Urgent Action: Singapore


The authorities of Singapore have set the execution of Malaysian national Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam for 10 November. In violation of international law and standards, he was sentenced to the mandatory death penalty after he was found guilty of transporting 42.72 grams of diamorphine in April 2009. Several medical experts have found him to have borderline intellectual functioning and cognitive deficits, which might have impacted his ability assess risks and his accounts of the circumstances of the offence.

Full details are available from this link. If you can find time to make contact as suggested it would be appreciated.

Urgent Action

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Abduction in India


Anniversary of Jagtar Singh Johal’s abduction

Jagtar Singh Johal was abducted in plain sight by Indian police officers on November 4, 2017 – four years ago, today. It was the middle of the day and he was walking with his new wife. He travelled to India from his family home in Scotland to marry her. But three weeks into their marriage, they were pulled apart.  Together, Reprieve are exposing Jagtar’s story to the world and calling on the UK Government to get Jagtar back home before it’s too late.

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Today marks the four-year anniversary of Jagtar’s abduction and arbitrary detention in India – and exposes another year of delays by the UK Government. They should be doing everything they can to get him – a citizen – back home to Scotland.

Jagtar is now 34 years old.  Up until four years ago, he worked in his father’s restaurant in Dumbarton and cheered on Arsenal FC. But his life changed the day he was abducted. His government should have intervened and brought him home to safety a long time ago. But instead, he has spent his 30s in an overcrowded Indian prison, far from his family in Scotland.

This post is courtesy of Reprieve and if you have time to share the links above – which only take a moment – we would be grateful.

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Pause for the Planet


We shall be taking part in this protest on Saturday 6 November

There will be a protest concerning climate taking place this Saturday, 6 November 2021 starting at 10 am and lasting one and a half hours. It will be in the High St in Salisbury. Supporters are welcome to come along and it will be an opportunity for anyone wishing to join the group to make contact with us. This is part of a continuous series of actions by Extinction Rebellion to draw attention to climate issues. It is particularly important this Saturday as it will be midway through the Cop26 negotiations currently taking place in Glasgow.

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Good news! Ali al Nimr released


We are delighted to report that after a long campaign by Amnesty, Reprieve and other organisations, Ali al Nimr has been released from prison in Saudi Arabia. It can sometimes feel that campaigning for the release of people held for their beliefs or opposition to the government is a lost cause. This shows that it can sometimes work and the full story and background can be seen here in a statement by Reprieve.

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MP’s surgeries


MP murdered while holding a surgery

A key part of our democracy is the ability of individuals to make contact with their member of parliament and this is usually done in a surgery which can be in a number of settings. People sometimes forget that the system has improved in recent times and the days when MPs were seldom seen in their constituencies has long gone. The great majority of MPs have regular meetings in their constituencies with organisations of varying kinds as well as with individual constituents.

The recent murder of Sir David Amess was a huge shock. The Salisbury group has only recently met our MP, Mr John Glen, to express our concerns – along with over a hundred other organisations – about a series of bills currently before parliament which we believe will seriously inhibit our human rights. The chair of our group wrote a letter to the Salisbury Journal published on 21 October 2021 thus:

Following the tragic death of Sir David Amess last week, I am writing to say how much we value the tradition of MPs’ surgeries.

My group had a meeting with John Glen earlier this month, where we were able to exchange views on current [proposed] legislation in a respectful way; while we had our disagreements, we took note of each other’s views and departed amicably. It is vital that this kind of relationship continues between us and our representatives, and it would be a sad day indeed if restrictions on this process were deemed necessary.

We would urge parliament and the government to do everything they can to keep local surgeries going even with whatever enhanced security may be appropriate to protect the lives of our elected MPs

Andrew Hemming, Chair, Salisbury Amnesty International

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October minutes


Attached are the group minutes of the meeting held on 14 October thanks to group member Fiona for preparing them. A full meeting and there is a note of our meeting with the MP for Salisbury Mr John Glen. The meeting was successful and our three representatives pointed out the many misgivings people have over the proposed legislation. Over 200 organisations – including Amnesty – are very concerned at three major bills currently before parliament which singly and together will have a major impact on our human rights. There is also the review of the Human Rights Act the results of which are awaited any time.

