Individuals at Risk Feed for Amnesty International USA

Demand Medical Attention for Prisoner in Bangladesh (UA 276/08)

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 18:16:42 EST

Rang Lai Mro, head of a community of Indigenous Mro people, was sentenced to 17 years' imprisonment for an charge his lawyers disproved. Despite the authorities' assurances, he may not be receiving the medical attention he needs.

Protect Journalist Receiving Death Threats in Croatia (UA 329/08)

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 17:39:56 EST

Journalist Drago Hedl has received a series of death threats, most recently on 27 November. The threats are believed to be connected to his investigative reports linking a high-level Croatian politician to the killing of Croatian Serbs in the town of Osijek during the 1991-1995 war. Drago Hedl's life is in danger.

Myanmar: Act Now for Htay Kywe

Mon, 1 Dec 2008 00:00:00 EST

Prisoner of conscience Htay Kywe is on trial facing politically motivated charges for his role in the peaceful protest marches against military rule in Myanmar in August/September 2007. In this document Amnesty International calls for his immediate and unconditional release and for assurances that he is not being subjected to torture or ill-treatment.

Holiday Card Action

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:47:59 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 79 will gather to send holiday cards to human rights defenders around the world, bringing them support and hope.

Declaration of Human Rights Write-a-thon

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:24:45 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 566 will host a write-a-thon to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Speaking Event & Screening

Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:54:54 EST

Amnesty International Local Groups 9 & 280 will host a speaking event & film Screening.

Holiday Card Writing Party

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:40:37 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 356 Webster, MA and Woodstock, CT invite you to their Holiday Card Writing Party.

21st Annual Providence Write-A-Thon

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:02:25 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 49 will host their 21st Annual Providence Write-a-thon in honor of Human Rights Day.

Happy Hour/Write-A-Thon

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:04:58 EST

Bring your colleagues and join us after work for a Write-A-Thon and Cocktail Hour.

USA: President-elect Obama recommits to closing Guantánamo and ending torture

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

'Early action' promised on closing the detention centre at Guantánamo Bay and ensuring that the USA does not resort to torture.

Rally for Egyptian POC

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 16:28:46 EST

Rally for Egyptian POC / student blogger Karim Amer

Write-A-Thon

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:18:33 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 42 will host a Human Rights Day Write-A-Thon.

Holiday Card-Writing to Prisoners of Conscience

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:12:23 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 10 will host a Holiday Card-Writing to Prisoners of Conscience.

Global Write-a-Thon

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:44:09 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 531 will hold a write-a-thon as part of Amnesty's Global Write-a-Thon.

Global Write-A-Thon

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 13:43:41 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 539 and the Amnesty International Shepherd University Student Group will host a Write-A-Thon as part of the "Global Write-A-Thon".

December 10: Human Rights Day Vigil

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:10:25 EST

Amnesty International Local Group 78 will host a candlelight vigil and toast to freedom to commemorate Human Rights Day.

17 Uighur detainees held at Guantánamo (UA)

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:04:51 EST

In a landmark ruling on October 7, 2008, Judge Ricardo Urbina ordered the government to release into the USA the 17 Uighur detainees still held at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The government had earlier conceded that the 17 men are not "enemy combatants", but the government appealed the order, arguing that it "directly conflicts with the basic principle that the decision whether to admit an alien into the United States rests exclusively with the Executive".

Get on the Bus XIV

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 15:48:27 EST

Activists will gather in New York City for a day of human rights action and education, as AIUSA Local Group 133 presents GET ON THE BUS: the largest single annual event organized by a local Amnesty group!

USA: Jerry Yang is Being Urged by Amnesty International to Lobby China for Release of Jailed Journalist Shi Tao

Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:00:00 EST

On Eve of Opening of US-Based Human Rights Museum on China, Yahoo! CEO Jerry Yang is Being Urged by Amnesty International to Lobby China for Release of Jailed Journalist Shi Tao

Protect Human Rights Workers in Guatemala (UA 309/08)

Thu, 6 Nov 2008 15:35:58 EST

Human rights activist Miguel Arturo Albizures Pedrosa and a member of a Guatemala City student organization were involved in a demonstration which disrupted a government rally on 20 October. Both were attacked a few days later. They, their families and their colleagues are in grave danger.

