Rise in authoritarianism


Worrying increase in authoritarianism both sides of the Atlantic. Talk at the Exeter conference

March 2026

Our rights are hard won. Britain still has elements of its feudal past. We think of ourselves as a democracy and great fuss is made of elections and polls but in many respects power is not with the majority or the people. Governments have steadily attempted to reduce the ability to protest and have passed legislation to make demonstrations harder and harder. At the Exeter conference there were two presentations on the rise in authoritarianism on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, President Trump has carried out a large number of attacks on the press, the judiciary, universities, opposition politicians and more or less anyone who disagrees with him.

What happens in America quickly crosses the pond and so it is with the rise of authoritarianism in the UK. The form may be different and it is less raucous but the erosion of rights continues steadily. The presentation gave some examples. A report by US Amnesty goes into a lot more detail.

Legislation is passed which is vague and allows for considerable interpretation by the police and others. There is an increased reliance on secondary legislation. This means important measures are placed in statutory instruments not in the acts themselves thus permitting unscrutinised measures to become law. Surveillance powers have increased. This has included the use of facial recognition technology now being introduced more widely. Failure to properly fund agencies meant to control corporations. An extreme example is the almost complete failure to control the water companies which have neglected to invest in infrastructure, have extracted billions in dividends which were offshored and have allowed rivers to become seriously polluted and open sewers.

Anti-protest

Governments do not like protest and never have throughout our history. Reforms have seldom come from the power holders but wrested from them by protest. Witness enfranchisement has had a long and troubled history. One of the more fearful examples was the 1819 Peterloo massacre in Manchester at which 14 were killed and hundreds injured when they were attacked. There has been a succession of Reform Acts – in 1832, 1867 and 1884 for example – after long periods of unrest, marches and mass protests. Each reform gave more people the vote. After decades of campaigning and violent protest, women achieved the vote in the late 1920s.

In modern times the growth of the ‘think tanks’ has become a major issue. Millions are spent by them on lobbying ministers and MPs. David Cameron recognised this was a growing problem when he was prime minister. He subsequently became ensnared in a lobbying scandal. Often opaquely financed they are able to suggest legislation and argue against better climate legislation for example. The biggest and best funded of the lobby organisations are the Friends of Israel groupings to ensure Israel’s position is powerfully put.

Key to the rise in authoritarianism is the need to denigrate and stigmatise those who question it or government policies. They are called ‘woke’, ‘lefty lawyers’, ‘disruptors’ or ‘extremists’ and large parts of the media are happy to promote these assaults.

Control of information is key and the secretive company Palantir was mentioned which is almost by the day, increasing its reach into the British state with few effective controls. We shall be commenting on this dangerous organisation in a subsequent post. UPDATE, 24 March. Warnings about Palantir and a contract with the Financial Conduct Authority

What can done?

Such is the power and reach of the various organisations, from government down through well-funded lobby organisations, American platforms including AI, and large elements of the media, that opposition is difficult. Even raising awareness is a challenge. Another problem is apathy. Many are simply unaware of the creeping authoritarianism around them. Some approve of curbs on protests. A number of people at Exeter had never heard of Palantir for example. The emotional power of the right wing is not to be overlooked.

As we learned from the Brexit campaign, simple slogans and emotional appeals are what cut through not factual presentations. Creeping authoritarianism and the steady loss of power will need to make emotional connections with people, to point out in simple language and images, the steady risks of allowing these powerful organisations, most of whom are based in America, to gain more and more influence and control over our organisations such as the NHS.

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Gay rights in Malawi


Speaker at the Exeter conference on the problems of LGBTQ+ rights in Malawi

March 2026

We were delighted to hear first hand of the continuing problems being experienced by LGBTQ+ people in Malawi. Eric Sambisa (pictured), who is currently at the Dundee Human Rights Centre, gave a talk at the Exeter conference on these problems. Eric is the founder of Nyasa Rainbow Alliance and was the first to come out on TV as gay is his country in 2016. Currently, he is focusing on women’s rights.

He explained that section 153 of the country’s penal code prohibits sex between consenting adults, a provision which derives from the time when it was a colony of the British. Up until the ’60s such activity was illegal in the UK. To be open in this way in Malawi has its risks and individuals have suffered violence. The offices have been attacked and laptops and files taken.

He mentioned the case of Jana Gonani who was arrested and imprisoned in December 2021. Gonani, a 29-year-old Malawian trans woman, is currently serving an eight-year sentence at Chichiri men’s prison in Blantyre City for two counts of “false pretence” – for presenting as a woman – and one count of “unnatural offence” – both crimes under the country’s colonial era penal law. With help of the Rainbow Alliance, an appeal was mounted to the High Court.

There have been many attempts to change the law in Malawi, so far unsuccessfully. Sambisa was not expecting a change ‘any time soon’ he said. Unlike Uganda and Kenya, there are no attempts at a legislative change. Religious interests and pressure is quite strong. An interesting side note is that prior to becoming a colony, names in Malawi were not gendered.

‘Legal provisions are reinforced by social attitudes. A large proportion of Malawians oppose same-sex relationships. Religious and traditional leaders have been vocal in their opposition to LGBTQI+ rights, organising protests and reinforcing discriminatory attitudes. As a result, many LGBTQI+ people face significant challenges: they are often disowned by their families, lose their jobs or are evicted from their homes. The recent Constitutional Court decision to uphold the criminalisation of homosexuality will only exacerbate the situation, because many will interpret it to mean there’s no place for LGBTQI+ people in Malawi’ (Civicus.org). Sambisa pointed out it is the state which loses out by denying the rights of such people.

Picture: Salisbury Amnesty. This was one of the talks at the Exeter conference organised by the Exeter Amnesty group.

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Amnesty conference in Exeter


Well attended conference with a wide range of human rights issues discussed

March 2026

The Exeter group of Amnesty puts together a conference every year and those attending this year were able to listen to a range of speakers on some of the current problems with human rights around the world. Each topic will need its own space so we shall be putting up a range of posts over the coming week or so to give them justice. For now, this is just a brief summary as a kind of ‘taster’. All credit to the Exeter group for organising this event. Six members from the Salisbury group attended and all found it worthwhile.

Tapestry

The tapestry was on display after many years absence. It was displayed in Salisbury Cathedral several years ago.

Malawi

We do not hear enough from Africa although the war in Sudan occasionally makes the news. Malawi is one of a number of countries in Africa which have anti-gay legislation. Eric Sambisa spoke of his campaign and actions to get the law on LGBTQ+ legislation changed in his country. Those laws derive from colonial times and change is proving slow.

Authoritarianism

We had two speakers on authoritarianism, first in America and second in the UK. Trump and his supporters are carrying out a range of such measures and worryingly, UK governments are quietly following suit with more laws and increased police powers designed to reduce protests. The firm Palentir was raised more than once and they represent a serious risk to our personal security.

