farc releases high profile hostages...

while we've been busy watching the democratic presidential candidates create november openings for the republicans where none should exist something nice happened...

the revolutionary armed forces of colombia (farc) released two of its high-profile hostages on thursday...clara rojas, the running-mate of former presidential candidate ingrid betancourt – who is still being held by the guerrilla group – and who was kidnapped in 2002, and former congresswoman consuelo gonzález, kidnapped in 2001, were released...

the releases were facilitated by venezuelan president hugo chávez, who was also behind the failed attempt to release the same hostages at the end of last year...the two women were handed over to delegates from the international committee of the red cross and the venezuelan government in a remote area of guaviare department in the south-east of colombia...

welcoming the releases, an amnesty international spokesperson said that hostage-taking was a flagrant breach of international humanitarian law, which can constitute a war crime...said claudio cordone, senior director at amnesty international...

"The FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN) must immediately and unconditionally release all civilians they have taken hostage. They must not kill and must always treat humanely those they have captured, whether they are civilians or members of the armed forces.

peace out <3

act now: prevent the cia from using torture...

last december the cia confirmed what amnesty international had been reporting for years - that torture was being used at cia black sites...

we know this because the cia taped interrogations that included so called "enhanced interrogation techniques," used on "high value detainees,"...these tapes reportedly showed detainees being subjected to waterboarding and other forms of torture and ill-treatment, but we will never see them...instead of using these tapes to prosecute the people who violated the law, the cia destroyed the tapes, ensuring that no one will be held accountable...

tell the senate to pass legislation that would prevent the cia from using torture...

we can't do anything about evidence that has been destroyed, but we can press the senate make sure the law would prevent the cia from using abusive interrogation techniques in the future...this provision already passed the house, so momentum behind this legislation is building...torture does not make us safer, and will not bring justice to those responsible for the heinous attacks of september 11th...

even longtime interrogators for the military have come out against these "enhanced interrogation techniques,"...when asked before the senate this past september if torture was necessary to provide urgent information, even in a time sensitive crisis, the response by colonel kleinman, a professional interrogator for the past 20 years with the u.s. army, was "absolutely not,"...

ask your senator to support this provision, and prevent the cia engaging in torture...

peace out <3

uzbekistan joins the club: abolishes the death penalty...

the trend towards total abolition of the death penalty has continued with uzbekistan becoming the latest country to put an end to executions...

from 1 january 2008, it becomes the 135th country in the world to abolish the death penalty in law or practice...capital punishment has now been replaced with life or long-term imprisonment...i hope that you join me in welcoming this move towards ending this cruel and inhumane practice...

there is concern that, prior to the abolition of the death penalty, relatives of executed prisoners were not informed about the dates and places of their execution and burial...

the folks over at amnesty international urge the authorities of uzbekistan to honour its commitment as a member of the organization for security and co-operation in europe (osce) to “make available to the public information regarding the use of the death penalty”. ..they should ensure that the families of those executed receive full access to such information and be allowed to collect the executed prisoners’ personal effects...

the few remaining territories in the former soviet union which retain the death penalty should follow suit and fully abolish it, thus making the whole region a death penalty-free zone...the only remaining executioner in europe is belarus, where the last reported execution took place in december 2007...

peace out <3

thousands around the world protest guantánamo bay...

in the past 24 hours, thousands of amnesty international supporters staged protests in over 30 countries spanning all five major continents, calling for an end to the unlawful detention centers at guantánamo bay...

six years ago, the u.s. began detaining people at guantánamo bay, without charge, without trial, without end...since then, conservatives and liberals, military officers and interrogators, senators and representatives have condemned the detention camps there as immoral and ineffective...

we believe the perpetrators of the heinous attacks of 9/11 must be brought to justice, and believe the u.s. has a duty to protect its citizens...but guantánamo bay helps us do neither...

justice only comes when governments uphold the rule of law and universally respect human rights...those held at guantanamo bay must be brought to trial or released...