Protect Human Rights Workers in Colombia (UA 308/08)

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 15:01:07 EST

Paramilitaries have attempted to kill one of the leaders of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, in the north-western department of Antioquia. Paramilitaries operating in the area have also threatened to kill members of the community if they do not leave the area.

Protect Labor Rights Defenders in Honduras (UA 301/08)

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 14:53:23 EST

Lorna Redell Jackson García and Juana Leticia Maldonaldo Gutíerrez and other members of the motor vehicle workers? trade union SITRAFL have been shot at and received death threats. All of them are in grave danger, and they have gone into hiding.

Syria: Syrian court sentences activists to two and a half years

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Twelve members of the opposition coalition the Damascus Declaration for Democratic National Change are convicted of "weakening national sentiment.

Eritrea: Patriarch Abune Antonios [Global letter-writing marathon 2008]

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Patriarch Abune Antonios has been under house arrest since January 2006. Abune Antonios is Patriarch of the Eritrean Orthodox Church. Amnesty International considers Abune Antonios to be a prisoner of conscience, and there are grave concerns for his health as he is 80 years old, has diabetes and is not receiving medication.

Syria: Amnesty International condemns sentencing of 12 pro-democracy activists

Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International condemns today's sentencing by a Syrian criminal court of 12 pro-democracy activists to two and a half years in prison

Syria: Release pro-democracy activists immediately

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Syrian authorities must immediately release 12 activists who have been victims of an unfair trial which could see them sentenced for up to 15 years in prison, Amnesty International said today.

United Kingdom: European Parliament honours jailed Chinese activist

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Imprisoned Chinese activist Hu Jia has been awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament.

Troy Anthony Davis

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 12:56:08 EST

Troy Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen MacPhail at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia; a murder he maintains he did not commit. There was no physical evidence against him and the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state's witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

Zimbabwe: Activists beaten, arrested and detained

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

The leaders of one of Zimbabwe's main activist movements have been remanded in custody by the courts in Bulawayo since Friday. Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, leaders of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were arrested on Thursday in Bulawayo after leading a peaceful protest of about 200 activists demanding immediate access to food aid in Zimbabwe.

Libya: Prisoner of conscience released

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Arrested for trying to organize a peaceful demonstration critical of the Libyan government, Idriss Boufayed has been released on humanitarian grounds, after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Syria: Repressing dissent: Pro-democracy activists on trial in Syria

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Twelve pro-democracy activists, all Syrian nationals, are being tried before the Damascus Criminal Court. The charges that they face include weakening national sentiment and they could face up to 15 years imprisonment if convicted. They are being held in poor conditions and at least eight of them were subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. In this document Amnesty International calls on the Syrian authorities to release immediately and unconditionally the 12 activists and to drop all charges against them.

Syria: Pro-democracy activists in Syria face 15 years in prison

Wed, 8 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST

Twelve people are charged with "weakening national sentiment" for attending a meeting of the Damascus Declaration for Democratic National Change.

Free School Teacher Ma Khin Khin Leh

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:49:47 EST

The military rulers of Myanmar have jailed thousands of people in their continuing efforts to crush all dissenting views. Most prominent of those detained is Aung San Suu Kyi, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate who has spent 13 of the past 18 years under some form of detention. Ma Khin Khin Leh, a school teacher and young mother, is another individual serving a life sentence simply for trying to organize a peaceful demonstration in support of the NLD.

WOZA--Human Rights Defenders at Risk

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:48:36 EST

The activists of the human rights organization Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) know the price of freedom. For organizing peaceful demonstrations to protest the worsening social, economic and human rights situation in Zimbabwe, WOZA members have been repeatedly harassed, intimidated, beaten and jailed by authorities.

Women of Atenco--Assaulted by the Police

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:48:10 EST

When the women left their homes that May morning in 2006, they never imagined the horrific experience that lay ahead of them. During a police operation in response to protests by activists from a local peasant organization in San Salvador Atenco, Mexico, over 45 women were arrested without explanation.

Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, Prisoners of Conscience

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:46:33 EST

On December 1, 2004, some 200 people participated in a nonviolent ceremony in Papua Province during which the Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence, was raised in commemoration of the declaration of Papuan independence in 1962. For peacefully raising this flag, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison in Indonesia.

