Web pages about "Prisoners Of Conscience"

Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka flourish under veil of secrecy

Fri, 02 May 2008 18:22:04 +0100

Ensuring respect for human rights around the world very often relies on impartial and rigorous media coverage – without exposure and public scrutiny abuses can flourish under a veil of secrecy and denial.

The importance of the media in conflict situations cannot be overstated, without reports, pictures and film of the fighting and the violence, no-one knows enough to put the pressure on the participants to ensure human rights are respected.

This need is particularly strong in Sri Lanka, where fatalities on all sides are believed to be very high with large numbers of civilians caught in the crossfire. All parties to the conflict are responsible for grave violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern that "since the start of the year civilian casualties had gone up as the number of indiscriminate attacks had grown in the north, east and south of the country."

Despite the gravity of the human cost of war, Sri Lanka is a conflict where journalists face unjustified restrictions on reporting and there are very few established facts. In fact, both sides consistently contradict each other.

The conflict in Sri Lanka is between government forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and armed Tamil groups alleged to be aligned with the government. Sri Lanka, as Amnesty International reported in its February report Silencing Dissent, is a country where media coverage of war has effectively been silenced – through threats, restrictions and violence.

The conflict in the north and east of Sri Lanka has continued to escalate since the ending of the ceasefire agreement on 16 January 2008. The withdrawal of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement means that there is a vacuum of independent reporting of human rights violations. This makes it more urgent that journalists are allowed to report without undue restrictions and document human rights abuses on the ground.

Yet journalists are often barred from conflict areas. The LTTE does not allow independent reporting in the areas under its control, while the government masks the cost of the war.

According to the Free Media Movement, a Colombo-based media watchdog, Government of Sri Lanka officials have barred photographers in the past week from entering hospitals in Colombo where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers injured in battle in late April are being treated.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, 25 journalists from the minority Tamil community had fled the Jaffna peninsula where government forces are battling Tamil Tiger rebels.

It is two years since support staff Suresh Kumar and Rajiv Kumar were gunned down at the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper office on 2 May 2006. The newspaper has come under severe attack because of its alleged Tamil nationalist stance. Seven media workers have been killed in Jaffna since the beginning of May 2006, four of these working with Uthayan.

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the office and killed the two workers in the absence of the journalists the gunmen were apparently looking for. The killers still walk free.

"Publishing our daily newspaper in Jaffna is an increasingly Herculean and dangerous task with armed gunmen who continuously threaten our work and our lives," said the editor of Uthayan.

To date, the organisation is unaware of any investigation that has led to the arrest and prosecution of those believed responsible for the killing of journalists and other media workers.

In another incident, journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam was arrested on 7 March and has been held in the Terrorist Investigation Division Detention centre in Colombo since. The authorities have claimed that he is held on suspicion of involvement with the LTTE, although he has not been charged with any offence.

Amnesty International has said that his detention is arbitrary. He is at risk of going blind if he does not receive specialist treatment for a serious eye condition.

In all, at least 10 media workers have been unlawfully killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of 2006. Others have been arbitrarily detained, tortured and allegedly disappeared while in the custody of security forces.

For Press Freedom Day 2008, Amnesty International has urged the Sri Lankan government to protect media workers and their rights to life, liberty and security of person, in compliance with Sri Lanka’s obligations under international law.

The organization has also called on the government to respect media workers and publicly announce that killings, threats, or other attacks will not be tolerated and to investigate all cases of attacks, disappearances and killings of media workers promptly, independently, impartially and effectively, irrespective of the identity of perpetrators or victims.

The organisation is also calling on the LTTE to issue instructions to all its members to cease all killings, threats or other attacks on media workers. All parties to the conflict must stop targeting journalists.

Royal pardon for Moroccan demonstrators

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:29:19 +0100

Eight men convicted of undermining the monarchy in Morocco last year have been released after they were pardoned by the King on Friday, 4 April. Nine others facing judicial proceedings based on the same charges also benefited from the Royal pardon.

