Author: welland2

Florida and Iran: Key Insights from Recent Death Penalty Report


November 2025

We are pleased to attach the current death penalty report for mid October to mid November thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. Florida features quite strongly as does Iran which is executing young people – a truly horrific act. There is also material on Israel which is considering laws for Palestinians quite different from the Jewish population, an example of apartheid which operates there. We note as ever that even though China makes a brief entry, the country is believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world combined but details are a state secret.

Report October – November (Word)Download

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Material on this site is free to use by other Amnesty or human rights groups.

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Not over yet in Gaza


Around 35 attended the 101st vigil in Salisbury and the recognition by passers by was higher than usual.

November 2025

News about Gaza has dropped down the agenda in recent weeks with concerns about prisoners mistakenly being let out of gaol tending to occupy the news agenda. Endless speculation about the budget is also taking up space and the terrible events in Sudan rightly receiving attention. The ceasefire in Gaza and the imminent arrival of the peace force (if Washington is to be believed) has dropped off the agenda. No war, no news.

This could prove to be a big mistake. Pressure is growing on the Israeli government to allow foreign journalists into Gaza especially as one reason given was their safety. Many journalists have died, around 245, the largest death toll in a conflict. The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has accused the IDF of deliberately targeting journalists who have struggled against great odds to get their stories out. No sign yet that Israel will agree although they did allow limited access to reporters, including the BBC, last week and a brief report was broadcast. The visit was tightly controlled, reporters were not allowed to speak to any Palestinians, and an IDF officer was allowed to speak without being questioned or challenged. Nevertheless, the scenes of total devastation were horrific.

“We survived the war, we may not survive the ceasefire” Sara Awad, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza recently

Will the ceasefire lead to a lasting peace? It is unlikely. Firstly, the territory is still being bombed. There are differing reports about the death toll since the 10 October with Haaretz reporting 38 and Al Jazeera 238. The video above says 245. There is no likelihood of a Palestinian state. West Bank violence continues unabated. Some reports suggest little has changed in terms of food supplies into Gaza.

It is one of the reasons we are continuing with our vigils: to take our eye off the ball at this stage would be a mistake. Much as our government would like protests to stop and the police are busy arresting protestors, awareness of the genocide in the area is greater than ever. This is denied by Israel and an argument against this can be read here. The complicity of our government in the carnage is a story yet to be told and will be the subject of future posts.

A video of the 101st vigil is available thanks to Peter Gloyns for producing it is such quick time. We shall be back next week on 15th. Other information on the Salisbury CND site.

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China successfully threatens university


China forces a British university to stop Uyghur research

November 2025

UPDATE 4 November. Police reported to be investigating to see if the University was assisting a foreign power.

There is considerable evidence that around one million Uyghurs in China are subject to forced labour and people trafficking on a massive scale. It is thought that around one fifth of all textiles are now the product of coercive practices. Garment firms show little inclination to check sources beyond what is called the ‘first tier’ even though they could do so easily. Australian research shows that approximately 100 major consumer brands are sourcing their materials from this region. There are some 380 camps surrounded by razor wire and armed guards. The treatment of such large numbers of people in ways almost amounting to slavery is a matter of major concern. The complicity of many Western garment firms in these crimes is a disgrace.

One of the centres producing the research is based in Sheffield Hallam under prof. Laura Murphy. She has produced many reports and her work has been widely cited. The University congratulated her on this work and her research. Until that is the Chinese complained when everything changed. Her website was taken down and it decided not to publish her latest research. It amounted to a flagrant example of a breach of academic freedom. University staff based in China received threatening visits from security services.

The university said they stopped publication because they could not gain the indemnity insurance for her work mindful of possible lawsuits. Documents released under freedom of information laws showed that the University ‘had negotiated directly with a foreign intelligence service to trade [her] academic freedom for access to the Chinese student market‘. The point being that universities are so cash-strapped these days they have to recruit foreign students to balance their books. In other words, we (China) will not allow our students to come to your University unless you stop publishing material about the Uyghurs. China denies all claims but will not allow foreign observers into the region.

Clearly embarrassed the University has apologised and restored her work.

The story reveals how easy it is for China to intimidate those it dislikes or who comment negatively on their various activities. It also reveals how quickly and tamely a British University agreed to censor an academic’s work. Troubling is that this is an example of something which has come to light. Which other universities are quietly agreeing not to rock the boat and not even allow researches to get underway for fear of losing a contingent of Chinese students? The last two weeks have seen the government tie itself in knots over two alleged Chinese spies and whether or not to prosecute them. China’s increasing power is more and more troubling. Meanwhile, a million or so Uyghurs are virtual slaves.

Detailed work produced by Prof Murphy can be accessed here. It will be interesting to see if China’s heavy-handed efforts to threaten a British University will backfire.