Aung San Suu Kyi, Prisoner of Conscience

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:46:06 EST

Shi Tao, 10 years in prison for sending an email

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:23:44 EST

In April 2004, the Chinese journalist Shi Tao used his Yahoo! email account to send a message to a U.S.-based pro-democracy website. In his email, he summarized a government order directing media organizations in China to downplay the upcoming 15th anniversary of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy activists. Police arrested him in November 2004, charging him with "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities."

Fathi el-Jahmi, Prisoner of Conscience

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 13:54:51 EST

Libyan authorities arrested Fathi el-Jahmi in 2002 after he called for free speech and political reforms during a conference in Tripoli. For that "crime," he was sentenced to five years in prison, but was released in March 2004 following international pressure. Mr. el-Jahmi's freedom proved short-lived, however, as authorities detained him again just weeks later after he repeated his call for democracy during a television interview.

Morocco: Moroccan Blogger Freed

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

On 18 September 2008, the Court of Appeal in Agadir overturned the two-year sentence imposed on blogger Mohamed Erraji by the Court of First Instance for ?lack of respect for the king? and dropped all charges against him on the grounds of procedural irregularities in the previous trial.

Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage, Prisoners of Conscience

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:11:34 EST

On December 1, 2004, some 200 people participated in a nonviolent ceremony outside Abepura in Papua Province during which the Morning Star flag, a symbol of Papuan independence, was raised in commemoration of the declaration of Papuan independence in 1962. Police arrested Filep Karma at the site of the ceremony, and Yusak Pakage was detained when he later went to protest Filep's arrest.

Pressure Indonesian President to Release Papuan Prisoners of Conscience

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 13:12:39 EST

For peacefully raising a flag at an annual Indonesian ceremony, Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage may spend the next decade or more in prison. Amnesty International considers Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage to be prisoners of conscience who have been detained for the peaceful and legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression. Please urge the President of Indonesia to bring about the immediate and unconditional release of Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage.

Egypt: No justice for 49 facing trial before emergency court

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

The trial of 49 people before an emergency court for alleged involvement in the violent protests of 6 April 2008 in the city of Mahalla is due to resume on 6 September.

Libya: Human rights in Libya must be on the agenda of discussions with US

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

As Condoleezza Rice becomes the first US Secretary of State to visit Libya in 55 years, Amnesty International urges the US government to make human rights an integral component of its bilateral cooperation with Libya.

Release Female Journalist in Iran (UA 169/08)

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 13:35:31 EST

Mahboubeh Karami has been imprisoned in Tehran since 13 June without charge. Her bail is set at approximately $110,000 and her family is unable to raise such a large amount.

Malaysia: Internal Security Act used to punish human rights activists

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST

New information about the arbitrary detention of five Malaysian government critics obtained by Amnesty International researchers highlights the need for the Malaysian parliament to immediately abolish the country's Internal Security Act, Amnesty International said today.

Guatemala: 25 years remembering the disappeared

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

Since the International Day of the Disappeared was started in 1983, the government practice of kidnapping, abducting or detaining people and holding them in secret has continued and spread as more countries accept and justify this crime.

Argentina: Amnesty International welcomes life sentences for Argentinean military officers

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

Organization also calls on the Argentinean authorities to investigate the 2006 disappearance of Jorge Julio López.

China: China and International Olympic Committee Must Learn From Mistakes, Uphold Human Rights Values

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

As the Beijing Olympics ended, Amnesty International accused the Chinese authorities of prioritizing image over substance as it continued to persecute and punish activists and journalists during the Games.

USA: Joint statement Concerning Congressional letter to President Yudhoyono

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

On July 29, 2008, forty members of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono requesting that he release two political prisoners: Filep Karma and Yusak Pakage. Karma and Pakage are serving 10 and 15-year prison terms for raising a flag during a peaceful protest in Abepura, Papua, Indonesia. Amnesty International has declared them prisoners of conscience and leads an international coalition seeking their release.

Syria: Amnesty International welcomes release of prisoner of conscience

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International today welcomed the release of Syrian prisoner of conscience Dr ‘Aref Dalilah.

Call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all prisoners of conscience in Myanmar

Wed, 6 Aug 2008 12:23:42 EST

There are more than 1,850 known political prisoners and prisoners of conscience in Myanmar (formerly Burma). Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, is the best-known. Please call on Myanmar’s leaders to free Aung San Suu Kyi, Ma Khin Khin Leh and all other prisoners of conscience.