Purchasing

A forthcoming Amnesty campaign will focus on what we buy and the human rights stories behind our purchases. Much of what we buy comes from overseas and is produced in sweat shops in the far east where – mostly women – work in terrible conditions with few if any rights. There are no trade unions. The surprising, nay shocking thing, is that big name British retailers are involved, the likes of M&S, Tesco, Next and others. Firms who’s policies have the familiar words about human rights being our ‘first priority’. The supply chains are long and as you go down them the opportunities for abuse increases.

There was discussion of Early Day Motion 1266 concerning banning goods coming from the illegal Israeli settlements. Unfortunately, there was insufficient time to discuss the large number of MPs, from all parties, who are members of the powerful Friends of Israel lobby groups. Their power means the motion is unlikely to succeed.

Palestine

The situation in Palestine was a topic as you might expect and we had a presentation from an academic at Exeter University. Part of the discussion focused on the prospects for a two state solution. There are none was the stark conclusion. Israel has systematically removed people and built settlements which make the creation of a viable Palestinian state impossible. Recent announcements of the creation of 19 new settlements cements this fact, referred to as ‘settler colonialism’. The speaker did focus on the Apartheid regime in place in Israel and the West Bank. Attacking that, much as happened in South Africa which saw that regime come to an end, was the way forward he said.

Amnesty International

There were some speakers who discussed issues surrounding Amnesty itself. In common with all charities at present and the drop in funding to the sector of £1.4bn in a year, Amnesty is having to reduce its expenditure. It has a new Chief Executive. It is facing ‘significant financial challenges’.

Photo

The photo is the traditional picture where delegates assemble in front of the cathedral.

Once again, thanks to the Exeter group for organising this excellent event. Thought of becoming a subscriber?

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Talk by ex-Iranian prisoner in Romsey


Anoosheh Ashoori tells of his ordeal in Evin prison, Iran

March 2026

Anoosheh was seized suddenly in 2017 by four men who, after checking who he was, bundled him into a car where he was blindfolded. Thus began 5 years of incarceration in fearful conditions mostly in the infamous Evin prison in Tehran. He never knew what his ‘crime’ was but it was later to emerge it was connected with the £400m tank deal with the UK that ensnared Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as well.

Anoosheh came to Romsey on 18 March to give a talk organised by the Romsey Amnesty group about his

experiences. He described the terrible conditions: cells packed with men with primitive hygiene facilities, hearing the screams from the women’s part of the prison, the terrible food which led to great weight loss, and long periods in solitary confinement. And the endless interrogations.

But in amongst the suffering there was also some slivers of hope and light. He described what became the ‘Evin University’. Since many intellectuals, writers and others seen as a threat to the regime were imprisoned, there were many opportunities for people to learn from one another and offer mutual support. There were teaching groups, one involved the writing of short stories. They all helped to maintain some sense of sanity.

He was strongly influenced by Victor Frankl who had survived the Holocaust and his book Man’s Search for Meaning. He offered some insights into suffering following his three years in the camps including Auschwitz. Suffering can cease to be suffering if it is imbued with meaning he suggested.

Like Nazanin, he was a hostage. This raised the question – as with her captivity – of the role of the British government in trying to secure his release. They were keen for family and supporters not to make a fuss because, they claimed, delicate negotiations were continuing and any such fuss would upset them. ‘Do not go public’ his family and supporters were advised This was always doubtful and the basic reason was the £400m the UK government owed the Iranians for the non-delivery of the tanks destined for the Shah’s regime. Both had become tangled up in this long-running row.

Current war

His talk took place three weeks into the current war where Israel and the US have bombed many areas of Iran in an attempt to prevent the Iranians developing a nuclear weapon and to force regime change (it is thought: the precise objectives are unclear). This has led to the closure of the straight of Hormuz and huge economic effects around the world. Which prompted questions from the audience about the current situation and whether he was optimistic.

It did not sound as though he was. He thinks the campaign will simply lead to further problems, echoing many who think that attempting to change a regime by bombing it is unlikely to be successful. He also said the IRGC is ‘like a cancer’ meaning it was deeply embedded in Iranian society and thus difficult to dislodge. He was asked about celebrating his release: he doesn’t because he cannot help but think of those who are still incarcerated in Evin and other prisons in Iran.

What should we do? he was asked. ‘Speak as loudly as possible’ he answered and his comments appeared to be directed at the government. It was a piece with his earlier comments about the role of the UK government during his imprisonment and the desire of the Foreign Office to keep a low profile and not make a noise. His advice was to counter that. His second comment was ‘perseverance always pays off’.

Summary

It is always humbling to listen to someone who has experienced great suffering and come out the other side. His lack of bitterness was noteworthy. He spoke of his desire in prison to run the London marathon, if and when he got out, which he has more than once. He was not optimistic about the country’s future and the current war will not change things. His description of the ‘Evin University’ shows that even in such terrible conditions, the human spirit can shine through which must be a sign of optimism in itself.

Congratulations to the Romsey Amnesty group for organising this talk which was well attended.

Additional material from New Internationalist. Image: Salisbury Amnesty

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Minutes and Newsletter


March minutes and Newsletter

March 2026

We are pleased to attach this month’s minutes and Newsletter for the group thanks to group member Lesley for preparing them. We do not publish a Newsletter as such but they contain a lot of material on the death penalty around the world, the state of UK politics as they affect human rights and the current refugee situation. There are also some statistical details and we are pleased to report that number viewing the site have risen significantly.

March minutes and Newsletter (Word)Download

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Middle East ‘forever’ wars


Iran, Lebanon join victims in the forever war. Vigils continue

March 2026

The 119th vigil took place in Salisbury with over 25 in attendance, as the war intensified in the Middle East. We are in the third week of attacks on Iran as Israel and the US are bombing large areas of the country. Israel has resumed attacking Lebanon with over 800 dead. Israel seeks to destroy Hezbollah who are firing rockets into northern Israel. With Iran significantly weakened, the IDF regard now as a key opportunity finally to destroy the organisation’s activities in the Lebanon. Reporting on Gaza has been overlooked recently where the death toll now stands at 72,000 plus.

This new development has resulted in consequences which do not seem to have been anticipated. The response from Iran has massively affected the Gulf states and the movement of oil. The impact on western economies is only just starting. Some UK politicians were all for the Israeli/US action urging Sir Keir Starmer to be more pro-actively involved. There seems to be some rowing back from that as its effects became apparent. The bombing of the Shajareh Teyyabeh girl’s elementary school in, Minab, Iran killing around 170 – mostly children – has had an effect on public opinion.

