fighting and carnage increases in basra...

the u.s. military launched air strikes in basra on friday for the first time since the iraqi authorities began their crackdown on the mahdi army, followers of the shi’a cleric moqtada al-sadr...the intensification of fighting comes as aid agencies warn that the military offensive is stopping food and medical relief efforts and putting civilians at risk...

the situation in basra and in al-sadr city in baghdad is "critical,"...unicef spokeswoman veronique taveau said that "the situation concerning drinking water is particularly critical...we estimate the population has enough for two days,"...

the international committee of the red cross, icrc, said they were unable to reach hospitals in basra with urgent medical supplies...

the iraqi ground commander in basra, major-general ali zaidan, told the reuters news agency that his forces had killed 120 "enemy" fighters and wounded around 450 since the campaign began...

however, prime minister nuri al-maliki's forces have failed to drive the fighters off the streets of basra...the authorities initiated a strict curfew in baghdad, but that has failed to halt rocket attacks and clashes in the capital...

the iraqi parliament called an emergency meeting to end the impasse, but only 54 members out of 275 managed to get inside the fortified "green zone" compound, which was bombarded by rockets as they gathered...

one missile hit the green zone office of vice president tareq al-hashemi, killing a security guard...the u.s. embassy ordered its staff in the zone to stay under cover when possible and wear body armour and helmets when in the open...

prime minister al-maliki, who had given the basra militants 72 hours to surrender, extended his deadline, giving them until april 8 to turn in their weapons for cash...

the government says it is fighting "outlaws", but followers of al-sadr are reported to have accused political parties in the shi'’a-led government of using military force to marginalise their rivals ahead of local elections due by october...

amnesty international has warned that the continued fighting puts civilians at risk...on wednesday, the organisation urged all parties to refrain from indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks...

the continued fighting is creating a deepening crisis for civilians...communities that formerly lived in relative harmony are being further torn apart by the desperate conflict that continues to grip iraq...

read more
iraq fighting puts civilians at risk

carnage and despair in iraq

peace out <3

after 29 months freedom for ethiopian anti-poverty campaigners...

great news!!!

human rights activists daniel bekele and netsanet demissie, who had been detained in ethiopia since november 2005, were released on friday...

the two men were released having received a presidential pardon after they signed a letter “acknowledging mistakes” committed in relation to the 2005 elections...it is not yet clear if the pardon is unconditional...

from available evidence it appears that these two men did not commit any acts for which they needed to seek pardon...they were prisoners of conscience, detained and convicted solely for their peaceful work as human rights defenders...they should have their convictions unconditionally pardoned, and should receive compensation for the period they were unfairly imprisoned...

daniel bekele is the policy manager of actionaid in ethiopia...netsanet demissie is the founder and director of the organization for social justice in ethiopia...both are prominent human rights lawyers...

both men chose to enter a defence, unlike other co-accused, during a trial that ran for over two years...in december 2007, they were convicted by a majority verdict of the ethiopian federal high court of provoking and preparing “outrages against the constitution” and were sentenced to 30 months imprisonment...

according to amnesty international, the prosecution failed to present evidence that either daniel bekele or netsanet demissie incited violence and the judges convicted them on the basis of the testimonies of two witnesses whose credibility was doubtful and strongly contested by the defence...the ethiopian government barred representatives from amnesty international from observing the trial in july 2007...

this is why human rights defenders need our active support...they are on the front lines everyday defending human rights conceptually and legally for all of us, everywhere...

peace out <3

be the voice for those facing imminent, life-threatening human rights violations...

when peaceful protestors are beaten and jailed...when human rights defenders are threatened and assaulted for daring to speak the truth...when fast action can mean the difference between life and death...

recent news about the crackdown on rights and freedoms in tibet is a clear case for urgent action...hundreds of monks took to the streets in peaceful protest against the government's "patriotic re-education" campaign which forced them to renounce the dalai lama...as demonstrations spread throughout various communities, chinese authorities responded with force...citizens reportedly were dragged from their homes and beaten...

in the midst of this unrest, at least 15 tibetan monks have been detained and are at significant risk of being tortured and severely mistreated...their whereabouts are currently unknown...they need your help...they need your urgent action...

please ask authorities to release the 15 monks, as well as others detained for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression, association and assembly...

unfortunately, cases such as these are not rare...every year, the members of amnesty international’s urgent action network mobilize to help hundreds of people, like these 15 tibetan monks, who are facing imminent and often life-threatening human rights violations...this vast worldwide network of concerned human rights activists are ready to take immediate action in defense of those who have been arbitrarily detained, threatened for their beliefs, and/or tortured by authorities...

you can be part of this vital global network...

get connected to the urgent action network, stay connected to human rights...make yours one of the thousands of messages that send a powerful signal to government officials that their actions are being watched...your letters can make a difference and are the reason so many of our cases result in success...

join the urgent action network today and start saving lives!

peace out <3

it's time to release aung san suu kyi...

there are more than 1,850 known political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in myanmar (formerly burma)...daw aung san suu kyi is the best-known...

the co-founder of myanmar's main opposition party, the national league for democracy (nld), aung san suu kyi is also one of the country's best-known political figures and campaigners for human rights...

aung san suu kyi has endured unofficial detention, house arrest and restrictions on her movement since 1989, all aimed at preventing her from becoming the national leader of myanmar...she has been under house arrest since july 2003 and her most recent detention will be up for review on 27 may 2008...

aung san suu kyi is also a member of the global elders but, because she is under strict house arrest, she cannot join them in their international work celebrating and promoting the 60th anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights...her continued absence is a powerful reminder of the unrelenting repression in myanmar and what must be done to make human rights a reality...

for more information about daw aung san suu kyi and three other prisoners of conscience from different generations, please see: myanmar: eighteen years of persecution...

peace out <3

pakistani supreme court justices released from house arrest...

at long last pakistan's chief justice iftikhar mohammed chaudhry and other justices were released from house arrest by pakistan’s new prime minister, yousaf raza gilani...they had been detained in november 2007 by pesident pervez musharraf...larry cox, the executive director of amnesty international usa released the following statement earlier this week...