All of those pardoned were members of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights. Seven of them were arrested on 1 may 2007 for chanting slogans critical of the monarchy, five in Lksar Elkbir and two in Agadir. They were sentenced to between three and five years in prison.

Ten others were arrested in later demonstrations in solidarity with the detainees, among them 73-year-old Mohamed Bougrine. He was also sentenced to prison and his health was said to deteriorate while in detention.

The monarchy remains a taboo subject in Morocco. Any criticism of the king can be considered to undermine the monarchy. In recent years, several people, including journalists and political activists, have been prosecuted and in some cases, sentenced to prison terms for peacefully expressing views critical of the monarchy.

Amnesty International, who adopted the men as prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their rights, welcomed their release.

However, the organization voiced concern that Moroccan legislation can be used to criminalise the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

Amnesty International is urging the Moroccan authorities to bring Moroccan legislation into line with their obligations under Article 19 and 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Hu Jia jailed for three and a half years

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:37:13 +0100

Chinese human rights activist Hu Jia has been convicted of “inciting subversion of state power” and sentenced to three and a half years inprison.

After months under house arrest, Hu Jia was detained on 27 December 2007. He was formally charged on 28 January 2008 and went on trial on18 March at the Beijing Municipal No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court.

"This verdict is punishment for Hu Jia’s public critiques of human rights violations in China and a warning to any other activists in China who dare to raise human rights concerns publicly,” said Amnesty International.

“It also makes a mockery of promises made by Chinese officials that human rights would improve in the run-up to the Olympics.”

Prior to his formal detention, Hu Jia had publicly expressed concerns over human rights abuses by police in Beijing, including the arrest of activists without the necessary legal procedures. This included the case of land rights activist Yang Chunlin and human rights defender Lu Gengsong, both also detained on subversion charges.

While detained, Hu has been subjected to 47 lengthy and repeated interrogations. He was denied access to his lawyer, members of his family and medical treatment, including necessary daily medication for liver disease resulting from a Hepatitis B infection. His wife, Zeng Jinyan, is still under house arrest with their newborn baby.

Amnesty International considers Hu Jia a prisoner of conscience and has demanded his immediate and unconditional release. The organization urges the International Olympic Committee and world leaders with a stake in the Olympics to publicly express their concern about his plight - and that of numerous other peaceful activists in China who have been silenced in the run-up to the Games. A failure to speak out would be a "conspiracy of silence" that will be perceived by the authorities as a tacit endorsement of such repression.

Hu started his activism as an AIDS activist in 2001. He is the co-founder of the Beijing Aizhixing Institute of Health Education and of Loving Source, a grassroots organization dedicated to helping children from AIDS families.

Due to his activities and outspokenness, Hu Jia was repeatedly harassed and beaten by police. According to his wife Zeng Jinyan: “Not counting one time in 2002, when Hu was detained by police while interviewing AIDS village inhabitants, he will have been under various forms of imprisonment for exactly four years on 3 April 2008.”

Hu’s focus broadened and he began reporting on wider human rights violations and giving interviews to foreign media. In November 2007, he participated via webcam in a European Union parliamentary hearing in Brussels in which he stated that China had failed to fulfill its promises to improve human rights in the run-up to the Olympics.

In an article on his blog dated 10 September 2007, Hu Jia says: "Everyone should know that the country that is about to host the Olympics is one without democratic elections, freedom of religion, independent courts or independent unions. It prohibits protests and labor strikes. It is a state that carries out widespread torture, discrimination, and employs a large secret police system. It is a nation that violates human rights standards and human dignity, and is not ready to fulfil its international obligations."

In a joint press conference with UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband in Beijing on 28 February 2008, China's foreign minister Yang Jiechi said: "No one will get arrested because he said that human rights are more important than the Olympics. This is impossible."

Amnesty International believes this verdict makes a mockery of the notion that Chinese citizens are free to hold opinions and to speak their mind without retribution from the authorities, and serves as a warning to other activists in China who might dare raise human rights concerns publicly.

