Success Stories!

Two Reprieves in Ohio!

On Monday, October 5, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland granted temporary reprieves to Lawrence Reynolds and Darryl Durr. These reprieves came after the 6th Circuit US Court of Appeals stayed the Reynolds execution pending a November 30 hearing on the botched lethal injection of Romell Broom, whom the state of Ohio tried but failed to execute on September 15. While Amnesty called on Governor Strickland to establish a moratorium on all executions in his state, these reprieves are an acknowledgement that Ohio has serious problems with its death penalty. Thanks to all who took action!
2009-10-06

Stay of Execution for Kenneth Mosley

Late on September 23, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the execution of Kenneth Mosley - a death row prisoner from Texas. The Court decision came one day before Mosley's scheduled execution. During Mr. Mosley's trial, his lawyers failed to provide the jury with evidence on his abusive upbringing, on his exposure to toxic pesticides as a child, his possible brain damage, his depression and his use of cocaine to self-medicate. A similar Alabama case (Wood v. Allen) will be heard at the U.S. Supreme Court this November, on the question of inadequate legal assistance during the sentencing phase of a death penalty trial. The high Court's decision in that case will determine the next step in Mr. Mosley's case. We want to thank all of our activists who worked hard to make Mr. Mosley's story heard!
2009-09-24

North Carolina Racial Justice Act Becomes Law!

On August 11, North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue signed the Racial Justice Act into law, making North Carolina only the second state in the country to allow death row prisoners to meaningfully challenge their death sentences if racial bias is evident. Historically, race (particularly race of the victim) has been a major factor in who does and does not get death sentences in North Carolina, and 35 inmates on North Carolina’s death row were put there by all-white juries. Congratulations to the North Carolina Coalition for a Moratorium and all others whose hard work has made the passage of this law a reality!
2009-08-11

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

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

Death Penalty Abolished in New Mexico!

On Wednesday, March 18, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson signed into law a bill to abolish the death penalty! New Mexico now becomes the 15th state to outlaw capital punishment, and the 2nd in only two years. Congratulations to the New Mexico Coalition to Repeal the Death Penalty, and to all who have been working so hard there!
2009-04-01

Stay of Execution Granted for Brett Hartmann in Ohio

On March 31, the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit granted a stay of execution for Brett Hartmann, who was scheduled to be put to death by the state of Ohio on April 7. Mr. Hartmann is seeking access to evidence for DNA testing he argues could prove his innocence, and the stay was granted to allow the US Supreme Court to issue a ruling on another case which could determine what kind of rights he has to access such evidence.
2009-04-01

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

Stimulus funding for Native Women

The economic stimulus package the U.S. Congress recently approved includes hundreds of millions of dollars to fund the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Services. This victory is due in part because of AIUSA and the 2007 AIUSA report, Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA.
2009-02-20

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

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

Commission Recommends Repeal in Maryland

On November 12, the Maryland Commission on Capital Punishment voted to recommend repealing the death penalty in Maryland. On December 12, the Commission issued that recommendation in their Final Report. The Commission was created by the Maryland General Assembly to conduct a thorough study of capital punishment in that state. After five public hearings and hours of testimony from both experts and the general public, the Commission determined that Maryland's death penalty is racially and geographically biased, more expensive, harmful to victims' families, and not a deterrent. The Commission also concluded that there is a "real possibility" of executing an innocent person in Maryland. The solution to these fundamental flaws, the Commission found, is to repeal the death penalty.
2008-11-13

Charles Dean Hood's execution stayed

The execution of Charles Dean Hood, scheduled for September 10, has been stayed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. The stay was not based on the highly publicized allegations that Hood's trial judge and prosecutor were involved romantically during the time of his trial, but was in response to a challenge that his jury was given flawed instructions. News accounts have also reported that, in their reprieve request to Texas Governor Rick Perry, Hood's attorneys stated that the former judge and prosecutor in question admitted to the affair under oath earlier this week in a separate civil proceeding. Thanks to all who took action on his behalf!
2008-09-10

Thomas Arthur's execution stayed

On July 31, the Alabama Supreme Court voted 5-4 to indefinitely delay the execution of Thomas Arthur, who is seeking a DNA test he claims could prove his innocence. Another man has confessed to the crime and the state of Alabama has admitted that it has lost the rape kit containing the DNA evidence in question. Thanks to all who took action on his behalf!
2008-07-31

