Author: welland2

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 This must be questioned if out of date drugs are used.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.

Previous posts:

0

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.

Previous posts:

1

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

Previous posts:

0

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.

Recent posts:

2

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…

0

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
0

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
1

Palestine Action centre of the news


115th vigil took place following a momentous week in the courts

February 2026

We discussed in a previous post the High Court’s decision that the government’s decision to ban Palestine Action was disproportionate. The ban on them has not been lifted as the government seemed determined to appeal and some experts say the Appeal Court may overturn it. The government seem passionate about supressing dissent on this matter – obsessive even – and the possible reasons for this will be discussed in a future post.

Around 30 attended the 115th vigil yesterday and the ‘recognition factor’ by passers-by was higher than usual probably because it was light, Over 50 took note and a few took pictures. A video can be viewed here, with thanks to Peter Gloyns.

Once again we note that the local MP, Mr John Glen has failed to put in an appearance and despite 115 vigils attended by hundreds of his constituents, has never once mentioned them in his weekly Salisbury Journal column. He is a member of the Conservative Friends of Israel, thought to be the largest and best funded of all the lobby organisations in parliament. Although the Conservatives are the largest of such groups, other parties have members as well. It goes some way to explaining why there is silence on the question of genocide in Gaza and little noise about settler violence in the West Bank.

An interesting event took place on the BBC’s Any Questions? programme on Saturday 14th February. Perhaps the programme should be relabelled ‘Some Questions‘ because one audience member stood up and asked “What does the panel think about the BBC not expressing the truth about the genocide in Palestine?” This was not the question she had submitted on the card so it was hastily ignored and the original question about the High Court’s decision discussed instead. It seemed to reveal a BBC deeply nervous of the whole issue of Gaza. A question about the BBC’s poor record would almost certainly never have been allowed. There were a number of disturbances from the audience during the programme talked over by the presenter Alex Forsyth.

“Valentine’s gift to every thug and anti-Semite”

A large part of the ensuing Any Answers? focused on the Palestine Action decision. Most were in favour of the judgement and a handful not. Overall, it seems that the public finds the decision to call them a terrorist organisation over the top. This view is not supported by the Daily Mail among others who concludes that the decision is a ‘Valentine’s gift to every thug and anti-Semite who cheerleads for Palestine Action‘. It found the decision ‘baffling’ and quotes a government source saying it was ‘bonkers’ [accessed 15th February]. It correctly notes that the decision could go the the Supreme Court and take months to decide.

Image courtesy of Peter Gloyns

Previous posts:

0

Minutes and Newsletter


February 2026

We attach the group’s minutes of its February meeting thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling them and for other members Fiona and Andrew for their contributions. We do not produce a newsletter so these minutes, although longer than normally the case with minutes, contain items of wider interest.

Human rights shot to the top of the agenda this week following the High Court’s decision concerning Palestine Action which has been another blow for the government.

February minutes an d Newsletter (Word)Download

Recent posts:

0

Palestine Action ban lifted: for now


High Court finds the ban on Palestine Action ‘disproportionate’

February 2026

The High Court has ruled that the ban on Palestine Action is disproportionate and banning it unlawful. The ban remains in place however as the government is minded to appeal the decision which will take place later this month. The decision is a major victory for the right of free speech and the right of assembly. Liberty and Amnesty have both appealed to the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, to respect the decision. It represents a severe blow to the government. Around 2,500 have been arrested during protests.

It is worth remembering the way PA was banned by the then Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper. Almost certainly she knew the likelihood of achieving a successful vote in parliament was unlikely, so they were lumped in with two extreme white supremacist groups, the Maniacs Murder Cult and the Russia Imperial Movement. Labour members were then whipped to pass the measure. Local MPs Sir Desmond Swayne and Danny Kruger both voted with the government. John Glen MP is not shown as voting. At one stage, the Home Office attempted to suggest they were funded by Iran, a story The Times and the Daily Telegraph fell for, but which they now no longer support.

The Board of Deputies for British Jews are reported to be extremely concerned by the ruling. Lord Sumption interview on the BBC’s PM programme thought the decision vulnerable on appeal. He thought the problem for the government was that the ‘overreach’ of the legislation which meant those holding banners or placards were arrested. He thought PA a ‘thoroughly nasty organisation’.

The government seems particularly determined to clamp down on this organisation and to continue its support for Israel despite the fearful loss of life in Gaza now put at over 72,000. Violence in the West Bank continues apace with estimates of over 1,000 deaths with many more driven from their homes by settler violence.

Elbit Systems, the Israeli arms firm with plants in the UK, has been at the centre of the protests. It manufactures drones which are alleged to be used in Gaza to commit war crimes, a claim Elbit denies.

This is undoubted good news but whether it will survive the Appeal Court remains to be seen. One way or another, by legislating against protest, arresting supporters doing no more than wave placards, and planting fake stories in gullible and compliant media, the government seems determined to support Israel whatever it does and how ever many people it kills or drives from their homes.

Sources: Sky News, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian, CAAT, Jewish Chronicle.

Recent posts:

12

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