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Meliana, an ethnic Chinese Buddhist woman, has been convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to 18 months in prison for complaining about the loudspeaker volume at a local mosque. Amnesty International considers her a prisoner of conscience who must be immediately and unconditionally released.
On 25 August, police in Istanbul used unnecessary and excessive force to disperse people taking part in a longstanding weekly peaceful vigil. The authorities must ensure that future vigils, including the next one planned for 1 September, are allowed to take place.
Kerbino Agok Wol, a South Sudanese businessman and philanthropist, has been languishing in detention since 27 April. He is being held at the National Security Service (NSS) headquarters in Juba. He has been denied access to a lawyer and has not been informed of any charges against him. His health has deteriorated since he was detained, and he has not been given adequate medical care.
Bashir Ahmed Mohamed Babiker, a member of the South Sudanese civil society, was arrested by the National Security Service (NSS) in Yambio on Wednesday 8 August. He is being held at a NSS detention centre in Yambio. No charges have been brought against him and he has not had access to a lawyer.
Kazakhstani activist and blogger, Muratbek Tungishbayev risks losing sight in his left eye due to the penitentiary authorities’ failure to provide him with necessary medical care following surgery he had on his eye. He remains held in pre-trial detention in Almaty, on politically-motivated charges and requires urgent surgery immediately in order to save his sight. Amnesty International considers Muratbek Tungishbayev to be a prisoner of conscience.
Iranian Christians, Victor Bet-Tamraz, his wife Shamiram Issavi, Amin Afshar-Naderi and Hadi Asgari, have been sentenced to a combined total of 45 years in prison solely for practising their Christian faith, including through attending Christmas gatherings and organizing house churches. If imprisoned, they would be prisoners of conscience.
Human rights defender Tran Thi Nga recently told her husband in a hurried phone call that she had been brutally beaten up and has received a death threats by another inmate. After a previous call with her family, it appears that the attacks have been orchestrated by prison authorities to punish her. Detained for more than 18 months, Tran Thi Nga is a prisoner of conscience and must be immediately and unconditionally released.
On 14 August, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, a Ugandan singer turned politician was arrested and later charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition on 16 August. While being arrested, he was physically assaulted with visible injuries and swelling on his face and body.
Journalist Samuel Ogundipe is being detained at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) headquarters, Guzape district Abuja. He was brought to court without a lawyer present and has been charged with ‘criminal trespass’ and ‘theft of police document’. He was arrested on 14 August after honouring an invitation by the SARS unit of the Nigerian police to report to their office as part of an investigation into a news article Premium Times, the online newspaper he works for, published.
On 13 August, Kamal Hassan Ramezan, a Syrian Kurd on death row in Iran, was removed from his cell in Urumieh Central Prison in the city of Urumieh, West Azerbaijan province, by officials from the Office for the Implementation of Sentences. He has not been heard from since. He is at imminent risk of execution.