Kevin Young's death sentence commuted

Good News! The Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board recommended clemency for Kevin Young and on Thursday, July 24th, Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry approved their recommendation and commuted Young's sentence. Young was sentenced to death in 1996 after exchanging gunfire and killing a man during a botched robbery attempt. Young and another man went to the steakhouse with the intention of robbing the restaurant, yet the shooting was not premeditated and did not merit a capital sentence. The Pardon and Parole Board has recommended clemency four times in the past five years, yet Henry has granted only one clemency request during that time. Thanks to all who took action on his behalf!
2008-07-24

Percy Walton's Sentence Commuted

Good News! Just one day before he was scheduled to become the 100th execution in Virginia, Governor Timothy M. Kaine commuted the sentence of Percy Walton, a man with a history of serious mental illness, to life in prison. Thank you to all who took action on his behalf.
2008-06-09

Sami al Hajj Released from Guantanamo

Sami al Hajj, a Sudanese cameraman for the television station al-Jazeera, has been released from Guantanamo. He was held by the U.S government. without charge for over 6 years. Sami al Hajj has said that while in U.S. custody he was subjected to a range of torture and ill-treatment, including beatings and denial of prescribed medication for cancer. Amnesty International volunteers worldwide have written letters to U.S. authorities on behalf of Sami al Hajj, and AIUSA Local Groups 48 (Portland, OR) and 74 (Garden City, NY) "adopted" his case. Many thanks to all who wrote for Sami al Hajj.
»Watch a video of Sami al Hajj post-release
2008-05-05

New Jersey Ends the Death Penalty!

On Human Rights Day – Monday, December 10th – the New Jersey Senate passed a bill to abolish the death penalty. The New Jersey Assembly passed it on December 13th, and Governor Jon Corzine signed it on Monday, December 17th, 2007 making New Jersey the first state in over 40 years to legislatively abolish the death penalty!
» Read the press release
2007-12-17

Worldwide Moratorium on Executions Endorsed at United Nations

On November 15, 2007, the Third Committee of the United Nations General Assembly voted to endorse a resolution calling for a moratorium on executions worldwide. Ninety-nine countries voted in favor, with 52 voting against (including the U.S.), and 33 abstaining. Amnesty International sections and activists throughout the world contributed to this effort by lobbying their governments to support or sponsor the resolution. » Read Amnesty's Press Release
2007-11-15

Clemency granted for Kenneth Foster

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 6-1 to recommend clemency for Kenneth Foster, and Texas Governor Rick Perry complied, commuting Foster's death sentence to life. Gov. Perry went even further, calling for changes in Texas death penalty law. Kenneth Foster was sentenced to death in Texas under the controversial "Law of Parties" which allows an accomplice who does not kill anyone to be held as responsible for murder as the actual killer. He was scheduled to be executed for the murder of Michael LaHood. The murder was committed by Mauriceo Brown, who was executed in 2006. Thank you to all who sent appeals and took action on behalf of Kenneth Foster. You have helped save a life!
2007-08-30

US Policy toward Colombia is finally changing and you helped make that happen

Last week the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a new aid package to Colombia through its version of the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act increasing support for critical social, economic and humanitarian needs and decreasing funding to a military implicated in serious human rights violations.

For over a decade, AIUSA has advocated for a different approach to US policy toward Colombia. We have highlighted the role of the Colombian Armed Forces in serious human rights violations, the killing of thousands of civilians by the military, paramilitary and guerrilla’s, the attacks against human rights defenders, the internal displacement of millions of Colombians and have communicated our concerns over cases of human rights violations to the US government.

Because of the emails you sent, letters you wrote, and phone calls you made, the new aid package went from 76% military and 24% social and economic aid (what the Bush Administration asked for) to 55% military and 45% social and economic aid, including support for victims of the conflict.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to all AIUSA activists who contacted their congressional representatives asking the New Congress to create a New Policy Toward Colombia! There is much more work to be done and we must continue to insist on change in our foreign policy, but this is the beginning of a more humane and balanced approach to supporting Colombia and we thank you all for having been a part of shaping it.

Stay tuned for the Senate version of the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. We will need your help to ensure that the Senate also passes more balanced aid package for Colombia.
2007-06-25

Stay of execution granted!