Related information

What human rights legacy for the Beijing Olympics? (Report abstract, 2 April 2008)

China: World leaders and IOC should demand release of human rights activist Hu Jia

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:50:58 +0100

Amnesty International today condemned the decision by Chinese authorities to convict human rights defender Hu Jia on charges of ‘inciting subversion of state power'. Hu Jia is being punished for exercising his freedom of expression and speaking out on human rights violations in China. The organization considers Hu Jia a prisoner of conscience and has from the outset opposed his detention and the ‘house arrest’ of his wife and baby.

"Hu Jia should be immediately and unconditionally released and his conviction overturned," said Amnesty International. "This verdict makes a mockery of the notion that Chinese citizens are free to hold opinions and to speak their mind without retribution from the authorities, and serves as a warning to other activists in China who might dare raise human rights concerns publicly." It demonstrates that promises made by Chinese officials that human rights would improve in the run-up to the Olympics remain unfulfilled.

Amnesty International is appealing to world leaders and the International Olympics Committee to call for the unconditional release of Hu Jia and other activists in China who have been silenced and imprisoned solely for peacefully exercising their freedoms of expression and association in the lead-up to the Olympics. Silence from other governments around the world may embolden the Chinese authorities to pursue further acts of repression in the run-up to the Olympics.

Background:

As co-founder of the Beijing Aizhixing Institute of Health Education, Hu Jia began as an activist on HIV/AIDS issues, but his focus broadened to include a variety of other human rights concerns. In September 2007, he published an article together with fellow activist Teng Biao about human rights violations in the run-up to the Olympics. The police formally charged him with ‘inciting subversion’ on 28 January 2008, an accusation regularly used to silence and imprison peaceful activists in China.

Please see our latest related report: China: The Olympics countdown – crackdown on activists threatens Olympics legacy and special Tibet update.

Note to editors:

Amnesty International has obtained broadcast rights for Hu Jia's film: 'Prisoners in Freedom City', which he shot from the window of his home while under house arrest. It explores the confinement and harassment to which he and his family were subjected, along with footage of plain-clothed police outside his house and his own commentary on day-to-day life. The film is 30 minutes and cleared for broadcast use. It has burnt in subtitles in English and Chinese and is available in tape format DVCAM (PAL). Should any broadcasters be interested, AI can ship the film by courier (i.e. the film is not available to download). Please call A/V Producer David Whitbourn in London, UK, on +44 (0)7778 472 107.

Nepal: Clampdown on Tibet demonstrators must stop immediately and protesters released

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:42:24 +0000

Amnesty International called on the Nepalese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those arrested in connection with demonstrations on Tibet.

It is estimated that more than 400 people have been arrested today in connection with a number of protests on Tibet around Nepal.

"Nepal is sending a message of no-tolerance of dissent by arresting peaceful demonstrators," said Amnesty International, cautioning that the latest wave of repression extends beyond Tibet-related protests. "This is the latest in a series of clampdowns on peaceful demonstration as elections approach."

In one incident, activists were detained ahead of an Amnesty International Nepal vigil on the human rights situation in Tibet. At 13:55 hrs local time, 17 activists were detained in Maitiyala Mandala, Kathmandu and taken to Singha Durbar Police Station. No reason has been given for their arrest.

Detainees included: Rameshwar Npal, Director of Amnesty International Nepal; Sushil Pyakurel, former Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission; Govinda Bandi, lawyer and member of the International Commission of Jurists; and a other activists, including four from the Tibetan community and a number of Amnesty International members.

"The authorities' interference in peaceful protest by Tibetans and other human rights activists is unconstitutional," said Amnesty International.

"The move by the District Administration to prevent a peaceful demonstration from taking place is against Article 12 of the Constitution of Nepal. There are also no legal grounds to pre-ban demonstrations."

Amnesty International reiterated its call for the Chinese government to allow an independent UN investigation into the events in Tibet which prompted demonstrations in Nepal. It also called on the Chinese government to address the underlying grievances of the Tibetan people and long-term policies that have generated such resentment.