check out the images of our protests from around the world

take action at the new international version of tearitdown.org

tell your senator to vote against torture

peace out <3

an anniversary of six years of illegal u.s. detentions...

yesterday it was tomorrow but today is the day...

on the sixth anniversary of the u.s. detention centre at guantánamo, thousands of amnesty international members and supporters are taking action around the world calling on the u.s. government to end illegal detentions at guantánamo and elsewhere...

this anniversary is not just about guantánamo...the detentions there are only one part of the unlawful detention policies and practices that the u.s. government has adopted since 11 september 2001 in the name of counter-terrorism and national security...these include secretly transferring detainees between countries (“renditions”), holding them in secret detention sites and subjecting detainees to interrogation techniques and conditions that amount to torture or other ill-treatment...

amnesty international was one of the first to call for the closure of the guantánamo detention facility...new voices have taken up the demand each year as more and more people have come to recognize the unlawfulness of the detentions...

today, more than 1,200 parliamentarians from countries including the u.k., japan, israel, Bahrain and germany, are joining amnesty international in its call on the usa to end all its illegal detentions and either to charge detainees with recognizable crimes and bring them to trial in civilian courts, or release them in a way that guarantees respect for their human rights...

as amnesty international enters a year of activities to celebrate 60 years of the universal declaration of human rights, we focus on what remains to be done in order to make the promise of universal, indivisible human rights a reality...

guantánamo is a symbol of injustice and abuse. Secret detention, torture, renditions, and indefinite detention without charge flout basic human rights principles and jeopardize rather than promote security...justice for the victims of terrorism lies in full and open trials for anyone against whom there is evidence of involvement in such crimes...

justice for detainees and their families lies in full access to due process and remedies for human rights violations...long-term security will not be achieved without justice and respect for the human rights of all...

today is not a day of passive remembrance but one for action: governments and citizens across the world should call on the u.s. authorities to bring their detention policies and practices into line with international law...

read more
take action: say no to illegal u.s. detentions
activists blog: information about close guantánamo actions around the world
media pack - guantánamo sixth anniversary: key documents and images
usa: illegal u.s. detentions focus sheet: framework for ending illegal u.s. detentions
usa: illegal u.s. detentions focus sheet: guantánamo symbol of wider injustice
usa: illegal u.s. detentions focus sheet: saying no: end illegal u.s. detentions

peace out <3

if you're in d.c. tomorrow stand with those of us who cherish dignity, oppose torture, and believe in the principle of equal standing under the law...

tomorrow january 11th is the 6th anniversary of the first transfer of detainees to guantánamo bay...to mark the occasion amnesty international will lead a worldwide protest denouncing torture and unlawful detentions...

at u.s. embassies and other prominent locations in great britain, japan, bahrain, finland, australia, paraguay, hungary, jordan, israel, the netherlands, spain, ireland, greece, italy, the philippines, slovenia, poland, switzerland and here in my nations's capital washington dc, activists will rise up against the failed interrogation regime at guantánamo...

join our peeps on the national mall in washington, dc on tomorrow january 11th...

when: friday, january 11th at 11am

where: the national mall at 12 st nw (smithsonian metro), washington, dc

what: protest...arrive early so you can suit up in an orange jumpsuit and join the visual count of current detainees...

counter terror with justice and rsvp today...

to check out sister demonstrations around the world just click here...

and a belated happy birthday to south african dave matthews...

peace out <3

save some bucks and meet me for coffee in dc this spring???

here's a chance to save $$$ (ka-ching) and maybe meet me for coffee next spring...

amnesty international usa is proud to announce that our keynote speaker at the 2008 annual general meeting (agm) -- ignite hope, advocate change -- is amnesty international secretary general, irene khan...the agm will be held in washington, dc from april 23-28, 2008 and will feature a national lobby day on april 28th...

