take action against impunity of sexual assault of bárbara italia méndez...

on may 3-4, 2006, police responded to protests by activists from a local peasant organization in san salvador atenco, mexico state...in the violence that ensued, a total of 47 women were arrested...bárbara italia méndez was a 27-year old student and volunteer working for street children when she was detained on 4 may 2006 by members of the mexican federal preventive police in san salvador atenco, mexico state...she had gone there to show support for the community after violence between the police and protestors resulted in the death of a child...police officers broke into the house where she was seeking refuge and arrested her without explanation...the officers pulled her hair, beat her, and forced her into a state police vehicle with her shirt pulled over her head...she was made to lie on top of other detainees, and during the journey to the prison police officers sexually assaulted her, raping her repeatedly...

once at the “santiaguito” prison near toluca in mexico state, the prison doctors who gave her a check-up failed to document all her physical injuries or to gather evidence of the sexual abuse she had suffered...bárbara italia was held in prison for 12 days before being released on bail...like many others, she is still facing criminal charges...security forces arrested a total of 47 women during the protests in san salvador atenco, and 26 of these women made complaints to the authorities that they were subject to physical, psychological, and sexual abuse at the hands of the police, in particular when they were being transferred by bus to prison...none of the officials responsible have been prosecuted, and more than 2 years later, they are still waiting for justice...

representative hilda solis of california and representative james mcgovern of massachusetts are encouraging other representatives to sign on to their letter to mexican officials expressing concern about the sexual assault of bárbara and the 25 other women and urging resolution to all the allegations of human rights violations...hundreds of amnesty international members descended on congress this past monday april 28, 2008 to bring attention to the international human rights scandal of violence against women...they asked hundreds of members of congress to sign on to the solis-mcgovern letter to mexican officials...take action and join bárbara and amnesty international members in calling on congress to help end violence against women internationally by urging a thorough investigation into the sexual assault of bárbara and 25 other women in san salvador atenco on may 3-4 2006, and signing on to the solis-mcgovern letter...

peace out <3

ask your representative to support h.r. 275, the global online freedom act...

because you don't want to have the same thing happen to you -- he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sending an email...

support online freedom of speech by asking your representative to support h.r. 275, the global online freedom act...

in april 2004, the chinese journalist shi tao used his yahoo! email account to send a message to a u.s.-based pro-democracy website...he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities,"..disturbingly, yahoo! provided information to the government for his prosecution...

enough is enough...companies like yahoo!, google and microsoft have sacrificed international human rights standards, and their own corporate missions, in pursuit of new and lucrative markets...act now to end the censorship of the internet, ask your representative to support h.r. 275, the global online freedom act...

now, as the olympics approach, it is more important than ever that the u.s. demonstrate leadership in ensuring u.s. companies are not a party to such repressive tactics as those perpetrated by the chinese government...the beijing olympics have been branded by the chinese the "high tech olympics,"..despite this, access to and use of the internet remains highly restricted, with websites being shut down in the lead up to the olympics...

so ask your representative to support h.r. 275, the global online freedom act of 2007, which would prevent u.s. companies from carrying out or facilitating the suppression of online speech in repressive countries...

peace out <3

call on india to investigate enforced disappearances and mass graves in kashmir and jammu...

g'morning mate - sorry to tell you but hundreds of unidentified graves – believed to contain victims of unlawful killings, enforced disappearances, torture and other abuses - have been found in indian-administered jammu and kashmir...

the peeps over at amnesty international have urged the indian government to launch urgent investigations into the mass graves, which are thought to contain the remains of victims of human rights abuses in the context of the armed conflict that has raged in the region since 1989...

the findings appear in the report facts under ground, issued on 29 march by the srinagar-based association of the parents of disappeared persons (apdp)...the report details the existence of multiple graves which, because of their proximity to pakistan controlled-areas, are in areas not accessible without the specific permission of the security forces...since 2006, the graves of at least 940 people are reported to have been discovered in 18 villages in uri district alone...

the indian army has claimed that those found buried were armed rebels and "foreign militants" killed lawfully in armed encounters with military forces...however, the report recounts testimonies from local villagers saying that most buried were local residents hailing from the state...

the report alleges that more than 8,000 persons have gone missing in jammu and kashmir since 1989...the indian authorities put the figure at less than 4.000, claiming that most of these went to pakistan to join armed opposition groups...

in 2006, a state police report confirmed the deaths in custody of 331 persons, and also 111 enforced disappearances following detention since 1989...

unlawful killings, enforced disappearances and torture are violations of both international human rights law and international humanitarian law, set out in treaties to which india is a state party...they also constitute international crimes...

amnesty international has called on the indian government to unequivocally condemn enforced disappearances in jammu and kashmir and ensure that prompt, thorough, independent and impartial investigations into all sites of mass graves in the region are immediately carried out by forensic experts in line with the relevant u.n. model protocol...

all past and current allegations of enforced disappearances must be investigated and, where there is sufficient evidence, anyone suspected of responsibility for such crimes must be prosecuted in fair trial proceedings, with all victims granted full reparations...

take action here...

peace out <3

still need your citizen-action help to end violence against women...

i have blogged about the international violence against women act before...the legiasltion now has 12 senate co-sponsors including republicans smith (oregon) and spector (pennsylvania)...your emails and letters to both the co-sponsors and your senators are needed now!

one out of every three women worldwide will be physically or sexually abused during her ifetime with rates reaching 70 percent in some countries...this type of violence ranges from rape to domestic violence and acid burnings to dowry deaths and so-called honor killings...violence against women and girls is a human rights violation, a public health epidemic and a barrier to solving global challenges like desperate poverty, hiv/aids and conflict...violence and abuse devastates the lives of millions of women, knows no national or cultural barriers, and most importantly, it must be stopped...the international violence against women act is a major step in the effort to end violence against women and girls across the globe...

