Hakamada Iwao released after serving 46 years on death row
March 2025
Hakamada Iwao has been released after spending a record 46 years on death row which is believed to be the longest such case in the world. He has been given $1.4m in compensation which hardly compensates for a lifetime of privation. He is now 89.
It has to be remembered that the Japanese system is particularly barbaric since there is no warning when the execution will actually take place. It means he has spent those years in prison awaiting an execution which could have happened at any moment.
Another factor is that he was never guilty. It is yet another example of police interrogation methods at the time. He was intensively interrogated and abused over a period of 20 days with no lawyer present. He was coerced into signing a confession – later withdrawn – and other documents were forged by the police. It is also probable that bloodstained clothing was tampered with by them as well.
People who argue for the death penalty have to face the fact of mistakes which cannot be rectified. People sometimes argue that why would someone sign a confession if they weren’t guilty? They forget that isolation, bad treatment, psychological pressure and constant interrogation can break most people.
It is disappointing to note that 83% of Japanese still support the penalty and increase of 2.3 percentage points from the last survey according to an article in the Asahi Shimbun. It does point out however that many people are unaware of the facts surrounding the penalty.
Amnesty opposes the death penalty in all circumstances.
Sources: Asahi Shimbun, Guardian, Amnesty International
Members from groups in the South West gathered in Exeter last Saturday for an interesting day on human rights issues. All credit to the Exeter group who have organised this for several years now enabling us to meet other groups in the region. We held our usual photo opportunity in front of the fine Exeter Cathedral (almost as fine as Salisbury’s!), and this picture was to highlight the problems of being a woman in Afghanistan.
The violence continues. Israel has ended the ceasefire and over a hundred have been killed in the recent bombing in Gaza. Encouraged by President Trump and his desire to see some kind of Riviera on the Mediterranean coast, the IDF has restarted its bombing campaign. There can be little pretence that peace and a two state solution is anywhere present in current thinking.
To criticise Israel is to court being called ‘antisemitic’ a kneejerk reaction which has been immensely powerful. Many publications are wary of inviting this slur. It is very encouraging therefore to read of criticisms coming from within Israel itself and in particular in the Haaretz newspaper. A recent article by its editor Aluf Benn, is testimony to this [registration may be needed].
The images on our screens are truly horrific. A landscape of demolished buildings; mountains of rubble; hoards of people moving from one ‘safe zone’ to the next; rows of corpses and parents clutching dead infants. The scale of the response, with Netanyahu promising even worse to come, is demonstrably a crime against humanity. All supported by the United States and now Donald Trump with vague notions of moving 2 million Palestinians out of the territory to some other country.
Britain continues to support Israel and the RAF are reported to be overflying Gaza a largely unreported fact. And of course we are still selling them arms. We are thus complicit in these terrible events.
The 68th Vigil was held yesterday in the Market Place in Salisbury with around 35 in attendance. We are grateful to Peter Gloyns for a moving video.
Terrible abuses take place in Somalia with little attention paid by the media
March 2025
The news is filled with the terrible events in Gaza and the resumption of bombing there, the war in Ukraine which, following President Trump’s activities and support for Russia, shows no sign of an equitable or fair resolution, and a possible resumption of hostilities in Lebanon means other conflicts receive little attention. This is true of Somalia on the horn of Africa where corruption and lawlessness are rife.
At South West conference in Exeter of Amnesty groups organised by the City’s Amnesty group, we heard first hand from a Somalian human rights defender Abdalle Mumin (pictured). Entitled Human Rights in Somalia: the Struggle of Defenders in a Dangerous Environment, he gave a detailed description of the severe problems being experienced in that country but which remain largely unreported. His descriptions of being held in an underground cell was chilling.
He explained the power set up in the country which provides valuable background to understanding the politics of repression. There are three centres of power: 1. Al-Shebaab a terrorist organisation with close links to Al-Qaeda 2. the government and 3. the clans of which there seem to be three. All are male dominated and the role of women in the political process is much reduced he said.
