Attached are the minutes of the November 2021 meeting of the group thanks to group member Lesley for compiling them. At the end of the minutes are some future actions for example the annual carol singing in December, which members may wish to take part in.
Monthly Death Penalty report
We attach the death penalty report for mid October to mid November thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it. We are delighted to include the news of Ali Al Nimr’s release from prison in Saudi. Ali was the subject of a world wide campaign and members of the Salisbury group also campaigned on his behalf.
Singapore execution: latest
NAGAENTHRAN DHARMALINGAM
Nagaenthran was scheduled to be executed today (10 November 2021). The stay of execution he has been granted has been made indefinite, but it is NOT permanent.
The most recent information we have been able to find is in today’s Guardian. Mr Dharmalingam, who has learning difficulties and whose case led to a huge international outcry, was due to have his appeal heard yesterday (9th), but he had tested positive for Covid and so the appeal was adjourned, and the stay of execution ordered.
Amnesty and Reprieve have taken up his case, and will no doubt let us know when we need to take further action.
Link added
We have added Front Line Defenders (Dublin) to our list of organisations involved in human rights to be found at the bottom of this site. They are in the news today revealing the alleged penetration of a wide range of Palestinian organisations by Israel using NSO spyware.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 