need more info??? -- here you go!

issue brief

ngo supporters

i-vawa model programs

q & a: basic i-vawa

q & a: legislation

peace out <3

somalia/ethiopia: deliberate killing of civilians is a war crime...

hmmmmm...lessee...do i more likely believe a government trying to cover up a heinous act of violence against unarmed civilians or a non-partisan human righs organization respected and renowned for its fact checked multi-source reports...

amnesty international has refuted statements made by the ethiopian government on its report about a raid on the al hidya mosque in mogadishu on 19 april 2008...in the attack, ethiopian forces killed at least 21 people, including 11 unarmed civilians inside the mosque, and detained at least 40 children and youths, aged 9 to 18...at least 10 others were killed by ethiopian forces in the vicinity of the mosque...

reports released by the organization are based on several cross-checked, independent sources such as family members of victims, testimonies gathered at the location, including individuals present in the mosque while the killings took place, and local amnesty international contacts...the human rights organization said:

“Deliberately killing civilians is a war crime. We call on the Ethiopian government to ensure an independent investigation is carried out into the raid on the mosque and the subsequent treatment of those detained by its forces.”

seven of the 21 killed at the mosque were reported to have had their throats cut, a form of illegal execution practised by ethiopian troops in somalia...amnesty international has documented a pattern of these ‘throat-slitting’ executions, which often occur in security sweeps after attacks on ethiopian forces in somalia...

somali media today reported that forces of the transitional federal government (tfg) of somalia have taken 18 of the children and youths detained by the ethiopian forces at the al hidya mosque into custody at the criminal investigations department of the somali police...an additional 32 children and youths have been released, according to a tfg spokesperson...in line with international standards on the rights of the child, detention should only be as a last resort and for the minimum time possible...amnesty international calls for the 18 who remain in detention to be charged with a recognized offence and brought before a court, or released...

amnesty international again calls on the ethiopian government to commit to an independent investigation into the killings carried out during and after the al hidya mosque raid...once such an investigation has been made, the findings should be made public and any ethiopian soldiers implicated in the investigation should be brought to justice in line with international fair trial standards...

peace out <3

lenient sentences for perpetrators of "honour killings" are a step backwards for protection of women in jordan...

i learned that amnesty international has written to the jordanian authorities expressing its concern over what appear to be disproportionately lenient sentences received in march by two men convicted of killing close female relatives...in separate cases the men were sentenced to six months' and three months' imprisonment by the jordanian criminal court after the court accepted that they had killed their female relatives in "a fit of fury" in the name of family honour...taking into account article 98 of their penal code, the court ruled in each case that the crime should be considered a misdemeanour and so would merit a much reduced sentence compared to the penalty for murder, which is 15 years' imprisonment...

you see, article 98 of the penal code says that if a crime is committed in "a fit of fury caused by an unlawful or dangerous act on the part of the victim" the perpetrator shall benefit from a reduced penalty...this article is used in cases of violence against women in a discriminatory manner, largely excusing many killings of women by men, and contravenes a basic requirement of international human rights law that individuals should have equality before the law and should not suffer discrimination on the grounds of sex...amnesty international wrote to jordanian officials because it opposes the use of this law and is urging the jordanian authorities to amend it...

in the first case, according to court documents, a man identified as s.a. choked his 27-year-old wife to death after discovering that she had been alone in their house with someone with whom she was previously alleged to have committed adultery...in the second case, a man identified as b.a. shot dead his 29-year-old married sister because of what he considered her "immoral behaviour," which included leaving home without her husband's consent and speaking to other men on her mobile phone...the two victims were among 17 women recorded officially as having been killed in "honour crimes" in 2007 in jordan...

in view of the apparent leniency of the sentences, amnesty international asked the justice ministry if the prosecuting authorities are appealing the criminal court's decisions in these cases...the attorney-general, reportedly, has 30 days within which to appeal against criminal court judgements to the court of cassation...

the jordanian authorities have taken several measures in recent years to protect women from violence, including the establishment of a family protection department within the public security directorate (police) that has helped ensure that allegations of violence against women are subject to more thorough investigation and opening the first government-run shelter, named dar al-wifaq, for women victims of domestic violence...just last week, queen rania released a web-video in which she declared that "there is no honour" in so-called honour killings and described them as "horrific" and "inexcusable" crimes...

despite this, "honour killings" continue to occur and, as these recent cases indicate, when prosecuted can result in disproportionately lenient sentences being imposed through the application of article 98 of the penal code...

in january 2008, the protection from family violence law was passed by parliament...the law facilitates the reporting of abuse of domestic violence and provides for victims to receive compensation, but it fails explicitly to criminalise domestic violence although this was recommended last year by the u.n. committee on the elimination of discrimination against women...the new law emphasises reconciliation and other forms of remedy for victims but fails adequately to provide for prosecution of perpetrators...

peace out <3

hey guys: address human rights in new orleans and mexico...

this week, president bush will host the mexican and canadian heads of state in new orleans (go hornets!) to discuss issues of security and prosperity...two key issues must be on the agenda: the absence of security safeguards in mexico, and the lack of affordable housing in new orleans...

amnesty international sent a letter pushing the north american leaders to address these issues at their meeting...here are two things you can do to support this request with your grassroots actions:

demand housing rights for residents displaced by hurricane katrina
put human rights at the core of u.s. assitance to mexico...

new orleans: housing rights for katrina survivors
more than two and a half years into the human rights disaster of hurricane katrina, thousands remain displaced...the lack of affordable housing remains an obstacle for many gulf coast residents still struggling to return home...recent demolitions of housing developments have made the situation even worse...