Note to editors

To arrange an interview with Yolanda Foster, AI's researcher currently in Kathmandu and eye-witness to the arrests in Maitiyala Mandala, please contact +44 7778 472 126.

According to official figures, over 14,000 exiled Tibetans reside in Nepal (the figure is estimated to be closer to 20,000). Many have restricted rights.

Turkish activist gets jail sentence

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:30:02 +0000

Human rights activist Eren Keskin has been sentenced to six months and 20 days in prison after being convicted of “denigrating the Turkish army”.

The conviction comes under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, which Amnesty International has long campaigned against.

Eren Keskin's sentence can be converted into a fine of 4,000 Turkish Liras (US$3,250) but she has refused to pay it. Instead, she is appealing the verdict. Should she be imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider her to be a prisoner of conscience.

Amnesty International has campaigned for the abolition of Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code on the grounds that it is an unnecessary restriction of the right to freedom of expression. Yet a steady flow of cases continue to be opened under it.

Eren Keskin’s conviction follows an interview she gave to the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegel in 2006, in which she stated that the army had undue influence on politics, the judiciary and state institutions.

UN scrutiny of Tibet crisis required

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 18:11:00 +0000

The Chinese authorities must allow independent UN investigation into the events of the last week in Tibet and lift the long-term restrictions on human rights monitoring in the area.

After a week of unrest, the region has been sealed off. Amnesty International has called on the Chinese authorities to show restraint in responding to continuing protests in Lhasa and elsewhere in Tibet. International law requires that governments handle such crises in ways that uphold fundamental human rights and the principles of necessity and proportionality in the use of force.

The authorities must also fully account for all detainees and release those detained solely for peacefully expressing their views.

"The Chinese authorities also need to address the underlying grievances of the Tibetan people and the long-term policies that have generated such resentment," said Catherine Baber, Director of the Asia-Pacific Programme at Amnesty International. "The situation also demands attention by the UN Human Rights Council at its current session."

Tibetans' long-term grievances include perceived exclusion from the benefits of economic development, restrictions on religious practice, and government policies weakening their culture and ethnic identity.

On Friday, protests in Lhasa turned violent, with protestors setting fire to Chinese-owned businesses, police stations and attacking Han Chinese. As a result, thirteen persons died according to official Chinese sources, largely Han Chinese businesspeople in Lhasa. Police and military forces were reported to have fired teargas and live ammunition into crowds and beaten protestors in an attempt to disperse them. According to spokespersons for the Tibetan Government in Exile this has resulted in around 80 deaths.

A curfew is reported to have been imposed throughout Lhasa and all shops are closed. Entry into the city has been blocked off through check-points. Armoured vehicles and contingents from the People’s Armed Police are present throughout the city. Reports suggest that scattered protests continued in parts of the city over the weekend.

Police and military forces have surrounded three major monasteries in the Lhasa area, confining monks inside and beating those who have attempted to leave. Monks from Sera monastery are reported to have started a hunger strike demanding the withdrawal of military forces from their monastery.

One year missing and imprisoned in Libya

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 17:42:47 +0000

At least 14 Libyans were arrested just over a year ago for planning a peaceful demonstration to mark the anniversary of the Benghazi events when security forces killed 12 demonstrators. Twelve of them now face unfair trials before a newly-created State Security Court. Two of them, Jum’a Boufayed and Abdelrahman al-Qateewy, have not been seen since they were arrested.

On 1 February 2007, political activists Idriss Boufayed, Al-Mahdi Saleh Hmeed, Ahmed Youssef al-Obaidi and Bashir Qasem al-Hares, advertised the demonstration on news websites based outside Libya. They were arrested two weeks later, on 16 February 2007, along with Alaa al-Drissi and writers, Jamal al-Hajji and Farid Mohammed al-Zwai.