October minutesDownload

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Help stop an execution in Iran


Arman Abdolali was due to be executed today but it has now been scheduled for Saturday. We ask that you spend a few moments to send a message to the Iranian Embassy to ask them not to do this. Full details are in the link below.

Arman was just 17 when he was arrested. He was held in solitary confinement and beaten regularly, before “confessing”. He says this “confessions” was obtained under torture and there are serious concerns about his trial. 
 

Take action by calling on the Iranian Embassy in the UK to ensure the execution on Saturday does not go ahead. 

http://email.amnestyuk.org.uk/q/11mqIvSAxHoACoGGucijZqv/wv

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Death Penalty report: Sept/Oct 2021


We are pleased to attach this month’s DP report thanks to group member Lesley for her work in compiling this. A mixture of news as ever with the situation in the USA becoming more troubling in some states. France’s action in trying to achieve a world wide ban is encouraging. As ever there is no information from China where executions are a state secret and are believed to be the worst in the world.

Sept – Oct report (Word)Download

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Time for Ghana to scrap the death penalty


World Day Against Death Penalty

The death penalty in Ghana has been frequently used in violation of international law and standards, affecting predominantly those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, as shown by research carried out by Amnesty International. It is high time the authorities of Ghana acted to fully abolish it.

In Ghana the death penalty has been imposed mainly as the mandatory punishment for murder, meaning that judges were unable to consider any mitigating factors relating to the case, the circumstances of the offence or the background of the defendants at sentencing, when they imposed the death penalty. This has meant, for example, that some women on death row could not have their experience of being subjected to prolonged domestic violence at the hands of their husbands or partners taken into account when they were convicted of their murders.

The widespread concerns on the lack of effective legal representation and appeals described by many on death row is also greatly alarming, including as these are critical safeguards to protect the rights of those facing the death penalty and avoid miscarriage of justice. Around three-quarters of the 107 people on death row interviewed by Amnesty International in preparing its 2017 report, had a state-appointed lawyer at trial level, with only around 15% able to hire a lawyer of their choice with help from their families. Three men stated they did not have any legal representation during their initial trial; of the three women on death row at the time of the interviews, two said they did not have a trial lawyer. Several others said that their lawyers had not attended all the hearings; and many said that they did not have a chance to talk to their lawyer and prepare their defence during trial.

As appeals are not mandatory in Ghana, the majority of those on death row told Amnesty International that they had been unable to appeal their convictions and death sentences. Most did not fully understand their right to appeal or how to pursue this process, and believed they needed to have sufficient money to hire a private lawyer in order to appeal. Figures provided by the Ghana Prison Service (the Prison Service) in March 2017 indicated that only 12 prisoners on death row had filed appeals since 2006. None of the three women on death row had been able to file an appeal due to lack of money. One woman told Amnesty International that at the time a lawyer asked for 60 million Old Ghana Cedi (more than US$12,000) to file an appeal.

It comes as no surprise that in a legal system with so few built-in safeguards those who end up carrying the burden of the death penalty have disadvantaged backgrounds. The majority of the 107 people interviewed came from outside of the greater Accra region, had minimal educational levels and were from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, with children left in the care of others. Against international safeguards, six people on death row at Nsawam Prison were considered to have mental (psychosocial) or intellectual disabilities and were not supported through specialized care.

Conditions for men and women on death row do not meet international standards. Both men and women reported overcrowding, poor sanitary facilities, isolation, and lack of adequate access to medical care and to recreational or educational opportunities available to other people in detention. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception.

This post is reproduced from Amnesty

Amnesty briefing

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Women and the Death Penalty


Today is World Day Against the Death Penalty
This Amnesty report highlights the effects of the penalty on women

The use of death penalty has further impacts on women relatives and supporters of those on death row, as existing structural socio-economic inequalities, stigmatization and discrimination have been deepened by the sentencing to death of their loved ones. The campaigning briefing highlights some of the prevailing human rights concerns associated with the impact of the death penalty on women and calls for action to end the injustice and arbitrariness of the death penalty. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, as a violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment. Amnesty International is a founding member of the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, which coordinates this global day of activism against the death penalty every 10 October.

The effect of the death penalty on women

Available as a podcast

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