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when you exercise your voting rights, you help advance human rights...register to vote today and take part in our democracy... and then encourage your friends to do the same...forward the link to this blog to five friends now...
peace out <3
i recently received a letter from former professional athlete john amaechi regarding china, human rights, and the olympics and wanted to share it with you...I am so proud to be going to the Olympic Games in Beijing next month as an Olympic Ambassador for Amnesty International.
As a former pro athlete, I'm eager to see awe-inspiring world-class athletes competing for gold at the Summer Games. Yet I can't help but find the luster of those five rings tarnished and feel conflicted about my upcoming trip to China. Speak out for Chinese citizens who havebeen silenced against their will
There is no doubt that the Beijing Olympics have been sullied by worldwide protests regarding Tibet and other human rights abuses across China. Even in these difficult times, it is worth taking a moment to encourage those with power and influence to extend the hand of friendship to the good people of China and speak on behalf of those who cannot.
While I extend my deepest sympathy to the thousands who are suffering as a result of the recent earthquake in Sichuan Province, it is no reason to hold back on scrutiny of the Chinese government's human rights record. Indeed, as we open our hearts to the Chinese people, we should not limit our empathy to the natural disaster alone.
The Chinese government invited scrutiny of its human rights record by explicitly stating in their winning bid in 2001 that human rights would improve after being awarded the Games. Amnesty International has reached the sad conclusion that respect for human rights in China is getting worse - not in spite of, but because of the Olympic Games. Click here to read Amnesty's full report.
We have seen only a sliver of the abuses on TV, which include locking down cities to prevent public protests, denying journalists access to Tibet, the beating and torture of peaceful protesters who ask for the most basic human rights, and so on. These activities betray the fundamental Olympic spirit of respect for human dignity, and should be strongly condemned.
You and I have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to speak on behalf of China's citizens who have been silenced against their will. Even if only for a moment, the sound of our voices ringing out in defense of human rights for all is a message worth hearing - and a legacy worth its weight in gold.
Sincerely,
John Amaechi
Olympic Ambassador for Amnesty International
the italian magistrates have held individuals accountable for the brutalities that occurred in the bolzaneto detention facility in genoa, italy...the magistrate's decision is a good first step towards accountability for the human rights abuses that occurred during the g8 summit but more needs to be done to ensure that the whole truth emerges and that those responsible are held fully accountable for their actions...
on july 14, 2008, monday, 15 people were found guilty of, amongst other things, ill-treating protestors detained in the bolzaneto detention facility during the g8 summit in genoa in july 2001, and of abuse of office...the sentences handed down by an italian court ranged from five months to five years...those sentenced included police officers, prison guards and doctors...they are expected to appeal against the guilty verdicts. It is unlikely that any of those sentenced will actually serve time in prison because criminal liability for their offenses will have expired under italy's statute of limitations by the time the appeal process is completed...another 30 defendants were cleared of charges, including assault...
amnesty international and others have expressed concerns, however, that torture is not criminalized in the italian criminal code...this means that no one could be prosecuted for torture in connection with the events even if the ill-treatment the protestors suffered may have amounted to torture...
since the events in genoa in 2001, amnesty international has received several reports of police ill-treatment and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials in italy...the organization, along with several u.n. bodies, including the u.n. committee against torture, has repeatedly called on the italian government to put into place effective mechanisms of accountability for reported human rights abuses by law enforcement officials...the group said:
"Accountability for human rights abuses committed by state officials, including law enforcement officials, must be the norm. The Italian authorities must implement the recommendations of the relevant international bodies and organizations to this effect in order to prevent such events happening further."
peace out <3
thanks in large part to the overwhelming number of people like you who took action i am happy to report that human rights protections were included in congress' first installment of the merida initiative...
a global day of action this past saturday 12 july used human aerial art to call on the chinese authorities to ensure a positive human rights legacy for the beijing olympics..."We are circling up in solidarity with human rights activists in China who have been silenced and cleared out of sight as the Games draw closer. We urge thousands of people to join together across the world to remind the Chinese authorities of their promises. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Olympic values aspire to a world where the dignity and fundamental rights of all individuals are respected without discrimination. Seven years ago, the Chinese authorities promised the Olympics would bring improvement for people’s human rights but instead repression of activists and journalists has continued because of the Olympics."watch this space for a gallery of photos and video footage taken around the world during the circle up now day of action...
from the wish you were here files...this week, thousands of amnesty international supporters will stand together as a visual message in support of human rights in china...
for the honor of hosting the 2008 olympics, china promised that it would improve its human rights record...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 jailing of prominent human rights activists, and increased censorship of the media...
these abuses constitute a fundamental violation of the olympic charter - and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms...
call for an olympic year of freedom of expression in china
defend the right of peaceful demonstration for human rights defenders
learn more about circle up now and aerial art projects
this past weekend, it was probably no surprise to see celebrations and symbols of independence – bar-b-ques…fireworks…flags...but in indonesia, the simple act of waving a flag cost two men their freedom...