the first woman and the first muslim secretary general of amnesty international, secretary khan has been one of the leading figures in the struggle for human rights for over twenty five years...she has worked for the united nations high commissioner for refugees (unhcr), including serving as the unhcr chief of mission in india...she has fought to expose hidden human rights abuses, including the plight of asylum seekers in australia and discrimination against those with mental disabilities in bulgaria...

register for the 2008 agm and hear irene khan speak about the important work amnesty international is doing around the world and in the us.

the agm is especially important this year as we have added a national lobby day on monday, april 28th...this is a unique opportunity to tell your member of congress that human rights must be a top priority for the u.s., and human rights abuses will not go unchecked...

save $25!...take advantage of our special early bird registration before january 31st by registering for the 2008 agm today.

peace out <3

go to the library from your home anywhere in the world...

don't have time to go to the library?

your library doesn't carry very much?

but you have access to a computer?

well amnesty international produces in-depth reports on a wide range of issues and countries so visit one of the most well respected and best researched libraries in the world just by clicking here...

peace out <3

federal journalist's privilege extended to amnesty international usa...

my peeps (amnesty international usa - aiusa) has won a landmark victory in the u.s. district court for the eastern district of new york that affirms the organization's right to protect its confidential sources and investigative research under the federal journalist's privilege...

can i hear an amen!

the ruling, by u.s. magistrate udge viktor v. pohorelsky, occurred in pending litigation brought by attorneys of the legal aid society of new york (lasny) against former officials of the metropolitan detention center in brooklyn (mdc)...

wallace neel, an attorney for reed smith llp, who represented aiusa on a pro bono basis with elizabeth abrams, also of the reed smith firm, said the ruling represents the first time that a u.s. court has recognized amnesty international's ability to protect the sources of its information...

the legal aid society alleged that the prison officials monitored confidential communications between lasny attorneys and their clients, who had been incarcerated in the wake of the sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks...

in response, detention officials asserted that the legal aid society attorneys knew, or should have known, of any monitoring...the mdc attorneys then sought to obtain information from amnesty international, a non-party, regarding the results of confidential interviews that aiusa had conducted with various sources regarding the conditions at the mdc...

explained rachel ward, director of research for aiusa:

"Amnesty International USA is gratified that a federal court has affirmed the organization's right to protect confidential sources and research by asserting the journalist's privilege under federal law. We are also grateful to Reed Smith for its work on this case. As an international human rights organization, Amnesty International works with people around the world who risk their safety and sometimes their lives to expose human right abuses. It is critically important that they are able to speak to Amnesty International in confidence. Anything less impacts our ability to expose and combat abuses of human rights."

reed smith attorney wallace neel added:

"This ruling will greatly aid Amnesty International in its mission to expose human rights violations, because Amnesty's sources are often the direct victims of those violations. Victims cannot always safely come forward unless their confidentiality can be protected."

and finally his colleague racel ward close with:

"In this ruling, the court soundly rejected a vigorous challenge to Amnesty International's entitlement to the protections of this important First Amendment-based privilege."

peace out <3

kenyan election sparks political killings...let's hope obama is safe here in the deep south...

kenya's disputed election result has triggered a series of politically-motivated killings of civilians by groups of armed youths across the country...amnesty international has strongly condemned the killings and is particularly concerned at the developing ethnic-related nature of the violence...

the organization has called on the kenyan government and political party leaders to take all possible measures to ensure an immediate halt to the violence...they must commit themselves publicly to the respect and protection of the human rights of all citizens...said erwin van der borght, director of amnesty international’s africa programme:

"Political leaders must not explicitly or implicitly condone violence against supposed supporters of their rivals."

more than 75,000 people have been internally displaced in the country as a result of the violence...there is also concern at continuing reports of killings by police...one individual was reported to have been shot dead on thursday during skirmishes between police and demonstrators in mombasa (a city made famous in warren zevon's roland the headless thompson gunner...