Good News! The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has issued a stay of execution for Cathy Henderson who had been scheduled to be executed June 13 in Texas for the 1994 murder of a three-and-a-half-month-old baby, Brandon Baugh. Serious doubt has been raised about the prosecutions claim that Brandon's death was not the result of an accidental fall.
» Read Amnesty's press release
2007-06-12

House of Representatives Passes Resolution Condemning Killings of Women in Guatemala

On Wednesday May 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Resolution 100, urging the U.S. government to work with Guatemala in addressing violence against women in Guatemala and the unsolved murders of more than 2,500 women and girls since 2001. H. Res. 100 was sponsored by Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-California) and cosponsored by Representatives Engel, Lantos, Lee and Burton.
» See Representative Solis' floor speech on the Resolution, and her acknowledgement of Amnesty International.

In her words to the House, Rep. Solis thanks Amnesty International for supporting the bill, along with the Washington Office on Latin America, Guatemala Human Rights Commission, Human Rights First, and the Central American Resource Center. Action during recent weeks by Amnesty International staff and activists was key in helping Rep. Solis garner strong bipartisan support for the Resolution, which passed with 100 co-sponsors. Rep. Solis stressed that few of the killings of women have ever been investigated, and even fewer have resulted in convictions, but that the Resolution will “increase the international pressure needed to stop violence against women” in Guatemala.

A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who contacted their Congressional representatives to ask them to cosponsor the resolution.
» See the resolution.

2007-05-01

House Committee Approves Resolution Condemning the Killings of Women in Guatemala

On March 27, 2007 the House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously approved House Resolution 100 (H. Res. 100), condemning the over 2,500 killings of women in Guatemala sponsored by Congresswoman Hilda L. Solis (D-CA). The resolution passed with 84 cosponsors. Consideration of the resolution by the full House is expected in the coming months. Thanks to all who took action to make this possible! We will keep you updated on the progress of this resolution.

Please write to thank your representative for cosponsoring this resolution. » Find which representatives cosponsored this resolution.
2007-03-27

Six Major Metropolitan Police Departments Take the Pledge

As part of the campaign following the release of AIUSA's Stonewalled report, activists asked police departments to sign a pledge to take concrete steps to end targeting of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) individuals for police abuse and misconduct.

Police Departments that have signed the pledge so far: Thanks to everyone who took part in the Stonewalled campaign!
2007-02-22

New Mexico House Passes Abolition Bill

On Monday, February 12, 2007, the New Mexico House of Representative passed a death penalty abolition bill by a 41-28 vote. House Bill 190, which now heads for the New Mexico Senate, would abolish the death penalty in New Mexico and replace it with life in prison without parole. The 41-28 margin by which the bill passed represents progress from the 38-31 vote a similar bill received in the New Mexico House in 2005. The New Mexico Legislature's current session ends on March 17, 2007. If House Bill 190 passed both houses of the New Mexico Legislature and is signed into law, if would take effect on July 1, 2007. Many thanks to all of our New Mexico allies who have been working so hard to make abolition a legislative reality!
2007-01-12

Update on New Jersey Death Penalty Moratorium/Study Bill

The New Jersey Death Penalty Study Commission – set up by the state legislature in 2006 to study all aspects of capital punishment in New Jersey – released its final report. Its report recommends abolition of the death penalty and its replacement with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. It further recommends that any cost savings resulting from abolition be used to assist the families of murder victims. Many thanks to the AIUSA activists in New Jersey for encouraging their representatives to pass this important legislation.
Read the statement by AIUSA Executive Director Larry Cox »
2007-01-02

LGBT NGO's granted consultative status at the UN

In January 2006 three LGBT groups were denied the right to a fair hearing on their application for consultative status to the UN's Economic and Social Council. The US aligned itself with severely oppressive regimes including Iran, China, Sudan and Zimbabwe prompting an Amnesty International campaign pressuring Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to change the US position and grant LGBT rights groups a voice at the United Nations. The US reversed its stance and on December 11, 2006 the applications were approved allowing the groups to be able to directly raise human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity at the United Nations. Read the ECOSOC press release »
2006-12-11

Charges Dropped Against Border Aid Workers

On September 1, U.S. District Judge Raner Collins dismissed the case against humanitarian aid workers Shanti Sellz and Daniel Strauss. Sellz and Strauss had been charged with transporting undocumented migrants after providing assistance to three men found in apparently life-threatening condition in the Arizona desert last July. Thanks to all who took action on their behalf!
Download the interview with Daniel and Shanti as featured on Law and Disorder radio. MP3 format 15MB.
2006-09-01

Guantánamo detainee, Murat Kurnaz has been released!