the gulf coast housing recovery act addresses this housing crisis head on...while the house passed the measure with overwhelming bipartisan support, the senate continues to stall its progress...tell the Senate to finish the job –urge your senator to support affordable housing in the gulf coast...

mexico: security abuses
the mexican public security and criminal justice systems have a long history of human rights violations including arbitrary detentions and torture...congress will soon vote on more than half a billion dollars in aid for mexican military and police to combat organized crime and drug trafficking...however, these security forces are often the same perpetrators who abuse the criminal justice system and neglect human rights...

the united states and mexico should work together to address shared drug and security problems, but it cannot be at the expense of human rights...tell your legislators to add human rights safeguards to the u.s.-mexico security agreement...

with the risk of sounding repetitive let me say again - help put security safeguards in mexico and the affordable housing crisis in new orleans on the agenda during this week's crucial meeting...

read the letter to north american heads of state

peace out <3

official nepalese threat of lethal force an unacceptable escalation for tibet protests...

we should all join with amnesty international which yesterday condemned threats by the nepali home ministry to use “force, including gunfire…to prevent anti-china protests” when the olympic torch relay arrives on mount everest early next month...these threats to use lethal force follow earlier crackdowns on peaceful pro-tibetan protestors, which were unconstitutional and resulted in the arbitrary detention of at least 400 people...

we should all be gravely concerned that the nepali government is extending illegal police actions against tibetans in nepal and systematically violating their fundamental rights to liberty, due process and freedom of movement, assembly and expression...members of the tibetan refugee community have in recent days faced increasingly punitive police measures designed to muzzle free speech, including threats of arbitrary deportation to china...statements threatening the use of lethal force represent an unacceptable escalation...

the government of nepal needs to ensure that its officers are adequately equipped and trained to employ non-violent means of crowd control before resorting, where strictly necessary, to the use of force...firearms may only be used as a last resort where lives are at risk...the nepali government must ensure that its officers are subject to strict regulations regarding the use of such methods and are tied to a strict system of accountability...

the nepali government should commit to police demonstrations in line with the u.n. code of conduct for law enforcement officials and the u.n. basic principles on the use of force...principle 5 of the basic principles states that police have the duty to “exercise restraint […] and act in proportion to the seriousness of the offence and the legitimate objective to be achieved,”...police are also required to “minimize damage and injury, and respect and preserve human life,”...principle 8 stipulates that “exceptional circumstances such as internal political instability or any other public emergency may not be invoked to justify any departure from these basic principles,”...

peace out <3

harold & kumar escape from guantánamo bay...

this week, the comedy harold & kumar escape from guantánamo bay will start playing in theaters across the country...but let's be real: detention at guantánamo bay is no joke...you can join me i handing flyers out wherever the movie plays and spread the truth about guantánamo bay...

sami al hajj, a sudanese news cameraman, has been held in guantánamo for over 5 years...he's been abused, intimidated and beaten...he has never been charged with a crime...like all guantánamo detainees, he cannot challenge his detention in a fair court...

so help me spread this truth: guantánamo is no laughing matter...hand flyers out wherever harold and kumar is playing...

for you see, guantánamo has become a global symbol of injustice and abuse...and amnesty international members are not the only ones saying it:

"If it were up to me I would close Guantánamo not tomorrow but this afternoon . . .Essentially, we have shaken the belief that the world had in America's justice system . . . and it's causing us far more damage than any good we get from it."
-Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State

so join the call to shut it down...the u.s. government should charge detainees and give them fair trials or release them...with enough pressure from concerned citizens, we can get the u.s. back on track:

hand out flyers at screenings of harold & kumar escape from guantánamo bay

sign the global petition to close guantánamo
experience guantánamo in a town near you-check out our cell tour

peace out <3

iraq executions follow apparently unfair trials...

twenty-eight people have been executed in iraq this week following what appear to have been hasty and unfair trials...those executed were arrested in clashes that took place in the past three weeks...

for them to be arrested, sentenced and executed within such a short period raises serious concerns about the trial process...iraqi authorities should disclose all relevant information about these trials, including whether those executed had access to legal representation or not...amnesty international said:

"The circumstances of these executions make it urgent for the Iraqi authorities to establish a moratorium on the death penalty. The Iraqi government argues that reinstating capital punishment would curb the widespread violence in the country. The reality, however, is that violence has continued unabated and the death penalty has not been a deterrent."

the human rights group and proxies such as myself have repeatedly expressed our concerns about the trials conducted by criminal courts in iraq, and whose procedures fall short of international standards for fair trials...

the death penalty is being used extensively since its reintroduction in 2004 and hundreds of people have been sentenced to death after grossly unfair trials...the death penalty in all circumstances is a violation of the right to life and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment...

for more info read carnage and despair in Iraq

peace out <3

human rights advocates got on the bus - now you can cyber join them...

on april 11th, advocates took to the streets of new york city...they arrived on buses and came to support human rights...

hundreds of voices called for an end to human rights abuses in myanmar, darfur, bhopal, sri lanka and libya...their day began at st. bartholmew's church with inspiring speeches delivered by human rights leaders and advocates...they then poured onto the streets to participate in a series of rallies outside of targeted foreign consulates and u.n. mission sites...

thanks to all those who got on the bus and took a stand for human rights...now here's a list of opportunities for those of you who couold not...

call for the release of ma khin khin leh and other prisoners of conscience in myanmar

hold war criminals accountable in darfur (pdf)

tell dow chemical to address deteriorating health and environmental conditions in bhopal

call for the protection of sri lankan journalists

ensure the release of political activist, fathi el-jahmi in libya

peace out <3

latest report: brazilian women's lives shattered...

