This month we bring you news from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. There is good news from Venezuela, Brazil and Chile and Gustavo Gatica. We have a new Amnesty report on the National Strike in Colombia and another from Human Rights Watch on abortion rights in Ecuador. We look at the secret activities of the UK’s National Crime Agency and question its role in the excessive use of force by the Colombian police, whom it has trained. Updates include police killings in Brazil, inmate deaths in Ecuadorian prisons and forced displacements and killings of human rights defenders and social leaders in Colombia.

COLOMBIA

 Amnesty International’s new report Cali: In the epicentre of repression examines how the Colombian authorities violated the human rights of peaceful demonstrators in Cali and elsewhere during the National Strike. The security forces, in particular members of the police’s Mobile Anti-Riot Squad, used excessive and unnecessary force to disperse them. Under the pretext of restoring order, terrible injuries were inflicted on hundreds of people and dozens of young people lost their lives.

The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) trained the Colombian police in a multi-million pound 5-year programme shrouded in secrecy. The NCA programme in Colombia “engaged” with “Colombian law enforcement agencies to improve their capability”, according to UK government documents seen by Declassified. The aims included “specialist cadres of police to be trained in priority areas of intervention” alongside “trusted relationships formed with key units and individuals”. The NCA’s lack of transparency is particularly worrying, raising questions over its involvement with police in their excessive use of force against peaceful demonstrators in Colombia.

28 human rights defenders/social leaders were killed in the January-March quarter of 2021, according to Programa Somos Defensores (We are Defenders Programme) Nine of them were indigenous leaders. Most of the known perpetrators were successor paramilitaries, while the ELN (National Liberation Army) guerrillas and Security Forces were also responsible for killings. Many of the killings occurred in regions where armed groups are fighting over illegal and legal economic activities.

Commenting on the 106,000 people forcibly displaced in 2020, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre states: ‘Clashes between FARC dissidents, the National Liberation Army (ELN) and paramilitaries took place throughout the year in the Pacific coast departments of Chocó, Nariño and Cauca, and in Antioquia and Norte de Santander. The same departments recorded most internal displacement. African-Colombian and indigenous people represented the majority of those newly displaced.’

VENEZUELA

Venezuelan migrants have been deported from Chile: The Chilean government must end summary deportations of Venezuelans and ensure that all deportations comply with international human rights law. The government announced that it planned to deport 1,500 people during 2021. According to the Jesuit Migrant Service (SJM), the government had deported 294 people; in most cases, without judicial control. Most were Venezuelan women.

Good news! Defender for the rights of women and girls is free: Venezuelan professor and human rights defender Vannesa Rosales was released on July 21, after spending nine months in detention, six of which were under house arrest. She was criminalized for her work as a defender of sexual and reproductive rights in Venezuela. During the preliminary hearing held on July 21, the court dismissed the accusation and closed the case against Vannesa. Thank you very much to all who sent appeals!

The International Criminal Court and Venezuela: The situation in Venezuela, a member country of the International Criminal Court (ICC), is under review. The final decision will determine whether a formal court investigation is warranted. The prosecution reported that, based on the information to which it had access during its preliminary examination, it had found reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity had been committed in Venezuela. [Read more…]

As we flagged up last month, we are planning to relaunch the group when we are able to return to Moordown Community Centre in the autumn.  Normally this time of year we would be running a stall at Bourne Free. Sadly, whilst there is a Pride event in Bournemouth at the end of August, it is restricted due to COVID and there are no stalls. But human rights abuses continue and there are details and a variety of actions below.

Here’s why thousands of people are taking to the streets in Cuba – click the clink for a brief video https://www.facebook.com/amnesty/videos/368433941294537/

Protests and Campaigns in Cuba On 11 July thousands of people took to the streets in Cuba to peacefully protest over the economy, shortages of medicines, the response to COVID-19, and harsh restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly.  Find out more about what has been happening and what you can do. https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2021/07/cuba-protests-updates/ There had been a recent waves of arbitrary detentions, surveillance and harassment of members of Cuba’s San Isidro Movement – composed of artists, academics, and alternative thinkers. The Movement had been set up to defend the freedom of expression of artists like them. Prior to the protests, Amnesty had started a campaign – #TheEternalFlame – to put pressure on the Cuban authorities for change, as well as show solidarity with the San Isidro Movement. The petition you can sign is the existing one linked to this #TheEternalFlame campaign (UK = Reino Unido) https://lallamaeterna.org/

South America Newsletter July 2021 The latest edition of the South America Regional Newsletter has updates on developments in Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, and Chile.  Amnesty International reviews the victims of excessive use of force by Colombia’s security services during the recent National Strike, and analyses the killing of 199 Human Rights Defenders in 2020, a new record. Amnesty International continues with its action on behalf of Human Right Defenders – see below. In Brazil , according to the indigenous organisation APIB, indigenous Brazilians are 68% more likely to catch Covid-19 and their mortality rate is 58% higher than for the rest of the country. According to official counts, 523,000 Brazilians have died from Covid-19 as of 3 July.