so recently a local court in istanbul ordered the closure of the turkish lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender solidarity organization, lambda istanbul...the court ruled on 29 may in favour of a complaint by the istanbul governor's office that lambda istanbul's objectives were against turkish "moral values and family structure"...an appeal challenging this ruling is currently pending...
since june 2001, more than 290 individuals in the united states have died after being struck by police tasers...human rights groups such as amnesty international are concerned that tasers are being used as tools of routine force, rather than as weapons of last resort...rigorous, independent, impartial study of their use and effects is urgently needed...
the deportation from the u.k. of sri lankan national vinayagamoorthi muralitharan, known as karuna, who is alleged to have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka is, to say the least, disappointing...he was deported following his conviction on immigration charges...“We have expressed our concerns to the Metropolitan Police that not enough may have been done to protect witnesses, and reassure potential witnesses, as they conducted their investigation. We would like to see the UK authorities introduce new measures in the future to try war criminals and protect witnesses."the u.k. authorities to establish effective witness protection programs for investigations into allegations such as these, modeled on the witness protection programs of the international criminal tribunal for the former yugoslavia, the international criminal tribunal for rwanda, the special court for sierra leone and the international criminal court...the organization also calls on the u.k. authorities to set up an independent and specialized police and prosecution unit with sufficient resources to deal with crimes against humanity, torture and war crimes...
you may have missed the the u.s. house judiciary subcommittee on the constitution, civil rights and civil liberties hearing on the bush administration’s interrogation rules about 2 weeks ago...vice president dick cheney’s chief of staff david addington and former u.s. justice department lawyer john yoo are expected to testify...larry cox, a really great guy and the executive director of amnesty international usa, had this to say about the hearing... right on larry..."Amnesty International applauds efforts by the House Judiciary Committee and its subcommittees to seek the truth regarding the Bush administration’s efforts to justify the torture of detainees. Administration officials’ attempts to redefine the U.S. government’s obligations under U.S. and international law through dubious legal memos with fairytale justifications has made a mockery of the values that Americans hold dear.
"Both Addington and Yoo were integral to the formation of the Bush administration’s war on terror policies. Now they have an opportunity, no, a duty to the American people to provide their comprehensive knowledge of how Bush administration officials crafted and justified policies that led to torture.
“This hearing is taking place on June 26, the 21st anniversary of the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. It was adopted in 1984 for signature and ratification after long campaigning by Amnesty International and other organizations.”
here's a big woot woot for the welcomed the news that on 2 july former presidential candidate ingrid betancourt at last gained her freedom after more than six years in captivity at the hands of the guerrilla group, the revolutionary armed forces of colombia (farc)..."We must not, however, forget the hundreds of other civilians still being held, mainly by the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN), which must release all of them immediately and unconditionally, as well as commit to put an immediate end to all kidnapping and hostage-taking."all those held captive must be treated humanely, regardless of whether these are civilians or members of the security forces...hear that farc?
intimidation, terror, and coercion are words that describe the presidential elections held recently in zimbabwe...the deliberate strategy by the zimbabwean government to ensure that robert mugabe wins the election is deeply disturbing... since the general elections on march 29, at least 85 people have reportedly been killed...over 3,000 people have been treated for injuries from beatings with sticks and iron bars...the movement for democratic change opposition party claims that 2,000 of its supporters have been jailed...
the time has come to end this blatant assault on human rights...the people of zimbabwe must not be left alone to suffer this ongoing violence...
take action to stop the violence in zimbabwe
read secretary general irene khan’s letter to the south african development community, urging emergency action
read multiple statements on election period violence in zimbabwe
there are credible reports that irregular migrants trying to reach europe are being arrested, ill-treated and collectively expelled from mauritania without opportunity to challenge the decision...“This policy of arrests and collective expulsions by the Mauritanian authorities is the result of intense pressure exerted on Mauritania by the European Union (EU), and Spain in particular, as they seek to involve certain African countries in their attempt to combat irregular migration to Europe.”amnesty international is calling on the e.u. and its member states, most notably spain, to take responsibility for ensuring that migrants are treated according to international human rights standards...said sagues:
“EU states are using countries such as Mauritania to manage the flow of migrants who attempt to reach Europe from their territory. They have become the de facto ‘policemen of Europe."peace out <3
it was back in early 2002 that i timidly made a phone call to joyce house...i was the director of the tennessee coalition to abolish state killing and the play the exonerated was being brought to nashville by a local acting group...she was (is) the mother of paul house, a man not guilty of the murder that landed him on death row in 1986...i asked her if she would like the opportunity (and support) to begin telling her son's story...she was shy, and sweet, and unexperienced in the ways of the media so we began to work with her and as you will read below today she has her son, wheelchair bound by advanced multiple sclerosis, coming home to her...she just sent me a sweet email and i wanted you to be aware of her story...google paul's name - his story demonstrates the ridiculousness of our attempting to be the legal arbiter's of life and death...peace out <3Paul House will be released today
Anonymous donor sends $10,000 to pay for inmate's bail
By CHRIS ECHEGARAY
Staff WriterPaul Gregory House will celebrate the Fourth of July at home this Friday thanks to an anonymous donor who sent his mother the $10,000 bail needed for his release from state custody.