Sources: BBC, China Star, Guardian, Sheffield Hallam University.

Photo: satellite picture of one of the Uyghur camps.

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Farage loses vote to leave the ECHR


Reform leader loses Commons vote

November 2025

Edited, 5 November

Last week, Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform party, lost his Commons vote to leave the ECHR. Reform, along with many Conservatives, are pushing the idea of leaving the European Convention as means to solve the immigration crisis and in particular the Channel crossings. In a vote, 154 were against and 96 for leaving.

Farage is not alone and in the Guardian link to this story, local readers will see the East Wiltshire MP Danny Kruger sat beside him. The Salisbury MP Mr John Glen (pictured) has also joined the chorus, no doubt following his leader Kemi Badenoch, who made an abrupt U-turn on the subject at their conference in September. It appeared in the ‘View from the Commons‘ piece in the Salisbury Journal (16 October). Entitled ‘Exiting ECHR not about watering down our rights‘ it seeks to justify the U-turn by Kemi Badencoch.

‘We do not need it’ ‘Mr Glen told us claiming that Common Law is all you need because ‘we are perfectly capable of upholding our rights and freedoms‘. Why then did scores of people have to go to Strasbourg to get justice? Why did the Hillsborough families have to wait years to get their justice? And the Birmingham Six were finally exonerated when judge after judge failed in their duty? And all those who spent years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. A list of other cases where people sought justice from Strasbourg can be found here. The Post Office scandal?

The Conservatives have hated the Human Rights Act and it’s noteworthy that both Glen and Kruger ‘generally vote against laws to protect equality and human rights’ according to They Work for You. They are happy with a legal system that largely protects the rights of the powerful and the property owners but are somewhat less concerned with the rights of the powerless even assuming they could contemplate using the law at all.

Mr Farage argues that we will not have true sovereignty until we leave the Convention, a similar argument to that put forward at the time of Brexit. The threat to our sovereignty is more likely to come from the Trump administration in the US. Trade sanctions and threats to NATO are much more serious than anything coming from Europe.

The Guardian piece above was written by Daniel Trilling who came to Salisbury to speak on immigration matters.

Image: Salisbury Radio noting that Mr Glen voted to leave the ECHR.

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Large crowd attends 100th vigil


Around 90 attend the 100th vigil

November 2025

It is astonishing to report that around 90 people attended the silent vigil in Salisbury’s market place. There have been a few occasions over the past 2 years when we have considered stopping, usually after a ceasefire or peace initiative when some might have believed that the killing was over. The recent ceasefire was no exception with a huge amount of fanfare from President Trump supported by a degree of pressure on Israel to stop. Well, it hasn’t lasted with over 100 killed on Tuesday and the creation of a semi-permanent line being established taking yet more territory from Gaza. Hamas have returned the remaining live hostages and Israel has released 250 prisoners and 1,700 ‘detainees’.

There are arguments about the remaining dead hostages with Hamas claiming that they are finding it difficult to locate them in the rubble. As Israel will not allow foreign journalists into Gaza, truth is hard to determine but it would seem probable that Hamas’s account is likely.

We put detainees in inverted commas because the hostages taken by Hamas on their violent raid on October 7th two years ago received, rightly, considerable coverage and few will be unaware of the numbers killed or taken. Media coverage has consistently used the word ‘hostage’ for those taken by Hamas. Those taken by Israel – in considerably larger numbers and who were subject to horrific treatment and torture – are referred to as ‘detainees’. British media has continued with this fiction since the conflict began.

The death toll in Gaza is nearly 69,000.

That such large numbers turn out on a Saturday evening is a testimony to the strongly held convictions about many aspects of the conflict. Whilst acknowledging the brutal nature of Hamas and the horrific attack on October 7th, the destruction of Gaza, the imposition of a food and medicine blockade and the wanton killing of women and children has profoundly shocked many. The British government’s continued support for Israel – directly and covertly – has also produced great anger.

UK arms sales reached a record level in June and the notion that the UK has ‘robust’ measures to control such sales is in tatters according to Campaign Against the Arms Trade. Exact details are impossible to determine as the licensing is vague and because of secrecy. The plain fact is that we continue to supply arms and overfly Gaza despite the appalling carnage that has taken place there.

One hundred vigils and no sign of the local MP Mr John Glen at any of them nor any mention in his weekly piece in the Salisbury Journal. Mr Glen is thought to be a member of Conservative Friends of Israel.

A short video is available here thanks to Peter Gloyns. We shall be back (sadly) on November 8th.

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Brian Oosthuysen


October 2025

We were sad to note the death this summer of Brian Oosthuysen who was 87. Brian was an active member of the Stroud Amnesty group and, with other members of that group, took part in the campaign we ran on North Korea. Brian was born in South Africa during the Apartheid era. The picture below shows him holding the banner on one of his trips to Salisbury. There is an obituary in the Guardian which describes his many activities including being a County Councillor, helping at a food bank as well as his Amnesty work. We sent Our condolences go to Carole and family.