Idriss Boufayed, an outspoken critic of Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi and secretary general of the Libyan organisation National Union of Reform, has been critical of the political situation within Libya and its human rights record. He was arrested on 16 February 2007 at his family home in Gheryan.

A few hours later, his brother Jum’a gave a media interview over the phone describing how a group of armed men had come to the family home. He said they had broken down the door when nobody answered, taking his brother away.

During the interview, Jum’a Boufayed also said he feared that he too would soon be arrested for revealing this information over the phone. Jum’a Boufayed was indeed arrested later that day and the last time he was seen was two days later when he was taken back to the family house to pick up his mobile and computer.

The members of the group who have been charged are accused of vaguely worded offences including "attempting to overthrow the political system", "possession of weapons and explosives with the intention of carrying out subversive activities" and "communication with enemy powers." They are being tried before the State Security Court and could face the death penalty if found guilty.

Reports indicated that all have been held incommunicado for prolonged periods since their arrest and that at least two of them were tortured. During at least one interrogation session, they were reported to have been punched and beaten with sticks, subjected to falaqa (beating on the soles of the feet) and put in coffins to intimidate them.

They needed medical treatment as a result and, according to reports, do not have sufficient access to medical care. The group of prisoners currently detained in Ain Zara prison have not been allowed visits from their families since they were arrested, while those in al-Jadida prison have upon occasion been allowed to see their families.

Amnesty International has called for their immediate and unconditional release should they have been detained solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression. The organization has also expressed concerns about the reports of torture and urged the authorities to order a full, impartial and independent investigation into the matter.

Amnesty International has also called upon the authorities to ensure that the detainees are receiving access to healthcare and to lawyers of their own choosing, as well as allowing them to receive visits from their families. In the case of Jum’a Boufayed and Abdelrahman al-Qateewy the organization has called upon the authorities to immediately reveal their whereabouts and to ensure that they are being treated humanely.

New Cuban leadership can improve human rights

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:07:57 +0000

Amnesty International has called on the new Cuban government to allow UN human rights bodies and independent human rights organizations to visit the country.

A spokesperson for the organization said that Fidel Castro’s decision not to continue as president of Cuba paves the way for positive human rights reforms on the island.

“The new Cuban leadership must take advantage of this change to introduce much needed reforms to guarantee the protection of human rights,” says Amnesty International Special Advisor, Javier Zuñiga.

“Reform in Cuba must start with the unconditional release of all prisoners of conscience, the judicial review of all sentences passed after unfair trials, the abolition of the death penalty and the introduction of measures to ensure respect of fundamental freedoms and the independence of the judiciary.”

Four Cuban activists were recently released from prison, a move welcomed by Amnesty International on Monday. The organization has called on President Raul Castro to urgently release the 58 remaining incarcerated prisoners of conscience and guarantee the right to freedom of expression on the island.

Amnesty International has also urged the international community, and in particular the US, to abolish policies and practices, such as the US embargo, which impinge on the human rights of Cubans.

Belarusian youth activist freed

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:12:34 +0000

The Belarusian youth activist, Zmitser Dashkevich, has been released early from Sklou prison in Belarus. Zmitser was the subject of a global Amnesty International action last year calling for his release.

In an interview shortly after his release, Zmitser said that he thought his early release was due to international pressure.

The first Zmitser's friends knew about his release was when he phoned them from Sklou post office on Wednesday. He then made his way home alone by train. His parents had suspected that an early release might be possible when prison authorities rejected their last food parcel for him.

A leader of the Young Front, Zmitser Dashkevich was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment for "organizing or participating in activities of an unregistered organization" in November 2006. He was due to be released on March 15.

Amnesty International considered him to be a prisoner of conscience. He became the subject of a global action during which Amnesty International members, youth groups and supporters sent over 10,000 origami cranes to the authorities.

A giant crane was created by Amnesty International youth members at the ICM in Mexico and sent to the Ministry of the Interior in Belarus, but the package was refused at the border. The crane was then sent to the local human rights NGO, Vyasna, who successfully delivered the crane to the Ministry.