The war, only three weeks old in its current manifestation, has led to a massive displacement of people around the region running into hundreds of thousands. The glee with which Pete Hegseth has spoken about the destruction of Iran is especially alarming. The objectives and timescale remain unclear.

Sources: Independent, CBS, Al Jazeera, Haaretz, Guardian

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Ex Iranian prisoner to tell his story


Anoosheh Ashoori will speak in Romsey

March 2026

PAST EVENT – see later report of the event itself.

The story of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been widely told and she has become a household name. A BBC film was made of her ordeal and she came to Salisbury to speak. Iran is in the news at present with the bombing campaign being carried out by Israel and the US one aim of which – it is thought – is to rid the nation of the current regime, the regime which thought seizing hostages was a good idea.

Along with Nazanin was the rather less well-known Anoosheh Ashoori (pictured) a dual national businessman who spent 5 years in Evin prison in Tehran at the same time as Nazanin. He is coming to Romsey on 18th March to talk about his experiences. The talk starts at 7pm at the United Reform Church, SO51 8EL. The talk has been organised by the Romsey Amnesty Group.

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Threat to Jury Trials: MPs Debate New Court Bill


Threat to trial by jury

March 2026

MPs voted to allow the Courts and Tribunals Bill to proceed to the next stage after significant debate during its second reading.  This was over proposals to replace juries in England and Wales with a single judge in cases where a convicted defendant would be jailed for up to three years.  Justice Secretary David Lammy says changes to jury trials and other reforms can help turn around the Crown Court backlog, which has reached record levels of 80,000 cases. These delays mean some defendants charged today may not face trial until 2030.

However more than 3,200 lawyers including 300 top barristers and retired judges have called on the government to drop the plan to abolish some jury trials.  The letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, says there is no evidence the “unpopular” plan will solve unprecedented delays in criminal courts.  The letter organised by the Bar Council, which represents all barristers in England and Wales, says the plan is an attempt “to force through an unpopular, untested and poorly evidenced change to our jury system”.

The bill will still have to clear the House of Lords before it can become law.  The right to jury trial – in which ordinary people decide on the guilt or innocence of defendants brought before Crown Courts – is a cornerstone of the constitution dating back more than 800 years.

Magna Carta did not specifically mention jury trials but does say ‘no free man shall be seized or imprisoned except through the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land’ (women are not mentioned). It did however plant the seed of juries and over time the idea became established in British law. The Statute of Westminster was passed in 1275 that required jury trials in certain cases, showing how these ideas from the Magna Carta were evolving into legal practice.

Recent governments have revealed a dislike of protest and have done a lot to introduce measures and restrictions making such protests more and more difficult. Police powers have been increased and thousands were arrested protesting on behalf of Palestine Action for example. Some juries have gone against judicial directions and have freed defendants. There must be a worry therefore that restricting the right to a jury trial leaves defendants at the mercy of judges alone who, some argue, can be reactionary,

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How the New UK Bill Aims to Prevent Foreign Election Interference


New bill to tackle electoral reform

March 2026

A functioning democratic system is vital for human rights.  It is about power and how it is wielded.  Increasingly, we have witnessed powerful outside interests – whether they be states or wealthy individuals – influencing the political debate.  Electoral reform is carried out infrequently partly because political parties settle into a comfortable relationship with the status quo.  They can also be reluctant to go against the wishes of their influential patrons. 

The newly introduced Representation of the People Bill aims to keep hostile foreign states from interfering in British elections while significantly extending democratic rights to the population. As part of the biggest expansion of democratic participation in a generation it offers first the extension of the franchise to 16 and 17-year olds, which will give voice to millions of young people.

Second, the capping of donations from companies towards electoral expenses will be set at two years of revenue, ensuring that companies that have no genuine business activity or UK footprint will be prevented from making donations.  The Bill means companies will need to have shown sufficient revenue made over the previous 3 years (allowing in most cases two financial years of revenue) to justify their donation.  It means foreign actors will no longer be able to use their money to interfere in the UK’s elections,

MPs will not be allowed to accept gifts of money or in-kind donations over £2,230. Legitimate gifted hospitality valued below this thresh-hold will continue to be acceptable.

The many other proposals to ensure election fairness include automatic voter registration without voters needing to apply, extending legitimate Voter ID to include bank cards digital forms of ID, increasing the time available for postal voting, ensuring candidates offer documentary proof of their identity to avoid misleading voters, and addressing issues of harassment at polling stations

It marks the beginning of a process that may reshape the practical workings of the UK’s democracy. Few governments have attempted to reform our democratic system quite so comprehensively in a single legislative package.  For once, the over-used ‘once in a generation’ tag may actually be justified.

But it does little to protect democracy from misinformation and disinformation in elections, despite the government recognising the risks.  It is this ability to ‘control the narrative’ which is a big factor in our political process.

Image: Electoral Reform Society

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Impact of Middle East Conflicts on Refugees in Turkey


War in Middle East and its effects

March 2026

Although war reporting generates a lot of commentary on the deaths of those caught up in the conflicts, the effects on refugees and those displaced receives much less attention. With the new war(s) in the Middle East, refugees are again in the news. So far, most displaced people have been moved within the countries of Iran and Lebanon, but Turkey in particular is being readied for an influx of refugees.  The European Union Agency for Asylum thinks here will possibly be large numbers of displaced persons as a result of the conflict, many of them heading for Turkey. The Institute for Migration estimates that as of now there are 19 million internally displaced in the region; the UNHCR have calculated in the last few days that 667,000 Lebanese have registered as displaced.

Home Secretary’s refugee plans

At home, the big story is the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood’s plan to reduce the length of protected stay of refugees from 5 years to half of that, during which time they will only have temporary refugee status.  This will be subject to review every 30 months for up to 20 years. During this period claimants may be deported if, in the opinion of the Home Office, their country of origin has become deemed “safe”.  A large number of Labour backbenchers are opposing the move, and the Law Society has observed that it might not comply with international law. Other objections have been that the plan will be costly (£872 million over a decade, according to the Refugee Council) and impractical. On 5th March, the Home Secretary revoked the legal duty to provide destitute asylum seekers with support and accommodation while their claims are processed, often for months or years.  The Home Office have been influenced by the so-called “Danish model”, which takes a hard line on immigration.

Among the latest statistics to be released, the Home Office received up to 23,000 referrals of alleged human trafficking in 2025 (the main sources were Eritrea and Vietnam).  The backlog of cases has reduced, but there has been an increase in the number of reconsiderations.  In 2025 about 100,000 claims for asylum were made in the UK. Of these, 41% were from small boat arrivals, 11% other irregular means, while 40% already had some form of leave before claiming.  The level of grants continues to drop, at 42% in 2025 (it used to be over 80%).  Syria has suffered particularly with levels of asylum grants down year-on-year from 88% to 9%.  Claims from Eritrea and Somalia are mostly accepted.