Corruption is rife and there is no independent judiciary. Women who are not wanted for some reason or complain too much can be murdered with impunity as there are no investigations carried out. Femicide is frequently practised. There is considerable sexual and gender based violence. The corruption starts with the business of getting into government for which a bribe of around $1m dollars is required. This has to be paid back of course which is done by purloining food aid and selling it off, accepting bribes for favours, money laundering and rewarding friends and family.
‘Terrorism and corruption are like brother and sister‘
This corrupt state of affairs can be kept going because attempts to publish stories is difficult. Many journalists are murdered: 85 in the period 1991 – 2024. There is also straightforward intimidation of news outlets by all the parties with many being closed. There are heavy restriction on human rights groups. This has now become the standard playbook for authoritarian and dictatorial regimes.
Foreign interventions he described as ‘confused’. Much aid in recent times is tied to resource extraction and there is an emphasis on security over human rights. Different agencies have different agendas making offering concerted help difficult.
There has been a huge displacement of population with around 2.9m affected. 80% of children do not receive an education and girls none at all in the rural areas because of the influence of Al-Shabaab.
Altogether a grim tale and finding hope is difficult. The problem in Somalia and in much of sub-Saharan Africa is the battle for resources. Countries desperate for minerals, oil and rare earth metals are concerned only to extract what they can and they show little regard for human rights. Their activities fuel the corruption since mining is impossible without the say so and bribes of one or all the various powers in the country. Abdalle Mumin himself was some kind of inspiration however. Despite the difficulties and the risks he faces – which include death from people unconstrained by law or justice – he was both inspiring and uplifting not to say humbling. Amnesty members present in Exeter were grateful for his talk.
One of the issues with the death penalty is that mistakes cannot be rectified. Once someone has been executed, they cannot be brought back to life. The case of Richard Glossip has shown that flaws in the legal process can deliver poor justice. The Supreme Court’s decision to vacate his death sentence is welcome news and the change of heart of some of the people involved is welcome.
Mr Glossip was convicted and sentenced to death in the 1997 killing in Oklahoma City of his former boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese, in what prosecutors have alleged was a murder-for-hire scheme.
The prosecution’s star witness was Glossip’s co-defendant, Justin Sneed, who admitted to robbing and killing Van Treese but testified he only did so after Glossip promised to pay him $10,000. Mr Sneed was given a life sentence in exchange for testifying against Mr Glossip. He had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and had been taking medication, but denied it during the trial. Mr Glossip’s prosecutors knew the truth but did not correct the false evidence in the course of the trial. Mr Sneed later recanted his claim, Mr Glossip has always maintained his innocence and there was no physical evidence.
The US Supreme Court Ruling
On 25th February, in a 5:3 decision, the US Supreme Court ordered a new trial for Mr Glossip because errors committed by prosecutors violated his constitutional rights, invoking the 14th Amendment’s right to due process.
Response of Attorney General Gentner Drummond to US Supreme Court’s overturning of Richard Glossip’s Conviction
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to vacate Richard Glossip’s 2004 death sentence, public officials and advocates have expressed strong reactions. Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond acknowledged the significance of the ruling, stating, “Our justice system is greatly diminished when an individual is convicted without a fair trial, but today we can celebrate that a great injustice has been swept away.”
While maintaining his belief that Mr. Glossip is not innocent, AG Drummond emphasized that “it is now an undeniable fact that he did not receive a fair trial.” He committed to reviewing the high court’s ruling and determining “the most appropriate course of action to ensure justice is secured for all involved” and that he would work with Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna to determine the next steps in Mr. Glossip’s case. “She and I will collaborate together with our staffs and will review the evidence with fresh eyes and interview those witnesses that would be available to us to make a determination whether we should proceed seeking again the death penalty, whether we should proceed seeking life without the opportunity for parole, or if we should proceed with a lesser charged crime.”