“Amnesty International is pleased to hear that the new prime minister, upon his swearing in, released Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry and other judges from house arrest. Today’s release is the first step in healing Pakistan’s wounds from President Pervez Musharraf’s suspension of fundamental rights. Now the new government must immediately stay true to its promise that these senior justices are immediately reinstated to the court. The Bush administration must also strongly encourage Prime Minister Gilani and his new government to restore the justices without delay. Prime Minister Gilani has a major opportunity to exert his leadership and provide his nation hope that human rights, the constitution and the judiciary are never again viewed as dispensable and at the beck and call of those in power.”

here's how you can make a difference!

call on president bush to demand pakistan’s judiciary be reinstated

support rep. frank's resolution on pakistan

peace out <3

hundreds of tibet protesters arrested in nepal...

0ver 400 people were arrested in nepal on monday as the authorities clamped down on peaceful demonstrations against chinese human rights abuses in tibet...

"Nepal is sending a message of no-tolerance of dissent by arresting peaceful demonstrators," said Amnesty International, cautioning that the latest wave of repression extends beyond Tibet-related protests. "This is the latest in a series of clampdowns on peaceful demonstration as elections approach."

in one incident in the capital kathmandu, activists were detained ahead of an amnesty international nepal vigil on tibet...at 13:55 local time, 17 activists were detained in maitiyala mandala and taken to singha durbar police station...no reason has been given for their arrest...

those arrested included: rameshwar nepal, director of amnesty international nepal; sushil pyakurel, former commissioner of the national human rights commission; govinda bandi, lawyer and member of the international commission of jurists; and other activists, including four from the tibetan community and a number of amnesty international members...

"The authorities' interference in peaceful protests by Tibetans and other human rights activists is unconstitutional," said Amnesty Inetrnational. "The move by the District Administration to prevent a peaceful demonstration from taking place is against Article 12 of the Constitution of Nepal. There are also no legal grounds to pre-ban demonstrations."

amnesty international has reiterated its call for the chinese government to allow an independent u.n. investigation into the events in tibet which prompted demonstrations in nepal...it also called on the chinese government to address the underlying grievances of the tibetan people and long-term policies that have generated such resentment...

read more

tension in tibet as police raid homes

peace out <3

help pass the unprecedented international violence against women act...

consider this:

violence against women and girls represents a global health, economic development, and human rights problem of epidemic proportions and cuts across all countries, social groups, ethnicities, religions, and socioeconomic classes...in fact, at least one out of every three women worldwide are beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused in her lifetime, with rates reaching 70% in some countries...violence against women and girls is a human rights violation that causes physical, sexual and psychological harm or suffering, including rape, domestic violence, acid burning, dowry deaths, so-called honor killings, human trafficking, and female genital cutting...it devastates the lives of millions of women around the globe...

now, for the first time, the united states has an historic opportunity to raise this issue in its diplomatic work and have an impact on the suffering of millions of women and girls...

act now and contact your senator!

i-vawa is a groundbreaking piece of legislation...the bill lays out a powerful international agenda to combat violence against women and girls...such violence is a critical international development issue that must be addressed in order to achieve prosperity and stability around the world...amnesty international usa, family violence prevention fund and women's edge coalition provided advice on the drafting of the legislation with the input of 150 international and domestic experts...the time is now to capitalize on this awareness and support and to enact this comprehensive vision to address the problem of violence against women...

take action

read more

peace out <3

freedom for moroccan jailed over facebook profile...

here's some good news for your monday morning spilling over from last week...

a moroccan who was jailed for creating a facebook profile of a prince has been released from prison...fouad mourtada, a 26-year-old information technology engineer, was freed on tuesday after being pardoned by the king...

fouad mourtada had been given a three-year prison term and fined 10,000 dirhams (u.s. $1,320) in february for creating a profile of morocco's prince moulay rachid on facebook...he was convicted after a trial in casablanca...

two amnesty international delegates observed the trial...they said they were concerned that the trial failed to satisfy international fair trial standards...

benedicte goderiaux, one of the organisation's observers, welcomed the release, but said "Allegations that Fouad Mourtada was ill-treated by police during interrogation still need to be investigated,"...

read more

three years for profiling a moroccan prince on facebook...

peace out <3

turkish activist eren keskin sticks to her guns - gets jail sentence for being a peacenik...

human rights activist eren keskin has been sentenced to six months and 20 days in prison after being convicted of “denigrating the turkish army”...

the conviction comes under article 301 of the turkish penal code, which human rights organizations have long campaigned against...

eren keskin's sentence can be converted into a fine of 4,000 turkish liras (u.s. $3,250) but she has refused to pay it...instead, she is appealing the verdict...should she be imprisoned, amnesty international would consider her to be a prisoner of conscience...

amnesty international has campaigned for the abolition of article 301 of the turkish penal code on the grounds that it is an unnecessary restriction of the right to freedom of expression...yet a steady flow of cases continue to be opened under it...