The ban on family reunions instigated last autumn is being challenged in the courts by Safe Passage International.  A High Court ruling is expected later this year.

Small boats in the Channel are now starting from further north, in Belgium, according to a BBC report.

The UN Missing Migrants Project, which records the number of deaths among attempted migrants globally, has designated three routes as particularly dangerous: from North Africa to the Central Mediterranean (esp. Libya); from Afghanistan to Iran (this was before the current conflict), and from West Africa to the Canaries (they note that migrants are coming from further south than they used to, with more risks attached).

Those politicians who seem keen on war and wanted the UK to adopt a more interventionist stance with the Israeli and US actions, seem not to be quite so aware of the knock-on effects. Many of those same politicians are to be heard railing against refugees. Wars generate refugees. A proportion end up at Calais.

AH

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Death in Florida


Ron De Santis continues his campaign of executions

March 2026

We have recently drawn attention to individual executions being carried out in Florida as part, it is claimed, of governor De Santis’s desire to show he is tough on crime. Florida is known as the ‘sunshine state’ but a pall is cast over it by the list of people put to death or who are scheduled to be executed. The sunshine is dimmed. The US is currently bombing Iran as part of a campaign who’s objectives are not that clear but involve death and destruction of many Iranians. De Santis, along with President Trump, seems to think that violence is some kind of an answer to problems.

Florida executed 19 people in 2025 – the highest number in modern history (Source: Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.). The state contributed 40% of executions in USA and was around one every 12.26 days – [13th February to 18th December 2025]. In the current rush to carry out executions there is an average 30 day warrant period. People sometimes forget that many spend decades on death row which is typically 33 years from offence to execution.

The list of executions in 2025:

Note UK date format day/month/year

· James Ford 13.2.25

· Edward James 20.3.25

· Michael Tanzi 8.4.25

· Jeffrey Hutchinson 1.5.25

· Glen Rogers 15.5.25

· Anthony Wainwright 10.6.25

· Thomas Gudinas 24.6.25

· Michael Bell 15.7.25

· Edward Zakrzewski 31.7.25

· Kayle Bates 19.8.25

· Curtis Windom 28.8.25

· David Pittman 17.9.25

· Victor Jones 30.9.25

· Samuel Smithers 14.10.25

· Norman Grim 28.10.25

· Bryan Jennings 13.11.25

· Richard Randolph 20.11.15

· Mark Geralds 9.12.25

· Frank Walls 19.12.25

An important issue in considering the system in the state is convictions are often based on non-unanimous juries – 8 out of 12 – allowing significant doubt among jurors. There should be a high degree of unanimity by the jury if someone is to be executed not one that allows a considerable degree of uncertainty.

Unusually among states, the governor has sole authority to schedule executions. Since the governor is committed to the use of the penalty for – it is alleged – to promote his desire to be the next president of the Union, this is a doubtful power to confer on one man. They also want to widen the scope of crimes carrying the penalty. Legislation tightening immigration laws eg mandating death penalty for ‘unauthorised aliens’ convicted of certain capital crimes is planned.

As we discussed in detail in our last post, there are many ethical and constitutional concerns about the process of

execution itself and the use of expired drugs, incorrect dosages, and use of non-listed drugs. Numbers of prisoners on death row have filed claims with the US Supreme Court that the State repeatedly violated its own execution protocol amid an unprecedented execution spree. They have raised the fact that Florida is the only State to include a paralytic medication in its three-drug execution protocol. This means witnesses are unable to see any physical signs of distress. Ronald Heath and Melvyn Trotter have presented evidence showing the use of expired drugs, incorrectly prepared and incomplete dosages, drugs not authorised by the protocol, and documentation not completed at the time. (Source: FADP.)

The current year 2026 to date:

Executions – 2

· Ronald Palmer Heath– 10.2.26

· Melvyn Trotter -24.2.26 – Court in first trial mishandled aggravating factors but re-sentenced to death; claims re: drugs as above.

Scheduled – 3

· Billy Leon Kearse – 3.3.26 – 18 at the time of crime (killing Enforcement Officer) with intellectual disability

· Michael Lee King – 17.3.26 – convicted of murder. At 6, severe frontal lobe injury following accident – neuropsychological testing and brain imaging revealed structural abnormalities affecting his executive functioning. Full details were never adequately presented to sentencing jury.

· James Duckett – 31.3.26 – sentenced to death by 8:4 jury.

There is an irony that the US is engaged in a war in Iran against a regime President Trump regards as vicious and [to be] terrible people. He is angry – often speaking from his Florida home – about how the Ayatollahs treat their people which includes a heavy use of the death penalty. Yet the very same state is busy executing a record number of people often in a rushed and unsatisfactory fashion. Does not Trump have his own Ayatollah on the doorstep?

It is worth repeating that there is no evidence that the penalty is a deterrent. A recent report by the Death Penalty Information Center discusses this. It points out for example that when states have abol­ished the death penal­ty, mur­der rates have not fol­lowed any con­sis­tent pat­tern of change. Rates in states that for­mer­ly retained the death penal­ty fol­low nation­al trends rather than spik­ing or falling after abolition. Earlier research by the National Academies also expresses doubt and does not find conclusive evidence of effectiveness.

The penalty involves the state using violence against an individual. A fundamental problem is that mistakes cannot be put right. Once executed someone cannot be brought back to life if new evidence emerges. The state has an unenviable history of mistakes. Those in line for execution cannot afford expensive or experienced lawyers and as Clive Stafford Smith has described in his books, it may well be the the first murder trial a defence {defense} attorney has carried out. Unlike the UK for example which has passed laws* to ensure the defence has all the evidence, no such law exists in Florida.

The most damning judgement is that if the allegations are true, then the penalty is being used for a political purpose: that is to demonstrate that the governor is ‘tough on crime’ as part of his desire to be president of the US.

*Police and Criminal Evidence Act introduced after several miscarriages of justice.

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Amnesty is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. The group publishes a monthly report on the penalty around the world (see the link above for the most recent).

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This month’s Death Penalty report


Report for mid – February to mid – March

March 2026

We are pleased to attach this month’s report on the use of the death penalty around the world thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. It features several US states, Iran, Israel and India. We note as ever that China is thought to be the world’s largest executioner of its citizens but details are a state secret.

Report (Word)Download

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Yet more violence in the Middle East


Vigil continues with Israeli and US attacks on Iran

March 2026

For 118 weeks now, we have held a vigil in Salisbury with the theme peace in the Middle East. Around 30 attended yesterday (7 March) and the hope must be that one day it would end. Any such hopes were dashed last week when Israel led an attack on Tehran and other Iranian cities followed by the Americans. They claim that all Iranian air defences are destroyed together with their air force and navy. The attacks continue and Israel has now restarted its attacks on Lebanon.

