Success Stories!
(UA 286/09) Turkmen Environmentalist Evades Five Years' Imprisonment
Andrei Zakota, a 53-year-old male environmentalist, was released on 6 November from a sentence of five years in prison after he paid a fine of 1,000 Manat (about 350 USD). He was arrested on 20 October on charges of "hooliganism" and faced an unfair trial. When the regional court ruled that the city court did not take into account mitigating factors such as his environmental activity, his reputation and his cooperation, his prison sentence was commuted to a fine.2009-11-12
(UA 110/08) Freedom in Sri Lanka for Vettivel and Valarmathi Jasikaran
Journalist Vettivel Jaskaran and his wife Valarmathi Jaskaran were released on 26 October 2009 after being arbitrarily detained since March 2008 under anti- terror legislation. Vettivel Jasikaran was arrested on suspicion of "terrorism- related activities" as was his wife for supposedly supporting him. After six months being held without charge he and his wife were indicited for "inciting communal disharmony". Their case has now been dismissed.2009-11-10
After 3 Months, Iranian Prisoner of Conscience Released Without Charge (UA 176/09)
Jakarkhon Sheikho, an Iranian prisoner of conscience who was detained incommunicado for nearly three and a half months, was released without charge on October 3. He spent part of his detention in an interrogation center in Damascus that is notorious for torture. It is believed that he was arrested by Military Security because of his activities as a senior member of an unauthorized Kurdish Syrian political party.2009-10-23
Human Rights Defender Released on Bail in Iran (UA 193/09)
Human rights defender Shadi Sadr was released on bail on July 28 after being abducted on July 17 in Tehran by men believed to be security officials. It is not known what she has been charged with, but she is believed to have been arrested in connection with her human rights activities after the disputed presidential election. A lawyer and a journalist, Shadi Sadr was released after 11 days in custody on bail of 50 million toumans (US$54,000).2009-07-30
Usra al-Hussein Released from Incommunicado Detention in Syria (UA 261/08)
Usra al-Hussein was released on July 18 after spending nearly a year in incommunicado detention without charge or trial. Her husband, Jehad Diab, has been held without charge or trial as an "enemy combatant" in the U.S. detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, since August 2002. Usra al-Hussein was arrested by State Security officials on July 31, 2008, from her home in al-'Otayba after contacting an international organization regarding the detention conditions of her husband. Since her arrest, she was permitted no contact with the outside world, and her family was given no information by the Syrian authorities as to where she was being held or why she had been arrested. Amnesty International does not yet have information on her treatment during detention.2009-07-23
Harassmant of a Peasant Farmer and His Family Stopped in Brazil (UA 005/09)
Jose Luis da Silva, Severina dos Santos Silva and their family are currently receiving protection after numerous threats to their lives were made over the disputed land of their farm. Due in large part to the response from the members of the Urgent Action network, the Silva family's case was publicized and the threats have ceased. The family is also receiving psychological treatment due to the support of Amnesty International. The investigation and judicial process surrounding the threats are now moving more quickly and the family and Amnesty International are hopeful that the attackers will be punished. The Silva family expressed their gratitude to Amnesty International in a letter detailing their improved condition.2009-07-22
Afro-descendant Community of Caracoli in Colombia Not Evicted (UA 154/09)
Local police in the Curvarado region of Colombia were preparing to serve an eviction notice on the community of Caracoli on June 18. However, thanks in part to pressure from the international community, the Colombian Constitutional Court ordered the immediate suspension of the eviction notice and called for the protection of the community, which consists of over 100 people. The eviction notice had been ordered by a local judge despite the central government's repeated recognition that the residents of Caracoli legally own their lands and have a right to remain there. Caracoli is included in a collective land title, owned by the local Afro-descendant community, covering the region of Curvarado and Jiguamiando.2009-07-20
Ahmed Zuhair Released from Guantanamo (UA 350/08)
Saudi Arabian national Ahmed Zaid Salem Zuhair was released from Guantanamo and flown to Saudi Arabia on June 12. He had been held without charge or trial in Guantanamo since June 2002 and had been on hunger strike and a force feeding regime since August 2005. He was seized in a market in late December 2001 in Lahore, Pakistan, by a dozen men in civilian clothes. He was blindfolded and taken to a house where, he said, he was tortured and otherwise ill-treated. He was transferred to a military facility in the capital, Islamabad, and held incommunicado there for about 10 weeks. In mid-March 2002, he was handed over to U.S. custody and held in Bagram air base in Afghanistan. In June 2002, he was transferred to Kandahar, where he was held for two weeks. He was transported to Guantanamo later that month. He said he was ill-treated while in U.S. custody in Afghanistan. In Saudi Arabia, he will be subject to judicial review before undergoing a rehabilitation program, throughout which he will be under the control of the Saudi government. The U.S. Justice Department emphasized that his transfer, as well as those of two other Saudi Arabian nationals, Khalid Saad Mohammed and Abdalaziz Kareem Salim AL Noofayaee, were the result of the review by the Guantanamo Review Task Force set up under an executive order signed by President Barack Obama on January 22.2009-06-15
Student Released and in Good Health in United Arab Emirates (UA 142/09)
Khalil Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim al-Janahi, a 38-year-old United Arab Emirates national and a student of Shari'a (Islamic) law in Saudi Arabia, was released this morning and is staying with his relatives in the UAE. He is said to be in good health. Khalil Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim al-Janahi was arrested on April 26, 2007 when he went to the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh to catch a plane to Bahrain where his wife and other relatives live. He was arrested at passport control in the airport and taken to 'Ulaysha Prison in Saudi Arabia where he was held incommunicado for four months. His family was eventually able to visit him on several occasions, but they were not given the reason for his detention. On November 24, 2008, Khalil Abdul Rahman Abdul Karim al-Janahi was deported from Saudi Arabia to the UAE where he was immediately detained and held by members of Amn al-Dawla (State Security), the main security agency. He was held in incommunicado detention, but he was allowed to make a number of very brief phone calls to his wife. Despite repeated queries by his relatives, the UAE authorities refused to allow them to visit or to inform them of the reasons for his arrest and detention.2009-06-11