“Our justice system is greatly diminished when an individual is convicted without a fair trial, but today we can celebrate that a great injustice has been swept away.” (Source: Death Penalty Information Center)
Response of Don Knight, Mr Glossip’s Attorney
“We are thankful that a clear majority of the Court supports long-standing precedent that prosecutors cannot hide critical evidence from defense lawyers and cannot stand by while their witnesses knowingly lie to the jury. Today was a victory for justice and fairness in our judicial system. Rich Glossip, who has maintained his innocence for 27 years, will now be given the chance to have the fair trial that he has always been denied”.
Chair of Pardon & Parole Board speaking out against death penalty and the system in Oklahoma
Adam Luck, the former Chairman of Oklahoma’s Board of Pardons and Parole and former member of the Oklahoma Board of Corrections, is now speaking out against the death penalty in Oklahoma. Explaining his change of heart, Mr. Luck cites to his first-hand experience with flaws in Oklahoma’s capital punishment system, including botched executions, and his deep Christian faith. “Having the unique experience of voting on the life of another human being forced me to consider the implications of my faith in ways I never had before,” Mr. Luck said.
During his time as Chairman, Mr. Luck presided over clemency hearings for five death row prisoners, including Julius Jones and Bigler Stouffer, and supported clemency in each case. He also points to the alarming number of death row exonerations — at least 200 nationally, with 11 in Oklahoma alone — as evidence that the justice system condemns innocent people to death. “For a place that has more churches per capita than almost any other place in the world, to also have a greater percentage of its population behind prison walls than almost any place in the world inherently holds some contradictions.”
“I am convinced that the death penalty is deeply flawed, I am committed to working towards ending it wherever it is still practiced, and I believe conversations within the Christian faith practice will be critical in making progress towards that end.”
Action
Please write to Governor J Kevin Stitt expressing your delight at the good news that the US Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for Richard Glossip, and the hope that he will now receive justice.
Please also express concern at the miscarriage of justice which has resulted in his spending over 20 years on death row, highlighting in addition the recent statement by the former Chair of the Pardon & Parole Board regarding the death penalty itself and the serious problems with its use in Oklahoma.
You may like to include the hope that the investigations that will now be conducted might result in the conclusion that Richard Glossip is innocent and should be exonerated, with no further trial necessary.
Please send a copy of your letter to Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
Government plans for significant cuts to welfare payments
March 2025
The government is planning on ‘significant’ cuts to the benefit system which will affect many people who currently rely on them for their wellbeing. Cuts to benefits are popular among many people who believe that those who receive them are underserving, shirking or not really suffering from a disability. Article 22 of the Universal Declaration says that everyone has the right to social security.
The question for government, faced with funding challenges, is how to manage the ever increasing cost of the social security budget. How it is managed is a political judgement and the government has decided not to cancel the ‘triple lock’ as it’s known (a guaranteed rise in pension incomes) for example, but is planning to cut payments to those with disabilities. Many people in receipt of benefits are in work. The tone of the statements seem to be based on punitive ideas: people need to be, in this view, coerced into work. While it is true that there will be people who are ‘underserving’ of help or cheating the system, many, and probably the majority, would like to work – desperate to do so even – but health or social factors mitigate against them.
The letter below, published in the Guardian (14 March) is from the Chief Executive of Amnesty UK.
“The prime minister is right about Britain’s broken benefits system, but if the country does need to reboot the system, the government needs to respect rights while it does so. Adequate social security is not a political gift, it is a human right. Ensuring people can eat and live safely with their families and in communities is a right that the UK has committed to. However, successive governments have failed to respect and enforce those rights.
“And now, instead of using this moment to address the root causes of out-of-control costs of housing and essentials, and the resulting reliance on food banks and debt for so many people, it looks like this government is playing to the gallery and selling its reform credentials by making threats to reduce the “burden” on society of people who are ill or disabled. For so many in the UK, poverty is a political choice forced upon them. The prime minister can choose to end it”.
We are pleased to attach our minutes (and almost a newsletter) from the March meeting of the group thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. They contain details of future events (towards the end) as well as items on the death penalty, refugees and other items of interest. The meeting took place on 12 March.