The objectives of the latest campaign are unclear. One aspect is to destroy Iran’s nuclear ambitions which President Trump has already claimed were destroyed. The other is to enable regime change and initially that appears to have happened because the late supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei and his top aids, were tracked to a location enabling them to be assassinated. There was a hope that the people of Iran would rise up and evict the regime.

Thus the violence has continued and taken on a new life. There have been many implications well aired in the press: retaliation from Iran and its dramatic effects on the Gulf states, the closure of the Straights of Hormuz with its effects on oil and gas prices and the closure of the important air hub at Dubai. International stock markets have fallen and energy prices have risen dramatically.

It has also had ramifications for UK politics basically between those who think we should support Israel and the US and those who do not think yet more bombing and violence is a way to conduct foreign affairs. Arguments have surfaced about Britain’s role in offering support via its bases in Fairford Gloucestershire, Cyprus and the Indian Ocean. Initially denied, within days they were made available to the Americans.

The most damaging feature of this latest violence is the erosion of international law. Attacks on foreign states has rapidly become normal behaviour. As ever, it is not the leaders and politicians who suffer, but those at the receiving end of missile, drone and bombing attacks.

“The escalating crisis in the Middle East poses a grave threat to multilateralism and to the integrity of the international legal order. Unlawful acts by parties to the conflict, particularly those committed by influential states, not only endanger civilians across multiple countries, but also accelerate the erosion of the global norms that are essential for the protection of human rights and global peace and security.” Agnès Callamard, Secretary General, Amnesty International. (March 3rd)

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Another execution in Florida


Billy Kearse executed on Tuesday in Florida’s killing spree

March 2026

Florida is proceeding apace with its execution programme (program) and Billy Kearse was executed on Tuesday 3rd March 2026. Florida seems to have overtaken Texas as the state keenest to use the penalty. Questions have been raised about the use of the drugs and the secrecy of the process.

Supreme Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor has alleged that the state has failed to follow the protocols which raised the possibility that the executions would violate the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution by causing additional and unnecessary pain and suffering.

This seems to be backed up by evidence produced by The Independent Florida Alligator which has published details of the ages of the drugs used showing that some had expired. The article suggests that the state’s protocol consists only of ‘two sentences’. However, the protocol we have found is longer than that at 14 pp. It is worth reading this as it is ghoulish to read the process of putting someone to death. A remorseless list of actions setting out what is to be done, before, during and after execution.

The Secretary of the Florida Dept. of Corrections, Ricky Dixon, said ‘the foremost objective of the lethal injection process is a humane and dignified death’ (18 February 2025). This must be questioned if out of date drugs are used. Indeed, the protocol says ‘the designated team member will ensure that the lethal chemicals have not reached or surpassed their expiration date’ (rule 6).

Sources: The Independent Florida Alligator, WCADP, Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Information Center, Florida Dept. Corrections.

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Is sport good for humanity?


Title of a talk organised by the Southampton Amnesty group

March 2026

“Sportswashing” has entered the vernacular and is broadly defined as the practice by governments, or other powerful organisations, of sponsoring or hosting a sports team or sporting event in order to promote a positive public image and distract attention from human rights issues or unethical or criminal activity. In a sense it has always been with us, witness the Roman circuses and the quote attributed to Juvenal about giving people ‘bread and circuses’ (panem et circenses) by emperors to win approval of the masses. The communist regimes were keen to use sport to promote their ideology.

This talk focused largely on today’s issues and in particular the role of football in society. It was delivered by Miguel Delaney who is the chief football correspondent for the Independent. It was the annual human rights lecture organised by the Southampton City Amnesty group in collaboration with Southampton University.

Football looms large he said because although many other sports are used by governments to enhance their reputations, football has massive worldwide coverage and often finds its way into the news matched only by the Olympic Games. Millions, even billions, follow it worldwide. It has become massively politicised. Delaney thinks that the issues today probably started with Berlusconi’s acquisition of Inter Milan. This was a naked attempt to use sport to promote a politician but also the principle of neo-liberalism. Perhaps it was no coincidence this took place in Italy. It was a ‘power there to be exploited’ he argued.

Money became more and more of an issue and with it, the ability of clubs to pay huge sums for key players. It has not always bought happiness on the terraces he claims with fans feeling priced out of the game. [If you have not attended a premier league club game in recent years you may find a ticket price of £519 to watch Manchester United play Bournemouth soon something of a surprise. There were some cheaper ones]. A few years ago there was a scandal about clubs changing their kit regularly to boost sales. This part of the talk was about football as a business and did not really touch on the human rights aspects of the game.

The take-over by Abramovich of Chelsea FC moved things up a gear, someone he described as having an ‘unprecedented level of wealth and mystery’. Aspects were not a mystery namely his past as a former KGB officer and the acquisition of his wealth as one of the post Yelstin Oligarchs. He mentioned Putin at this point who he claimed ‘wanted Abramovich to buy Chelsea [as a means] to gain acceptance into [British] society through sport’. He referenced the book Putin’s People: How the KGB took back Russia and then took on the West by Catherine Belton (pub: William Collins, 2020) which he recommended.

Much of his talk was about exploitation of the sport by, mostly, autocratic regimes. The purchase of clubs including British ones like Newcastle United and Manchester City. He touched on the reaction of supporters suggesting that they do not, on the whole, seem to care about the human rights of the autocratic owners. In the Gulf states for example, human rights abuses are legion: torture is widely practised, women have very few rights, there are massive executions, opposition does not exist neither does a free press. He also touched on the rampant corruption of the sports governing body, FIFA.

Conclusion

Football is hugely significant and is followed by millions around the world. It is not surprising it has come to the attention of corrupt regimes wanting to gain influence. Fans seem not to mind and there is little real concern expressed by ministers about their malign influence. Perhaps more could have been made of the kafala system where workers in the Gulf states are bound to their employers and subject to considerable exploitation. Many have died working on the glitzy projects including stadia. This system is a major infringement of rights.

It seems all too easy for these regimes to acquire clubs and to host tournaments with limited controls.

Few fans seem interested although it has to be questioned that despite the billions spent by the Gulf states on all its sportswashing activities, they still do not enjoy that good a reputation. Their influence comes from the oil they produce and the billions they spend on buying arms from the West. It is this which buys the complicity of our politicians, not the ownership of a football club or hosting a golf tournament.

Interesting talk and well done Southampton City Amnesty organising it.