UK Nationals Maryam Kallis and Yasser Zahur Ahmed Released in Syria (UA 90/09)
British nationals Maryam Kallis and Yasser Zahur Ahmed were released on June 7 and returned home to their families in the UK. They had been held without charge in a variety of undisclosed locations for almost three months without access to legal assistance or their families. Both were accused of involvement in terrorism. Maryam Kallis was arrested on March 15 by a group of eight or 10 men in civilian clothes while with her eight-year-old son in the Rukna al-Din area of the capital, Damascus. The men took Maryam Kallis and her son back to her sister's apartment, where Maryam Kallis had been staying with her three children since March 5. The men confiscated her passport and those of her children before handcuffing her and taking her away. During her detention, Maryam Kallis was visited by a number of staff members of the British Consulate in Damascus. During a visit on April 23, she is said to have appeared frail and fatigued. According to the authorities detaining her, she was being treated daily by a doctor as an apparently routine measure. Yasser Ahmed was arrested on March 17 at the Abi Noor Language Institute in the Rukna al-Din area of Damascus, where he was in his second year studying Arabic. He had travelled to Syria with his wife and daughter in October 2006. On May 10, a British newspaper reported that Maryam Kallis and Yasser Ahmed were being held on suspicion of connections with a "terrorist organization" related to al-Qaeda. The Syrian authorities claimed that "Ms. Kallis is involved in receiving funds ... and in conveying the funds to [al-Qaeda]." This was the first public statement by the Syrian authorities regarding their detention.2009-06-09
Issa Palkoubou Released in Chad (UA 12/09)
Issa Palkoubou, a teacher in the Chadian capital, Ndjamena, was released on the morning of May 21, 2009. He was weak and sick and did not know why he had been detained. He had not been seen since he was abducted on September 3, 2008 at the American Language Center in N'djamena, where he teaches English. He was abducted by three men in plain clothes. When challenged, Issa Palkoubou's abductors refused to show any identification. He is now known to have been held in a cell run by the security services in N'Djamena. Issa Palkoubou's enforced disappearance fits a pattern of similar cases in Chad, where people not known to be members of any particular political party are abducted.2009-05-27
US-Iranian Journalist Released (UA 77/09)
Amnesty International has welcomed the news that the US-Iranian journalist, Roxana Saberi, is to be released from jail in Iran later today (Monday). "We are delighted that justice has been served by the appeal process and that Roxana Saberi is due to be released from prison in Tehran today," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa region. "She should, however, never have been imprisoned in the first place." Roxana Saberi was convicted of "collaborating with a hostile state" by Tehran's Revolutionary Court, behind closed doors, in April and originally sentenced to eight years in prison. Yesterday, a court heard an appeal against her conviction and commuted the sentence to a suspended two-year term on the charge of "collecting classified information", with a five-year ban on working as a journalist in Iran. "Although Ms Saberi's release is welcome, it should be unconditional," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. "We are concerned that she may face travel restrictions, like those imposed this weekend on Narges Mohammadi, an aide to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, and Soraya Azizpanah, the editor of Rasan magazine, who were banned from attending a conference in Guatemala."We are also calling on the Iranian authorities to release all other prisoners of conscience in Iran, including the Alaie brothers - both doctors - who are imprisoned on similar charges and whom we believe are held solely in relation to their work with international and specifically US institutions in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment."2009-05-11
Mohamed Al Mahjoub Released Without Charge in Sudan (UA 101/09)
Mohamed Al Mahjoub, acting director of Amal center for the treatment and rehabilitation of victims of torture in El Fasher, North Darfur, was released without charge on April 17, 2009. He is in good health and has said that he was not tortured. He is not allowed to leave El Fasher. He was arrested on April 11, 2009 and taken into a National Security and Intelligence Services detention center in El Fasher where he spent six days detained incommunicado. While detained he was not permitted any personal visits or given access to a lawyer. He appears to have been detained solely because of his peaceful activities at Amal center.2009-04-28
Brett Hartmann Receives Stay of Execution in Ohio (UA 76/09)
Brett Hartmann received a stay of execution from the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit on 31 March. He was due to be executed in Ohio on 7 April for the murder of Winda Snipes in 1997. Brett Hartmann's lawyers had appealed to the Sixth Circuit to stay the execution and allow them to file a new habeas corpus petition on the grounds that there was new evidence supporting Brett Hartmann's claim of innocence, including their claim that one of the state's key witnesses may have committed perjury when he testified at the trial. The court has stayed the execution at this time, but has not allowed the petition to go ahead under the stringent rules that apply in US federal law to filing successive habeas corpus petitions. The Ohio Parole Board had recommended that Governor Ted Strickland not intervene to stop the execution. The governor, who is not bound by this recommendation, had not made a decision on the case by the time the judicial stay was handed down.2009-04-15
Husband and Wife Released from Detention in China (UA 85/09)
Human rights lawyer Wei Liangyue and his wife Du Yongjing have been released and returned home after 30 days of detention. Both were released on bail on 30 March 2009 pending further investigation. Wei Liangyue remains under suspicion of "gathering a crowd to disturb social order," and Du Yongjing is still under suspicion of "using a heretical organization to undermine implementation of the law." Wei Liangyue's colleagues told Amnesty International that they were released on bail pending investigation because of insufficient evidence to further the charge. In mid-March, according to sources, the police thought of sending Wei Liangyue to Re-education through Labour, a form of administrative detention imposed without charge, trial or judcial review, but gave up the idea because of insufficient evidence to back up the measure. On 28 February, Wei Liangyue drove to pick up his wife Du Yongjing from a gathering at her friend's home. The police accused them of "attending a Falun Gong meeting" and took them to Nangang District Detention Center in Harbin. Both of them were interrogated repeatedly during the detention. Wei Liangyue was once interrogated throughout the entire night, but was not tortured. Before the detention, Wei Liangyue has been repeatedly warned by the local authorities that he had to stop representing detained Falun Gong practitioners and should stop giving them not guilty defense. Wei Liangyue believes that international attention and pressure contributed to the temporary release of him and his wife, and would like to thank those who have taken actions for them.2009-03-31
