Group Newsletter August 2026

Welcome to the latest newsletter. Our next meeting will be on Thursday September 3rd 2026, from 7.30 pm to 9.00 pm, at Moordown Community Centre. At the meeting we’ll review our campaigning and the planning of future events, and take part in letter writing and online actions.
But before then we will be at:-

Increase the Peace Festival

We have a stall at the resurrected Increase the Peace Festival – a Community Celebration – in Boscombe. This is a full day of entertainment, live music, free children’s activities and vibrant cultural experiences for all ages. This will take place all along Boscombe High Street. It starts at 11.30 and goes on into the evening (although we will pack up at 5.30!). Do come and say hello and take part in the actions we will have on our stall. This is on

Sunday 30th August 2026

Other Events

We’ve had two successful events since the last newsletter. In late June we were at the Great Community Get Together on Winton Recreation Ground to celebrate Refugee Week. Everyone remarked on the brilliant atmosphere at this enjoyable, well attended event event.
Earlier in June we attended Poole Pride for the first time. Fortunately indoors, at the Lighthouse, as a very wet and windy day. We had a great deal of interaction with attendees, distributing many stickers and getting signatures on the cases we featured – Géza Buzás-Hábel being prosecuted for organising the Pécs Pride march, Hungary,  in October 2025 and the Genç LGBTI+ association in Türkiye, being prosected and possibly forced to dissolve on  a variety of vague morality laws. Charges against Géza Buzás-Hábel have since been dropped.
We are still planning our Autumn Quiz for a Friday in November, and looking to have a few Write for Rights events in December. Do let us know if you have suggestions of possible venues for the latter.

South America Newsletter

The August issue is on our website, with news from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. At the beginning of the year Amnesty was campaigning for the release of over 1000 politically-motivated arbitrary detainees in Venezuela. Since then there has been the US attack and Presidential abduction and imposing of a new President. Some detainees have been released. In June there was an massive earthquake which has killed thousands, injured and displaced tens of thousands more.
Currently hundreds of politically motivated arbitrary detainees remain unfairly imprisoned. Relatives of arbitrary detainees in Venezuela’s Rodeo I prison have told Amnesty International that the prison authorities have fired pellets and tear gas inside the prison, apparently in response to prisoners requesting measures to address damage caused by the earthquakes. There is an Urgent Action, that can be emailed, urging Venezuelan authorities to release all those being arbitrarily detained and to protect the lives of all those in custody of the state.
newsletter: https://amnestyat50.co.uk/south-america-newsletter-august-2026
urgent action: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/individuals-at-risk/urgent-action-free-venezuelas-rodeo-i-political-prisoners/

Europe Newsletter April 2026

Just published, the latest Europe Newsletter contains a significant update on Türkiye – with a message of thanks  from Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, explaining the impact of the many letters and cards she received during Write 4 Rights 2024. There are also updates from Southern Europe, including the  campaign in Greece to ban the use of stun grenades in policing protests. For years police have been using stun grenades against peaceful protesters and journalists during demonstrations, leading to serious injuries. Explosive grenades that cause lifelong injuries have no place in crowd control, sign the petition to demand they are no longer used n policing protests in Greece.
Newsletter: https://amnestyat50.co.uk/europe-newsletter-august-2026
Petition: https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/ban-stun-grenades-in-policing-protests-in-greece/

AIUK Individuals at risk

The AIUK website had a revamp back in February. The “Urgent Action” page has gone, being replaced by Individuals at Risk – which basically lists current Urgent Actions. Do check it out and bookmark it. As well as the Venezuelan action featured above, there is the case of Azerbaijani reporter Nargiz Absalamova. She is serving eight years in prison on trumped up charges and is being denied vital medical care. And paediatrician and hospital director Dr Hussam Abu Safiya. On 27 December 2024, the Israeli military raided Kamal Adwan hospital in Mashrou’ Beit Lahiya and arbitrarily detained Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, along with other medical staff and patients. Please take action; with most there is an on line option.
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/individuals-at-risk/