The monthly death penalty report is now available thanks to group member Lesley for preparing it. Note that China is the world’s largest executioner of its citizens but details are a state secret.
Women in Iran
Women in Iran at risk
As news spreads that Iran could be facing a second wave of coronavirus due to an increase in the number of cases, the health and safety of Nasrin, Yasaman and other imprisoned women’s rights activists remains at risk. Now more than ever, we must increase the pressure on Iranian authorities to release these women immediately.
Our campaigning has helped secure the release of prisoners of conscience in Iran before. Please can help us do it again. Please watch and share our post, featuring Iranian-born actress and Amnesty Ambassador, Nazanin Boniadi who has campaigned with us since 2008 on the unjust conviction and treatment of Iranian youth, women and prisoners of conscience.
Death penalty report May – June
The latest death penalty report is now available thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it.
Good News!
Good news from Iran
In these times of gloom and lockdown, it is good to have some good news. Many Amnesty people have written on behalf of Kama Foroughi and it is possible that anyone reading this in the Salisbury area has signed a petition for us. We have just received this letter via Amnesty which we think is worth publishing on this site.
I am writing to say a big thank you.
You may have heard that my 80 year old Dad Kamal Foroughi returned to London in March to see us his family for the first time in nine years – if not I am delighted to bring you the great news. Dad had been released from Evin prison in 2018, and had waited since then to receive his renewed Iranian passport to be allowed legally to leave Iran. The passport arrived this February, at a time when flights were very busy due to coronavirus and Iranian New Year so it took a few more weeks to get Dad home.
Nine years is an extraordinary time to be kept away from family. Dad was taken to Evin prison in early May 2011 – days after the marriage between Prince William and Kate Middleton. Since then Dad has missed the growth of smartphones, the London 2012 Olympics, Andy Murray winning Wimbledon twice, Brexit, England winning the cricket and (more importantly for us) the primary school years of his two granddaughters – both of whom make our family so proud.
Your support gave us comfort and helped Dad return to London. Over 29,000 Amnesty Supporters, wrote Urgent Action letters, signed Amnesty petitions and wrote lovely birthday messages for Dad which were delivered to the Iranian embassy as part of peaceful protests. We are so grateful to you.
More generally, your public advocacy and standing up for human rights is so essential to bring an end to the plight of arbitrarily detained and powerless prisoners from all over the world. Maybe the coronavirus challenges will focus our leaders’ minds and encourage them to release more prisoners around the world to the love and care of their families, particularly where there are significant legal, medical and humanitarian concerns with their detention.
Thank you so much,
Kamran Foroughi
Prisoners killed in Iran
Credible evidence of prisoners killed during Covid-19 concerns
Around 36 prisoners in Iran are feared to have been killed by security forces after the use of lethal force to control protests over COVID-19 safety fears, Amnesty International has learned. The full story can be read on Amnesty’s site:
The situation in Iran is grave and the government has relaxed social distancing rules and travel restrictions in a move that could be disasterous. The country is reeling from the continued US sanctions.
Monthly death penalty report
We are pleased to attach our monthly death penalty report compiled by group member Lesley.
Report: February – March (Word)
Death penalty report
The death penalty report for October – November is available thanks to group member Lesley for compiling it. One worrying item is the apparent willingness of the UK government to allow individuals to be sent to the USA with the risk of execution.
August – September death penalty report
The latest death penalty report is now available thanks to group member Lesley for compiling it. It contains information on death penalty matters in Bangladesh, Turkey, USA and other countries. The report, as ever, is unable to include any information about China where details of executions are a state secret. It is believed to be the world’s largest executioner.
August – September Report 2019
Monthly Death Penalty report
Attached is the monthly death penalty report for mid June/July 2019 compiled by group member Lesley. It covers a number of countries and in addition to the usual suspects, includes Sri Lanka which is planning to start executing it citizens again.
Note that China is not included which is believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world put together but the details are a state secret.
Death penalty in Iran
While a lot of attention – quite rightly – has been focused on the plight of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, there are other things going in that country including the execution of minors. Below are details of an urgent action which if you have time, we would be grateful if you could send a message of some kind. There is an option to tweet.
Danial Zeinolabedini, an 18-year-old imprisoned in Mahabad prison, West Azerbaijan province, is at risk of execution. He was sentenced to death in June 2018 after an unfair trial in which he was convicted of a murder that took place when he was 17 years old. His execution would be a grave violation of international law.
Further details from an Iran human rights group.
If you live in the Salisbury, South Wilts area and would like to join us, you would be very welcome. The best thing is to keep an eye on this site and come along to an event and make yourself known. It is free to join locally.
Amnesty in Salisbury & South Wiltshire 