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Executions continue at pace in Florida


Governor De Santis breaking records in Florida

March 2026

On this day when it has been reported that the death toll in the US/Israel school bombing in Iran has risen to 148 with a further 95 injured, it may seem contrary to mention the death penalty in Florida. Governor De Santis is hell bent on his execution spree with 5 new death sentences so far this year following on from the record 19 executions in 2025. They are related in the sense that violence is seen as a solution to problems. The US is the only nation in the Americas to have the death penalty in some states. Bombing or putting to death: it seems to be part of some politician’s thinking that such violence is a cure or a solution. It appears to give them a sense of accomplishment. Yet in truth it solves nothing.

The death penalty in the state has many dubious characteristics. As Clive Safford-Smith has noted in his book – Life and Death in the Court Rooms of America for example – the justice system for those without financial means works imperfectly. Injustice in these circumstances is bad enough but when it leads to the death of an individual it is unconscionable. Police do not always disclose all the evidence which might exonerate the accused. Only eight out of 12 jurors are needed for a guilty verdict.

Latest execution this Tuesday (3rd March)

The latest scheduled execution is Billy Kearse (pictured). The murder of Sgt. Parrish devastated his family and the Fort Pierce community. Nothing about our opposition to this execution diminishes that loss. Still, Billy is a person with intellectual disability who was just 18 years and 84 days old at the time of the crime, which is exactly why three Florida Supreme Court Justices said his was “clearly not a death case.” Basic decency and the rule of law demand we take that seriously.

Ron De Santis is a keen proponent of the death penalty saying “I think we’re in a good spot now, and I want to make sure that people (Death Row inmates) that have exhausted all these appeals over many years, sometimes decades, like when all that’s done …, and there’s victims’ families that are wanting to see justice, that I’m doing my part to deliver that,”

House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, acknowledged she might sound “cynical,” but she indicated the increase in De Santis signing death warrants could be tied to his political ambitions.

“What we’ve seen from this governor, and past behavior is oftentimes a predictor of where future behavior might go, this is a governor who’s been so focused on his own ambitions, his personal ambitions, he wants to impress Republican primary voters,” Driskell said Monday during a conference call with reporters. [Source: WUSF]

De Santis wants executions to be carried out quickly believing that they will act as a “strong deterrent”. There is no evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent and there is little difference in murder rates between states with the penalty and those without. Florida has the highest level of exonerations of all states in the Union.

Sources: Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, https://www.wusf.org, Hoodline, Jacksonville

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Nigeria and Shell Oil: 30 years on


Let us not forget the role of Shell Oil in Nigeria

March 2026

In this world of fast moving actions, invasions, civil wars and genocide, it is easy to lose sight of past concerns which still resonate today. We are reminded in the Spring edition of the Amnesty News (Issue 228) of the events which took place 30 years ago in Nigeria and the activities of the Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell. Amnesty produced a report last year Extraction Extinction which examines in detail the problems of the extraction industries and their effects on the environment, the climate and human rights.

On p129 of the report is a brief history of Shell’s activities in Nigeria and its complicity in the murder of Ken Saro-Wiwa:

In 1956, Shell first discovered oil in commercially viable quantities in Nigeria, when the country was still under British colonial rule. Before long, Shell operated more than 1,000 wells in 90 oil fields covering an area of 31,000 km2 across the Niger Delta. During the 1990s, Shell reported that its annual profit from oil production in Nigeria averaged USD 220-240 million, some 7% of Shell’s total worldwide profits from exploration and oil production.

Within the Ogoniland region alone, Shell operated 96 wells in five oil fields and was able to produce 28,000 barrels a day. The environmental degradation caused by their operations drove protests by the Ogoni people, led by writer and activist Ken Saro-Wiwa.

In November 1993, General Sani Abacha seized power in a military coup. General Abacha banned all political activity, replaced civilian governors with military administrators, jailed and executed opponents. An Internal Security Task Force was created to “restore and maintain law and order in Ogoniland” and immediately responded to community led protests in the Niger Delta with excessive use of force and other human rights violations.

Amnesty International has documented Shell’s involvement in human rights violations in Nigeria and its close relationship with the Nigerian military. Amnesty International’s research revealed that Shell executives met regularly with top government officials during this period and discussed the government strategy for dealing with protesters in Ogoniland.

In October 1995, nine Ogoni men including Ken Saro-Wiwa were convicted and sentenced to death in relation to trumped up charges of incitement to murder. They were hanged 10 days later; their bodies dumped in an unmarked grave. Five days later, Shell launched a new USD 4 billion natural gas joint venture with the Nigerian government. The
executions of the Ogoni Nine sparked outrage around the world. [Extract from the report]

A study by Durham University discusses the role of Shell in damaging the environment.

The organisation The Movement of the Survival of the Ogoni People, MOSOP provides further details. They maintain that Shell knowingly provided encouragement and motivation to the military authorities to stop the activities of MOSOP thus contributing to the deaths. There was an international outcry following the murder of Saro-Wiwa (pictured: photo MOSOP).

There does not seem to be any reference we could find on Shell’s website to these events. A relevant policy states: “Shell strives to make a positive impact on people around the world, and this includes providing the energy people need, contributing to local economies and communities, championing inclusion and respecting human rights” [accessed 28 February 2026].

There is some evidence to show that Shell has improved its performance in this area. However, after 30 years, the fight for justice continues. Shell has never fully cleaned up the oil spills and mess they created in the area and court actions continue.

The story of Ken Saro-Wiwa is presented in this piece in Historical Nigeria.

This is a story about a powerful international company which was able to operate in a country with few controls over its activities. When threatened by local people protesting about the severe damage it was doing to the environment, it is alleged they connived with the military authorities of the time who murdered a number of the protestors including Ken Saro-Wiwa. It seems that even after the passage of 30 years and some claims that Shell Oil is behaving more responsibly, they have yet to fully clean up the mess made by their activities. There are issues both about climate, the environment and human rights bound up in the same story.

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Vigil on the day war threatens in Middle East


The 117th vigil took place on the day Israel and US attack Iran

March 2026

Reports today (March 1st) that Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead killed by an air strike from Israel. President Trump promised to end foreign wars yet here we are with US and Israeli forces engaged in bombing Iran. There have been retaliations by Iran. The UK’s involvement is as yet unclear but RAF jets are reported to be airborne in defence of some Gulf states and no doubt other assistance has been offered.

About 30 attended the 117th vigil in Salisbury in what seems almost a forlorn hope of seeing peace in the region. To engage in yet more military actions with all the tens of thousands already dead, seems an utterly pointless exercise which may bring short-term advantages but has no prospect of longer term stability.

Both Israel and the US are concerned by Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Yet no mention is ever made that Israel is a nuclear state. The Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation estimate the country has 90 such weapons and sufficient nuclear material for another 100. Considerable secrecy surrounds this fact and needless to say western media almost never mention it.