Members of Salisbury and Stroud Amnesty groups (Brian is 6th from right) in Queen Elizabeth Gardens.

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Is International Law Losing Its Authority?


Does International Law mean anything any more?

October 2025

Last week, the International Court of Justice (the principal judicial organ of the United Nations), in an advisory opinion, declared Israel to be in breach international law in preventing aid from being sent to Gasza. And this week, Danny Kruger MP, on behalf of Reform UK, declared that the requirement in the UK’s ministerial code to acknowledge international law in their decision-making would be dropped by any future Reform UK government. On the first point, the Israeli government of course denied the charges and the second is unlikely to happen, but they raise the question “How far is international law able to be enforced?”

Readers may recall, at the time of the Brexit negotiations, a particularly awkward point was resolved by evidently breaking international law. The then minister, one Brandon Lewis, claimed that it only broke international law “in a specific and limited way”, for which he received much ridicule, but is such a response arguable or merely dismissive?

International law is a vague concept, in that much of it is not regulated. Those aspects that are enshrined in treaties are binding (but only among signatory states), while some are no more than statements of principle (think migration). The case of Benjamin Netanyahu and the International Criminal Court reveals some of the problems – countries that have signed up to the Court are obliged to arrest him if he come under their jurisdiction, but he can move at will among non-signatory countries, and some signatories may consider it too much of a hot potato to intercept him. In his trips to Washington for example, he has to fly an inefficient route to avoid needing to overfly an unfriendly state.

So, is the law becoming meaningless? The current United States administration is set on removing and authority from the United Nations, which has largely been the means by which the laws have been enforced, and the collegiality that once existed on e.g. climate change, has largely gone. Even the EU has its own laws constantly flouted by member states (which are punished, but don’t care). But appeals are still made to the UN and other international arbitrators, in the absence of any better option.

Clearly, our expectations of governments’ probity have been too high. The ICJ’s judgements are binding, but they have no powers of enforcement and are dependent on the Security Council for any action (and the Council is subject to veto by any of the 5 permanent members).

Indifference

One might conclude that international law is like human rights law; important to have it, but, in the end, any state choosing to ignore its precepts will probably get away with it. What has changed maybe has been that states used to argue the their actions were within the law, whereas now they are indifferent as to how they are judged. It might be worth establishing a regime of specific sanctions for specific offences, which could be more plausibly mandatory. But, as Hobbes said, “Covenants without the sword are but words.”

AH

Danny Kruger is the MP for East Wiltshire who recently defected to Reform from the Conservatives.

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The 99th vigil


The vigils continue as peace is still very uncertain

October 2025

The 99th vigil took place in Salisbury market place on 25th with over 35 in attendance. The question we continue to ask ourselves is ‘should we continue?’ The ceasefire on 10 October was thought by some to mark some kind of end to hostilities and with talk of peacekeepers and much glad-handing, it might have hinted at an end to it all. We continue because it does not look to be promising. Fundamental issues remain and the distrust is very deep. There is little sign of a genuine rapprochement. The West Bank violence continues and there is no plan to resolve the plight of Palestinians there and the attacks they are subject to show no sign of ending.

A podcast on Haaretz discusses the current situation and makes the point that Netanyahu is unhappy with the agreement. The Americans are ‘keeping a watchful eye on [him]’ they report. Israel has been reminded they are not the only stakeholder in the area and the bombing of Qatar was clearly a major mistake – perhaps a hubristic mistake – by the government. JD Vance, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have all been in Israel as part of the US plan to maintain momentum.

Israel is feeling the pressure but so is Hamas and the lack of clarity over their role is a factor. They were to hand over all weapons but they are busy settling scores with the various crime groups – some supported by Israel – and acting as a quasi police force. Hostage bodies are being handed over but finding them does seem to be a genuine problem.

Israel has not allowed independent media into Gaza. However, with the promise of an external force of some kind being discussed, the ending of this bar may be on the cards it has been reported.

A video of this vigil thanks to Peter Gloyns for preparing it. A letter was published in last week’s Salisbury Journal by one of the attendees at our vigils. An interesting article in the Observer (26th) discusses how Israelis will have to come to terms with their PTSD as time goes by.

November 1st will be our 100th vigil so we hope many will turn out for the half an hour.

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Letter published on the vigil


A letter was published this week in the Salisbury Journal on line

October 2025

“There is a group of people in Salisbury who have given their time to spend 97 Saturdays [actually 98] in a row standing outside the library at 5 pm calling for peace for all those in the Middle East, particularly for the people in Gaza. I am proud of these, mainly elderly, citizens for standing quietly and with dignity, to bear witness to the horrifying events we have seen every day on TV and on our phones and to call for it to stop.