We are pleased to attach the latest report on this topic thanks to group member Lesley for the work on compiling it. The situation in US is mixed with the new president wanting to widen the scope of the penalty. To note as ever that China executes more than any other country but statistics are a state secret.
Government attitudes to immigration still causing problems
March 2025
The Government’s Border Security Asylum and Immigration Bill is in its committee stage this week. Much interest has been shown by MPs in using the occasion to express opposition to the Home Office’s guidance on denying citizenship to “illegal” migrants, however long ago their arrival may have been. This guidance has been put forward as a gloss on the “good character requirement” for naturalisation, deeming those who arrive illegally via “dangerous journeys” to be ineligible. The SNP have put forward an amendment to obviate this ruling and the Home Affairs Select Committee have sought an explanation for the change in policy.
Brian Mathew, the Liberal Democrat MP for Melksham and Devizes, said asylum seekers should be given the ability and support to work “instead of leaving them in administrative limbo in hotels around the country costing the taxpayer millions”.
There has been concern amongst MPs also about the government’s decision to transfer some of the foreign aid budget to pay for increases in defence expenditure. This will obviously have a bearing on the amount of funding available for countries with refugee issues. According to the FT, presently it is believed that half the foreign aid budget will now go on migrant hotel accommodation.
The Home Secretary has been visiting Northern France, the first Home Secretary to do so in recent years. Yvette Cooper is bringing £172 million to aid the French authorities against people smugglers. The National Crime Agency believes that they now have a better understanding of how the boats and engines arrive on the Channel coast, mainly from Germany. Germany has now made it a crime to facilitate illegal migration to the UK.
The small boats continue; this year so far the numbers are 40% down on last year, but better weather will probably change the ratio. 2024 data indicate claims were up 18% on 2023, and grant rates were down from about 67% to about 47%. A particular drop in acceptances has been felt by Afghans: from around 90% agreement to around 50% (with legal routes barely used now); it has been suggested that the Home Office considers the Taliban no threat to a wide range of society now. The largest influx currently is from Sudan.
Other notes: The Guardian featured the immigration regime in Spain, where a less hostile attitude has brought economic results with arrivals able to work.The Home Office has been accused of failing to correctly assess the ages of child migrants by the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium. And the UK is refusing to pay the £50 million compensation demanded by Rwanda for the collapsed migrant removal policy.
We are grateful to group member Andrew for producing this report.
The plan was to hold the final vigil a few weeks ago with the hopeful news of a cease fire and talks being held in Qatar. The recent news is far from encouraging. The death toll stands at 48,000 with more being added to most days.
The situation now has worsened considerably. Aid convoys have been stopped and today, Israel has announced that it is cutting off all electric power. Quite apart from the effects on a state with 2 million people, the desalination plants cannot operate neither can the treatment plants. These moves target the whole population and are using water, aid and now electricity as a weapon of war.
The UK has asked the Israeli government to reverse the decision saying it risks breaking international
law. The Qatari Foreign Ministry says Israel’s actions are ‘a clear violation of the ceasefire agreement and of humanitarian law’.
The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reports that IDF soldiers are accused of using Palestinians as human shields a story also reported on in the Times of Israel. New rules issues by the Central Command enables soldiers to fire on Palestinians in the West Bank whether they are armed or not.
We shall be continuing our vigil and the next one is on Saturday 15th March starting at 5pm.
December 2025 UPDATED A good attendance at the 106th vigil in Salisbury with around 40 of us there. We were joined by some by some passers-by which is always encouraging. News about Gaza has been eclipsed by the continuing war in Ukraine and the appalling attack on Jews on Bondi Beach killing 15 people on…
Minutes of our December meeting December 2025 We are pleased to attach our minutes and newsletter for the December group meeting thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. They include several reports some of which appear elsewhere on this site with links to other sites of interest. Item 12 refers to upcoming events which…
Monthly report on human rights in the UK December 2025 Amnesty has for many years, focused its efforts on human rights issues overseas. Recent actions by governments of both persuasions have meant a greater focus on the threats to rights here in the UK. Only this very week, the prime minister and other ministers are…
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 