China: Ye Guozhu must be immediately released

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International today demanded the immediate release of Beijing housing activist Ye Guozhu. He was due to be released on Saturday, July 26, but will now remain imprisoned until October 1, after the end of the 2008 Olympic Games.

China: Amnesty International Calls for Release of Chinese Housing Activist Ye Guozhu, Now Slated to be Held Through Olympics

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Ye Guozhu must be released immediately

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Chinese authorities say they will now not free the housing rights activist when his four-year prison sentence expires on July 26. Amnesty International demands he be freed.

Viet Nam: Supreme Patriarch Thich Huyen Quang, a life committed to human rights

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Venerable Thich Huyen Quang, Supreme Patriarch of the Unified Buddhist Church of Viet Nam (UBCV), and a prisoner of conscience for many years, passed away on 5 July 2008

Syria: Dekalbab imprisoned

Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International deplores the sentencing this week of Muhammad Bedia' Dekalbab, a member of the unauthorized National Organization for Human Rights, to six months' imprisonment

One thousand protesters unaccounted for in Tibet lock-down

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

As the Olympic torch relay travels to Lhasa, Amnesty International urged the Chinese government to provide information about those detained during the protests last March and called for free access to Tibet by independent observers.

Equatorial Guinea: Amnesty International Welcomes Release of 14 Prisoners of Conscience

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Prisoners Include Pastor Jailed for Speaking Out Against Government Treatment of Minorities

Equatorial Guinea: Amnesty International calls for release of all prisoners of conscience

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International today called on the Equatorial Guinea government to unconditionally release all people they continue to hold without charge or trial on account of their peaceful political activities

Equatorial Guinea: Amnesty International Welcomes Release of 14 Prisoners of Conscience in Equatorial Guinea

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International today welcomes the release of 14 prisoners of conscience in Equatorial Guinea, including a pastor who was an outspoken critic of government treatment of minorities. Since 2002, Amnesty International activists in the United States and worldwide had repeatedly appealed for the prisoners' release in letters sent to government leaders.

USA: James Corey Glass has right not to serve in Iraq

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International believes James Corey Glass to have a genuine conscientious objection to serving as a combatant in the US forces in Iraq, and would consider him to be a prisoner of conscience if imprisoned on his return to the USA

Activist released in Uzbekistan

Thu, 5 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Uzbekistani human rights defender Mutabar Tadzhibaeva, who was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2006, was unexpectedly released on Monday, 2 June.

Amnesty International Demands Release of Zimbabwe Activists Jailed in Peaceful March

Mon, 2 Jun 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International mobilized its global network of activists on Monday on behalf of 14 activists from the Women of Zimbabwe Arise movement who were arrested on May 28 in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, for participating in a peaceful protest and are being held under harsh prison conditions. The human rights organization fears the activists - some of whom already have been beaten by police -- are in danger of being tortured.

Tiananmen activists must be released

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Wednesday 4 June 2008 marks the nineteenth anniversary of the Chinese government's crackdown on the pro-democracy demonstrations in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

Egypt: HIV arrests: Policing in ignorance and fear: Doctors failing in their medical responsibility

Fri, 30 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Since October 2007 Egyptian police have launched a series of arrests in Cairo of people they suspect are HIV-positive. As a result, 12 men have so far been subjected to criminal prosecution. The nine convicted men are now serving their sentences in prison; three others have been released without charge. Amnesty International considers the men to be prisoners of conscience and calls for their immediate and unconditional release.

Darfuris at risk of torture

Fri, 23 May 2008 18:59:17 EST

More than 150 individuals, mainly from Darfur, were arrested between May 9 and 16 in Khartoum, Sudan. Many of those arrested are reported to be held incommunicado in national security detention facilities in the capital or at unknown locations. All the detainees are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment, and may even be killed or subjected to enforced disappearance.

South Korea: On-going Crackdown against Migrant's Trade Union

Thu, 8 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International expresses serious concern at the arrest of two senior officials of the Seoul-Gyeonggi-Incheon Migrants Trade Union (MTU) on May 2, 2008.

Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka flourish under veil of secrecy

Fri, 2 May 2008 00:00:00 EST

Sri Lanka is a conflict where journalists face unjustified restrictions on reporting and there are very few established facts.