eren keskin’s conviction follows an interview she gave to the german newspaper der tagesspiegel in 2006, in which she stated that the army had undue influence on politics, the judiciary and state institutions...

peace out <3

experience guantanamo in a town near you...

in 2008, amnesty international’s counter terror with justice campaign will bring a life-size replica of a maximum security guantánamo cell to a number of cities across the u.s...the cell tour is a way to bring the harsh realities of illegal detention to concerned citizens and call attention to the injustice and human rights abuses that guantánamo symbolizes...

in guantánamo's maximum security facilities, detainees are kept for up to 23 hours per day in complete isolation...watch a panoramic photo from inside the cell to get an idea of what it's like...

you'll be able to enter the cell, go through the conditions of isolation and then share your experience in a video message...

and before leaving, you can tear down a pixel of guantánamo and call for an end to the wider network of illegal u.s. detention...

together you and i can take action to end the human rights violations guantánamo stands for: illegal detention, torture, denial of habeas corpus, extraordinary rendition and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment...

together we can close guantánamo...

take action right now:
sign our global petition to close guantánamo
read about guantánamo and ‘war on terror’ related human rights abuses
donate to support the cell tour

peace out <3

tibet: police and soldiers raid homes in search of protesters...

chinese police are sweeping through the homes of lhasa residents in search of people involved in recent protests in the city...

while streets in the tibetan capital are reported to be quiet and empty, there are continued reports of unrest in neighbouring chinese provinces with large populations of tibetans. ..according to reports from the tibetan centre for human rights and democracy, hundreds of tibetans converged on the streets in kardze county, sichuan province, with the situation reported to be extremely tense...there were also reports of demonstrations in gansu province...

the atmosphere in lhasa has been reported by some to be “terrifying”, with police and soldiers conducting house-to-house searches and taking people into custody...there is now great concern for the well-being of those detained...

the government imposed a deadline of midnight on this past monday 17 march for individuals involved in the protests to turn themselves in, threatening to “severely punish” those who failed to do so...eyewitnesses have reported that some individuals are being dragged out of their homes and tibetans who have pictures of the dalai lama in their homes are being taken away...

official chinese sources say 13 "innocent civilians" have been killed by the tibetan rioters...tibetan exile sources say 99 tibetans have been killed by the armed police forces...

the chinese authorities have imposed a near-total block on information from tibet and the surrounding areas...the authorities have also cut off internet and mobile phone connections within tibet...when foreign news reports about tibet come up on foreign news broadcasting in china, they are censored - the screen going black...

amnesty international has called on the chinese authorities to avoid the use of excessive force in restoring order...

"The authorities must also fully account for all those detained, ensuring they are not tortured or otherwise ill-treated, have access to lawyers and medical care, are brought promptly before an independent court and are able to challenge their detention," said Catherine Baber, Acting Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme."China must allow full and unimpeded access to Tibet and other Tibetan areas to journalists and other independent observers as well as allowing independent UN investigation into the events of the last week."

read more

china: fear of torture and other ill-treatment
u.n. scrutiny of tibet crisis required

peace out <3

reprise: court ruling puts man with innocence case at risk of execution...

on monday the georgia supreme court decided 4-3 to deny a new trial for troy anthony davis, despite significant concerns regarding his innocence...

the case has been tainted from the start, with a questionable police investigation, a lack of funding to ensure adequate defense, and an increasingly restrictive appeals process, which has thwarted attempts to present new evidence in the case...

no murder weapon was found and no physical evidence linked davis to the crime...

troy davis was convicted of murder solely on the basis of witness testimony, and seven of the nine non-police witnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony, several citing police coercion...others have signed affidavits implicating one of the remaining two witnesses as the actual killer...

tell the georgia board of pardons and paroles to commute the death sentence for davis...
read the report finality over fairness: the case of troy davis

peace out <3

celebrate an anniversary: five years of carnage and despair in iraq...

five years after the u.s.-led invasion of iraq, the country is still in disarray...the human rights situation is disastrous, a climate of impunity has prevailed, the economy is in tatters and the refugee crisis continues to escalating...

a new amnesty international report, carnage and despair: iraq five years on, says that, despite the heavy presence of u.s. and iraqi security forces, iraq is one of the most dangerous countries in the world, with hundreds of iraqi civilians killed every month...

armed groups, including those opposed to the iraqi government and the u.s.-led multi-national force (mnf), have been responsible for indiscriminate bombings, suicide attacks, kidnappings and torture...

since early 2006, violence has intensified and become more sectarian, with sunni and shi’a armed groups targeting followers of opposite faiths and driving whole communities out of mixed neighbourhoods...this has contributed to the displacement of over four million people...two million of these are now refugees in syria and jordan...

civilians are also at risk from mnf and iraqi security forces, with many killed by excessive force and tens of thousands detained without charge or trial...the death penalty was reintroduced in 2004 and hundreds of people have been sentenced to death...at least 33 people were executed in 2007, many after unfair trials...

with the rise of fundamentalist religious groups, conditions for women have also worsened...many have been forced to wear Islamic dress or targeted for abduction, rape or killing...a survey conducted by the world heath organization (who) in 2006/2007 in iraq found that 21.2 percent of iraqi women had experienced physical violence...

the situation in iraq has not been helped by the iraqi government’s failure to investigate effectively the many incidents of human rights abuse - whether committed by security forces or militia groups – and to bring those responsible to justice...

economic conditions also remain very poor, with most iraqis suffering from lack of food, shelter, water, sanitation, education, healthcare and employment...