women in brazil are finding themselves left to pick up the pieces following criminal and police violence in shanty-towns...

stories of urban violence in brazil tend to focus on young men...though men make up the bulk of the victims and perpetrators, the stories of women who are forced to live, bring up their children and fight for justice in brazil’s lawless shanty-towns, are often ignored...

brazilian cities have long suffered high levels of both criminal and police violence...some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in brazil are often dominated by drug gangs...the government’s response has been a series of ever more confrontational crack-downs, involving police operations which target not just criminal gangs, but entire communities...

women in these communities live in a climate of constant insecurity...far from providing protection, the police often subject women to illegal searches by male officers and abusive and discriminatory language and intimidation, especially when they attempt to intervene to protect a relative...

women who fight for justice on behalf of their sons or husbands end up on the frontline of change, facing further threats and harassment...one woman told amnesty international, “We can’t go on living under these conditions. We live in fear,"...

women are also at risk from drug chiefs and gang leaders...they dispense punishment and protection and use women as trophies or bargaining tools...growing numbers of women are becoming involved in the drug trade...many of these women end up in brazil’s overcrowded, unsanitary prison system, subject to physical and psychological abuse – and in some cases rape...

the knock-on effects of crime and violence reverberate through entire communities, severely affecting the provision of basic services, such as healthcare and education...if local clinics fall within the territory of a rival gang, women can be forced to travel miles to see a doctor...maternity services, crèches and schools can be closed for long periods because of police operations or criminal violence...healthcare workers and teachers are often too scared to work in crime-blighted neighbourhoods...

women who spoke to amnesty international gave very clear messages of what is needed:

• a police force which protects them and their families and provides genuine security
• equal access to justice, irrespective of social class
• protection so they can continue their struggle to defend human rights
• social and economic support when a relative is injured or killed by police or criminal violence

the brazilian state has introduced some positive initiatives, including strengthening the protection of women suffering from domestic violence...but long term policies are urgently needed to tackle the broader issues of the impact of violence on women in excluded communities...

the brazilian federal government must act to integrate the needs of women into the new public security plan, the national public security and citizenship programme (programa nacional de segurança pública com cidadania, pronasci)...

read more:

brazil: ‘from burning buses to caveirões’: the search for human security
brazil: ‘they come in shooting’: policing socially excluded communities

and the just released:
brazil: picking up the pieces: women's experience of urban violence in brazil

brazil, stop violence against women
this report provides a glimpse of what life is like for women in many parts of brazil today...in socially excluded communities women live out their lives against a backdrop of constant criminal and police violence...the report focuses on the largely untold stories of women struggling to live their lives, to bring up their children and to fight for justice amid police and criminal violence...it highlights some of the patterns of human rights violations against women in particular...

peace out <3

u.s. lags behind worldwide trend to abolish the death penalty...

yesterday's decision by the u.s. supreme court to uphold kentucky's use of lethal injection, fails to address the costly, ineffective and inefficient system that places the united states at the fringes of the world community...

figures from a new report, released by amnesty international on tuesday - the day before the kentucky ruling - show that more than two thirds of the countries in the world have now abolished the death penalty in law or practice...

a in previous years, the vast majority of executions worldwide were carried out in a small handful of countries...in 2007, 88 per cent of all known executions took place in five countries: china, iran, saudi arabia, pakistan and right here in the good ol' usa...

such a top five would make a momma proud...

read the statement by larry cox, executive director of amnesty international usa

learn more about lethal injection

read more about amnesty international's report on executions worldwide

urge china's prime minister wen jiabao to abolish the death penalty

peace out <3

action: call for the effective protection of darfur's children by unamid forces...

the united nations-african union peacekeeping force to darfur (unamid) was deployed on 31 december 2007, but little has changed for the children of the region...since december there have been a number of attacks by government forces and armed militia...

each attack has left men, women and children dead and displaced...obstructions to the effective deployment of unamid by the government of sudan and armed groups have continued...

the status of forces agreement (sofa), which provides the legal framework within which unamid operates, was signed on 9 february 2008 by the government of sudan and unamid...the force, however, still suffers from inadequate military hardware and human resources and it is not yet effectively protecting civilians...

a generation of darfuris is growing up in extreme fear and insecurity...of the four million people affected by the conflict in darfur, 1.8 million are children under 18...

of the 2.3 million people who have been displaced, one million are children...since april 2006, the conflict has created 120,000 newly displaced children...

in february 2008, sudanese forces and government-backed militias attacked villages in west darfur...800 children between the ages of 12 and 18 were left unaccounted for by the attacks...this april, children in darfur reaching their fifth birthdays will have never known peace...

this marks five years in which the international community has failed to respond adequately to the scale of the crisis...many of the children living in the camps are traumatized by what they have seen...children outside the camps live in fear of attacks on their villages...schools have been burnt down...

the children in the camps and outside the camps are facing an uncertain future and some are recruited, forcibly or willingly, to serve as child soldiers...the climate of fear, rising domestic and sexual violence and uncertainty is compromising their security today...the lack of access to education is jeopardizing their future...

take action here on behalf of darfur's children...

peace out <3

while you stood for the people of darfur the u.n.security council has not...

this past sunday april 13th, thousands around the world stood in solidarity with people of darfur...

i wish the same could be said for the united nations security council which hould strongly censure the sudanese government following a series of orchestrated attacks on civilians in darfur by the now infamous janjawid militia...a wave of attacks in north darfur began on april 6 while the unamid peacekeeping force remained severely under-resourced to protect civilians...amnesty international said:

"The Sudanese government cannot claim to be working to protect the people of Darfur, yet allow its proxy forces to attack civilians with impunity, as is happening. The Sudanese government bears primary responsibility for these Janjawid attacks, which have left many dead and injured and left inhabitants of the area paralyzed with fear and unable to carry out their daily activities. The UN Security Council must insist that the Sudanese government immediately disarm these Janjawid militia, arrest them and prosecute them for the war crimes they are committing."

