violations committed since the 1980s during his time in the echelons of power, said Amnesty International today, following his passing in a helicopter crash in East Azerbaijan province.

Ebrahim Raisi, who at the age of 20 was appointed as Prosecutor General of Karaj, Alborz province, in 1980, quickly rose through the ranks to assume various senior judicial and executive positions, before becoming president in 2021. Over the past 44 years, he was directly involved in or oversaw the enforced disappearance and extrajudicial executions of thousands of political dissidents in the 1980s, the unlawful killing, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture of thousands of protesters; and violent persecution of women and girls defying compulsory veiling, among other serious human rights violations.

Islamic Republic of Iran: President Raisi Died on May 19, 2024

 May 20, 2023:

Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO):

Ebrahim Raisi, the president of the Islamic Republic and a member of the "Death Committee," died yesterday in a helicopter crash.

Honoring the memory of thousands of men and women who have fallen victim to the crimes of Ebrahim Raisi and the Islamic Republic over the past four decades, Iran Human Rights (IHRNGO) emphasizes that Raisi's death does not mean the closure of the case on his crimes. IHRNGO hopes that one day, his record, along with those of other officials of the Islamic Republic and perpetrators of crimes against humanity, will be addressed in a competent court. For more information, Click here.

Free Toomaj Salehi

 Amnesty International USA

Dear Friends:

Last week we got the shocking news that Toomaj Salehi, a popular Iranian rap musician and hip-hop artist has been sentenced to death solely for his peaceful artistic expression in support of the protests that broke out in Iran in fall 2022, and for his criticism of the Iranian authorities’ human rights violations. Toomaj Salehi was arrested in October 2022 and subjected to brutal torture which led to several broken bones and damage to his eyes. He was convicted of “corruption on earth” and was originally sentenced to more than six years in prison and a ban on his artistic activities but then a death sentence was handed down in April 2024. Please take this action to urge the Iranian authorities to void the death sentence against Toomaj Salehi and to call for his immediate and unconditional release and for his conviction to be overturned:

https://act.amnestyusa.org/page/133648/action/1

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now

April 25, 2024

Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard speaking with Amy Goodman on Democracy Now. She discussed the dismal state of International Law, Israel and Gaza, and surveillance updates. https://www.democracynow.org/2024/4/25/agnes_callamard_gaza_war_israel_palestine

https://www.democracynow.org/2024/4/25/agnes_callamard_gaza_war_israel_palestine

Good News: Iranian Environmental Activists were released from prisons (April 7, 2024)

Good News: Iranian Environmental Activists were released from prisons:

Niloofar Bayani, Sepideh Kashani, Homan Jokar, and Taher Qadirian are environmental activists whose lawyer announced they had been granted amnesty on Sunday. They all worked at the Persian Wildlife Heritage Foundation, dedicated to saving the Iranian cheetah from extinction.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence accused them of espionage without presenting evidence.

March 8, 2024: International Women's Day

Happy International Women's Day. Freedom of Speech and Women Rights to choose for everyone.

 

Amnesty International: 2023 Write 4 Rights Until Jan 31, 2024

 

The 2023 Write for Rights campaign is live! Now through January 31, AIUSA is mobilizing supporters to take action on 10 Global Write for Rights cases. Check out the case details below! "Write A Letter, Change A Life." That’s the idea behind Write for Rights, our global letter-writing campaign. We’ve been doing it every year for 22 years and today, it’s the world’s biggest human rights event.       Like most great things, it began with a group of friends and one big idea. A group of activists in Warsaw, Poland, decided to celebrate Human Rights Day (10 December) a little differently. They held a 24-hour letter-writing marathon, writing letters day and night on behalf of people whose rights had been wronged.       Write for Rights supporters have used the power of their words to unite behind a common purpose – backing people no matter where they are in the world. Together, they’ve helped transform the lives of more than 100 people over the years, freeing them from torture, harassment, or unjust imprisonment.   We hope your local group will take part in the Write for Rights campaign this year! Your Local Group Can: Sign Up to let us know your group is participating in this campaign. Use the Resource Page to write letters on behalf of this year's 10 Global Write for Rights cases, and plan an activism event in your community. Add Your Event to our national Write for Rights Events Map, so other members and activists in the area know about it and can join you. Report Your Letters by January 31 so we can cite the number of actions taken in our advocacy work to government officials, making the case for action on behalf of these 10 cases. Learn More and Take Online Actions on behalf of this year's 10 Global Write for Rights cases, and find all the resources here!

JUSTYNA WYDRZYŃSKA PROSECUTED FOR DEFENDING SAFE ABORTION POLAND

CHAIMA ISSA FACING YEARS IN PRISON FOR SPEAKING OUT TUNISIA

ROCKY MYERS 3 DECADES ON DEATH ROW DESPITE FLAWED PROCEEDINGS USA

AHMED MANSOOR SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IN PRISON FOR SPEAKING OUT UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

RITA KARASARTOVA FACING 15 YEARS IN PRISON FOR PEACEFUL PROTEST KYRGYZSTAN

THAPELO MOHAPI THREATENED FOR DEFENDING HIS COMMUNITY SOUTH AFRICA

ANA MARIA SANTOS CRUZ A MOTHER’S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE BRAZIL

MAUNG SAWYEDDOLLAH TAKING ON FACEBOOK FOR ITS ROLE IN MYANMAR ATROCITIES MYANMAR

THULANI MASEKO KILLED FOR SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER ESWATINI

UNCLE PABAI AND UNCLE PAUL FIGHTING TO SAVE  THEIR ANCESTRAL LANDS AUSTRALIA