Europe Newsletter June 2023

June 5, 2023 by zarganar

From Monday the 19th of June to Sunday 25th June Refugee Week takes place across the World. The theme of this years Refugee Week is compassion. While many ordinary people across the world show compassion and solidarity to refugees who have lost everything due to war, oppression and violence, governments across Europe particularly at the borders of Fortress Europe :Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Croatia are using violence against refugees who are simply trying to find a place of safety.

Often this results in loss of lives. At least 37 died at the Mellila border last year (+77 missing) and at least 94 people died at sea close to the coast of Italy because Frontex and the Italian authorities did not attempt to rescue them. And those people who are rescuing refugees from drowning in the sea are criminalised and threatened with long prison sentences for their humanity. Sarah and Sean are back in court again on baseless charges. The trial against the crew of the Juventa , who saved several thousand lives before being impounded, is on-going. And Tommy Olson from Norway is threatened with 25 years in prison for documenting how refugees and migrants are treated in Greece. Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, while welcoming refugees from Ukraine are still violently pushing back or detaining and deporting refugees from other wars and violence.

And our government is trying to get rid of the Universal Human Right to asylum from persecution altogether. If the „illegal“ immigration bill becomes law refugees fleeing war, oppression and violence will not be able to claim asylum in the UK any more if they have arrived „illegally“. There are no safe and legal routes for people seeking asylum to enter the UK. The bill will apply to people arriving in the UK on or after 7 March 2023 (the day the bill was published), and anyone caught by it would be permanently barred from the UK. Their partners and children will face the same fate, regardless of whether they arrived without permission – even if they were born here.

This would mean that many British children would be robbed of their rights to British citizenship. We have to fight this bill. Please join the digital action

STOP THE CRUEL BILL: Email Rishi now (amnesty.org.uk) And please write personal letters to Rishi Sunak as well as your MP.

Refugee Week Take part in International Actions

EUROPEAN BORDER ACTION WORLD REFUGEE DAY 20TH OF JUNE 2023

On World Refugee Week 19th-25th of June we come together to commemorate the challenges faced by refugees all over the Europe and the incredible courage they show. Find out below when it is and how we mark this important day.

#SafeAndLegalRoutesNow #AmnestyUKEurope

We are planning a mixed action, where the groups themselves can decide whether they want to demonstrate loudly, join digitally, join in creative and artsy ways or by making informational events. What we all will have in common are our demands.

Use #SafeAndLegalRoutesNow #AmnestyUKEurope and tag @amnestyukeurope

Actions Collect signatures for the Melilla case 19th-25th of June

For groups who want to collect signatures: Print the petition for the Melilla case and organise joint signing

Spain and Morocco: Demand justice for dead and missing at Melilla

On 24 June 2022, people attempting to cross into Melilla through a border crossing between Spain and Morocco were met with a shocking display of unlawful force by Moroccan and Spanish security forces. At least 37 Black people – mostly from sub-Saharan Africa – died unlawfully and 77 are missing. Their loved ones still don’t have answers about what happened to them.

Join us to demand truth, justice and reparations for the victims and their families.

Sign the petition here https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/justice-for-dead-and-missing-at-melilla/,

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South America Newsletter May 2023

May 4, 2023 by zarganar

This month, we bring you news that –

In Argentina, the Mapuche indigenous people continue to fight for their land rights in the face of the denial of those rights by provincial governments
Amnesty International has published its Annual Report on Brazil, highlighting the role of racism in state violence, the killing of human rights defenders and journalists, and the occurrence of politically motivated violence in the run up to the elections last year
Regarding Chile, Amnesty International has published a new Urgent Action demanding a halt to a proposed bill criminalizing refugees and migrants
In Colombia, Amnesty International has published a new Urgent Action calling on President Petro to protect the human rights organization CREDHOS, after an explosive device was found at the entrance to their offices
For Ecuador, Amnesty International has published an Urgent Action calling for the protection of Pablo Fajardo Mendoza, a lawyer accused by the government of being an “international criminal” for defending the rights of indigenous peoples
Human Rights Watch have published their report regarding the oppression of protests in Peru late last year
Amnesty International has published a new Urgent Action for Emirlendris Benitez, who has suffered torture and mistreatment in Venezuela – the Urgent Action joins those already published for the falsely imprisoned Javier Tarazona and for the repressive NGO bill
Amnesty International has reminded the Peruvian and Chilean governments to protect the human rights of around 300 people stranded at the Peruvian and Chilean border

ARGENTINA

THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES IN MENDOZA VOTED A RESOLUTION WHICH MAINTAINS THAT “THE MAPUCHES SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED ORIGINAL ARGENTINE PEOPLES.” | CEDOC-PERFIL

Tens of thousands of Mapuches, members of an indigenous people established on both sides of the Andes in the Chilean and Argentine territory, are claiming the return of their ancestral lands and assets. The Mapuche are the most populous indigenous people in Argentina. However, the group is facing significant backlash from provincial governments.