over 300 people are reported to have been killed as a result of the violence...this includes over 30 people -- mostly women and children fleeing from armed youths -- who were deliberately burned to death after they sought refuge in a church in eldoret town in the rift valley on 1 january...

medical staff at the women’s hospital in nairobi have also reported a sharp increase in rape figures of women and girls, committed by gangs and individuals as part of the post-election violence...

in some areas with a history of ethnic conflict, recent attacks by anti-government mobs appear to have targeted members of president kibaki’s kikuyu ethnic group, in apparent retaliation for suspected election rigging...

informal roadblocks have been set up across the country by violent youth gangs, some armed with machetes, sticks and stones...

some displaced people have been evacuated by the kenyan government under military escort or by plane to safer locations, including from eldoret to nairobi and other parts of kenya...thousands are reported to be fleeing to neighbouring countries, particularly uganda...van der borght added:

"The Kenyan government must arrange rapid humanitarian assistance to the internally displaced and to provide all necessary security for humanitarian relief workers."

violence flared in kenya after mwai kibaki was declared president on 30 december...raila odinga’s opposition party disputes the result, while election observers have questioned the credibility of the counting and tallying of the presidential vote...

read more
kenya: amnesty international condemns killings in post-election violence
kenya: amnesty international concerned at police killings in election protests

peace out <3

here's to good news and success: 30 prisoners in sudan released by government...

the good folks over at amnesty inernational usa expressed relief on wednesday over the release of 30 individuals who were imprisoned in sudan for their alleged connections to a sabotage plot against the government...the individuals were tortured, denied medical treatment, and held incommunicado since july 2007 when they were imprisoned in kober prison and at military headquarters in khartoum...

in a speech on monday, december 31, marking the 52nd anniversary of sudan's independence, president omar al-bashir announced that he had pardoned the 30 prisoners and that they had been released...

the prisoners included abdel jalil basha, general secretary of the umma reform and renewal party; basha's secretary, ahmad salmann; and two former army officers, tawer osman tawer and yaqoub yahya...

amnesty international had mobilized its global network of activists to appeal to the government of sudan for the prisoners' release and had expressed outrage over the torture which the prisoners reported...

here's what lynn fredriksson, advocacy director for africa at amnesty international usa had to say:

"These 30 individuals have been released and the brutality against them has stopped. We are grateful that the immediate cause of their suffering is over. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of individuals in the Darfur region of Sudan still suffer under brutal violence that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Without the full and speedy deployment of the UN-AU peacekeeping force to the region, this violence will continue. While we are relieved for the release of these 30 individuals, we strongly urge President Bashir to do everything in his power to expedite peacekeeping operations in Darfur."

make a difference!

express concern at incommunicado detention of journalists and lawyers in sudan

call on investors: stand up for human rights in darfur

write-a-thon action: peacekeepers for darfur

peace out <3

assasination of benazir bhutto is appalling in this day and age...

my peeps - amnesty international - has strongly condemned the assassination of former pakistan prime minister benazir bhutto and 15 pakistan people’s party (ppp) workers...

ms bhutto – the party’s chairperson– died after being shot in the neck and chest shortly after addressing an election rally...her attacker then blew himself up, according to reports...

then the government of pervez musharraf lied about the known facts in the case...said catherine baber, director of amnesty international’s asia programme:

“It is shocking to see someone’s life cut short in such a brutal way. Attacks such as these can never be justified. They violate international law and the rules of democratic behaviour. We know that the government of President Musharraf will find itself under enormous pressure to go after the culprits and keep the country calm and stable, but Amnesty International calls on President Musharraf – and on the security forces – to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law. The killing of Benazir Bhutto must not be allowed to become a setback to civilian governance or indeed lead to a further crackdown on civil liberties.”

here's to the health and safety of you and your family in 2008...i hope that you will join me in paying forward the good fortune brought to those of us in historied democracies by becoming human rights advocates and activists for all of our brothers and sisters, domestic and abroad, who struggle against power relationships in their search for a life lived with dignity...

peace out <3