Another year, another attempt to squeeze a few coppers from the busy folk of Bournemouth. Despite good weather and lots of people, we yet again proved to be invisible to the masses. We raised £142.48 – not a huge sum, but “every little helps”. Thanks to everyone who turned out. The photo sums up what its like out there with an Amnesty collection box in your hands…
Chile – 40th anniversary of the Coup
On the Amnesty Website there are two news stories under the “Life under pinochet” byline. One has an extraordinary testimony from Chilean activist Gloria Elgueta in her struggle to ensure truth and justice for the disappearance of her brother. The feature includes details of the former detention centre Londres 38. Please read this story here
Please also find below, as part of the feature special on Chile, the story of Mario Irarrazabal, the artist who created the famous sculptures of hands “coming out” of the ground in various cities. Mario is also one of the few people who survived Londres 38, one of Pinochet’s brutal torture centres.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/life-under-pinochet-only-thing-we-could-hear-were-church-bells-and-people-screaming-2013-09-04
Amnesty International will issue a press release to mark the 40th anniversary of the coup (11 September 1973) . A petition will be delivered to the Chilean Authorities asking President Sebastián Piñera and relevant authorities in the Chilean Parliament to:
- Repeal the 1978 Amnesty Law (Decree Law 2,191) and any other measures granting amnesty to perpetrators of human rights violations.
- Reform the Military Code of Justice to ensure that human rights abuses by military personnel and security forces in Chile are investigated and tried under the civilian courts.
- Support and strengthen the initiatives aimed at preserving the historical memory of the gross human rights violations.
- Put human rights at the forefront of all policies and programmes.
Please sign the petition here
http://www.amnistia.cl/web/formulario/40anosGolpeEstado/form.php
Christchurch Street Collection 2013
Thanks for everyone who helped out with last Saturdays Street Collection. 
The middle of August isn’t the best date – we have no say over when allocated – as many usual helpers were away. So it was great to make £91.65 – only slightly down on last year. Thanks again to all who turned out.
Raisa Radchenko in Psychiatric Hospital
This is an updated Urgent Action (which we hadn’t previously seen or acted on) relating to the Ukraine. Raisa Radchenko, a 70 year old human rights activist, was detained on 11 July 2013 by police and taken to Zaporizhzhya Regional Psychiatric Hospital. Despite having no history of mental illness and without a court order authorising treatment without consent, she was nevertheless subjected to psychiatric treatment.
The sample letter – to the regional Govenor – is self explanatory. There are more details on the AIUK website, also including a TEXT campaign if you prefer. The address of the Embassy of Ukraine is 78 Kensington Park Rd, London W11 2PL
Update – Raisa has since been released. No further action.
July 2013 News Update – South America Region
Going back a couple of decades, the group was an active participant in a Regional Action Network involving Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay – although 90% of the work centred on Brazil. This has gradually evolved into the South America Region and we get periodic updates and actions from the hard working voluntary coordinators. We thought you may find it useful if we shared the updates to give you a feel for some of the ways Amnesty currently works and the campigning that is being done. At the end of the report is a link to an Urgent Action and sample letter:-
Paraguay
In early July AIUK coordinators and staff at the International Secretariat were able to brief the new UK Ambassador to Paraguay, Jeremy Hobbs, before he departed to take up his post. The Embassy closed in 2005 and is just now reopening. We were able to brief the Ambassador on the human rights situation in Paraguay and, in particular, the two case files of indigenous communities removed from their lands, Yakye Axa and Sawhowyamaxa.
Venezuela
On 14 June Judge Alfiuni was released from detention. In December 2009 she released banker Eligio Cedeño in accordance with Venezuelan law and was herself arrested the following day. Amnesty International has consistently denounced her detention as undue political interference and arbitrary in nature, in contravention of the independence of the magistrates and judges. The conditions imposed on her release are harsh: she may not leave the country, speak to the press or communicate on social networks.
Colombia
In theory, paramilitarism ended with the demobilisation process. However, groups continue to operate with impunity. Since our last update a paramilitary plan to kill human rights activists has been exposed. Members of the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes in Sucre (MOVICE) have been threatened and attacked by paramilitaries. These and other organised crimes have been planned from within prison. On 3rd June the police commander of the Department of Sucre in northern Colombia received an e-mail saying paramilitaries (believed to be the bloque Héroes de los Montes de María) were intending to kill human rights defender Juan David Díaz, his wife and another person. His father Eudaldo was killed after he denounced links between paramilitaries, local politicians and the Armed Forces in February 2003. [Read more…]
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