The Chamber of Deputies in Mendoza (in the province of Mendoza) voted a resolution which maintains that “the Mapuches should not be considered original Argentine peoples.” This resolution comes just days after the Supreme Court suspended the distribution of land in Bariloche (in the province of Río Negro), to a Mapuche community.

While the resolution was going to the vote in Mendoza, a demonstration of human rights movements and members of indigenous peoples took place outside. The protestors all sung in unison as they criticised the chamber’s actions. The Centre of Professionals for Human Rights expressed its “deep rejection of the denialist and racist opinion.”

In passing the resolution, the chamber also rejected a decree signed by President Fernández to suspend “judgments, procedural or administrative acts, whose object is the eviction or vacating of lands.”

This comes a few weeks after a critical report by a United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights, an independent monitoring program of the Human Rights Council. This denounced the “structural discrimination” affecting the Indigenous population in Argentina. In particular the UN delegation highlighted the unequal effects of Argentina’s high poverty rate:-

“Poverty is concentrated in certain regions, with indigenous peoples being especially affected by social inequality, economic marginalisation and structural racism”

The report had other criticisms of the treatment and stigmatisation of indigenous peoples and communities, referring to the “exacerbation of a highly racist discourse” in the media. It also highlights that they were subject to repeated “evictions and violent interventions”.

On a separate issue, the report also criticised the management of a number of fast-growing industries – including so-called “mega-mining” of shale gas and lithium – for their tendency to perpetuate human rights abuses.

BRAZIL

Pataxó leader, Brazil

Amnesty International has published its annual report on Brazil. In summary: ‘Racism continued to drive state violence. Mass killings by public security officials were frequent, disproportionately affecting Black people in marginalized neighbourhoods. Cis and transgender women, especially Black women, were targets of various forms of violence. In an election year, the dissemination of fake news and statements by President Bolsonaro incited politically motivated violence, threatened state institutions and undermined the functioning of judicial institutions. Many journalists and human rights defenders were threatened and killed. The social, political and economic situation continued to deteriorate, leading to violations of the rights to food, health, housing, work and social assistance, among others. Investigations into human rights violations documented by the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic were shelved. The historic failure of the state to confront structural racism continued to result in Indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants being disproportionately impacted by failings in institutional measures and actions.’

According to Greenpeace, London listed Canadian Serabi Gold stands accused of illegally mining gold in the Amazon without the permission of Brazil’s federal land agency, on disputed land, with licences contested by state agencies, and before a nearby Indigenous community has properly been consulted. The Company claims its mine is legal. This illustrates the tangled web of agencies and interests in Brazil’s Amazon.

The OAS’s International Commission of Human Rights has ordered the Brazilian state to take measures to protect the indigenous Pataxó people in Bahia state. Some of the Pataxó live in a contested area and since October 2022 they have been subject to ‘continuous violence’ including threats, harassment, shootings and defamation that culminated in the killing of three of their members with the connivance of the security forces. Members of the Military Police suspected of participating in these killings have been detained. But there is inadequate protection for this community.

[Read more…]

Europe Newsletter April 2023

April 30, 2023 by zarganar

Türkiye

Türkiye: People with disabilities neglected in humanitarian response to devastating earthquakes

As you will all be aware, southern Türkiye and northwest Syria were hit by devastating earthquakes in February. More than 48,000 people were killed and more than 100,000 were injured many of whom lost limbs and sustained other life-changing injuries. An estimated 3.3 million people have been displaced, with approximately 2.3 million people currently sheltering in tent camps and container settlements.

According to a joint Turkish government and United Nations assessment as many as 70 percent of injured earthquake survivors are expected to have a disability. In a shocking report, published by Amnesty International last Thursday 27 April it was revealed that people with disabilities living in displacement camps after the earthquakes in Türkiye are being overlooked in the humanitarian response to the disaster.

Three Amnesty International researchers undertook research from 9-22 March, in four of the provinces that have been most affected by the earthquakes in southeast Türkiye. Those were Gaziantep, Kahramanmaras, Hatay and Adiyaman. Research was undertaken in urban and rural areas. Amnesty International met with people from a mix of ethnic backgrounds. In total, the team interviewed 131 people, including survivors who have been living in displacement camps and aid workers. Interviewees included Turkish nationals and Syrian refugees.

Amnesty International did not have access to Syria for this report – which does not address the situation in Syria.

During the visit to Türkiye, Amnesty International researchers identified that persons with disabilities were among those particularly at-risk of being marginalised or left behind with regards to access to assistance, and who also experienced unequal access to their human rights in the aftermath of the earthquake. They found that there were significant gaps in humanitarian response programmes, which included barriers to equally accessing sanitation, food, water and specialist support.