oxfam reported in july 2007 that 70 percent of iraqis lacked access to safe drinking water and 43 percent were living on the equivalent of less than a dollar per day...eight million iraqis are in need of emergency assistance, with children the worst hit...child malnutrition rates have increased from 19 percent during the period from 1991-2003, when international sanctions were imposed on the country under saddam hussein, to 28 percent in 2007...

that's some grim shit...

the predominantly kurdish region of northern iraq has been more stable with fewer acts of violence, and has seen growing economic prosperity and foreign investment...however, here too there continue to be serious human rights violations, including arrests for peaceful political dissent, torture, ill-treatment, the death penalty and the killing of women in so-called honour crimes...

the invasion of iraq started on 19 march 2003, with u.s. military strikes on baghdad...u.s. president george w bush declared the war over that may (HA!) and, on 8 june 2004, the u.n. security council adopted resolution 1546, declaring that iraq’s occupation would end on 30 June 2004...

the resolution stated that the mnf would stay in iraq until the end of 2005...since then, the mnf’s presence has been extended on a yearly basis by the u.n. security council and the iraqi government...

executive power was transferred back to an iraqi government in june 2004 but successive administrations have been unable to stop the violence and bring a durable peace...according to a january 2008 survey by the who and the iraq's health ministry, 151,000 people were killed from march 2003 till june 2006...according to the u.n. assistance mission for iraq (unami), some 34,452 people were killed during 2006, with thousands injured...

download the report pdf here...

peace out <3

my home state's redneck court refuses new trial in face of massive recantations...

yesterday's stunning decision by the georgia supreme court by a 4-3 v6te to let the death sentence stand in the troy anthony davis case means that the state of georgia might execute a man who well may be innocent...(see ny times story below)...

take action now and tell the georgia board of pardon and paroles to commute the death sentence for troy anthony davis....

with this decision, the supreme court is demonstrating a blatant disregard for justice and turning its back on the fundamental flaws that taint mr. davis's case at every level...

tell the georgia board of pardon and paroles to commute the death sentence for troy anthony davis....

over 60,000 supporters signed petitions on troy's behalf, and letters of support continue to pour into his mailbox. "I want to thank all Amnesty supporters," he said, "I want to thank everyone all over the world who have been praying for me, supporting me, writing letters and signing petitions on my behalf."...troy needs your continued support today, now more than ever...

troy davis was convicted of the murder of savannah police officer mark macphail in 1991...no murder weapon was found and no physical evidence linked davis to the crime...since his conviction, seven out of nine original witnesses have either recanted or changed their testimony. officer macphail's life was cut tragically short, and his family and the people of georgia also deserve true justice...however, this will not be accomplished by executing a man with such strong claims of innocence...

take action now: help rescue a possibly innocent man from paying the ultimate price....in light of yesterday's georgia supreme court decision, i ask that you call on the georgia board of pardon and paroles to commute mr. davis' death sentence...executing troy anthony davis would be an irrevocable error that would haunt the conscience of the state of georgia forever...

peace out <3

Georgia Court Refuses New Trial in Death Penalty Case

By Brenda Goodman

ATLANTA — In a split decision, the Georgia Supreme Court refused Monday to allow a new trial for a man sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of a Savannah police officer, despite recantations from seven of nine witnesses who originally testified against him.

The ruling is a blow to advocates for the convicted man, Troy A. Davis, 39, who had collected affidavits from many of the witnesses who originally testified against him. Many said that their trial testimony had been coerced by investigators who were under pressure to convict someone in the murder of a fellow officer.

In the 4-to-3 decision, the court’s majority wrote that the sworn testimony at the trial was more important than the later recantations, noting that many of the witnesses have simply said they did not feel able to identify the person who shot the officer.

“We simply cannot disregard the jury’s verdict in this case,” the court wrote.

The dissent, written by Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, called the court “overly rigid” in its considerations of the new evidence in support of a new trial and said it failed to allow “an adequate inquiry into the fundamental question, which is whether or not an innocent person might have been convicted or even, as in this case, might be put to death.”

The chief justice acknowledged that sworn trial testimony is generally considered more credible than later recantations made out of court. But, she wrote, “it is unwise and unnecessary to make a categorical rule that recantations may never be considered in support of an extraordinary motion for a new trial.”

On Aug. 3, the court stayed Mr. Davis’s impending execution to consider new testimony by 13 witnesses that Mr. Davis was not the one who shot the officer in the 1989 case. The shooting killed Mark A. MacPhail, an off-duty police officer who was working as a security guard at a Greyhound bus station in Savannah when he tried to break up a fight between two men who were throwing punches over beer.

Mr. Davis has long maintained his innocence, and there was little physical evidence presented against him in the case.

Amnesty International, a human rights group that has collected more than 60,000 signatures in a petition calling for a new trial for Mr. Davis, blasted the court’s decision.

“The claim that evidence in Davis’s favor was not sufficient to reopen his case is simply stunning,” said Larry Cox, executive director of the group. “In turning a blind eye to the realities of the case, the legal system has shrugged off the very notion of justice at every level, from Savannah to the U.S. Supreme Court. The board of pardons must recognize that a blind adherence to technicalities cannot trump a concerted search for the truth, especially when a human being’s life is at stake.”

Mr. Davis’s supporters had petitioned the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles for clemency last summer in a last-ditch effort to save his life. The board suspended its consideration of Davis’s case pending the Supreme Court’s Decision.