Prisoner of Conscience Treated by Doctor and Allowed to Meet with Family (UA 45/09)
Dia el Din Gad was transferred to al-Qota Prison in Giza, on the outskirts of the capital, Cairo, on 24 February, and was able to meet his family and lawyer there on 7 March. He is receiving treatment from the prison doctor. He is not know to have been charged with any offense, and is most probably held under an administrative detention order from the Minister of Interior, under the Emergency Law. Dia el Din Gad was interrogated about his blog, about his participation in protests in solidarity with the people of Gaza during Israel’s recent military campaign there, about Egyptians suspected of having entered Gaza during the conflict, and about whether he has any connections with Hamas. He was also questioned about his involvement with Egyptian protest movements, including the Egyptian Movement for Change, known as Kefaya (Enough), and the 6 April Youth movement.2009-03-13
President of Political Opposition Group in Burundi released (UA 318/08)
Alexis Sinduhije, President of the political opposition group Movement for Security and Democracy, was released and the charges against him were dropped. He was arrested on 3 November and charged on 11 November with showing "contempt for the Head of the State."2009-03-11
US Resident Waited Nearly Six Years for Fair Trial (UA 48/09)
Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, a Qatari national and US resident, was arrested in Illinois in December 2001, but his trial never took place, because on 23 June 2003, President George W. Bush designated him an "enemy combatant." Ali al-Marri was then transferred to the custody of the US Department of Defense and detained in a military facility in Charleston, South Carolina. During the first sixteen months of his military detention, he was held incommunicado and allegedly subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. President Barack Obama has ordered his release from military detention to civilian custody. On 26 February 2009, a federal grand jury in Illinois finally charged Ali al-Marri with a two-count indictment, allowing him to face a fair trial in the US criminal justice system. Amnesty International welcomes the administration's decision to end Ali al-Marri's indefinite military custody and to bring him to trial in an ordinary civilian court. The organization also emphasizes that, presuming that Ali al-Marri is soon transferred for trial, the trial must comply with international standards of fairness and due process, and that under international treaties to which the USA is party, victims of torture and other ill-treatment have the right to redress including rehabilitation and compensation, and victims of unlawful detention have the right to compensation.2009-03-04
Ma Khin Khin Leh Finally Released!
Ma Khin Khin Leh, a political prisoner in Myanmar, was unexpectedly released on Saturday, February 21, in the first group of 6,313 prisoners the government has agreed to release, including 24 political prisoners. A school teacher and young mother, she was serving a life sentence after being arrested in 1999 because her husband had organized a demonstration in support of the National League for Democracy (NLD). The authorities could not find her husband, and so arrested Ma Khin Khin Leh and the couple's three-year-old daughter, whom they held for five days in prison. Ma Khin Khin Leh was sentenced in December 1999 under vaguely worded security legislation. Her release is great news, and it offers encouragement for all of our members to continue campaigning on behalf of individuals at risk.2009-02-27
Peccerelli and Family No Longer in Grave Danger in Guatemala (UA 7/09)
Fredy Peccerelli, his family and colleagues, are no longer in immediate danger as a result of the death threat recieved on 8 January. Amnesty International is continuing to monitor their situation, and will take further campaigning action as necessary.2009-02-13
Death Row Inmate Granted Clemency in Ohio (UA 30/09)
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland granted clemency to Jeffrey Hill on 12 February. He had been due to be executed on 3 March. Jeffrey Hill was sentenced to death in 1992 for the murder of hi mother, Emma Hill, in 1991. In a statment issued on 12 February, Governor Strickland said that, based on his review of the case, including judicial decisions, arguments for and against clemency, and letters and petitions received in the Governor's office, "I concur with the rationale and recommendation of the Ohio Parole Board and have, therefore, decided to commute Mr. Hill's sentece to a term of from 25 years to life." Jeffrey Hill will be eligible for parole in 2017. Responding to the clemency decision, Emma Hill's younger brother said: "Our family's prayers have finally been answered, and we are so grateful to Governor Strickland, the parole board, and all of Jeffrey's supporters for giving him a second chance at life. The Governor's actions today not only respect our wishes, but they also honor the memory of my beloved sister and Jeffrey's mother, Emma Dee Hill, who believed in the power of redemption and the value of all life."2009-02-13
Women's Stoning Penalties Lessened in Iran (UA 257/06)
Kobra N. has had her sentence of stoning commuted to 100 lashes. Soghra Mola'i, who had been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for being an accomplice to the murder of her husband Abdollah, and to execution by stoning for adultery, was cleared of the charge of adultery after a reinvestigation of her case that ended in Novermber 2007. She was sentenced to 80 lashes for having "illicit relations." After being flogged, she was transferred to Varamin Prison near Tehran. Fatemeh is beliebed to have had her sentence of stoning, imposed in 2005, overturned. After a retrial, she is said to have been acquitted of the carge of adultery and to have been sentenced to three years imprisonment in connection with the death of a man with whom she is said to have had an affair. Amnesty International does not have details of when the retrial took place. Iran and Khayrieh both remain detained in prisons in Khuzestan province and Abdollah Farivar Moghaddam remains detained in Sari Prison, all under sentence of stoning. Amnesty International will continue to campaign on their behalf.2009-02-13
Conscientious Objector Allowed to Remain in Canada (UA 22/09)
Dean Walcott has been allowed to stay in Canada until the country's Federal Court decides whether or not to review his case. It is not yet known when this will be decided. He had been due to be deported to the uSA on 30 January. If deported to the USA, he risks being court-martialed and imprisoned for between for between one and five years and would therefore be a prisoner of conscience. Dean Walcott is seeking refugee status on a number of grounds, including that if returned to his unit in the USA, he would risk being subjected to hazing and other non-judicial punishment. Whilst in Canada, Dean Walcott has spoken out about his objection to the armed conflict in Iraq, and has become a member of a Canadian organization, the War Resisters Support Campaign, which works to lobby the Canadian government to offer sanctuary to US military personnel who go to Canada because of their opposition to the armed conflict in Iraq.2009-01-29