“Last week at the Vigil, I heard a passer-by ask why it was all old people standing there? Perhaps it’s

because they are a generation who lived closer to World War 2 with parents who were directly affected by the senseless horror of war. Perhaps they can imagine what it means when UNICEF reports that ‘an average of 28 children are killed in Gaza every day, the equivalent of an entire classroom’. Perhaps they just have more wisdom than the rest of us and know “hate breeds hate”, as one of their posters reads.

“This is not a demonstration but rather a silent vigil. As one of the group says, “silence is more powerful than words”. There are no chants and no arguments. As the weeks have passed, more people attend, and sometimes there have been more than 50 people there. Now the world waits as we hope the fragile ceasefire will hold. I think that the group will continue to bear witness to the actions on all sides. We hope for a just peace and safety for all.

“The group would love to have more younger members. Growing our numbers is still important even with the ceasefire, as the situation is not resolved. Our government must take notice that UK citizens want it to fulfil its pledge to support a viable Palestinian State.

“On November 1, the 100th Peace Vigil will take place. Will you join us outside the library at 5 pm and give 30 minutes of your time?“

Sarah Nicholson Barbour

See Facebook page: Sarum Concern for Israel / Palestine

See Instagram: @salisburypeacevigils

The letter was published in the print edition on 23 October.

There is a really good YouTube video of a discussion of the current situation with Daniel Levy and a journalist from Declassified UK. Levy points to many failings in the current process including the point that any idea of a Palestine state is just an exercise in creating a kind of Bantustan: the homeland for black people creating by the then South African state as part of their Apartheid policy. This is of a piece with the Apartheid policy operating in Israel and recognising that they are operating a colonial enterprise. He enjoins us not to be distracted from the real issues and the need for accountability to take place. Politicians are all too keen to say ‘move on’ these days. He doesn’t think much of Tony Blair’s mooted role in nation building.

A letter critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza written by Jewish people has been published. They say the ‘unconscionable actions by Israel amount to genocide’.

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Stories from the Small Boats Crisis


Notes from a talk at the Cheltenham Literature Festival

October 2025

This was the title of an extremely interesting talk given by three different speakers at the Festival on the the vexed subject of the small boats crossing the Channel. You would have to be living in a cave in the UK not to know that the boats crossing the Channel is causing huge political waves in the UK. Politicians are scrambling to come up with solutions to stop the crossings. The tabloid and right-wing newspapers keep up a seemingly never ending series of stories on the subject. Some communities are sufficiently angry to stand outside hotels where asylum seekers are housed. The nation as a whole seems very angry.

It was interesting therefore to go to a talk where there was a different take on the subject give by the three speakers. They were:

  • Nicola Kelly, an investigative journalist but had worked for the Home and Foreign offices before leaving
  • Horatio Clare an author and
  • Mir Rahami who at 13, had to flee Afghanistan.

There were a number of points made as you would expect. The ‘crisis’ as it has come to be called was presented as a crisis for us rather than a crisis for those on the boats. The sufferings of such people and the privations they have experienced has got lost in all the invective hurled at them by a number of politicians and journalists. The rights of the people arriving seem to have got lost.

If there were no wars there would probably be no refugees, or least fewer of them, it was claimed. We have noted in previous posts that the UK has been happy to sell arms and issue open licences for such arms with only weak controls on where they end up. There is a kind of irony in this activity which causes deep distress and mayhem in the countries involved while the same politicians complain about those escaping arriving on our shores.

The similarity to Brexit was discussed. Misinformation promoted by some of the same individuals making much noise over the crossings. A balanced view never seems to emerge either from them or those elements of the media which support them. Another aspect of Brexit was mentioned. It is often a complaint that we do not know who the immigrants are and that some may be people with criminal pasts. This is made worse because we no longer have access to the databases having left the EU. Brexit in other words has made the problem worse.

One interesting point – a point you seldom hear discussed – is that money and investment can go where it wishes. Goods can be traded internationally largely without let or hindrance. But people cannot. So the forces which cause economic imbalances are unfettered but those affected are not permitted to respond by leaving.

A major part of the government’s response is to ‘smash the gangs’. There is a lot of talk on this topic but always with the assumption that the gangs are in the Continent. What about the gangs operating here about which there seems to be silence? Might it be part of the UK being a victim in some way of the lawless gangs? That gangs which operate here don’t fit that narrative.

A major point made – a lament really – was the lack of politicians willing to speak out in favour of immigration and the benefits they bring. There are problems but there just seems to be a constant flow of one way talk about the ‘crisis’. It became self-fulfilling. The ex-Home Office speaker said the department were obsessed with the media and tried to come up with sensationalist material to show they were on top of the subject.

The presentation was well received.

(Image, BBC)

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