It was unclear Monday when the board would resume its deliberations.

what do you think of the chinese crackdown on tibetan demonstrators?

after what you've heard about the chinese crackdown on protests in tibet do you agree or disagree with the following:

-- chinese authorities should allow an independent u.n. investigation into the events of last week in tibet, particularly in the light of the sealing off of the region in recent days and the long-term restrictions on human rights monitoring there...the situation also demands attention by the human rights council at its current session...

i beleive that chinese authorities to exercise restraint in responding to continuing protests, to fully account for all detainees in lhasa and other tbetan areas during the crackdown on protests over the last week, and to release those detained for peacefully expressing their views and exercising their freedom of expression, association and assembly...

the chinese authorities also need to address the underlying grievances of the tibetan people and the long-term policies that have generated such resentment...long-term grievances surfacing this past week include perceived exclusion from the benefits of economic development, restrictions on religious practice and the weakening of tibetan culture and ethnic identity through government policies...

here's some background information from amnesty international...

protests started two mondays ago when around 400 monks began a march from drepung monastery heading into central lhasa, demanding the easing of a government-imposed campaign which forces monks to write denunciations of the dalai lama and subjects them to government political propaganda...over 50 of them were arrested on the way to the city...subsequent protests began in other monasteries in support of those detained, leading to more general unrest throughout lhasa and in other parts of tibet in which lay people joined in...protests among tibetans in the neighbouring provinces of qinghai, gansu and sichuan have also been reported...

police and military forces were reported to have fired teargas into crowds, beaten protestors and fired live ammunition in an attempt to disperse them...on friday a week ago protests in lhasa turned violent, with some protestors setting fire to a police car, and specifically targeting and setting fire to chinese-owned businesses...official chinese sources reported ten dead, largely businesspeople in lhasa...there are unconfirmed reports of many more casualties...

a curfew is reported to be in place throughout the whole city, and all shops are closed...entry into the city has been blocked off through check-points around the whole city, armoured vehicles and contingents from the people’s armed police are present throughout lhasa...reports suggest that scattered protests continued in parts of the city today...

police and military forces have surrounded three major monasteries in the lhasa area, confining monks inside and beating those who have attempted to leave...monks from sera monastery are reported to have started a hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of military forces from their monastery...

peaceful protests by tibetans have also occurred this week in india and nepal...in india protestors intending to march to the chinese border were subjected to a restraining order and detained...in nepal, protests in kathmandu were violently dispersed and demonstrators who were briefly detained reported being beaten and otherwise ill-treated...

you can make a difference -- take these 3 actions!

china: protect muslim uighur refugees

call for an olympic year of freedom of expression in china

yahoo! don't violate human rights

peace out <3

former detainee reveals dirty details of secret cia program...

the cruelty and illegality of the u.s. government’s program of secret detentions can be illustrated by one man’s story...it is the story of a man who was never charged with any crime, but who was held in secret cia custody for nearly three years, becoming the victim of enforced disappearance...

this man is 31-year-old yemeni national khaled abdu ahmed saleh al-maqtari, one of the men most recently released from the cia’s secret detention program...in interviews with amnesty international, he has given a full account of his ordeal since he was taken into custody by u.s. forces in iraq in january 2004...

initially held in abu ghraib, khaled al-maqtari was transferred first to a cia secret prison in afghanistan, and then, in april 2004, to a second secret prison in an unidentified country – possibly in eastern europe...he was held there in complete isolation for a further 28 months, before being sent to yemen and eventually released in may 2007...

his account contains numerous allegations of torture and other ill-treatment in detention...these include prolonged isolation, repeating beatings, sleep deprivation, forced nudity, exposure to extremes of hot and cold, as well as sensory deprivation and overload with bright lighting and loud music or repeated sound effects...

the effects of torture

khaled al-maqtari is now a free man, but he suffers the effects of psychological and physical torture and other ill-treatment...

the abuses that have affected him most, he said, were the years of endless isolation, his total uncertainty about his future, the constant monitoring by cameras and his segregation from the outside world, particularly the lack of contact with his family...

“At no point during his 32-month confinement was Khaled al-Maqtari told where he was or why. He did not have access to lawyers, relatives or any person other than his interrogators and the personnel involved in his detention and transfers. This clearly violates the USA’s international obligations. The US government has a case to answer”, said Anne FitzGerald, Senior Adviser at Amnesty International, who interviewed Khaled al-Maqtari.

khaled al-maqtari has not received any reparation from u.s. authorities, who have yet to even acknowledge his detention...

torture and enforced disappearance are both crimes under international law...they cannot be justified under any circumstances...amnesty international has called on the u.s. authorities to end these practices and bring those responsible for human rights violations to justice...

read more

usa: a case to answer. from abu ghraib to secret cia custody: the case of khaled al-maqtari

say no to illegal u.s. detentions

counter terror with justice

peace out <3

new reports and disturbing stories of torture and injustice...

this week, amnesty international released several new disturbing details and reports of u.s. led torture and illegal detentions...

in a new report, 31-year-old yemeni national khaled abdu ahmed saleh al-maqtari, first detained at abu ghraib, recounts a regime of beatings, sleep deprivation, suspension upside-down in painful positions, intimidation by dogs, induced hypothermia and other forms of torture...

and in a new interview, murat kurnaz recounts in detail the torture, interrogation and illegal detention he endured for over five years...captured for a $3000 bounty, kurnaz was released in 2006 even though u.s. and german authorities determined his innocence in 2002...

the new report and interview come out the same week amnesty international observed a disturbing pre-trial proceeding at guantánamo of mohammed jawad...

detained when only 16 and visibly agitated at the hearing, jawad said he was tortured, the trials were unfair, and that he had been made permanently ill from being detained in a cell under bright florescent lights for five years...

from abu ghraib to secret cia custody: the case of khaled al-maqtari
read the full murat kurnaz interview
read the full account of this week's pre-trial proceeding at guantánamo

take action now and help end the abuses

peace out <3

the universal declaration of human rights celebrates its 60th birthday this year...