Larry Swearingen Granted a Stay of Execution (UA 17/09)
On January 26, Larry Swearingen was granted a stay of execution by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the federal court one level below the US Supreme Court with jurisdiction over Texas cases. He was scheduled to be put to death in Texas on the evening of January 27. Swearingen was sentenced to death in 2000 for the murder of Melissa Trotter in 1998. He maintains his innocence of the murder and several forensic experts have provided statements and testimonies that support his claim.2009-01-28
YUKOS Vice President Released on Bail in Russia
On 31 December 2008, Vasilii Aleksanian was released on bail of 50 million rubles (more that US$1.5 million). The money had been collected during a campaign in his support. Vasilii Aleksanian, a former vice-president of the Russian oil company YUKOS, was detained on 6 April 2006 and accused of embezzlement and tax fraud. In October 2006 he was diagnosed with HIV infection, and subsequently developed AIDS and several other diseases, including lymphatic cancer, tuberculosis and a cataract; he has also developed a tumor in his kidney. Under Russian law, a person diagnosed with such serious health problems should not be kept in pre-trial detention. In mid-November, he had surgery to remove his spleen. Soon afterwards his condition deteriorated, but improved again in late December. Vasilii Aleksanian spent 31 December with his family, including his six-year-old-son, whom he last saw three years ago.2009-01-21
Indigenous community leader Receives Medical Treatment in Bangladesh
Rang Lai Mro was releaseed on bail on 8 January, on the orders of the Bangladesh High Court. The head of a community of indigenous Mro people, he had been detained since 22 February 2008 charged with possessing a pistol without a license. He was tortured in army custody after his arrest: he was at risk of a heart attack, and his health was deteriorating. His release on bail now allows him to recieve the medical treatment he requires.2009-01-21
Mother and Children Enter Witness Protection Program in Brazil
After receiving a series of threats, Katia Camargo and her two children entered a witness protection program on 5 January. They are no longer believed to be in grave danger. Katia Camargo had been threatened by people linked to the killers of her husband, investigative journalist Luiz Carlos Barbon. The journalist, who had reported on official corruption, was murdered in May 2007. Their protection was ordered by Sao Paulo's Human Rights Prosecutor. It is unusual for the Prosecutor to act so rapidly on such a case. It is notable that the prosecutor's office acted with impressive speed in this case due in part to Amnesty International's intervention.2009-01-21
Iranian Political Prisoner Released on Bail
Jamila Nabgan is now free on bail, and is no longer being detained for 14 hours a day by the Ministry of Intelligence. She had been arrested at her family home in Shush, Khuzestan province, on 19 October by Ministry of Intelligence officers. She was released on bail five days later, on condition she reported every morning to the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Ahvas, Khuzestan province, where she would be detained from 8 am until 10pm. Her brother, Habib Nabgan, is a prominent member of the outlawed political party Lejnat al-Wefaq (Reconcilitation Committee), which promotes the rights of the Arab minority in Iran. His wife, Ma'soumeh Ka'bi, fled to Syria in May 2008, and the authorities believe she had help from Jamila Nabgan. Jamila Nabgan had been arrested in May 2008 and held for two days of questioning about her sister-in-law's flight to Syria, at the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Ahwaz.2009-01-15
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Uzbek Human Rights Defender Released
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.
2008-02-04
© ByMedia.net
Youth Leader Freed in Belarus
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.2008-01-23
Iranian Political Prisoner Released on Bail
Jamila Nabgan is now free on bail, and is no longer being detained for 14 hours a day by the Ministry of Intelligence. She had been arrested at her family home in Shush, Khuzestan province, on 19 October by Ministry of Intelligence officers. She was released on bail five days later, on condition she reported every morning to the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Ahvaz, Khuzestan province, where she would be detained from 8am until 10pm. Her brother, Habib Nabgan, is a prominent member of the outlawed political party Lejnat al-Wefaq (Reconciliation Committee), which promotes the rights of the Arab minority in Iran. His wife, Ma'soumeh Ka'bi, fled to Syria in May 2008, and the authroities believe she had help from Jamila Nabgan. Jamila Nabgan had been arrested in May 2008 and held for two days of questioning about her sister-in-law's flight to Syria, at the Ministry of Intelligence detention facility in Ahwaz.2008-01-15
Haleh being interviewed on IRINN TV after her release. © AFP
Dr. Haleh Esfandiari allowed to leave Iran!
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.2007-09-02
Environmental Activist Released!
It is with great joy that we announce the release of Dr Mohamed Jalal Ahmed Hashim, a prominent opponent of the construction of the Kajbar Dam in Sudan, who was arrested on June 16th. He was released from detention on August 25th. He expressed his sincere thanks to Amnesty International, explaining that so many faxes arrived that the security services holding him suspected that he was a very important person with many contacts worldwide. Since several of the faxes mentioned his diabetes, prison medical staff started to check his diabetes every day.2007-08-25
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Environmental Defender Freed!
Amnesty International is happy to report that Andrei Zatoka was released from jail on January 31. Andrei had been detained on December 17 by local police at the airport in his home city of Dashoguz. There were allegations that he was targeted to punish him for his peaceful work as an environmental activist. He and his supporters are grateful for the appeals sent by AI's Urgent Action network on his behalf.2007-01-31
Marcelino Miranda (top left), Leonardo Miranda (lower left), and Feliciano Pineda (right). © Private
Marcelino and Leonardo Miranda, and Feliciano Pineda Freed
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 2006.2006-08-15
Hojjatoleslam Ezimi Qedimi. (c) Private
Prisoner of Conscience "Very Grateful" to Urgent Action
Hojjatoleslam Ezimi Qedimi was returned to prison on March 26, 2006 after an appeal against a one-year prison sentence was rejected on February 20, 2006 by Branch 2 of the Special Court for the Clergy. If charged, Hojjatoleslam Ezimi Qedimi could be a prisoner of conscience, held solely on account of his peaceful beliefs and activities on behalf of the Azeri Turk community in Iran.2006-05-04
Photo by Evens Sanon for AP
Prisoner of Conscience Gérard Jean-Juste has been released!