House, who has multiple sclerosis and uses a wheelchair, is set for release today at 9:30 a.m. from the Lois M. DeBerry Special Needs Facility in Nashville.
"I was in tears because I couldn't find an appraiser for a property bond," said his mother, Joyce House. "Then I got an anonymous caller who said they were going to put up the money. There are angels out there. One day I hope to meet them."
House, 46, was on death row for 22 years after being convicted in 1986 of murdering Carolyn Muncey in East Tennessee. The U.S. Supreme Court concluded in 2006 that a jury, based upon DNA evidence that emerged years after his trial, could find reasonable doubt in the case. House has maintained his innocence.
U.S. District Court Judge Harry Mattice Jr. ordered the state to release House or retry him within 180 days, and an appeals court upheld Mattice's decision.
Prosecutors said they would retry House, and a state court judge in Union County set a $500,000 bond. Another judge reduced the bond to $100,000. At least 10 percent of that amount was required for House's release.
House's mother planned to use her Crossville home for a property bond to get her son released from jail while awaiting his second trial in October.
Under the bail conditions set by a judge, House can only leave his mother's home for medical appointments and court appearances. He will have a 24-hour electronic monitoring system and has to register as a sex offender. No firearms are allowed in the house.
Groups declare victory
The state does not plan to seek the death penalty during the second trial, and anti-death penalty organizations already have declared victory.
"We are so grateful to all the Tennesseans and people all over the country who have supported our work to free Paul House," said Stacy Rector, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition to Abolish State Killing.
lazaros petromelidis (45) of greece has been repeatedly sentenced by military courts for his conscientious objection to military service and is again in danger of arrest and imprisonment...amnesty international, the european bureau for conscientious objection and war resisters' international have issued a joint appeal regarding the case of conscientious objector lazaros petromelidis...
lazaros petromelidis' case has a long history of 16 years, full of prosecutions and convictions...he was first prosecuted after he declared his conscientious objection in march 1992, at a time when greece did not recognize the right to conscientious objection...in 1998 he refused to do the alternative service he was offered, as it was of an extremely punitive duration -- in his case, seven and a half times longer than the military service he would otherwise have had to perform...since then, he has been regularly receiving call-up papers to serve in the military and has been repeatedly charged with insubordination because of his refusal, as a conscientious objector, to serve in the army...he has been imprisoned three times, in may 1998, april 1999 and september 2002 and has been banned from travelling abroad...
on 20 may 2008, lazaros petromelidis was again sentenced in absentia to three years' imprisonment without suspension on two charges of insubordination by the naval court of piraeus...this means that after this trial, his 15th one, there is again an arrest warrant for lazaros petromelidis, and he is in imminent danger of imprisonment for his beliefs...at 45, lazaros petromelidis is in his last conscription year but may be called up again at any time before 31 december 2008...
every time lazaros petromelidis refuses to serve in the army a new prosecution is brought against him...his repeated punishment for the same offence contravenes article 14 paragraph 7 of the international covenant on civil and political rights which states that:
"No one shall be liable to be tried or punished again for an offence for which he has been finally convicted or acquitted in accordance with the law and penal procedure of each country."
repeated punishments of conscientious objectors have been cited by the human rights committee as particular instances of violation of article 14 (general comment no. 32)...
the right to conscientious objection is a legitimate exercise of the fundamental right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights (article 18), the international covenant on civil and political rights (article 18), the european convention for the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms (article 9) and the charter of fundamental rights of the european union (article 10)...
please write, calling on the authorities to stop immediately the prosecutions against lazaros petromelidis and to recognize the right to conscientious objection according to international standards and recommendations...
send appeals to:
Kostas Karamanlis
Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic
Megaron Maximou
19 Herodou Atticou Avenue
106 74 Athens, Greece
Fax: +30 210 671 5799
in case you missed the news 1,157 people who were involved in the tibet protests last march were released from prison and i am hopeful that we will hear information about the trials of the 116 people in custody recently announced by tibetan authorities...for more information, click here...
make a difference...
hundreds, possibly thousands, of people, including children, suspected of terrorism-related offences, have been arrested in tunisia since the introduction of the anti-terrorism law in 2003...authorities use the broad definition of ‘terrorism’ in this law to criminalize legitimate and peaceful opposition activities...
in case you haven't realized yet the extraordinary thing about human rights defenders is just how ordinary their desires are...they want what so many of us take for granted – a safe place to live and work...free and fair elections...the right to speak out without the fear of arrest or torture...this summer, you can join my mission to bring hope to human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience around the world...
