Amnesty International Bournemouth Poole Christchurch Group

local news & events Amnesty International group for Bournemouth, Poole & Christchurch

South America Newsletter January 2024

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This month we bring you news that:

  • Regional – there is a new report by several NGOs on how armed criminal gangs have expanded their presence in the Amazon, threatening indigenous inhabitants.
  • Peru – Amnesty has a petition calling for the perpetrators of the killings during last year’s protests to be prosecuted.
  • Colombia – Amnesty has a petition demanding that the Colombian government protects Human Rights Defenders at risk, in particular members of the human rights NGO CREDHOS .
  • Brazil – Amnesty has issued an action and a video interview with the mother of Pedro Henrique, a Brazilian human rights defender killed by police in 2018.
  • Argentina – Amidst protests against new decrees, Amnesty has published an open letter to President Milei’s government urging that people must be at the centre of all public policy.
  • Chile – Amnesty has an Urgent Action calling for an end to police impunity for excessive use of force during the 2019 protests.
  • Venezuela – the Maduro government has mobilised troops, threatening to take action on a land claim on the oil-rich Essequibio region of Guyana.

REGIONAL

A group of NGOs, including Amazon Watch, have released a report Amazon Underworld (based on the work of the Amazon Underworld research journalism project and developed together with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime) that shows how criminal organisations and armed groups have expanded their presence, increased their political control and diversified their economies in the Amazon with disastrous impacts on Indigenous peoples.

PERU

Please sign the petition that we have placed on the AIUK website calling on the Peruvian Attorney General to press ahead with criminal investigations into the deaths and injuries during the protests in Peru between December 2022 and February 2023. After a year, the families and communities are still waiting for truth, justice and redress.

Ex-President Fujimori was released from prison on 6 December, following an order by Peru’s  Constitutional Tribunal. Fujimori was serving a 25-year sentence for his role in extrajudicial killings, abductions, enforced disappearances and corruption. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) had ordered Peru not to release Fujimori, but the tribunal argued that the order was not binding and then ignored a further IACHR order to refrain from implementing the ruling pending a review by the Court.  This article provides the background and the political context. [Read more…]

Write for Rights Events 2023

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Thanks to everyone who supported us for two events at Bournemouth Library and, for the first time, at The Social Canteen in Boscombe. One of our group also got her church involved – the Parish of Four Saints.

Many thanks to the library staff for their help in facilitating the events, ensuring everything was in place for us, and then individually showing interest in the campaign and signing cards. And many thanks to Bournemouth Foodbank for helping us bring W4R to a new venue.

Please visit our earlier post to read more about W4R, see videos on the individual cases and Take Action.  The campaign continues throughout January.

Write for Rights 2023

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Write for Rights (W4R) is Amnesty International’s annual campaign, sending greetings cards to prisoners of conscience, their families and other human rights defenders around the world. In 2022, more than 5 million messages of support and appeal letters were sent during the W4R campaign. They made a big difference to the people and communities confronting injustice and facing human rights violations.

We will be holding W4R events, where you can come along and write cards or letters, at Bournemouth Library on Friday 8th December and Saturday 9th December. Both 1.30 to 3.30.  Details of all cases are below, along with videos of their case and letters to authorities you can download. You can also download a copy of the W4R 2023 booklet.

Poland: Justyna Wydrzyńska

Prosecuted for defending safe abortion

Activist Justyna Wydrzyńska felt compelled to help a woman in an abusive relationship access a safe abortion. But it is a crime in Poland to help a woman access an abortion outside the two remaining legal grounds, in the case of pregnancy resulting from an illegal act such as rape or incest, or danger to a woman’s health or life. Now Justyna has been convicted, setting a dangerous precedent and making access to safe abortion even harder for those who seek one.
Justyna Wydrzyńska’s own abortion experience, with no support or access to reliable information, gave her the strength and motivation to help others make informed decisions about their reproductive lives. Justyna co-founded Abortion Dream Team, an activist collective campaigning against abortion stigma and offering advice on accessing safe abortion in Poland, where abortion laws are among the most restrictive in Europe.
In February 2020, Justyna was put in contact with Ania (not her real name). Ania was in an abusive relationship, pregnant and desperate, saying she would rather die than continue with her pregnancy. Justyna, a survivor of a violent relationship herself, knew she had to help. She sent Ania her own abortion pills through the post, but Ania’s partner intercepted the package and contacted the police, who confiscated the pills.
In November 2021, the public prosecutor brought charges against Justyna for “helping with an abortion”. In March 2023, she was found guilty and sentenced to eight months’ community service. Her lawyers have appealed.
Justyna’s conviction sets a dangerous precedent. Without the support and trustworthy information that she and other activists provide, people like Ania would be alone and without access to safe abortion.
Demonstrating her courage in spite of the hostility she faces, Justyna says: “I was driven by the will to help when no one else wanted to or could help. For me, helping Ania was an obvious, decent, and honest thing to do.”