As result of this work Amnesty has made a number of wide ranging recommendations to the Turkish government, humanitarian agencies and organisations and countries donating aid for earthquake victims (see report).

ELECTIONS 2023

On 14 May, in what are being described as the most important elections in the history of the Republic since it was founded in 1923, the people of Türkiye will go to the polls to elect their president for the next 5 years and a new parliament, the 600 member Grand National Assembly.

Standing for re-election is President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who has been in office since 2014 and was Prime Minister from 2003.

[Read more…]

Europe Newsletter March 2023

March 9, 2023 by zarganar

There is a special International Women’s day action featuring Eren Keskin, fearless human rights defender from Türkiye. Please take action on International Women’s day Wednesday 8^th March.

Human Rights in Europe are under threatened and under attack, particularly the human rights of those who are fleeing war and persecution and hoping to claim their universal human right to asylum. The latest shocker from our government are the plans to suspend the right to asylum altogether. I am currently taking part in discussions with the International Secretariat and other European Sections about coordinated action against the human rights violations at Fortress Europe’s borders and will keep you posted.

In the mean-time I want to inform you of the actions organized by other organizations: Care for Calais, Trade Unions and others. On 18^th of March in to date 12 countries including the UK, people will be marching against racism and for the rights of refugees. Find out more at #WorldAgainstRacism and at the end of this Newsletter.

Türkiye

Response to Earthquake

Everyone will be aware of the dreadful series of earthquakes that struck south west Türkiye and Syria in early February killing in excess of 50,000 people, injuring far more and creating hundreds of thousands of displaced, homeless persons.

Amnesty International has expressed its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the earthquakes and acknowledges the tireless efforts of volunteers and first responders in search and rescue operations in such difficult circumstances.

Türkiye has invoked a state of emergency in the affected provinces. Aid provision in Syria has been slowed down and obstructed by political considerations and logistical difficulties that have eclipsed the need for an urgent and immediate response to people’s needs in the northwest.

In times of such crises, human rights must not be suspended and there must be concerted efforts towards the promotion and protection of the human rights of everyone. In acknowledgement of this, Amnesty has published: TÜRKİYE/SYRIA: A HUMAN RIGHTS RESPONSE TO THE 6 FEBRUARY EARTHQUAKES

TURKIYE_SYRIA_A-human-rights-response_briefing-EUR44-6470-2023_final Download

Buyukada hearing

As I informed you in a previous newsletter, the hearing at the first instance court in the Buyukada prosecution following the overturning of the convictions of Taner Kılıç, former Chair of Amnesty’s Turkey section, Idil Eser former Director of Amnesty Turkey, Günal Kurşun and Özlem Dalkıran is set to take place on 8 March.

You will recall that in November 2022 the Court of Cassation ruled to overturn the convictions for ‘aiding a terrorist organization’ for Idil, Ozlem and Gunal on grounds of lack of evidence, whilst Taner’s conviction for ‘membership of a terrorist organization’ was overturned on grounds of ‘incomplete investigation’.

In December, the first instance court requested that additional investigation be carried out and the date of the hearing be set for 8 March, indicating that the court will agree with the Court of Cassation ruling – though we will not know if this is the case until the hearing takes place. Since then, some responses were received and added to the case file online. The latest correspondence is from the Ministry of Justice, sharing the European Court of Human Rights ruling in Taner’s application, informing the trial court of its conclusions finding Taner’s rights to liberty and security and freedom of expression had been violated. In other words, helpfully, the Ministry is drawing the attention of the court to a binding decision, informing them that the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe is monitoring the implementation of the judgment. On the face of it, this is a positive step.

It is possible that the hearing will end with a decision to uphold the Court of Cassation decision or as is within their power, to resist it. Even if the court rules to accept it, the prosecution could appeal, starting the whole process again which obviously would be extremely distressing for the 4 defendants.

I will let everyone know what happens on 8 March and if further follow up action is required.

Saturday Mothers/People

The 6th hearing in the baseless prosecution of the 46 people from the Saturday Mothers/People group related to their banned gathering in 2018 as reported in the January newsletter as being scheduled for 03.02.2023 was in the end postponed because the judge was ill. A new date has not yet been identified.

In a further development, a few days ago a decision of the Turkish Constitutional Court on the application of a member of the group called Maside Ocak relating to the banning of the Saturday Mother/People in August 2018 that led to the prosecution was published in the Official Gazette. Maside is the sister of Hasan Ocak who was forcibly “disappeared” in 1995 and daughter of 82 year old Emine Osak who has appeared prominently at Saturday Mother/Peoples vigils for many years.

The Constitutional Court found that Maside’s right of freedom to peaceful assembly had been violated and ruled that the decision should be sent to the Beyoglu Governorate ‘in order that the violation of the right in the future be prevented’.

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