Protect María, Jani, Joel, and Danelly Colombia is the second most mega-biodiverse country in the world and is home to the Amazon, which makes up almost 40% of its territory. At the same time, it is the most dangerous country for those who defend our environment. María, Jani, Joel, and Danelly are brave people who have been among the voices and protectors of our environment and natural resources in Colombia. In a country where the attacks that they suffer from usually go unpunished and authorities appear ambivalent about their safety, they are forced to risk their life on a daily basis to defend the water, oxygen, and food that we all depend on to live. The Colombian Congress has the power to monitor that human rights defenders have the guarantees necessary to continue protecting the environment. Take action and call on the Colombian Congress to guarantee their safety and protection.

Europe Newsletter July 2021 This month there are reports from Turkey, Switzerland, France, Greece, Kosovo, Denmark, Czech Republic and Hungary. On 21 May 2021 Hungary took the Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers amidst a serious national human rights, democracy and rule of law crisis which has no end in sight. The newsletter expands on the situation in Hungary and the series of laws adopted in the last few years which curtail the enjoyment of human rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. After targeting Roma, Refugees and NGO’s the Hungarian Government has recently turned on LGBT communities. A new law passed in June states that any education or depiction of  consensual same sex relationships or the affirmation of one’s gender must not be accessible to under-18. The newsletter has links to this and details of other legislation recently passed. https://amnestyat50.co.uk/europe-newsletter-july-2021

HIGHLIGHTS

This month, we update you on developments in Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile and Ecuador.  Amnesty has issued a report, several statements and an Urgent Action in response to the human rights violations committed during the current National Strike and protests in Colombia.  We report further indiscriminate shootings by police in Brazil and continuing attacks on indigenous communities.  Amnesty has launched a new campaign calling on the Government of Peru to protect indigenous communities at risk from toxic metal contamination.  In Venezuela, thousands have fled to Colombia to escape intense clashes between the Venezuelan army and Colombian rebel groups, while there has also been an increase in repression of Human Rights Defenders.

COLOMBIA

As the National Strike moves into its second month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for an end to all forms of violence.  In only the last three days, 14 people have died, and 98 people have been injured, 54 of them by firearms during violence that erupted in Cali where demonstrations were taking place to commemorate a month of the strike.

On 29 May, President Duque ordered the militarisation of part of the country in response to ongoing anti-government protests and popular uprisings. This increased military control over seven departments.  The president also ordered the “maximum deployment of military assistance for the National Police” in Cali and 12 other cities.

Amnesty International’s Secretary General has written an open letter to President Duque, cataloguing human rights abuses committed by the security forces using excessive force against mainly peaceful demonstrators during the National Strike. Amnesty denounces the use of inflammatory language and stigmatising social protest from political leaders and public officials. Amnesty calls on the authorities to ‘Prosecute, and punish all those responsible for human rights violations, including members of the security forces and armed civilians’ groups in fair trials before ordinary civilian courts.’

Amnesty has issued an Urgent Action calling on President Duque to end the violent response of the security forces to protestors, who are calling for better social and economic measures.

Amnesty is calling on the United States to ‘immediately cease the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of equipment used for repression such as small arms, shotguns, and related ammunition; less-lethal equipment, such as tear gas, riot control projectiles and launchers; armoured vehicles, dual-use surveillance technologies, training, and any other technical or financial assistance.’ This is in light of verified visual evidence that United States weapons and equipment are being misused to commit human rights violations against protesters in Colombia

Amnesty has issued a report, Colombia: Concerning reports of disappearances and sexual violence against protesters, including a video showing how the security forces used excessive force against protesters during the early stages of the National Strike.

In another statement, Amnesty has focussed on the violence against indigenous peoples. ‘The attacks by armed civilians, some in the presence of the police, against the Indigenous Minga (gathering) in Cali are a reflection of the ceaseless dynamics of violence in Colombia that have been accentuated during the social protests related to the National Strike.’ Several members of the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) were injured.

According to The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, 106,000 Colombians were forcibly displaced in 2020 despite spending most of last year in Covid-19 lockdown. The Colombian NGO Programa Somos Defensores reports that killings of human rights defenders increased from 124 in 2019 to 199 in 2020, an increase of 60%. We will be analysing who were the targets and who were the perpetrators and why in next month’s newsletter. [Read more…]

The great news  : We are a full Europe team again and you will be finding a  Newsletter full of Actions and information. As a team we have adopted 2 long term casefiles in addition to Eren Keskin in Turkey  : Frederic Vuillaume in France and the El Hiblu 3 in Malta. Groups who are interested in taking on a long term case please contact us.  We also have several Urgent Actions : The Action on the withdrawal of Turkey from the Istanbul Convention is particularly urgent: Its for Wednesday the 11^th of May.