2008 is a landmark year in the global campaign to make human rights a reality for all people… it marks 60 years since the birth of its most important document...

the universal declaration of human rights (udhr) -- which confirms the acceptance of 30 rights - was adopted by u.n. member states on 10 december 1948...it began as an initiative of governments, but today it is the common goal of people everywhere...

in the run-up to the 60th anniversary, amnesty international will organize a series of activities that celebrate the udhr - and focus on what must be done to make that promise of universal, indivisible human rights a reality...

every single person has rights - that is the essence of our humanity...each of us has the duty to stand up, not just for our own rights, but also for those of others...

• i believe human rights abuses anywhere are the concern of people everywhere...
• i pledge to harness the power of individuals to galvanize action for justice and equality...
• i am outraged at our leaders' betrayal and are determined to hold them to account...
• i am committed to creating a world in which every person can realize their human rights...
• i will carry the udhr message of hope to every region of the world in its 60th anniversary year...

peace out <3

continued violence sparks new resolutions for darfur...

the u.s. congress has been working to bring security to a region plagued with violence for far too long...

new resolutions introduced in the u.s. house and the senate could finally mean protection for civilians in the darfur conflict region...both senators and representatives have crafted legislation aimed at ending the increased armed conflict and human rights violations...

violence currently extends well beyond the boundaries of darfur and threatens to overwhelm the neighboring countries of chad and the central african republic (car)...

please urge your senator or representative to protect human rights in darfur, chad and car...

as for the u.n...the u.n. urgently needs two things in order to finally bring much-needed security to the darfur conflict region: (1) ground and air transport equipment (2) an end to the sudanese government’s obstruction of deployment...there is a new petirion and petition challenge--gather signatures for the petition to u.s. secretary of state rice which you can download here...demand that the u.s. government take a stand for darfur by using their influence to urge immediate action...

peace out <3

make it clear that the people of the united states abhor what the lameduck president condones...

this past saturday, with a single stroke of his veto pen, on-his-way-out-of-office-sans-middle-east-peace-agreement president bush blocked a tough law forbidding the cia from using waterboarding and other despicable interrogation "techniques,"...you and i, we, can't let him have the last word...

in the face of this brutal affront to human rights, we must show that president bush does not represent the vast majority of american citizens...this starts with each and every one of us acting in our own communities...

act now...call talk radio stations and write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper....

it took thousands of calls, letters and emails from human rights activists like you to persuade congress to pass tough anti-torture legislation...and now, it's going to take just as much energy and determination to counter bush’s unconscionable veto...

let's make it clear that torture is wrong everywhere, all the time, no matter the circumstances, and no matter which agency does it...and so is putting people on "trial" based on torture-tainted evidence...bush has acted...and now you have to act...call your local radio station...write a letter to the editor...forward this blog to as many people as possible...

make opposition to this outrageous action go viral!

speak out against torture...do not let bush have the last word!

president bush tried to defeat our efforts to put america on record...but, with spirited protests all across america, we’re going to make it clear that our nation abhors what our president condones...

please act against torture now...

peace out <3

call on zimbabwe's police to allow peaceful protests, meetings, and rallies...

would you be concerned without the right to peaceably assemble...what about the same right for others...far away???

zimbabwe’s political parties are preparing to stage nationwide campaigns in advance of the presidential, parliamentary and local government elections scheduled to take place on 29 march 2008...

there are fears that, as on previous occasions, police in zimbabwe are likely to use excessive force to disrupt peaceful activities by the opposition parties and deny them the rights to freely assemble using the recently amended public order and security act (posa)...

on 23 january, police assaulted and arrested the movement for democratic change (mdc) supporters and leaders...morgan tsvangirai, who leads one of the mdc factions, was taken from his home at 4am by officers from the law and order section of the zimbabwe republic police...he was held at harare central police station and released without charge at about 8am...two other mdc officials, ian makone and denis murira, were also detained and released...

the zimbabwean government has persistently harassed and intimidated perceived opponents of president robert mugabe...for example, in march 2007, about 50 mdc and civil society leaders were arrested and severely beaten...some were tortured...

police repeatedly arrest and beat human rights defenders and mdc activists engaging in peaceful protest...detainees are then often ill-treated and denied access to lawyers, food and medicine...

the law and order section of the zimbabwe republic police has been particularly brutal in its treatment of mdc members and civil society activists who are critical of government policies...amnesty international has corroborated evidence of torture and ill-treatment of activists in police custody by officers from the law and order section...

take action on behalf of rights under seige in zimbabwe...

peace out <3

have you got alberto fujimori in a can? well don't let him out...

as a latin american studies major at usc (east coast) in the 90's i remember this story very well...
while alberto fujimori was head of state of peru from 1990-2000, torture, arbitrary detentions and unfair trials were widespread, and hundreds of people "disappeared" or were killed...investigations into these violations were deliberately impeded, covering up those responsible and preventing their punishment...

in 2000, fujimori fled peru for japan, where he remained in a self-imposed exile until 2005...during fujimori’s stay in japan, peru asked japan for his extradition but japan refused...the japanese economy had tanked and perhaps, maybe, the very well off fujimori was eating enough sushi to keep the treasutry afloat...who knows...