Gérard Jean Juste, who is reportedly suffering from leukemia, was granted a provisional release from detention on health grounds on January 29. The interim government in Haiti apparently granted his release to allow him to seek treatment abroad, as there are no medical facilities in Haiti able to offer treatment for leukaemia. Father Jean Juste has been allowed to travel to Miami, USA, where he will be treated. Gérard Jean Juste was diagnosed with leukemia in December 2005 by two US doctors, though doctors at the National Penitentiary Annex in Port-au-Prince where he was detained refuted this diagnosis. His health deteriorated recently after he suffered a bout of pneumonia, which apparently was brought on by the conditions in the prison where he was held.2006-01-29
Yuldash Kasymov. (c) Private
19 Year Old Yuldash Kasymov's Death Sentence Commuted
Uzbekistan's Supreme Court commuted 19-year old Yuldash Kasymov's death sentence to 20 years in prison in November 2005. Shortly after the Supreme Court's decision, guards led Yuldash Kasymov out of his death row cell in Tashkent prison. "They read out the Court's ruling to him. Yuldash Kasymov was in a state of shock; he could not believe what they were telling him. He thought they were joking and he was about to be executed," said Tamara Chikunova, director of the human rights group Mothers against the Death Penalty and Torture. Yuldash Kasymov was moved to the prison in Andizhan.2005-12-12
Felipe Arreaga. © AI
Environmental Activist and Prisoner of Conscience Felipe Arreaga Released
Amnesty International has received with pleasure the news of the acquittal of Felipe Arreaga Sánchez, environmental activist, founder of the Peasant Environmentalist Organization of the Sierra de Petatlán (OCESP) and prisoner of conscience. He was released on September 15. However, he, his family and other environmental activists in the region remain in grave danger. After considering his case, Amnesty International believed that the arrest and prosecution of Felipe Arreaga was in retaliation for his peaceful struggle to prevent excessive logging of the region’s forests. Read more. »2005-09-15
Airat Vakhitov © Private
Former Guantanamo Prisoners Freed in Russia!
Airat Vakhitov and Rustam Akhmiarov, who were originally held in US custody at Guantanamo Bay, and then sent to Moscow where they later ''disappeared'' before being located in detention, were released several days later on September 2, 2005.2005-09-02
Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina. (c) Private
Néstor Rodríguez, Prisoner of Conscience, Relased
Prisoner of conscience Néstor Rodríguez Lobaina was released in July 2005, after five years and four months in prison. He had been detained in March 2000 and sentenced to a six year prison term for "disrespect," "public disorder," and "damage."2005-08-19
Gagan Thapa at Amnesty International's headquarters in London. (c) AI
Student Leader, Gagan Thapa, Thanks Urgent Action
Gagan Thapa appeared before the Special Court in Kathmandu in August 2005, where he was charged with sedition before being released pending trial. He told trial observers that such international attention had been instrumental in ensuring his safety. "If the international community had not been present at the right moment, the action taken against me would have been even more serious... As soon as the international pressure started, the police changed their tone." Gagan Thapa, a student leader and former Secretary General of the Nepal Students Union (NSU), was detained by police in Kathmandu on July 27, 2005. He chose to stay with the other prisoners so as not to appear privileged.2005-08-15
Dogan Genc, Eren Keskin and Saban Dayanan (front row, l-r) with other IHD members at a press conference about the threats they received (c. Private)
Human Rights Defenders Receive Protection, Thank Urgent Action Activists
Three members of the Insan Haklari Dernegi (IHD), Human Rights Association, Eren Keskin, Saban Dayanan and Dogan Genc have not received any further death threats following the threatening letters sent to their home and work addresses on April 19, 2005, by an ultra-nationalist group. The Turkish authorities have informed Amnesty International that the Ministry of the Interior is investigating the threats against three human rights defenders and that they have warned all the provincial governors in Turkey to take "the necessary security precautions" to protect the branches of IHD and other non-governmental organizations in case of possible attacks.2005-08-02
Moazzam Begg c. Marie-Anne Ventoura
Released Guantanamo Bay detainee thanks AI
A dual citizen of the UK and Pakistan, Moazzam Begg was one of the first foeign nationals to be detained by the US after September 11, 2001. He was held without charge or trial until his release in January of 2005. Urgent Action # UA 199/03 was issued on his (and other's) behalf on July 8, 2003 and re-issued several times.2005-07-27
Abdullah Webster with his baby in 2004 c. AI 2004
"I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Amnesty Internaitonal . . "
Conscientious objector Abdullah Webster was released from prison on April 30, 2005, after serving 11 months of a 14-month sentence for refusing to participate in the war in Iraq on the basis of his religious and moral beliefs.2005-07-27
Saleh Mahmud Osman with UA
Human Rights Defender Thanks Activists
Sudan: Lawyer and human rights defender Saleh Mahmud Osman visited AI UK in London in April 2005. He discussed his work for the Amal Center in Nyala, in the Darfur region, where he provides legal aid for the victims of human rights abuses. The center also provides medical treatment and rehabilitation for survivors of torture. Saleh Mahmud Osman was detained in connection with his work on February 1, 2004, and spent seven months in detention before being released on September 4, 2004.2005-07-27
Rebiya greeted with flowers (© AI)
Rebiya Kadeer – Special Focus Case
Amnesty International is happy to report that Rebiya Kadeer was released from prison on March 17. Rebiya Kadeer is a successful businesswoman who was jailed for her efforts to publicize discrimination and human rights violations against China's Uighur minority. Read more »2005-03-17
Sumi Khan c. AI
Bangladeshi journalist appreciates AI's support.
On March 8, 2005, Bangladeshi journalist Sumi Khan visited AI's United Kingdom section to talk about her experiences as a campaigning journalist and human rights defender. Soon after her return to Bangladesh, she received a written death threat, purportedly from local Islamist groups, saying that her home and office would be attacked with grenades if she reported on their activities again. Sumi Khan has worked to expose those responsible for crimes such as child- and arms-trafficking in her role as a reporter for the magazine Weekly 2000 in the port city of Chittagong in southern Bangladesh. April 2004, as she was on the way to the courier office to send a report to her editor, a three-wheeled taxi pulled up and three men got out and began to beat her and stab her hands and face. Though Sumi fought back, she was beaten unconscious. Her attackers shouted at her that she would be killed if she continued writing. They deliberately harmed her hands so that she would not be able to write.2005-03-08
Wangari Maathai (c. AFP)
Wangari Maathai, previous Urgent Action case, is awarded Nobel Peace Prize!