Royal pardon for Moroccan demonstrators

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

Eight men convicted of undermining the monarchy in Morocco last year have been released after they were pardoned by the King.

Hu Jia jailed for three and a half years

Fri, 4 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EST

Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia has been convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Nepal: Clampdown on Tibet demonstrators must stop immediately and protesters released

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International called on the Nepalese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested in connection with demonstrations on Tibet.

Turkish activist gets jail sentence

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Human rights activist Eren Keskin has been sentenced to six months and 20 days in prison after being convicted of “denigrating the Turkish army”.

Iran: Amnesty International and international trade union bodies condemn repressive measures meted out against trade union leader Mahmoud Salehi

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) and the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) are calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Mahmoud Salehi, the former leader of the Saqez Bakers' Union, who was imprisoned in 2007 for the pursuit of legitimate trade union activities

UN scrutiny of Tibet crisis required

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Chinese authorities must allow independent UN investigation into the events of the last week in Tibet.

Belarus: Update to Public Appeal: Prisoner of Conscience: Alyaksandr Kazulin

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 00:00:00 EST

Prisoner of conscience, Alyaksandr Kazulin, was granted temporary leave from the prison colony in Vitebsk, Belarus, in order to attend the funeral of his wife, Iryna Kazulina, which took place on 27 February 2008

One year missing and imprisoned in Libya

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

At least 14 Libyans were arrested just over a year ago for planning a peaceful demonstration to mark the anniversary of the Benghazi events when security forces killed 12 demonstrators.

New Cuban leadership can improve human rights

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International has called on the new Cuban government to allow UN human rights bodies and independent human rights organizations to visit the country.

Write-a-thon Action: Demand investigation into whereabouts of Professor Sivasubramanium Raveendranath

Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:21:47 EST

Over the past two decades of armed conflict in Sri Lanka, the security forces have been responsible for tens of thousands of enforced disappearances. In December 2006, Prof. Sivasubramanium Raveendranath was taken by force while at a conference and has not been heard from since.

Uzbek Human Rights Defender Released

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 00:00:00 EST

Human rights defender Saidzhakhon Zainabitdinov was released on February 4 under a presidential amnesty. He had been serving a seven-year sentence, handed down in January 2006 after what was in effect a secret trial. He was indicted for libel, "information dissemination fomenting the panic" and "terrorism." Prior to his imprisonment, Saidzhakhon Zainabitdinov was monitoring protests in the town of Andizhan which escalated on May 12-13, 2005. During the information blockade that engulfed Uzbekistan in the aftermath of the protests, messages from Saidjahon Zainabitdinov were forwarded to the leading world news agencies, TV channels, radio stations and newspapers.

Belarusian youth activist freed

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

The Belarusian youth activist, Zmitser Dashkevich, has been released early from Sklou prison in Belarus.

Youth Leader Freed in Belarus

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Amnesty International welcomes the release from prison on January 23 of Zmitser Dashkevich, leader of a youth organization that advocates political freedom in Belarus. AI mounted a global campaign to win his release featuring his case in a Global Write-a-thon in December through which thousands of people across the United States appealed for his release. As one of Amnesty International USA's Special Focus Cases, Zmitser Dashkevich's case was a particular focus for action by Amnesty student activists, who joined youth activists around the world in sending 10,000 origami cranes to Belarusian authorities in a symbolic plea for freedom for Mr. Dashkevich and other prisoners of conscience.

Europe must call Musharraf to account

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Europe's leaders have the chance to urge President Pervez Musharraf to end human rights violations in Pakistan when he visits Europe this week.

Religious minority faces discrimination in Armenia

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 00:00:00 EST

Jehovah's Witnesses in Armenia face discrimination and imprisonment because of their beliefs, according to a new Amnesty International report.

China: 'Strike hard' against beliefs

Thu, 1 Nov 2007 00:00:00 EST

Bu Dongwei, a Falun Gong practitioner who worked for the US-based NGO, the Asia Foundation, is serving two and a half years Re-education Through Labour (RTL) at the Tuanhe facility in Beijing.

Dr. Haleh Esfandiari allowed to leave Iran!