in november 2005, this egomaniac left japan to run in the peruvian presidential election, and was detained upon his arrival in chile at the request of peruvian authorities...fujimori faces charges brought in peru related to the 1991 massacre of fifteen persons at barrios altos, lima, and the 1992 killings and forced disappearances of nine students and a professor at la cantuta university...

on september 21, 2007, the chilean supreme court announced its decision to allow fujimori’s extradition to peru on the above-mentioned two human rights cases plus six others that include kidnappings, illegal wire-tapping, usurpation of constitutional powers and corruption...the decision sent a strong message that no one stands above the law..the trial of alberto fujimori began on december 10, 2007 in lima, peru...

help protect human rights defenders involved in fujimori case...

members of aprodeh, asociación pro derechos humanos (association for the protection of human rights) received death threats through an anonymous telephone call in december 2007...the threats particularly targeted human rights lawyer dr. gloria cano legua, who has been working on legal cases for victims of human rights violations allegedly committed under former president alberto fujimori and for which he is currently on trial...

take action now...

read the blog of hayden gore, a denver-based activist attending the trial of alberto fujimori as an international observer...

take a minute to read the letter from gisela ortiz to aiusa activists the day following fujimori's extradition...

listen to the interview with gisela ortiz, by claudia cragg of kgnu-denver/boulder...

read aiusa's december 7 public statement about the start of the trial...

peace out <3

petition for safe schools for girls on international women's day...

international women’s day is a time to celebrate women’s achievements and look ahead to the exciting opportunities that await women...the key to a bright future is choice...women must be free to choose the path that is right for them, a path that is out of harm’s way and allows them to move forward and realize their potential...

education is a crucial step in this journey...it is crucial to breaking cycles of poverty, violence and disease...education is a human right, and therefore every girl’s right...

as the 100 year anniversary of international women’s day draws close, and 60 years after human rights were enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights, girls across the world find a range of barriers to education:

• girls are assaulted on the way to school, attacked in schools grounds and teased by their classmates...some are threatened with sexual assault by other students, coerced into sex by teachers, even raped in the staff room...
• in countries wracked by war, girls are at risk from armed groups and from attacks on their schools...sexual abuse and exploitation are problems for girls living in refugee camps or displaced people’s camps...
• certain girls face an increased risk of violence at school...certain aspects of girls’ identities, including their sexuality, status as migrants, orphans or refugees, caste, ethnicity and race, can increase their risk of abuse...
• although free primary education should be available to all children, schools around the world commonly charge user fees...girls are more likely to be excluded than boys when there isn’t enough money to go round...

violence leads to countless girls being kept out of school, dropping out, or not fully participating in school life...effects range from pain and fear, to lowered self-esteem, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and depression...in many cases, abuses go unreported...

the problem is exacerbated by the fact that girls often choose not to report what continues to be a taboo issue in some societies, or for fear of retaliation...that leaves such acts under-reported and allows their perpetrators to go unpunished...

there is no justification for the lack of action...the issue is not about resources but political will...governments, teachers and school authorities must work to prevent violence against girls in schools, must promptly investigate reports of abuse, impose appropriate punishments on offenders, support those who have suffered from violence to recover and ensure that such abuses do not recur...

join amnesty international’s campaign to protect girls’ rights to safety, equality and education...make schools safe for girls...

read more:
safe schools
stop violence against women

peace out <3

you have the chance to make history for women this month...

you can make history this march...

call your senator and ask him or her to support the rights of women through the international violence against women act (i-vawa)...

genital cutting, “honor killings”, human trafficking - should another month go by where we hear about women’s rights being violated? absolutely not - you make the call...call your senator and ask him or her to join the growing list of co-sponsors standing up to support the rights of women through the international violence against women act (i-vawa)...

this saturday - tomorrow - march 8th is international women’s day, but you can take a stand for women all month because march is also women’s history month..make march a month that makes history!

are you getting my blog message yet??? - now is the time – make the call...during one week – todya, friday, march 7th through next friday, march 14th – i am asking you pick up the phone and make a difference in the lives of women around the world...

put some obama-type grassroots pressure on your senator to support a historic piece of legislation designed to give survivors of violence more assistance, hold perpetrators accountable, and combat the negative public attitudes that encourage or condone violence against women and girls...it is critical that this important piece of human rights legislation receive broad bipartisan support, so at this time i am asking for you to only contact your republican senators and encourage them to become official i-vawa co-sponsors...

in some states your efforts are already making a difference...i am thrilled to tell you that we've added pennsylvania’s senator arlen specter as the latest co-signer to i-vawa...with your help, we can continue to build this list of supporters and help make i-vawa’s goals a reality...

and my friends, do not worry if you’ve never contact your senator before; you can follow these basic talking points to help get your message across...your senator needs to hear from you!

so if you care about improving the rights of women, then you need to make a call on i-vawa...really...

thank you...

peace out <3

what kind of olympic legacy will china leave behind...

one country currently holds the largest recorded number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world...

forgetting the blog entry title for a moment care to guess which country this is?

well, despite this disgraceful record, china will be hosting the 2008 olympic world games – an event whose charter places the preservation of human dignity at the heart of its existence...

peaceful dissidents who have exercised their rights to free expression remain locked up under ill-defined charges and senseless prison terms...one chinese journalist, shi tao, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending an email...

call on the chinese government to release shi tao...

demand an uncensored internet in repressive countries...