A leader of Kenya's Greenbelt Movement, Wangari Maathai was awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. Urgent Action Network members took action on her behalf on five separate occasions.2005-03-04
Camilo Mejia Castillo
Conscientious Objector Freed
Staff Sergeant Camilo Mejia Castillo, who had been imprisoned on charges of 'desertion' from the US Army, was released from prison on 15 February, three months before the end of his one-year sentence. He is a conscientious objector who cited his moral objections to the conduct of US troops towards Iraqi civilians and prisoners and questioned the legality of the war in his conscientious objector application.2005-02-22
Rehab holding an Urgent Action appeal letter (© Private)
2004-09-24
© AFP
"I can tell you that these letters work".
Thanks to all who joined AI in calling for the release of former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim. He was freed on September 2, 2004. Ibrahim had been arrested after policy disagreements with then prime minister Mahathir Mohamad. He was charged with "abuse of power" and sodomy.Learn More »
2004-09-02
Nepalese transgender community protests the arrest of 39 members of the Blue Diamond Society.
(© AFP)
The Blue Diamond Society
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.2004-08-20
Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam
"We will win in a prosperous world."
All charges against human rights activist Dr. Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, director of the Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDO), were dropped on August 7, 2004, and he was released. Dr. Mudawi was arrested in December 2003 after he visited Darfur in the course of his work for SUDO and charged with crimes against the state that carried the death penalty.2004-08-10
Imran Ezhiev with a copy of AI's 'Fair Trials Manual'. (c) AI
Activist Imran Ezhiev Continues Work, Even After Multiple Arrests and Torture
Imran Ezhiev, head of the regional department of the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society for Ingushetia and Chechnya and a regional coordinator of the Moscow Helsinki Group, has been detained more than a dozen times in the course of the last five years. But he has not stopped his human rights work. In September 2000, he was detained by police for a week, and has stated he was tortured and threatened with "disappearance."2004-07-16
Thich Tri Luc heads a procession of monks as they set off for a demonstration and hunger strike preceding Thich Don Hau's funeral in April 1992. (c. IBB)
Vietnamese Buddhist monk takes a breath of freedom
Prisoner of conscience Thich Tri Luc has been resettled in Sweden. He has expressed thanks "from the bottom of my heart... to [those to] whom I owe my freedom."Thich Tri Luc, a former Buddhist monk and member of the non state-sanctioned Unified Buddhist Church of Viet Nam (UBCV), fled from Viet Nam to Cambodia to seek asylum after suffering years of persecution by the Vietnamese authorities. He was adopted as a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International on two previous occasions before he left Viet Nam in early 2002, and in between periods spent in prison was subjected to house arrest, harassment, short term detention, and deprivation of basic rights by the authorities because of his membership of the UBCV and his peaceful religious activities.
Thich Tri Luc's case was considered of vital importance and emblematic for AI campaigning and advocacy because of its focus on serious human rights violations in both Viet Nam and Cambodia: religious persecution in Viet Nam and Cambodia's failure to honor its commitments under the Refugee Convention.
2004-07-08
Khalmurad Gylychdurdyev returned to his family.
Khalmurad Gylychdurdyev was returned to his family by officers of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) on June 26, 2004. He said that Amnesty International's involvement had helped secure his release. Mr Gylychdurdyev had been taken away by three men in a car on the morning of June 23 during a visit to the eye hospital in the capital, Ashgabat. During interrogation, while in detention, he was pressured to stop giving interviews on Radio Liberty - a US station that frequently broadcasts programs critical of Turkmenistan's government policies.2004-07-01
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Isidro Baldenegro
Environmental activists more determined now to continue work.
Isidro Baldenegro and Hermenegildo Domingo Rivas, two environmental activists and human rights defenders, were released on June 23, 2004 after all charges against them were dropped. Both men are members of the indigenous Raramuris community of Coloradas de la Virgen, in Chihuahua State, where they had been among the leaders of their community's struggle against unregulated logging in the region. In retaliation for their work, officers of the state judicial police detained them in March 2003, and charged them with illegal possession of firearms. Isidro Baldenegro was also charged with possession of marijuana. National and international pressure was vital in securing this action by the authorities. Isidro Baldenegro told the newspaper La Jornada that he was "now even more determined [to carry on his work in defense of the environment], because this experience has shown us that there are people who are prepared to help us."2004-06-30
Ingushetia relatives grateful to Urgent Action letter-writers
All 36 Chechen men detained in Altievo, Ingushetia during a police and army raid on June 23, 2004, were released, according to the human rights organization, Memorial. A representative from Memorial said that they very much appreciated the work of the Urgent Action Network, which is thought to have contributed to the men's release. Many female relatives of the detainees asked Memorial to convey their thanks to those who campaigned for the release of their loved ones.2004-06-23
Wang Dan (c. AI)
Tiananmen Square activist thanks UA activists
Student leader Wang Dan, jailed for his part in the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, spoke at Amnesty International's headquarters on June 18, 2004. Because of Urgent Action appeals, he said, he was treated much better than other prisoners. He asked AI staff members to thank the Urgent Action Network, and encourage them in their work on behalf of those in prison now.2004-06-18
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Journalist Ruslan Sharipov has been moved from prison to house arrest
On 13 March he was reportedly transferred to a detention centre in Tashkent region best described as an "open" prison (koloniya-poseleniye, a "penal colony settlement"). He has reportedly been allowed to live with a relative, who lives close by, so he is effectively under house arrest. He has to report daily to the prison authorities and must not undertake any public activities such as attending meetings or writing articles for publication. If he breaks these conditions he could be sent back to a stricter regime penal colony to serve the remainder of his sentence. Under a December 2003 presidential amnesty his sentence was reduced to three years, one month and 17 days. According to at least one official statement from the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs he could qualify for early release after he has served a third of his sentence, which would be on 11 June 2004.2004-06-11
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Leyla Zana – Special Focus Case
Leyla Zana and three other parliamentarians were released from prison on June 9, 2004 by order of a Turkish appeals court. Amnesty International USA championed Leyla Zana's case through the Casework Program's Special Focus Case project. More than 400 AIUSA groups in the Northeast Region, and many others around the country, have campaigned intensively for the release of Zana and her colleagues. » Read more2004-06-09
The Threat of an Urgent Action
This message is from a member of the Urgent Action Team at Amnesty's International Secretariat in London:"I wanted to share the success story of an Urgent Action that was drafted and edited today, but was not issued. The Russia Team sent us a draft Urgent Action about a prisoner, Stanislav Ryabchikov, who was being held in a punishment cell in poor conditions at a detention facility in Moscow, where he was being denied medical treatment for tuberculosis. The team had heard about the case from a Russian NGO, and was concerned for the man's health and well-being. Just as we were about to send out a Urgent Action on his behalf, the Russia Team heard that he had been released from the punishment cell, and was back in a specialist wing of the prison for tuberculosis sufferers.
