Dear Amnesty activists and supporters. The Olympic games should be a time of celebrating diversity, but the French ban prohibiting Muslim women from wearing sports hijabs is excluding French athletes from taking part. Please join the on-line campaign to end discrimination in France. For any inquiries about France please contact our coordinator for Western Europe Jovana Bosnjak Jovana.Bosnjak@amnesty.org.uk

We also have a postcard action supporting the Saturday mothers in Turkiye. Please print the attached postcard templates and send cards to the Interior Ministry of Turkiye. For further questions please contact Chris Ramsey country coordinator for Turkiye  chris.ramsey@amnesty.org.uk

How we respond to refugees fleeing wars and oppression defines us as a society and civilization. On 14^th of June vigils and demonstrations were held in many European countries including Greece, Denmark, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Turkey, UK and others to call for justice for the 600 people who drowned when the “Adriana”, a clapped out fishing boat packed with refugees including many children, sank near Pylos Greece. Investigations by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch and the BBC point to the culpability of the Greek authorities particularly the Hellenic coastguard for this horrendous and preventable loss of life.  Just this week Amnesty released a report investigating the suffering of people detained in the EU-funded Closed Controlled Access Centres in Samos Greece. And in Finland a new law on migration is a green light for violence and pushbacks at the border. For more information please contact Ulrike Schmidt Balkan and regional team coordinator Ulrike.schmidt@amnesty.org.uk

In Poland refugees are still dying in the forests pushed back and forth by Belarussian and Polish border guards. Refugees from Afghanistan, who have often helped Western troops and are persecuted by the Taliban are not receiving the welcome that Ukrainian refugees rightly receive. Used by Belarus and forcibly returned by Polish border guards refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and other oppressive and war-torn countries are forced back and forth over the border. Many, including children have died in the swampy and unforgiving forests. Our new coordinator for Central Europe Lucja Jastrzebska is giving us overview and updates. For further information please contact lucja.jastrzebska@amnesty.org.uk

Finally Amnesty has released a detailed report called “Under protected and over restricted“ about the right to protest in 21 countries. Chris Ramsey, our coordinator for Turkey  has worked through the 209 pages of the report for us and produced a more digestible summary for us. For further inquiries please contact chris.ramsey@amnesty.org.uk.

Malta

El Hiblu update :

Apologies to all the groups who expressed an interest in adopting the El Hiblu 3. The Action circular on the case has still not been issued, and I finally received an answer from the research team: The courts in Malta are currently hearing preliminary issues, following the attorney generals decision to indict the El Hiblu 3. The first preliminary issue is that they are examining whether Malta has jurisdiction over the case. At the moment all we can do is wait. I will keep you updated as soon as I receive more information. In the mean-time all we can do is continue to write solidarity messages. [Read more…]

First some good news : Our Europe team has four country coordinators again : Lucja Jastrzebska has joined us and she will be taking over the work on Central Europe, while Ulrike will focus on the Balkans and the eastern Mediterranean. Welcome Lucja! She will cover the Baltic republics, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. Ulrike will focus on Romania, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslavia , Greece and the El Hiblu 3 case.

Türkiye

Saturday Mothers

Emblematic case in Protect the Protest Global Campaign.

Global day of action planned for 25 May

As  you will be aware, because of the increasing pressure on freedom of expression and freedom of assembly there, Türkiye is one of the 10 focus countries in Amnesty’s global Protect the Protest campaign. In respect of Türkiye the two particular areas for campaigning on this issue have been identified as supporting local Prides (the main focus in 2023) and the Saturday Mothers vigils.

Time and again, the Saturday Mothers have been met with brutal crackdowns and even prosecutions for taking part in peaceful vigils. What is most strange about this is that they are not actually protesting about anything the current regime has done but about historic injustices. The Turkish authorities have never provided a valid justification for their unlawful denial of the right to exercise freedom of expression and assembly.

For several years we have been campaigning on their behalf because of the prosecution of 46 of those indicted in 2021 following their brutal arrests 2018. They are still facing the charges of ‘refusing to disperse despite warnings.’ The prosecution continues and what is supposed to be the “final” hearing in the case is due to take place in Istanbul on 5 April.

In November 2023, and after several advocacy meetings with the Governor of Istanbul, the group secured a partial victory, that ten representatives would be allowed to meet in front of the barriers on the square for a brief statement. The blockade on the square was not lifted but the detentions ended. This is the current situation. Saturday Mothers/People continue to demand that the blockade on Galatasaray Sq is lifted and we continue to support their call.

However, now, 20 people who were detained as result of attempting to hold a vigil on 10 June 2023 are facing a new prosecution under the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations and the first hearing in the case took place on 27 February. As is all too often the case in these situations, this was inconclusive and we now await the date for further hearing.

Global Day of Action

The 1000th vigil of the Saturday Mothers will take place on 25 May, and Amnesty is hoping to stage a global day of action on or around that day to publicise this case. Ideas are being worked up in AI sections around the world and I would welcome any ideas you have for how we might draw attention to the Saturday Mothers in the UK.

[Read more…]

The latest update from the AIUK Europe Country Coordinators Team; we wish you a happy 2024 and lots of energy: we will need it. There is a lot to do.

On 14^th December Amnesty International released the report into the causes of the shipwreck at Pylos, where hundreds of people died. It makes very disturbing reading. Please see the full report below.

We have more shocking news : the El Hiblu 3, three young boys who translated between 100 refugees and the captain of the El Hiblu, negotiating the rescue of the refugees on board, are now charged with crimes that could lead, if prosecuted to life-long prison sentences. Amnesty International is campaigning for the charges to be dropped. Please sign and share the petition!

Demand justice for the El Hiblu 3 – Amnesty International

Greece

On 14 June 2023, of a boat with 750 people from Syria, Pakistan and Egypt capsized off Pylos, Greece. Only 104 survived and only 82 bodies were recovered. Survivors said that the Hellenic Coast Guard towed their boat, causing it to capsize, and was slow to activate rescue operations. Investigations have made little progress, while survivors’ testimony points to potential procedural shortcomings. Over 500 are missing and presumed dead.

On 14^th December Amnesty International released the report into the causes and circumstances of this tragedy. It makes shocking reading.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch interviewed 21 survivors, 5 relatives of 5 people still missing, and representatives of the Hellenic Coast Guard, the Greek police, nongovernmental organizations, United Nations and international agencies and organizations.

They found that in the 15 hours between receiving the first alert that the Adriana was in their search-and-rescue region, and when it capsized, Greek authorities failed to mobilize appropriate resources for a rescue. The authorities were clearly aware of indicators of distress, such as overcrowding and insufficient food and water, on the Adriana, and, survivors said, knew about corpses on board and requests for rescue.

Survivors’ testimonies also challenge the authorities’ claim that people on the Adriana did not want to be rescued, which in any event would not have relieved the Hellenic Coast Guard of its obligation to take all measures necessary to ensure safety at sea. Survivors consistently said that they pleaded repeatedly for rescue, including to the Coast Guard itself.

Survivors said that a Coast Guard patrol boat attached a rope to the Adriana and pulled, causing the boat to capsize. They also alleged that, after the boat capsized, the Coast Guard boat was slow to activate rescue operations, failed to maximize the number of people rescued, and engaged in dangerous manoeuvres.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/12/greece-6-months-on-no-justice-for-pylos-shipwreck/

This is the full report:- Greece: 6 months on No Justice for Pylos Shipwreck  Please also see the video with the account of a survivor below:-

[Read more…]

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 14^th 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 14^th 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 14^th December 3pm at the Embassy of Greece.

On 14^th 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 14^th 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 14^th 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…]