Murat Kurnaz, a Turkish national born in Germany and featured in AIUSA's Holiday Card action, was released on August 24, 2006 from Guantánamo. He had been held for four years and eight months without charge or trial. In January 2005, a U.S. federal judge cited his case as illustrative of the inherent unfairness and fundamental flaws of the administrative review process in Guantánamo.
2006-08-24

Israel / Hizbullah Ceasefire Vigils

On August 7th Amnesty International held ceasefire vigils around the world to show solidarity with victims and survivors on both sides of the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah. Over 50 vigils were held in the U.S. alone! See the photos »
2006-08-07

Vermont Passes Law to Protect Women in Prison from Custodial Sexual Misconduct

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) applauded lawmakers in Vermont for passing legislation that protects women in prison from custodial sexual misconduct (CSM) -- the sexual abuse of inmates at the hands of corrections staff. Vermont was the last of the 50 states to pass a law directly addressing such abuse, though many of those states' laws are severely inadequate. Read more. »
2006-05-31

U.S. Legislation Condemns Murders of Women in Chihuahua, Mexico

Amnesty International USA welcomes the congressional passage of legislation calling on the United States and Mexico to work together to find an end to the violence against women in the Mexican state of Chihuahua, where more than 400 women and girls have been murdered since 1993. Read more. »
2006-05-05

Robin Lovitt's death sentence commuted in Virginia

Gov. Mark R. Warner commuted the death sentence of Robin Lovitt to life in prison. Mr. Lovitt was scheduled to be executed in Virginia on November 30, 2005. "I believe clemency should only be exercised in the most extraordinary circumstances," Mr. Warner said. "Among these are circumstances in which the normal and honored processes of our judicial system do not provide adequate relief - circumstances that, in fact, require executive intervention to reaffirm public confidence in our justice system." AIUSA would like to thank the thousands of people in the U.S. and worldwide that wrote appeals on Mr. Lovitt's behalf.
2006-01-12

Arthur Baird's death sentence has been commuted

Arthur P. Baird described by various courts and mental health professionals as "insane at the time of the murders," "legally insane," and as suffering from a "delusional disorder" was scheduled to be executed on August 31. On Monday afternoon, August 29, Governor Mitch Daniels commuted Mr. Baird's death sentence. Thanks to everyone who took action on his behalf!
2005-08-29

Grassroots events held around the country

Denounce Torture activists from around the United States held more than 50 events in commemoration of June 26th, the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. From Miami, FL to Olympia, WA, from Tuscan, AZ to Owensboro, KY the day was truly inspiring. Actions ranged from flashlight vigils, to concerts against torture and demonstrations in community plazas. Thousands of signatures were collected on Amnesty International's "Statement Against Torture" and the media covered many events. Congratulations to all who helped make June 26th activities a success. Lets keep the momentum up!
2005-07-18

Congress blocks the outsourcing of torture

In June, Congress banned the government from using any money in a newly passed State Department and Defense Department spending bills to render someone to a country where they will likely be tortured or to subject any person in US custody to torture. The amendments to HR 2863, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, and HR 2862, Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, were proposed by Congressman Markey (MA) and passed the House with overwhelming majority support. The inclusion of these provisions would not have been possible without thousands of Amnesty International activists and others advocating for the US government to end any acts of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and hold those accountable in the military and civilian chains of command who have had involvement in the formulation or carrying out of such policies. Read more. »
2005-06-20

Supreme Court Outlaws Juvenile Executions

With its March 1st decision in Roper v. Simmons, the U.S. Supreme Court removed the U.S. from the list of nations that execute juvenile offenders and ensured that evolving standards of decency are recognized, allowing the United States to join the rest of the international community.
2005-03-01

Prisoner of Conscience, Camilo Mejía Castillo, released!

Camilo Mejía Castillo, a U.S. National Guardsman jailed for refusing to return to service in Iraq for reasons of conscience, was released from prison on February 15, 2005, before the completion of his one-year sentence. Castillo's case formed part of AIUSA's holiday action focus cases in 2004.
2005-02-05

Illinois passes anti-discrimination Law

On January 11, 2005, Illinois became the 15th US state to amend its state human rights statute to bar discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in housing, employment and public accommodations. Thanks to all OUTfront supporters who took part in this action.
2005-01-11