"The team told us that they felt the Urgent Action may have been a factor in his release, as both the team at the IS and the NGO in Russia had telephoned the detention facility a number of times to check the fax numbers we were including in the Urgent Action. They think that this made the authorities aware that the international spotlight was about to be turned upon them, so they took action before this happened!
"There is no news on the state of Stanislav Ryabchikov's health, and further action by Amnesty International may be needed on his case in the future, but it's great to be reminded of the power of Urgent Actions!"
2004-06-01
Dr. Elma Novais (© AI)
"I Will Carry On..."
In January 2003, Urgent Action letter-writers sent thousands of appeals to Brazilian officials on behalf of Dr. Elma Novais and her children Jefferson and Roxana, following a campaign of threats and intimidation against them. This campaign appeared to be designed to intimidate Dr. Novais, who had been working tirelessly to bring to justice those responsible for killing her son, Josenildo Joao de Freitas Junior. He was shot dead in Caruaru, Pernambuco, in 1999 by a group of men who witnesses described as military policemen, and who were believed to be members of a death squad. After the Urgent Action was issued, Dr. Novais' protection was switched from 12- to 24-hour.2004-05-25
Dilobar Khudoberganova
(c. AI)
Sister thanks Urgent Action activists for helping brother.
Dilobar Khudoberganova is the sister of Iskander Khudoberganov, a man who has been the subject of numerous Urgent Actions. In 2002, Iskandar Khudoberganov was sentenced to death on charges that included religious extremism and serious anti-state crimes. Iskander Khudoberganov's mother, Matlyuba Khudoberganova, told AI that when she saw her son for the first time in the Uzbek National Security Service (SNB), he told her: "They tortured me to force me to confess to all the charges they have come up with. If I hadn't signed the confession in the end, I wouldn't be alive anymore. Everything inside me feels smashed."2004-05-01
Sok Yoeun
Cambodian refugee expresses gratitude to letter-writers
Cambodian authorities accused Sok Yoeun, a member of a Cambodian opposition party, of being responsible for a 1999 rocket attack, which Prime Minister Hun Sen claimed was aimed at him. This allegation was widely believed to be unfounded but he was kepting in detention for five years in Thailand (where he had escaped to) and Amnesty International found Sok Yoeun to be a prisoner of conscience, campaigning for him several ways including several different Urgent Actions issued during 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. Sok Yoeun, a Cambodian national, was finally reunited with his family in Helsinki, Finland on 27 February 2004, one day after being released from a Thai prison in Bangkok.2004-03-27
Letters Help Prevent Amputation of 16 Year Old
The sentence of cross amputation passed on 16-year-old Mohamed Hassan Hamdan, member of the Ja'afra ethnic group (an Arab group in South Darfur), was quashed in December 2003 by the Appeal Court in Nyala, South Darfur State, on the grounds that the accused was a child. The sentence was commuted to a year of imprisonment in a reformatory. Mohamed Hassan Hamdan has now been sent to a reformatory in Khartoum. External pressure from the UA Network was reportedly one factor that led authorities to reconsider the sentence.2004-02-26
Former prisoner of conscience Zouheir Yahiaoui
Tunisian Prisoner of Conscience Released
Following a relentless national and international campaign, Tunisian prisoner of conscience Zouheir Yahiaoui was conditionally released from prison on November 18, 2003. When he returned home, he found out from his family and through the internet that he had received immense international support.Prisoner of conscience Zouheir Yahiaoui had been on hunger strike in protest at his continued detention. He is the former operator of TUNeZINE, an independent Internet website. He was arrested on June 4, 2002 in Ben Arous in the outskirts of Tunis and taken to the Ministry of the Interior, where he was allegedly tortured by security officers. He was convicted on charges of "spreading false information" and "misuse of telecommunication lines" and sentenced to two years' imprisonment in July 2002.
2004-01-09
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2004-01-01
Hasan Bility c. AI
"Amnesty International has helped me so many times."
Hassan Bility, a journalist with The Analyst newspaper in Liberia, was held incommunicado and without charge or trial following his arrest on June 24, 2002. He was accused of supporting the armed opposition Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD). The authorities initially threatened to try him under military jurisdiction. He was tortured, denied access to defense lawyers and not brought before any court, despite several writs of habeas corpus submitted on his behalf.Following months of national and international pressure, Hassan Bility was finally released by the Liberian government and handed over to the United States embassy officials on December 7. He was flown out of the country to Ghana and then on to the United States.