take more action to protect human rights in china...

peace out <3

video: maybe you haven't gotten the message yet - stop violence against women...

violence against women is often ignored and rarely punished...women and girls suffer disproportionately from violence - both in peace and in war, at the hands of the state, the community and the family...a life free from violence is a basic human right...



peace out <3

you'll say "what the %#@$&^*#"?: haitians trapped by the "war on terror"...

a colleague of mine recently published an article that caught my attention...i mean i'm pretty much on top of the excesses of this administration vis-a-vis the so-called "war on terror" but this caught me off guard...

what you ask???

well, when i think about threats al qaeda comes to mind but have you ever thought about those pesky haitians (that's tongue in cheek for those who haven't had coffee yet)...

here's how her excellent article begins:

Daniel Joseph doesn't understand why he is still locked up, or why Attorney General John Ashcroft thinks it would threaten national security to release him. Joseph fled Haiti on a wooden boat with his brother and more than 200 others last October. When, after four and a-half days at sea, he made it to Miami, the skinny 17-year-old thought he would be free.

you can read this most surprising piece by clicking here...

peace out <3

egyptian guards shoot another refugee trying to cross israeli border...

egyptian security forces shot dead a woman trying to cross into israel on saturday...the woman who is believed to be an eritrean in her 30s is the second woman to be killed this month...she was among a group of 10 eritrean migrants attempting to cross the border into israel...

a total of six african migrants have now been killed trying to cross the border so far this year, but no investigations into these killings are known to have been opened by the egyptian authorities...

this latest killing comes after a sudanese man was killed on 19 february...security officials said 50-year-old ermeniry khasheef was shot in the back after he ignored orders to stop as he attempted to cross barbed wire near the border town of rafah...

want more info?...migrant shot dead trying to cross egypt/israel border...

peace out <3

fear of illegal killings coincides with thaksin's thai return: protect human rights defenders...

as former prime minister thaksin shinawatra returns from exile to face corruption charges in thailand lierally hundreds of thousands of us are calling on the thai government to end another aspect of his legacy: illegal killings in the "war on drugs,"...

at least 2,500 people were killed between february and may 2003 as part of former prime minister thaksin shinawatra's campaign against drug trafficking...yet according to recent public findings by a special committee set up by the military government in 2007, more than 1,000 of the victims had little or no connection to the drugs trade...despite these findings, as well as evidence of written instructions by senior government officials to use heavy-handed tactics during the campaign, not a single government or police official has been brought to account for the killings in 2003...said catherine baber, amnesty international's asia-pacific program director...

"It is almost inconceivable that such a large number of killings could go on without a single prosecution, especially when a government committee found that at least 1,000 were utterly innocent. Impunity on that scale indicates that the Thai government places very little value on the rule of law or on the lives of its citizens."

amnesty international is gravely concerned that five years after the first "war on drugs," prime minister samak sundaravej is preparing a new campaign against drug trafficking, which may facilitate further extrajudicial killings of drug trafficking suspects by state security forces...in february 2008, prime minister sundaravej publicly stated that "When the crackdown [on drugs] is underway, killings will take place -extrajudicial killings do occur."

this statement not only recalls the thaksin government's 'license to kill'-style of drugs enforcement, when black lists and monthly targets were used as official policies for cutting the number of drug dealers, it is also an indication that the prime minister is preparing thai citizens for a new wave of unlawful killings...it appears a cynical attempt to preempt both domestic and international criticism...it also represents a disturbing acceptance of unlawful behavior and excessive use of force by state authorities and a lack of political will to prevent further illegal killings...added baber:

"The Prime Minister is now preparing another war on drugs, adding insult to injury to a situation in which crimes against humanity may have occurred. The Prime Minister went on to say that police officers responsible for illegal killings would face legal consequences, yet these assurances ring hollow in view of the record to date."

for several years, amnesty international has expressed concern about the killings of drug trafficking suspects by the security forces in thailand...the organization calls on the thai government to immediately send a message to all law enforcement officials that deadly force can only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect life...thai authorities should also initiate independent, impartial, effective and immediate investigations into all extrajudicial killings in 2003, and ensure that any renewed effort against the drugs trade is conducted in a way that respects human rights and the rule of law...

you can make a difference! protect human rights defenders in thailand (ua 54/08)

peace out <3

what if american censors jailed you for your emails: take action for chinese journalists here...

chinese journalist shi tao sent an email to a pro-democracy website and 7 months later was imprisoned for "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities"...

so then, how do you break a person's spirit?

...deny him the right to freely express himself...shi tao, a chinese journalist, used his yahoo! email account to send a message to a u.s.-based pro-democracy website...seven months later, he was arrested and charged with the vaguely-worded crime of "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities"...

urge your representative to intervene on his behalf and help repair a broken system of neglect of human rights...

...harass his family...daily questioning and intimidation tactics were all too much for shi tao's wife...security officials persistently pressured her to divorce shi tao...eventually, she did...

...take away his freedom...for simply sending an email, shi tao was sentenced to 10 years in prison...

demand freedom for shi tao and others punished for peacefully expressing their views...

china currently holds the record for the largest known number of imprisoned journalists and cyber-dissidents in the world...every email, instant message, and online communication passes through a government-controlled router where it is carefully scrutinized...government officials can filter, block and even discard personal information...

your representative can help end this censorship by signing on to a joint congressional letter to secretary of state condoleezza rice...

they may be able to easily delete words, but they cannot delete human rights...

urge your representative to call for justice in china...

peace out <3