the sudanese government, in its quest for a military solution to the crisis, continues to refuse to disarm and demobilize janjawid militia, despite international outrage...the sudanese government instead of disarming the janjawid is actually nurturing their influence...it continues to arm janjawid members, integrate them into paramilitary forces, and even facilitate immunity from prosecution..

sunday, april 6 marked the beginning of a series of what appeared to be orchestrated attacks on the towns of el fasher and kabkabiya in north darfur...both were carried out by janjawid militia dressed in civilian clothes and border guard uniforms who raided the towns in armed vehicles and on camel and horseback...

threats of similar attacks were reported to have spread, and janjawid militia were seen passing through the town of tawila, also located in north darfur...

the attacks followed a familiar janjawid pattern...janjawid members forcefully collected money and goods from inhabitants, banks and small businesses in the two towns...markets were occupied by force and looted, while merchants were attacked and robbed...four were reportedly killed and many injured...amnesty international added:

"The fact that the attacks are happening right under the noses of the UNAMID forces stationed there increases the climate of fear, as it leads to people feeling that the UN cannot adequately protect them. The UN Security Council must ensure that the UNAMID is fully deployed and resourced without further delay, and pro-actively fulfilling its mandate so that these attacks can be prevented in future."

unamid forces deployed to kabkabiya when the janjawid attack began, but retired when the sudanese army arrived...three civilians were killed in kabkabiya...

unamid did not intervene to stop the janjawid attack in el fasher..the response to the attack was instead managed by the national police, tribal leaders and the governor, who intervened with the janjawid's leadership to stop the attack...one person was killed, several injured, and the climate of fear and insecurity lasted for two days...

it is to me very disconcerting that such attacks can take place notwithstanding the presence of unamid forces, whose mandate is to protect civilians in darfur...the deployment of the full contingent of unamid troops and the provision of necessary helicopters and equipment would allow the forces to expand their protection to a larger territory...it would also allow them to increase their patrols and closely monitor the situation on the ground, which would in turn contribute to preventing attacks such as those recently witnessed...

make a difference!

call on investors: stand up for human rights in darfur

investor power for darfur

support house and senate resolutions to secure the darfur conflict region

peace out <3

mass arrests and violence preceeded last thursday's elections in nepal...

the escalation of killings and arrests in nepal in advance of national elections last week, thursday, 10 April were of grave concern...amnesty international stated:

"The last two weeks have been marked by growing violence, including attacks by armed groups, intimidation of political candidates and reports that the Young Communist League and others have harassed voters in several districts. Supporters of all major political parties have been involved in a number of street demonstrations leading to, at times, violent confrontations...This election is a turning point for Nepal. It is an opportunity to put an end to years of violence and work towards a new kind of political future. We urge the authorities to ensure public safety and security for the elections and call for all parties to abide strictly by the Election Commission code of conduct,"...

seven maoist cadres are reported to have been killed by security forces during clashes between rival party supporters in dang district, and another maoist cadre was killed in surkhet district this morning (9 april), again reportedly by security forces...

on 8 april rishi prashad sharma, a candidate for the communist party of nepal (united marxist leninist) was shot dead by unknown gunmen near the south eastern town of nepalgunj...these are the first national elections in nepal since 1999...many nepalese have been looking forward to voting into power a new assembly which they hope will write a new constitution for the country and turn the 240 year old monarchy into a federal republic...

for more information please call amnesty international's press office in london, u.k., on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

international secretariat, amnesty international, 1 easton st., london wc1x 0dw, u.k. http://www.amnesty.org/

make a difference!

demand dow chemical clean up of bhopal disaster

protect women from violence in gujarat, india

demand that ucc/dow face justice for the bhopal disaster

peace out <3

a royal pardon for moroccan demonstrators frees prisoners of conscience...

because there can never be enough good news...

eight men convicted of undermining the monarchy in morocco last year have been released after they were pardoned by the king on friday, 4 april...(king...april 4th...coincidental),,,nine others facing judicial proceedings based on the same charges also benefited from the royal pardon...

all of those pardoned were members of the moroccan association for human rights...seven of them were arrested on 1 may 2007 for chanting slogans critical of the monarchy, five in lksar elkbir and two in agadir...they were sentenced to between three and five years in prison...

ten others were arrested in later demonstrations in solidarity with the detainees, among them 73-year-old mohamed bougrine...he was also sentenced to prison and his health was said to deteriorate while in detention...

the monarchy remains a taboo subject in morocco...any criticism of the king can be considered to undermine the monarchy...in recent years, several people, including journalists and political activists, have been prosecuted and in some cases, sentenced to prison terms for peacefully expressing views critical of the monarchy...

amnesty international, who adopted the men as prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their rights, welcomed their release...

however, the organization voiced concern that moroccan legislation can be used to criminalise the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly...

amnesty international is urging the moroccan authorities to bring moroccan legislation into line with their obligations under article 19 and 21 of the international covenant on civil and political rights...

peace out <3

china's olympic legacy - am i buggin' ya???