Take Action: Demand that Justyna’s unjust conviction is overturned

Tell Polish authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure that Justyna’s unjust conviction is overturned and to refrain from bringing any other charges against her for carrying out her legitimate defence of human rights.  SIGN the AIUK petition
Write to:
Prosecutor General National Prosecutor’s Officeul. Postępu 3 02-676 Warsaw Poland
Email: biuro.podawcze.pk@prokuratura.gov.pl
Sample Letter
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor General
Twitter / X: @PK_GOV_PL
Hashtags: #IAmJustyna #W4R23

Justyna Wydrzyńska

Help keep Justyna’s spirit strong
Send her your message of solidarity and hope.
Justyna Wydrzyńska c/o Amnesty International Polska Sapieżyńska 10A 00-215 Warsaw Poland
Email: dla.justyny@amnesty.org.pl

Justyna is heavily featured in the October Europe Newsletter (and the AIUK coordinator has organised a demonstration outside the Polish Embassy in London on Saturday 2nd December)

[Read more…]

South America Newsletter December 2023

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This month we bring you news that:

  • Regional – Amnesty has a new report focused on human rights defenders in the Americas, the world’s deadliest region for those defending land, territory and the environment.
  • Colombia – Amnesty has a new report on the lack of a safe space to defend human rights in Colombia, calling for a complete review of the model for protecting human rights defenders
  • Brazil – Amnesty calls on the Brazilian Federal Government to implement a national plan to reduce homicides committed by police officers in the country.
  • Peru – Amnesty has updated its Urgent Action calling on the Peruvian government to repeal its decree, dictating the expulsion of all foreigners with an irregular migratory status
  • Venezuela – The Venezuelan government has agreed that opposition candidates for the 2024 Presidential election can appeal bans on running for office placed upon them by the state.
  • Chile – Amnesty has updated to the Urgent Action calling for the end to police impunity, following an intervention by the UN special rapporteurs on peaceful assembly and extrajudicial execution.
  • Argentina – President-elect Javier Milei takes office on 10th December, human rights day, with protests and concerns relating to his pronouncements during the election campaign.

 REGIONAL

In a new report, No future without courage: Human rights defenders in the Americas speaking up on climate crisis, Amnesty presents the cases of six people, groups and organisations who are defending human rights in the context of the climate crisis in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Ecuador.  The report notes that environmental defenders are at the forefront of the struggle for climate justice in the Americas but are not meaningfully included in decisions on these issues.  The Americas is the world’s deadliest region for those defending land, territory and the environment.

COLOMBIA

Emiro El Sanchez, president of the Land Restitution Foundation, San Pelayo, Córdoba, killed by ex-paramilitaries 12 June 2023

Amnesty International has published a major report on human rights defenders at risk, Hope at risk: The lack of a safe space to defend human rights in Colombia continues. Finding that violence against HRDs, social leaders and rural communities has not abated since President Petro took office in 2022, we propose a long series of new policies and actions for the Colombian government. These include more resources for the National Protection Unit and those who investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. But the main call is for a complete review of the model for protecting HRDs which would include contributions from the UN, donor states and NGOs.

The Peace Community of San José de Apartadó (PCSJA) has denounced the collaboration between the army and paramilitaries in the municipality of Tierralta, Córdoba. 12th September, masked men identified as members of the 17th Brigade and paramilitary intimidated the residents. Also, the PCSJA denounce the frequent incursion of the AGC (Clan del Golfo paramilitary narcotraffickers) into the homes and lands of the community, terrorising its residents, while units of the army and public prosecutors idly stand by. Residents fear that if they denounce the AGC they will be killed.

Colombia Reports that President Petro has replaced the peace negotiator Danilo Rueda with Otto Patiño, who has led the peace negotiations with the ELN (National Liberation Army). This follows the failure to secure ceasefires and peace accords on the 2016 model with the FARC with many other illegal armed groups, which are at the centre of the President’s policy of “Total Peace”. [Read more…]

Europe Newsletter November 2023

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The latest update from the AIUK Europe Country Coordinators Team:-

Introduction

As the year 2023 nears its closure we can report some positive developments from Türkiye and Poland but there are still many Human Rights Challenges! Please find an Urgent Action for Türkiye.

There are also leaflets for the 2 demonstrations we are organising: For Saturday 2nd December we are gathering at 3pm in front of the Polish Embassy in London at 47 Portland Place. We have teamed up with a number of Polish organisations to call for the prosecution of Women’s Human Rights Defender Justyna Wydrzynska to be reversed and for women in Poland to have access to safe and legal abortions in Poland.

Please also sign the petition at https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/JusticeforJustyna

On 14th December Amnesty International is releasing the investigation into the drowning of 600 people when a small boat packed with an estimated 750 people sank near the coast of Greece. Together with Care4Calais we are organising a vigil outside the Embassy of Greece on 14th December at 3pm.  Please join us if you can!

Stop Deaths at Sea!  Vigil 14th Dec

Stop the Deaths at Sea! Safe and Legal routes for refugees! Seeking asylum is a Human Right! Refugees Welcome!  Vigil 14th December 3pm at the Embassy of Greece.

On 14th of June 2023 the “Adriana” packed with an estimated 750 refugees sank off the coast of Pylos, Greece. Over 600 people, many women and children died at sea.  Amnesty’s investigation points to the action of the Greek coastguard contributing to the sinking of the boat.  The full report will be released on Thursday the 14th December. The policies of Fortress Europe, to keep refugees out at all cost, have again cost many lives.  Amnesty Europe have teamed up with Care4Calais https://www.facebook.com/care4calais/ to organising a vigil outside the Embassy of Greece on 14th December, when the report is released. We are calling for safe and legal routes for refugees and for the Universal Human Right to seek asylum from persecution to be respected by all countries including the UK.

For further information on the demonstration please contact Ulrike.schmidt@amnesty.org.uk [Read more…]

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