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.
A time to be reaching out to those in great need
The following piece was published in the Salisbury Journal (8 December 2016)
Each year thousands of people in the UK write letters or send cards in solidarity with those suffering humans rights abuses around the world pas part off Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign.
As a result, people have been freed after having been unfairly imprisoned, human rights defender who have been threatened and harassed by authorities have been able to live freely without intimidation and forced evictions have been halted.
Sending a message of support to those whose rights are being abused and also to the authorities on that person’s behalf is powerful. Imagine drowning in thousands of letters of encouragement and solidarity – in fact, imaging the officials who will see and deliver thousands of cards to the victims and their families. The effect on both is priceless. It shows the authorities that that individual is not alone and that all over the world thousands of people are standing up for them.
People featured this year include:
- Fomoseh Ivo Feh a young man in Cameroon who faces 20 years in prison for forwarding a sarcastic text message
- a photojournalist from Egypt, named Shawkan who was beaten, arrested and then held without trial following a demonstration in Cairo
- a British-Iranian charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe who was arrested in April at Tehran
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. Picture: Iran Human Rights airport as she was about to board a return flight to London with her 22 month old daughter.
Salisbury Methodist Church is hosting a Write for Rights event from January 4th to 15th and people are invited to see the exhibition and send a message of support. The church will be open from 10 am to noon.
We hope local readers will be able to support this initiative and come along at some time on those 2 days and sign something.
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Death penalty report
March/April report now available
STOP PRESS
Since this item was posted we have received notification that Californian Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation has extended its written public comment period to 15 May. Full details can be found on another post.
The death penalty report for March/April 2016 is now available thanks to group member Lesley for compiling it. It has been a grim period with rises in executions in Iran and Pakistan and several executions in USA following dubious trials. Iran is coming under increasing scrutiny worldwide for its practice of executing people who were juveniles at the time of their alleged offences.
China continues to lead the world with more executions than all other countries put together.
Death penalty report: December
DEATH PENALTY SUMMARY
DECEMBER 2014
This is the summary for the group’s December meeting pulling together various news items about the use of the death penalty around the world. We would like to draw your attention to a web site Penal Reform International, with useful information on the death penalty. It is now in the list of links at the bottom of this site.
General
- Ethiopia – Andrew Tsage, a political refugee in the UK since 1979, has been placed in solitary confinement and is under threat of execution. He had been arrested at an Airport in Yemen, and sent on to Ethiopia. International concern has been expressed at the deterioration of human rights and freedom of expression in Ethiopia. David Cameron has written personally to the Ethiopian Prime Minister, but the Foreign Office say Tsage is not being held illegally.
- USA –
- Missouri – 19.11.14. Leon Taylor was executed, despite disagreement over the type of sentence which should have been imposed. This was the ninth execution in Missouri this year.
- Texas – 4.12.14 – a US Federal Court issued a stay of execution hours before Scott Panetti was due to die, following representations from his lawyers regarding his mental health.
- Saudi Arabia – 20.11.14 – the family of Simon Cumbera, an Irish national murdered while filming a news item, have expressed regret at the death sentence passed on Adil Sa’ad Al-Dubayti Al Mutayri.
- Pakistan
- Mohammad Asghar – David Cameron has commented in Parliament on the ‘appalling treatment’ received in prison by this Scottish man accused of blasphemy and shot while in prison. Reprieve is trying to prevent his return from hospital to prison
- 25.11.14 – Asia Bibi, the Christian woman sentenced to death following a conviction of ‘insulting the Prophet Muhammad, has filed her final appeal against execution
- China – 25.11.14 – According to his lawyer, Nian Bin, a former death row prisoner acquitted of the charge of poisoning two children, is now being investigated again by the police. They have refused to accept the Court’s decision and are restricting his movements. Acquittals are rare in China, but this one prompted renewed calls for the abolition of the death penalty.
- Thailand – 26.11.14 – Death sentences were passed by Pattani Provincial Court on five suspected militants convicted of killing four soldiers. Human Rights Watch have accused Thailand of double standards, saying the Army was also responsible for rights violations.
- Egypt – 2.12.14 following the dropping of murder charges against ex-President Hosni Mubarak, a Court sentenced 188 of his supporters to death in connection with the killing of 13 policemen in August 2013.
- Cameroon – 3.12.14 – it was reported that Lawmakers are to vote on whether to implement the death penalty for people convicted of acts of terrorism. This is in response to the activities of the Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, on its border.
- Indonesia – AI have called on the Indonesian Government to halt its plans to execute 5 people by the end of the year.
Urgent Actions
- Bangladesh – UA283/14 – Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, a leading member of an opposition party, is at imminent risk of execution before being able to lodge an appeal. Circulated to DPLWG 17.11.14
- Iraq – UA300/14 – Ahmed Al-Alwani, a former member of Iraq’s Parliament, has been sentenced to death for killing two soldiers, following a trial marred with irregularities. He has only a month to appeal. Circulated to DPLWG 28.11.14. (This month’s Group DP Urgent Action)
- Saudi Arabia – UA 309/09 – Ali Agirdas, convicted of drug trafficking after an unfair trial, was executed on 20th November. His family learned of this through the media, and the authorities are refusing to release his body to them. Circulated to DPLWG 28.11.14.
- USA – Florida – UA 162/14 – the execution of Shane Kormondy has been scheduled for 15th January. Kormondy was found guilty of the murder of Gary McAdams in 1993. This would be the 21st execution under the governorship of Rick Scott.
Campaigning
- Reggie Clemons – there has been no further news. The Justice for Reggie website has not been updated since August.
- Moses Akatugba – further cards were signed for Moses at the Amnesty Film Night at the Arts Centre
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire - 50 this year! 