"am i buggin' ya? i don't mean to bug ya..."
bono from silver and gold on rattle and hum

when china made its bid for the 2008 olympics, authorities promised improvements in human rights...the countdown to the beijing olympics has begun, and the chinese authorities must make good on their promises and uphold the legacy of the games...with the recent crackdown on peaceful dissent in tibet, the rounding up and jailing of prominent human rights activists, and increased censorship of the media, china's human rights violations have only increased in the months leading up to the games...

for links to reports, actions, letters, videos, and resources regarding the emergent "olympic legacy" the chinese government is about to leave behind click here...

peace out <3

in spite of ministry of communication triple-speak zimbabwean opposition under heavy attack...

opposition parties in zimbabwe have complained of violence against people perceived to be their supporters...there have been allegations of police and army involvement in some of the incidents in the post-election period...

amnesty international has received information about widespread incidents of post-election violence, suggesting the existence of coordinated retribution against known and suspected opposition supporters...violence has been reported in harare, mashonaland east, midlands, matabeleland north and manicaland provinces...

according to the reports, victims of political violence have been pulled from buses and assaulted at their homes in rural areas, townships and farms...

in gweru, on or around sunday, 6 april, soldiers were reported to have assaulted people in a bar at mkoba 6 shopping centre...vctims told local human rights groups that the soldiers were accusing them of “not voting correctly,”...

on and around this past monday soldiers also assaulted shoppers at mkoba 14 shopping centre in gweru...the soldiers were reported to be wearing anti-riot gear and assaulted people with sticks...

at around midnight on sunday, about 10 soldiers and two people dressed in police uniform, went to the home of a known movement for democratic change activist, in mkoba 14 in gweru and assaulted him and two of his friends...they were assaulted with baton sticks and kicked...the activist sustained injuries and required medical treatment...the matter was reported to the police, yet no-one has so far been arrested...

in a statement issued on yesterday amnesty international welcomed the southern africa development community (sadc) announcement of an emergency meeting to discuss the zimbabwe crisis to be held on 12 april in lusaka...the organisation called on the sadc leaders to redouble their diplomatic efforts to avoid further deterioration of the human rights situation in the country...according to amnesty international zimbabwean researcher simeon mawanza:

“SADC leaders should come out and publicly acknowledge the human rights violations being perpetrated by security organisations, war veterans, and supporters of political parties – and insist on an end to the political violence. SADC should also publicly acknowledge that one of the causes of the increasing tension in Zimbabwe is the delayed release of the presidential election results. They must urge the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to immediately release the results. Zimbabwe has been allowed to operate outside the African Union and United Nations human rights frameworks for too long – reinforcing a culture of impunity in the country.”

peace out <3

help carry the torch for human rights in china...

on the heels of widespread protests all over the world, the olympic torch stopped in san francisco yesterday...and in case you missed my observation yesterday the olympic torch relay was the original bright idea of hitler and the third reich...

and the ioc calls itself a movement...

well i've got your movement right here...tell president bush to put pressure on china to improve its human rights record before the olympics...

back in 2001, china promised that it would improve its human rights record for the honor of hosting the 2008 olympics...

yeah, right...

instead, china's human rights violations have increased in the months leading up to the games...their actions have included a crackdown on peaceful dissent in tibet, the rounding up and jailing of prominent human rights activists, and increased censorship of the media...together, the abuses constitute a fundamental violation of the letter and spirit of the olympic charter - and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms...

take action now: china must fulfill its human rights promises leading up to the beijing olympics...

the current wave of repression runs counter to the promises china made to improve its human rights record...despite some high profile releases, many more have been detained over the last six months...citing "security", china imprisoned individuals for doing nothing more than petitioning the authorities to address their grievances or drawing international attention to ongoing human rights violations...

with president bush's announcement that he will attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 summer olympics, it is critical that he pressures china to clean up its act...

before the torch leaves u.s. soil today, take action and let china know that it must improve its human rights record before the summer olympics begin on august 8th...

peace out <3

ongoing: tibetan monks protest against brutal chinese policies...

did you know that the olympic torch relay was the bright idea of hitler and the third reich???

but i digress...

on march 10th, hundreds of tibetan monks took to the streets to protest china's "patriotic re-education" campaign which forced them to renounce the dalai lama...as demonstrations spread throughout various communities, chinese authorities responded violently...

the monks were taken with force, without reason, dragged from their homes and beaten...now is the time to act...the chinese government is trying to put its best face forward in the run up to the 2008 olympic games...

ensure the president of china calls for the immediate release of the 15 tibetan monks and other peaceful protestors

learn more about the olympic legacy that china may leave behind

take urgent action on other individuals at risk

peace out <3

get crafty or spring into action for women's human rights...

here's a thought...

as the spring continues to unfold we can turn flowers into power for native american and alaska native women...let's tell the incoming indian health service (ihs) director to ensure that survivors of rape and sexual assault receive the proper healthcare they deserve...

demand quality healthcare by sending an email or creating crafty paper flowers and you will be making a difference in the lives of sexual assault survivors...

seriously...

is it not the responsibility of the Director to oversee the IHS as the principle, and in some areas, sole provider of health services in native american and alaska native communities???these facilities are notorious for their lack of standardized protocols and resources, particularly in cases of sexual assault and rape...many ihs facilities even lack basic rape kits or nurses trained to use them...however, your action and flower power can help guarantee that quality healthcare standards are enforced...

so there are two ways to take action:

give an organic bouquet
for every ten emails sent, my peeps at amnesty international usa will send a flower to robert g. mcswain, who any day now will step into the official role of ihs director...the goal here is to fill the ihs office with so many flowers that ihs officials recognize that their actions (and lack thereof) to protect native american women are being observed by hundreds of dedicated advocates around the country...so, take meaningful action and ensure proper healthcare for native american and alaska native women...

get crafty
a different way to send a message for women's human rights is to make paper and origami flowers...get your friends together and get creative..learn how to make flower-themed crafts and help women's rights bloom...

don't forget - flower power is stronger when you include yourself in the action!!!

take meaningful action and ensure quality healthcare for native american and alaska native survivors of sexual assault...

peace out <3

chinese system fracks it agian: hu jia jailed for 3 1/2 years...