2003-12-07
Algerian Medical Doctor is Acquitted and Released
Doctor and human rights defender Salaheddine Sidhoum was acquitted on October 16, 2003, in a retrial of his earlier conviction in absentia. His original conviction had resulted in a sentence of twenty years' imprisonment. He went home and celebrated his acquittal and release with family and friends. An Amnesty International staff member who works on the Algeria team at the IS was able to speak with Salaheddine on the day he left Serkadji prison. He warmly thanked Amnesty International for the campaign that was launched in his support, which he said had given him a lot of strength. He also expressed his determination to continue his work for human rights in Algeria in order to contribute to establishing the truth about all the crimes that have been committed in his country.2003-10-21
Five Political Leaders in Gabon Thank AI Members
Hughes Bessacque, Brice Obanda, Gervais Amogo, Abdul Allogo Mintsa, and Pascal Nkoulou, five members of the Gabonese opposition party Bongo Doit Partir (BDP), Bongo Must Go (or BDP-Gabon Nouveau), were released on October 1, 2003, after three months of detention. They have been reunited with their families and are generally in good health, although they did suffer some health problems during their imprisonment. They had been charged with threatening state security and insulting the head of state. Most, if not all, of them were released without charge. In a press release BDP-Gabon Nouveau's leader thanked members of Amnesty International and others for having put pressure on the government, as this was a factor in their release.2003-10-16
Sevim Yetkiner, human rights defender
Turkish human rights defender thanks activists for effective work
Sevim Yetkiner, chair of the Mus branch of the Human Rights Association was released from Erzurum prison in eastern Turkey on August 6, 2003. Sevim Yetkiner was imprisoned in Mus province, southeast Turkey, on July 17, 2003 after attending the funeral of a member of the illegal armed group the Kurdistan Worker’s Party. She told Amnesty International, "The 21 days that I spent in prison reinforced my commitment in the struggle for human rights. This is a struggle that everyone in society should join". She is convinced that appeals from UA network had a huge impact on her treatment in the prison; she noticed a positive difference in her conditions and the attitude of the prison administration towards her. She also attributes her swift release to the pressure of the Amnesty International’s campaigning. She thanked the organization warmly and said, "The appeals sent by AI members are effective and important -- I have seen first-hand how important they are".2003-08-27
Natalia Melman was murdered in Argentina in February 2001.
Letters offer support and protection to family of murdered daughter
Gustavo Melmann, members of his family and family friends were subjected to harassment and intimidation following the conviction of three policemen for the murder of Gustavo and Laura Melmann's daughter Natalia. They are continuing their legal struggle for justice, but have not received any new death threats. Gustavo Melmann has sent this message of thanks to all those who sent appeals.2003-05-12
N'sii Luanda Shandwe
Letters bring release and happiness to Congolese prisoner of conscience
N'sii Luanda Shandwe was released January 26, 2003, having spent nine months in prison. He was detained as a result of his human rights activism, but was never formally charged with a criminal offence. His release appears to have been a measure of presidential grace, announced on the second anniversary of President Joseph Kabila's accession to power.2003-03-03
Zouhayer Makhlouf holding copies of the Urgent Actions issued on his behalf. (© Private)
2002-09-04
Urgent Action letters save lives!
Urgent Action appeals helped to protect Colombian human rights defenders Astrid Manrique and Yolima Quintero after they received death threats.2002-01-01
Coronado Avila M.
Honduran human rights defender thanks Urgent Action activists.
Along with two other grassroots leaders in Honduras, Coronado Avila had been receiving death threats - allegedly from armed groups with links to the authorities - for his work defending the land rights of peasant farmers, protecting the environment, and promoting participation in elections. An Urgent Action was issued on their behalf.2001-07-30
Eren Keskin
Turkish Prisoner of Conscience thanks Urgent Action Activists
Eren Keskin, a human rights activist and lawyer, was arrested on June 1, 1995 and sentenced to serve a prison sentence for writing and publishing "separatist propaganda". Amnesty International considered her a prisoner of conscience and issued Urgent Actions on her behalf.2001-06-06
The mother of Jose Nunes da Silva, holding the letters sent to her family by UA network members c.AI
The authorities now recognize the problem.
In May 2000, Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action on behalf of Valdenia Aparecida Paulino, a Brazilian lawyer who was facing threats and intimidation in her attempts to uncover the truth behind the suspected extrajudicial execution of two men by military police. In the Urgent Action, we also asked for copies of appeals to be sent to the family of one of the men, Jose Nunes da Silva, who lived in one of the favelas (shanty-towns) which surround Sao Paulo. Earlier this year, Valdenia Aparecida Paulino spoke to AI about the impact of the UA.2000-05-19
Danis, left and Arsen, right
Death sentences commuted for members of Uzbek pop group
Two lead singers of Al-Vakil, a well-known Uzbek pop group, Danis Vladimirovich Sirazhev and Arsen Albertovich Arutyunyan, had been in danger of imminent executions, charged with the killing of another singer in Uzbekistan. Both death sentences were later commuted to 15 years' imprisonment.2000-05-09
Christine Anyanwu
"I knew I was not alone"
Christine Anyanwu, publisher of the Sunday Magazine in Nigeria was detained without charge apparently for publishing articles critical of the govenrment. After an Urgent Action was issued on behalf of her and other jounralists, she was released in June, 1998. After her release, she wrote to thank all those who supported her during her imprisonment1998-06-28
Radhia Nasraoui and her 16 yr old daughter, Nadia Hammami
Tunisian human rights lawyer explains importance of Urgent Actions
On the night of February 11, Tunisian security forces ransacked the office of Radhia Nasraoui, a human rights lawyer and mother of two. All the files relating to her clients, legal codes, books and a computer were stolen. Nothing was taken from colleagues sharing the same office. An Urgent Action was issued and updated on her behalf three times in 1998 expressing concern for pattern of harrassment and intimidation against her.1998-02-13
Gendun Rinchen, holding his Urgent Action.
Tibetan tourist guide thanks activists for his release
On May 13, 1993, Tibetan tourist guide, Gedun Rinchen was arrested after security forces raided his home and found documents describing the state of human rights in Tibet. He was held in solitary confinement in Llasa until his surprise release eight months later.1993-05-13
Dr Fathi Subuh
Urgent Action appeals help Palestinian professor
Fathi Subuh, a university professor, was arrested by the Palestinian Authority's Preventative Security Service (PSS)on July 2, 1997, for what Amnesty International concluded was for setting examination questions seen as critcal of al-Azhar University and the Palestinian Authority. He was released late in 1997 after serious health problems.AI delegates visited Fathi Subuh and his family in their home in February 1998. He said that sometimes, during his interrogation, he was asked how he knew so-and-so from Sweden or Germany - the writers of the Urgent Action appeal letters. He expressed his deep gratitude to AI members for all their work on his behalf.
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