Iftar in Bournemouth

In conjunction with Feed our Community we will be hosting an Iftar on 21st March. This will be at the Garden Rooms café in Boscombe. An Iftar is the  evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset. It is a significant religious observance during the holy month of Ramadan, symbolizing the breaking of the fast.
We’re still at the planning stage, but Nabila Hanson, Amnesty International UK country coordinator for China, and Professor Bonnie Ling, from Work Better Innovations, have been booked as speakers.
If interested in attending please keep an eye on our Events page, which we will keep  updated.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/event

South America Newsletter

The latest South America Newsletter has updates on Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina and Venezuela.  Our group have taken part in several campaigns since the repressive response to the 2019 protests in Chile, calling for an end to impunity for those who were in charge. Now an indictment has been filed against three current and former senior commanders of Carabineros de Chile, including the the current Director General of Carabineros, Ricardo Yáñez.
Amnesty International considers this development a step towards justice for the grave and widespread human rights violations committed during the response to the protests.
The newsletter also has an update on the murder of human rights defender and politician Marielle Franco (above) and her driver Anderson Gomes. Its now almost six years since their assassination. Again, this is a campaign our group has frequently worked on.
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/south-america-newsletter-february-2024

Europe Newsletter

The latest Europe newsletter has updates on Greece, Malta and Poland. This includes a harrowing video from survivors of the capsizing of the Adriana last June. 750 people from Syria, Pakistan and Egypt were on the Adriana when it 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. on several occasions.
Sadly, the plight of the El Hiblu 3 has been raised here before. Three young men who, by acting as interpreters trying to diffuse a crisis onboard a ship rescuing a refugee boat, have been accused of hijacking.
Now after 4 years the Attorney General of Malta has indicted the three young men with charges that could see them convicted to life imprisonment. Please add your name to a petition demanding justice for the El Hiblu 3
https://amnestyat50.co.uk/europe-newsletter-january-2024

Write 4 Rights 2023

Thanks to everyone who supported our two W4R 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.
Whilst the W4R campaign is over, you can still read about the individual cases and take campaigning actions. Could your church or organisation (workplace?) take part in W4R this year? Do get in touch.

Virginia Laparra

Last year we campaigned on behalf of Guatemala lawyer Virginia Laparra, above.  A renowned anti-corruption prosecutor, she had been sentenced to 4 years in prison for the crime of “abuse of authority continuously committed against the public administration”.
We are delighted to report that she was released from prison last month. Ana Piquer, Americas director at Amnesty International, said
“Virginia Laparra should never have spent a day in jail. It’s great news that she can be reunited with her loved ones after nearly two years as a prisoner of conscience.”