Another  Urgent Action is the call for support for Frederic Vuillaume before his court hearing on 20^th of May.

Please also support the Urgent Action on Denmark. Denmark has decided to force asylum-seekers from Syria back to Syria. Syria is not a safe place and all deportees are at risk of imprisonment, torture and “disappearance”. Please write letters of protest (see Urgent Action attached). In addition I am organising a vigil outside the Embassy of Denmark for the 20^th of June, International Refugee day 3-4pm. Those who can’t join us please send messages and photos of support to take to the Embassy.

Last not least, please see our Balkan coordinator Rovena’s plea for support for Roma accessing the application for settled status in the UK. I have started running a weekly drop in at my local college to help individuals with their application. I am attaching another guide which I find very useful. It gives a step my step guide on the process and practical advice on all the different scenarios you might encounter as well as links to organisations we can refer to.

Turkey’s withdrawal from Istanbul Convention

CALL FOR ACTION: Let’s make them think again.

#IstanbulConventionSavesLives

In mailings in March I (Chris Ramsey) told you that Turkey had announced that it was pulling out of the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe’s  convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence that provides an important framework for addressing gender based violence and providing vital safeguards for girls and women. Since then women around Turkey have been bravely taking to the streets to protest against this move and to demand a rethink before the decision becomes effective on 1 July.

On 11 May, the tenth anniversary of the Convention there will be a Global Day of Action in solidarity with groups in Turkey defending women’s rights and gender equality.

Although there will be some actions outside Turkish Embassies, because of the Covid-19 pandemic most of the actions will be online and therefore it will be easy for Amnesty members to participate wherever they are.

 ACTION OPTIONS:

1. Photographs

Take a photo of yourself or your group, if possible wearing purple clothing or with a purple backdrop  or a purple Covid mask with a solidarity message and the hashtag #IstanbulConventionSavesLives 

The solidarity message could simply be:

In solidarity with women in Turkey

Post your photograph on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram  including the hashtags  #IstanbulConventionSavesLives  and  #Turkey

In your posts please:

• Tag Amnesty Turkey ( For Twitter @aforgutu and Instagram aforgutu)

• Please tag the Turkish Embassy in London: @TurkEmbLondon

3. If you are uneasy about using a photograph of yourself please use the image below to create your social media post instead, following all the other instructions shown above.
4. If you do not use social media but wish to take part in this action the please e-mail me your photograph and I will post it on social media for you.

Usual e-mail: chris.ramsey@amnesty.org.uk

Please share this information as widely as possible with your local group members and other fellow activists.                              

Further notes regarding the Istanbul Convention

• The Istanbul Convention is a tool that provides the best way to protect women and girls from violence; it is the ‘gold standard’ internationally for combatting violence against women, including domestic violence.
• It is extremely disappointing that Turkey, the country where the Convention was opened for signatures in May 2011, and that was the first to sign it, is now the first and only country to decide to withdraw from it. Turkey was a leading supporter of the Istanbul Convention and was instrumental in mobilising other Council of Europe member states to sign up to it.
• The Istanbul convention is specifically designed to protect women from all forms of violence, including domestic violence, with internationally- agreed actions that governments who ratify it must take to achieve this. Withdrawing from the convention violates the rights of millions of women and girls in the country, jeopardises their safety and flies in the face of any purported commitment by the government to protect the rights of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
• Turkey should reverse the decision to leave the Convention and instead work towards its full implementation to better protect and support women and girls who are experiencing gender-based violence, without discrimination.
• This announcement is especially dangerous at a time when the killing of women is rising and there has been a surge of domestic violence during the COVID pandemic. Only last year, according to the Minister of Interior, 266 women were killed by men in acts of gender-based violence, though the numbers provided by women’s organizations were much higher.
• There is nothing controversial about the Istanbul Convention. The purpose of the treaty is to prevent and combat violence against women and girls.
• Turkey’s stated reason for withdrawing – that the Convention is being used to ‘normalise homosexuality’ which is incompatible with Turkey’s family values – is both dangerous and discriminatory. Behind this decision lies a misogynistic and homophobic rationale and a profound disregard for the rights of women and girls and LGBTI people.
• The real threat to family values are the perpetrators of violence against women who frequently benefit from impunity as well as the oftentimes weak response given to victims by officials in the criminal justice system and judiciary. The Istanbul Convention provides specific guidance on how states can and must ensure access to justice for victims and guarantee accountability for perpetrators of violence against women.
• Ironically, Turkey’s announcement has served to highlight just why the Istanbul Convention is so important and has galvanised women’s rights movements to fight for it and prevent violence against women. Amnesty International stands in solidarity with courageous women in Turkey who are defying this attack and demanding their human rights.

[Read more…]