chinese policy and their diplomatic posturings are as blunt as a grade schooler's pencil at the end of the day...

chinese human rights activist hu jia has been convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to three and a half years in prison...

after months under house arrest, hu jia was detained on 27 december 2007...he was formally charged on 28 january 2008 and went on trial on18 march at the beijing municipal no. 1 intermediate people’s court...said amnesty international:

"This verdict is punishment for Hu Jia’s public critiques of human rights violations in China and a warning to any other activists in China who dare to raise human rights concerns publicly. It also makes a mockery of promises made by Chinese officials that human rights would improve in the run-up to the Olympics.”

prior to his formal detention, hu jia had publicly expressed concerns over human rights abuses by police in beijing, including the arrest of activists without the necessary legal procedures...this included the case of land rights activistyYang chunlin and human rights defender lu gengsong, both also detained on subversion charges...

while detained, hu has been subjected to 47 lengthy and repeated interrogations...he was denied access to his lawyer, members of his family and medical treatment, including necessary daily medication for liver disease resulting from a hepatitis b infection...his wife, zeng jinyan, is still under house arrest with their newborn baby...

hu jia a prisoner of conscience and has demanded his immediate and unconditional release...the international olympic committee and world leaders with a stake in the olympics should publicly express their concern about his plight - and that of numerous other peaceful activists in china who have been silenced in the run-up to the games...a failure to speak out would be a "conspiracy of silence" that will be perceived by the authorities as a tacit endorsement of such repression...

hu started his activism as an aids activist in 2001...he is theco-founder of the beijing aizhixing institute of health education and of loving source, a grassroots organization dedicated to helping children from aids families...

due to his activities and outspokenness, hu jia was repeatedly harassed and beaten by police...according to his wife zeng jinyan: “Not counting one time in 2002, when Hu was detained by police while interviewing AIDS village inhabitants, he will have been under various forms of imprisonment for exactly four years on 3 April 2008,”...

hu’s focus broadened and he began reporting on wider human rights violations and giving interviews to foreign media...in november 2007, he participated via webcam in a european union parliamentary hearing in brussels in which he stated that china had failed to fulfill its promises to improve human rights in the run-up to the olympics...

in an article on his blog dated 10 september 2007, hu jia says:

"Everyone should know that the country that is about to host the Olympics is one without democratic elections, freedom of religion, independent courts or independent unions. It prohibits protests and labor strikes. It is a state that carries out widespread torture, discrimination, and employs a large secret police system. It is a nation that violates human rights standards and human dignity, and is not ready to fulfil its international obligations."

in a joint press conference with u.k. foreign secretary david miliband in beijing on 28 february 2008, china's foreign minister yang jiechi said: "No one will get arrested because he said that human rights are more important than the Olympics. This is impossible."...

this verdict makes a mockery of the notion that chinese citizens are free to hold opinions and to speak their mind without retribution from the authorities, and serves as a warning to other activists in china who might dare raise human rights concerns publicly...

related information
what human rights legacy for the beijing olympics?

peace out <3

good news - swiss migration office agrees to reexamine the asylum case of anatole zali...

this tasty morsel of good news slipped under my radar a few weeks ago...

the swiss migration office agreed to reexamine the asylum case of gay cameroonian national anatole zali, who is at risk of being forcibly deported to his native country...

anatole zali, arrived in switzerland from cameroon on 3 february and claimed asylum on the grounds that he had been threatened because of his sexual orientation, and was at risk of imprisonment if he stayed in cameroon...on 14 february, the swiss migration office ruled that anatole zali should be returned to cameroon and was given five days to appeal against this decision...he did not have access to state-funded representation and he had to submit his appeal himself...his appeal was rejected...

following international pressure, including by my peeps and me at amnesty international members, the migration office agreed to reconsider anatole zali's asylum claim, on the basis that he had not had access to a fair and satisfactory asylum procedure...his request for the reconsideration of his asylum claim was supported by amnesty international, which also noted that international law prohibits the return of anyone to a country where they would be at risk of serious human rights violations...

peace out <3

zimbabwean police had better remain non-partisan in sensitive political situation...

on 29 march 2008, zimbabweans took part in a general election to elect members of the parliament, local councillors and a president...

according to results released by the zimbabwe electoral commission (zec), the main opposition party the movement for democratic change (mdc), led by morgan tsvangirai, won 99 seats...the ruling zimbabwe african national union – patriotic front (zanu_pf) won 97 seats...the faction of the mdc led by arthur mutambara won 10 seats and one seat was won by an independent candidate...

while the situation remains generally calm with all political parties exercising restraint, people are anxious and concerned about delays by the zec to release the presidential election results...

the commissioner-general of the zimbabwe republic police to ensure that officers under his command continue to operate in a non-partisan manner and observe the rights of all...

the electoral act stipulates that if none of the presidential candidates gets more than 50 per cent of the vote, a second round has to be held between the two candidates with the most votes within 21 days...

in the event that the presidential election goes into a run-off, amnesty international is calling on the government of zimbabwe to fully respect the rights to peaceful assembly and association of all political parties and candidates...

the government of zimbabwe needs to ensure that police officers act with restraint when policing peaceful demonstrations or they aren't worth their weight in chicken feathers...people who are arrested and detained should be accorded all of their rights while they are in police custody...detainees must be allowed access to lawyers, food, water and medical care...

read more

rights under siege as zimbabwe braces itself for elections

peace out <3

join the global day for darfur...

the nightmare in darfur has lasted for five long years...one million children living in makeshift displacement camps have experienced little outside of armed conflict...

a crisis on the scale of the one that has ripped countless families apart and has forcibly removed millions far from their homes, deserves no less than the world's full attention and complete support...