Part of the rationale for these recent attacks is to rid Iran of its murderous leadership the head of which appears to have been killed yesterday. The idea that the death of Khamenei is going to lead to some kind of peaceful conclusion and regime change is fanciful. Even if the current regime is deposed in some kind of coup or insurrection, who knows who or what will replace them? There is no obvious successor and the immediate outcome is likely to be instability. This action is more to do with domestic troubles being experienced by Messrs Trump and Netanyahu. And what about the Board of Peace?

Israeli supporting press are broadly in favour. Bringing peace, human rights and stability to a country by dropping bombs on it seems an odd way to go about things. We tried that in Iraq…

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Talk in Southampton


“Is football a net good for humanity?”

February 2026

PAST EVENT: See later post.

The Southampton group is hosting this talk on Monday 2nd March at the University and booking is advised. The subtitle is the impact of sport on human rights. The lecture is by Miguel Delaney, the chief sports writer for the Independent. Starts at 6 pm.

We have posted a number of pieces on the subject of sportswashing and the effects on human rights. Sport as we have said – not just football but tennis, golf, cycling, motor sport, athletics, boxing and others – are being used by various unsavoury regimes to promote their image. Fans seem not to be concerned about the fearful human rights issues taking place in those countries, the routine use of torture, the absence of a free press and the imprisonment of opposition leaders, human rights defenders and lawyers. Vast sums of money are expended in the activity and several despots now own British football clubs. So the talk should be an interesting one.

“Is football a net good for humanity? 
The impact of sport on human rights” Guest speaker: Miguel Delaney, chief football writer for The Independent Monday 2 March | 18:00 
Avenue Campus & Online
The School of Humanities at the University of Southampton, 
in partnership with Amnesty International (Southampton group), 
is excited to present Miguel Delaney to deliver the 11th Human Rights Lecture.
Book your place here
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Coffee morning


February 2026

PAST EVENT

The group hosted a coffee morning at St Thomas’s church in the centre of Salisbury. We had a suggested action for people to take concerning a surgeon, Dr Hussam Abu Safiya (pictured), who was seized from a hospital in Gaza and who’s whereabouts in Israel are currently unknown. He has probably been severely mistreated. We are asking people to write to the IDF to ask for his whereabouts to be made known, for assurances that he is not being tortured, to have access to legal advice and to receive medical treatment. Disappointingly, only three handouts were taken.

Considerable international disquiet has been expressed about this man, and how he has been treated. The Israeli media are now saying, 14 months later, that he is a member of Hamas.

Further details on the handout below:

coffee morning handout 2026Download
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Review of 2025


… and things do not look much better for 2026

December 2025

We have published 192 posts so far this year on a wide variety of subjects concerned with human rights. A key feature of the year has been the continuation of our vigils. We have held over 109 since the current conflict started and although there is some kind of cessation of hostilities, peaceful reconciliation between Israel and the Palestinians seems a far away dream. Some food aid is getting in but Israel has seized almost all the cultivable land leaving those in Gaza hemmed into an even smaller part of their territory. We have commented on the poor reporting of events there and the unsatisfactory nature of so many interviews.

Arms sales

A feature of this conflict and other conflicts around the world is the role of the arms trade. It appears that this trade seems to determine British policy: truly the tail wagging the dog. The government frequently trots out that it has a ‘robust policy’ whilst granting licences – and in particular open licenses – to almost all who come. The effects on people at the receiving end of these weapons sales does not seem to worry the Foreign Office or government ministers. Recent government’s policies have focused on growth and if growth means selling arms to Israel and to the UAE so be it. There is considerable evidence that the latter are supplying the RSF in Sudan who are alleged to commit many atrocities.

At the height of the Yemen war we highlighted the role of British arms firms and their weapons sales to the Saudis. RAF personnel were involved just short of being labelled ‘mercenaries’.

Sport

Sport has featured in several of our posts and the ever increasing use by states with abysmal human rights records to use sport to burnish their images. Virtually all sports are involved, but especially football, boxing, motor sport, golf, tennis and cycling. The driver is money. China and the Gulf states are among those with almost unlimited resources to pour into sporting events with seemingly no difficulty in attracting sportsmen and women to compete in their countries with no moral qualms. They also invest in our football clubs again with no concerns about how tainted the money is.

It has become so part of the furniture now that it engenders little comment. Whereas some years ago a nation which executes significant numbers of its citizens – often after confessions extracted under torture – which imprisons or ‘disappears’ human rights defenders and journalists and treats its women as second class citizens denying them many rights, would raise eyebrows when seeking to sponsor or host a sporting event. Not today.

Refugees

And it is not just sport where issues of human rights have seemed to take a back seat. People entering this country by various means have generated a massive amount of political controversy here in the UK. It is probably true to say that immigration in one form or another is one of the dominant political forces at work. It is deciding elections. A number of politicians are using the ‘crisis’ to their political advantage (they hope). Egged on by sections of our media, they have created the impression that there is a crisis particularly around the numbers arriving in small boats across the Channel. Any concern for those in the boats and why they are risking their lives to get here does not seem to feature. The impression is sometimes created that if we could deport the migrants (however defined) our problems would be over. The connection between our arms sales and the instability of the countries they have fled from does not seem to enter their thinking.

The contribution by immigrants (again however defined) is scarcely recognised. That large sections of our economy (horticulture and the food industry for example), the health service, hospitality and transport, would cease to function without them seldom seems to enter the consciousness of our senior politicians. We have commented on the strange fact that many of our senior politicians, including Rishi Sunak, Suella Braverman, Priti Patel, Shabana Mahmood, Kwasi Kwarteng and Danny Kruger are all descended from recent immigrants but are among the most aggressive about deporting those coming after them. We can offer no explanation.

Rights at home

Which brings us to another theme concerning the government and its own attachment to UK human rights. It was once hoped that the arrival of Sir Keir Starmer – an ex human rights lawyer and past Director of Public Prosecutions – would see an improvement in the human rights climate. Sadly, it has not come to pass. Laws against protests introduced by the Conservatives to clamp down on protestors, have not been modified or repealed and have even been added to. A more humane policy towards immigrants and refugees has not happened. Arrests have continued and as this is being written, those arrested on pro-Palestine marches are close to death on hunger strike. His continuing support for Israel has been shaming. He has issued critical comments but they have not been backed up by action, cutting arms supplies for example. No believable explanation for the hundreds of RAF flights over Gaza has been forthcoming. His most disgraceful comment that ‘Israel was right to withhold power and water from Gaza’ was widely condemned.

This year we have introduced a new regular feature reviewing the human right situation in the UK itself. This is probably something we would never have contemplated doing say, twenty years ago but a combination of poor leadership, aggressive home secretaries and many MPs with little interest in protecting human rights, has led to this move. Both Danny Kruger (MP for East Wiltshire) and John Glen (MP for Salisbury) are listed on They Work For You as generally voting against human rights is another factor. Mr Glen, who is listed as a member of the well-funded lobby group Conservative Friends of Israel has never once visited the Saturday peace vigil nor mentioned it in his weekly column in the Salisbury Journal.