Sun, 2 Sep 2007 00:00:00 EST

Haleh Esfandiari is the Head of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C., and is a well-known advocate of dialogue between the U.S. and Iranian governments. She had travelled to visit her elderly mother. While on her way to the airport to return to the USA, her taxi was stopped by armed, masked men, who took both her passports and her belongings. In May Amnesty International activists began a letter-writing action and in June held a rally calling for her release. Many thanks to all who participated on Haleh's behalf.

The Wire, November 2006. Vol. 36, No.10.

Wed, 1 Nov 2006 00:00:00 EST

1) Children maimed by Israeli cluster bombs in Lebanon 2) Pakistan sells 'terror suspects' to USA 3) Sudan: 'If you leave the camp, we will kill you' 4) Arbitrary deadlines hamper tribunals 5) Women in Mexico denied Justice 6)Worldwide appeals: Peru: Activist threatened and intimidated; Morocco/Western Sahara: Prison sentence for human rights defender; Belarus: Election monitors imprisoned 7) Updates: Saudi Arabia; Iran; USA; Peru; Greece; Ending impunity for police in Angola 8) Canadian inquiry vindicates case of Guantánamo detainee 9) Ambassador of conscience award 10) Control Arms 11) 25 years of renouncing religious intolerance 12) Activist murdered in Russian Federation 13) Recent Publication

The Wire, October 2006. Vol. 36, No.9.

Sun, 1 Oct 2006 00:00:00 EST

1) Government maligns Colombian activists 2) Will China honour its Olympic promises? 3) 3 October Focus on Africa - World Habitat Day 4) Thousands made homeless in Nigeria 5) Oil fuels evictions in Equatorial Guinea 6) No justice for victims of forced evictions in Zimbabwe 7) Worldwide appeals: United Arab Emirates: Human rights activists harassed; China: Prisoner of conscience sentenced; United Kingdom: Risk of torture if returned to Algeria; Violence flares in Sudan; Cluster bomb carnage in Lebanon; USA defends secret detention 8) Update: Guantánamo detainee released; Turkmenistan; Viet Nam; Australia scraps migration bill 9) 10 October The World Day against the Death Penalty 10) Activists say no to death penalty 11) Iran continues to execute children

Marcelino and Leonardo Miranda, and Feliciano Pineda Freed

Tue, 15 Aug 2006 00:00:00 EST

Leonardo Miranda, the last of three Honduran prisoners of conscience on whose behalf AIUSA has campaigned for the past year through its Special Focus Case project, was freed on August 15, 2006. Leonardo's brother Marcelino was freed on July 12, 2006, following a decision by the Honduran Supreme Court in June that acquitted Marcelino and Leonardo of a 2001 murder for which they were wrongfully imprisoned. On August 15, a lower court commuted Leonardo's sentence on another charge, resulting in his release. Amnesty believed the two brothers and another indigenous rights activist, Feliciano Pineda, were jailed in connection with their efforts to secure communal land titles for their communities in Montaña Verde. Pineda was released from detention in February 2006.

Sudan: Protecting Civilians in Darfur: A Briefing for Effective Peacekeeping

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 00:00:00 EST

Civilians in Darfur continue to be killed, raped and forcibly displaced in large numbers. Some 250,000 people have been driven from their homes and from places where they have sought safety since the beginning of 2006. Amnesty International urges the prompt deployment of a UN force with a robust protection mandate, and vigorous support for AMIS in the meantime. This briefing includes 10 recommendations that AMIS must follow to ensure effective protection of civilians in Darfur in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law.

The Blue Diamond Society

Fri, 20 Aug 2004 00:00:00 EST

The 39 metis (male transvestites) arrested in Kathmandu on 9 August were released on bail on 20 August. The Blue Diamond Society, a local organization which campaigns for the rights of sexual minorities, has sent its "sincere and grateful thanks" for the work done on behalf of the 39, all of whom are members of the Society. They were arrested on the street and in bars and nightclubs. All were apparently told that they were being taken to a meeting, and to an identity parade to pick out the man who had attacked another meti on 7 August. All 39 were reportedly kept together in a very small and overcrowded cell. Police are alleged to have beaten two of the men severely, and verbally abused all of them, saying that acid should be thrown in their faces and they did not deserve to live. Many of the 39 are illiterate, and were reportedly forced to sign statements they could not read, while others, who could read, were not allowed to see the documents they signed.