however, in five years time, little has improved...no wonder i wake up some mornings thinking "people suck,"...

only 35 percent of the 26,000 troops approved by the united nations -- roughly one-third -- have been sent in to help the people of darfur...without a fully deployed peacekeeping mission in darfur, a generation will continue to grow up living in fear...

global day for darfur is april 13th - register your (an) event

learn about displaced, the human rights exhibition on the national mall

peace out <3

burmese imprisoned for giving water to monks...

three people in myanmar were sentenced to prison for giving water to monks on the street...the three are among a wave of prison sentences handed down since the myanmar authorities violently suppressed demonstrations six months ago...

amnesty international released details of the sentences on monday after the u.n. human rights council passed a resolution on friday criticising the human rights situation in the country...the council urged the myanmar authorities to release all political prisoners and to take urgent measures to end abuses...

amnesty international's research revealed that at least 40 protesters, including seven monks, have been given prison sentences...the sentences appear to be politically motivated or on account of protesters’ peaceful exercise of their human rights...

not a single sentence has been on account of the otherwise legitimate reasons stated by the authorities, but rather for peacefully exercising their right to freedom of expression and assembly...

myanmar state media had announced on 7 november 2007 that legal action would be taken against people involved in “violence and terrorist acts in one way or another,”...on 3 december, myanmar police chief khin yi announced at a press conference that “only those individuals involved in arson or the possession of illegal weapons will be brought to trial,”...amnesty international said:

“Just as the government of Myanmar has attempted to divert international attention away from last September’s crackdown towards its constitutional referendum, so too has it redirected its suppression of legitimate protest from the public streets into closed courtrooms. Just as the referendum is the government’s effort to legitimize military rule in Myanmar, the handing down of prison terms is its attempt to justify its violent crackdown on peaceful dissent.”

at least 700 people arrested during and since the september protests remain behind bars, while 1,150 political prisoners held prior to the protests have not been released...

the recent sentencing of protestors involved in last september’s crackdown should also be viewed in light of the arbitrary detention of the remaining 660 or more people who have now spent six months behind bars with no end in sight...

in light of the u.n. human rights council’s resolution, amnesty international has called on the international community to put pressure on myanmar to allow the u.n. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in myanmar to conduct a fact-finding mission in myanmar immediately...

read more

the full list of sentenced documented by amnesty international

arrests of political activists increase in myanmar

peace out <3

let the monks in tibet hear their voice in yours...

likely you've seen the images on youtube and in the newspapers...

...chinese security forces brutally attacking unarmed, non-violent protestors, including buddhist monks, in tibet...

but, you don't have to sit idly by and just watch...you can take action right now to help secure the freedom of 15 tibetan monks who were arrested on march 10 for staging a peaceful protest in barkhor, lhasa, the capital of the tibetan autonomous region...

sign our petition to the president of china demanding the immediate release of the 15 tibetan monks and other peaceful protesters...

we have no information on the monk's current whereabouts...we don't know the nature of the charges brought against them...and, they're at very high risk of torture or other ill treatment...

what we do know, is that by acting together we can place enormous pressure on the chinese government at a moment when they are trying to put their best face forward in the run up to the 2008 olympic games...by acting now, we can secure the immediate release of the 15 monks and the other peaceful protestors that were detained with them...

sign our petition to the president of china demanding the immediate release of the 15 tibetan monks and other peaceful protesters...

in recent days, amnesty international has met with congressional leaders, including speaker of the house nancy pelosi, and with senior white house officials...we are placing enormous pressure on the chinese government to stop the violence, open up the region to foreign reporters and to free peaceful protestors...

but, we need your immediate help to keep the pressure on...

sign our petition to the president of china demanding the immediate release of the 15 tibetan monks and other peaceful protesters...

peace out <3

newspaper editor's prosecution part of a "pattern of harassment" of egyptian media...

ibrahim eissa was charged under articles 171 and 188 of the penal code for publishing in 2007 information considered by the authorities to be damaging to the public interest and egypt’s national stability...

the story?? -- it was a report suggesting that the health of 79-year-old president mubarak was deteriorating...the authorities contended that the article caused foreign investors to withdraw investments worth some 350 million u.s. dollars damaging the economy...eissa can appeal yesterday's court decision...the folks with amnesty international had this to say:

"This prosecution forms part of a wider pattern of the Egyptian authorities using criminal defamation and other charges to chill media expression and reporting on issues considered by the authorities as red lines, but which are, in reality, issues of clear public interest. It underlines the need for the government to amend the controversial press law and all other provisions in the Penal Code that criminalise legitimate reporting.”

the press law adopted by the national assembly in july 2006 added to existing restrictions on freedom of expression and journalists and others continue to be at risk of imprisonment if they commit publishing offences, such as insulting public officials...when the new law was introduced, independent and opposition newspapers withheld publication for a day in protest and hundreds of media workers protested outside the parliament building...the human rights group added:

"We hope that the Court of Appeals, when it considers the case, will overturn this verdict and uphold the right to media freedom. The authorities should cease using criminal defamation charges to harass journalists and prevent their reporting on matters of legitimate public interest.”

yesterday, 31 march, ibrahim eissa's trial began in a separate case on charges of spreading false information about president mubarak’s health...in 2007, he was one of four newspaper editors who were sentenced under article 188 of the egyptian penal code, which stipulates that anyone who “malevolently publishes false news, statements or rumours that is likely to disturb public order", should be imprisoned for up to one year prison and pay a fine of 20,000 egyptian pounds...all four editors have remained at liberty pending the outcome of their appeal, the next session of which is scheduled for 5 april...

you can make a difference- take action now!

help protect migrants and refugees from sub-saharan africa
demand fair medical treatment for residents of the gaza strip

peace out <3