Ukraine, Sudan, China, Palestine …

The world situation does not seem to get any better. The situation in Ukraine is critical and not just for the Ukrainians. We have one member of the Security Council, Russia gratuitously attacking an independent nation while another member, the US seems indifferent to their plight. The warm greeting by President Trump of President Putin on the tarmac in Alaska must be one of the more grizzly images of the past year. European nations have become almost powerless, in part because of their collective failure to invest in defence (defense) but also because they have become kind of vassal states to the US.

We must not forget that human rights in Russia are poor. There is no opposition and a leader who was a threat to Putin, Navalny, was probably murdered in Siberia. Others have been arrested or murdered along with many journalists. Children have been abducted from Ukraine. Ukrainian prisoners have been tortured.

We could devote a whole page to China. A million Uyghurs are persecuted and are forced to work while their culture is systematically destroyed by the Communist Party. Some call it genocide. Tibet has had a similar treatment and its culture largely eliminated. They are believed to execute more of its citizens than all the rest of the world combined. Freedom has been snuffed out in Hong Kong. Chinese nationals are intimidated overseas.

The future

The future is unpromising. The ‘New World Order’ created after the war is well and truly dead. Powerful interests act at will. Despotic leaders act in their own interests not in the interests of ordinary people. Europe is too feeble to act. It looks as though things will continue as they are. There is no hint that the current conflicts will end equitably but based on the whims of a handful of profoundly flawed men.

A large number of MPs of all parties are members of the Friends of Israel group and many also receive money from them. How can they be expected to act honestly, with integrity and in the best interests of the country (to be clear, the UK whose residents voted them in not a foreign state) if they are members of a powerful and well funded lobby group? Arms companies continue to sell their wares with few controls so desperate is the government for growth. The BBC has been cowed into silence on important topics.

In June of last year, the Institute for Government, recognising the serious loss of trust in the government, published its 7 steps to restore trust. One was the publication of an independent ministerial code. Another was to ensure lobbying was built on a clear coherent and transparent system. It has not happened. There is no rigorous or proper system of controlling the ‘revolving door’ which is a passport for corruption by ministers, ex-civil servants and military people retiring into lucrative appointments with arms companies.

Hope

The weekly vigils and the many hundreds of protests around the country for an end to the killing and genocide in Gaza is a heartening sign. It shows a significant number of people who care about what is happening, care that is not reflected by the government nor by chunks of the media. Despite their numbers, reporting is thin with a media all too keen gleefully to report flag waving disturbances outside hotels or army camps. If hope is to be found it lies with ordinary people who simply say ‘this isn’t right, this is not what I believe in’. Rutger Bregman in his Reith Lectures (2025) argues just this: that small committed groups can make a difference. However, whether they can achieve this at the international level is debatable. We can cite climate which will be having harmful effects on more and more of the world’s population and where progress if anything is going backwards.

We shall continue to campaign and we always welcome new members to the team.

Best wishes for the New Year to our small band of readers!

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25th Anniversary of HRA


Today marks the 25th Anniversary of the Human Rights Act

October 2025

Twenty five years ago this act was signed and ended the need to go to Strasbourg to get justice. It fundamentally changed the law by giving fundamental rights to citizens. It is currently under threat and it, and the European Convention which predates it, are disliked by many of the political and media class. In the next post we shall discuss this in more detail.

But today (2nd) we celebrate.

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We are 50!


The Salisbury group is 50 this year

September 2024

NOTE FOR YOUR DIARY

And we want to celebrate it with a photo. We were formed not too long after Amnesty International itself was created and we are, sadly, the last group left in Wiltshire.

We shall be assembling at 2:30 near the Guildhall in the market square tomorrow, October 3rd for a group photo. It should only take 30 minutes or so and we are inviting all members and supporters who can make it, to come and join in.

In some ways it is sad that we still need to exist. The hope after the Second World War and the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 was high. People believed human rights would become the norm in societies around the world. It hasn’t turned out that way. Atrocities still continue in Africa, the Uyghurs are still persecuted in China, war rages in Ukraine, bombing continues in Gaza and human rights violations continue around the world in Syria, Iran, Burma and Saudi Arabia.

One of our continuing campaigns is the ending of the death penalty around the world (see our reports on this site). You will also see from our site and elsewhere that the UK is a major supplier of arms to states which are engaged in abusing their citizens. This has been a vexed issue at present concerning arms to Israel. It is an irony of the post war world that the UN Security Council is comprised of the world’s major arms suppliers. So there is still a need for human rights work.

Come and join us on 3rd!

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Salisbury Group at 50!


Group is 50 this year!

February 2024

The Salisbury group was established in 1974 and has been going strong for 50 years. It took us a bit by surprise today when we realised this so we haven’t thought of any celebrations yet. But as the last active group in Wiltshire we can allow ourselves a bit of pride that we are still here and still trying to promote the human rights cause in the county.

It probably seems a little different today from 50 years ago. Human rights then were regarded as a good thing and support was largely unquestioning. The war was a living memory for many and a desire never to see a repeat of the death and destruction of the war and the horrors of the Holocaust was deeply felt. 

A long time has passed however and today, we see successive Conservative governments seeking to end or curtail the Human Rights Act. Laws have been passed making protest more difficult and the police have been given more powers to arrest those protesting. Much of the media keeps up a steady campaign denigrating human rights and suggesting they are a means for terrorists and serious criminals to escape justice because their ‘rights’ have been infringed. We are made less safe they claim because of the act rather than the precise opposite. The benefits the act has brought is seldom mentioned. The success of the Hillsborough families in overturning the various coroner and court decisions and the false narrative put out by the police was a major example. 

Some sections of the media do not like the act since it provides some protection from press intrusion and this has led them to carry on a relentless campaign often supported by exaggerated stories.

In the past few years the issue of immigration has come to the fore and immigrants crossing the Channel by boat has become a political hot potato. The government is seeking to send some immigrants to Rwanda in an attempt to discourage smugglers from sending them over from France. There has always been hostility to immigrants as each wave has come over, the Jews from Russia for example at the beginning of the last century. But the notion that we would become more sympathetic and welcoming has not worked out. The question therefore is how embedded are human rights norms and beliefs in our society? The occasional desire for a return of the death penalty, hostility to refugees as just mentioned and evidence of the UK government’s involvement in torture, clampdowns on protest suggest that human rights and human dignity is only shakily rooted in our society.

So although the group is 50 this year, our work is not done!

If you live in the South Wilshire area, we would welcome you joining us. Follow this site for details of what we are doing.

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