Volume IX Number 11, November-December 2001
UPCOMING
EVENTS
Thursday,
November 29, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting Note New Location! 414 S. Holliston,
Caltech Y Lounge. Help us plan future actions on Afghanistan, Tibet, the
Campaign against Torture and abolition of the death penalty.
Tuesday,
December 11, 7:30 PM.
Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum.
Corner of California & Hill in the basement recreation area. An informal meeting, a great place for
first-timers to ask questions!
Wednesday,
December 12, 7:00-9:00 P.M. International Human Rights Day at the Latino Museum of History
Art and Culture, 112 S. Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Esperanza-Hope: A Tribute to the Memory
of Digna Ochoa y Placido.
Sunday, December
16, 7:30 PM. Rights
Readers Human Rights Book Discussion
Group. 187 S. Catalina Ave. #2, in Pasadena (just south
of Cordova, north of Del Mar) phone: 626-795-1785. This month we
discuss Omon
Ra by Victor Pelevin. (see
below).
Tuesday,
January 8, 7:30 PM.
Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum.
Corner of California & Hill in the basement recreation area. An informal meeting, a great place for
first-timers to ask questions!
Sunday, January
20, 7:30 PM. Rights
Readers Human Rights Book Discussion
Group Call for location info: 626-281-4039. This month
we discuss Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan by
Jason Elliot. (see below).
Our group co-sponsored an
extremely successful visit in November by a representative from the
Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan, a remarkable organization
which has been working for human rights and against fundamentalism in
Afghanistan
since 1977. (Many of you will
remember the successful RAWA talk we co-sponsored at Caltech last year.) With the timeliness of the issues, and
RAWA's increasing public reputation in this country (with media coverage
stressing their integrity and bravery), it wasn't surprising that the Pasadena
appearance this year drew a record crowd (that is, a record among the events
our group has sponsored or co-sponsored...) The speaker gave an overview of the
recent tragic history of her country, and discussed some serious human-rights
concerns in the present situation, including RAWA's concerns about the Northern
Alliance's poor human-rights record (amply documented by AI, among
others). Thanks to Lucas Kamp for
coordinating our group's involvement in this event!
For this month's column, group
members Joyce Wolf and Martha Ter Maat have written accounts of their
experiences at the Western Regional Conference (see below). Unfortunately I
wasn't able to attend this year, but reading their reports reminds me
of how much
inspiration I always get from Amnesty conferences. Besides the informative
talks and workshops, it's wonderful and refreshing to be with hundreds of
fellow activists all sharing the same goals, working for human rights. The coming AIUSA Annual General Meeting
is April 19-21, 2002 in Seattle, Washington -- mark your calendars, and see you
there!
Cheers,
Larry Romans
818-354-5809
Group Coordinator ljr@ljr.net
Conference Impressions Part
1. Five of us from Group 22
attended the Western Regional Conference in Sacramento Nov 2-4. This was my first Amnesty conference,
and I certainly hope it won't be my last!
The film screening Friday evening
plunged us immediately into the current
crisis. "Jung (War): In the Land of the Mujaheddin" is a raw
powerful documentary of an Italian group's efforts to establish a hospital in
Afghanistan. It was difficult to watch, especially the child landmine victims
having limbs amputated under appalling conditions (at one point a surgeon
shrugs and picks up the only instrument available, an old hacksaw blade such as
one might find lying about in the garage). Other scenes showed a village
market, a New Year celebration, and interviews with young fighters and veterans
and Taliban prisoners.
Saturday morning featured a
speech by Toney Anaya, former governor of New Mexico. He told the story of his
personal involvement with the death penalty issue in more honest and forthright
terms than I've ever heard from a politician. His speech had especial
significance because the first NM execution in 40 years was going to happen in
three days.
There were three sessions of
afternoon workshops; the hard part was choosing which of a half dozen
concurrent workshops to attend. I
went to one on Refugees and the Current Crisis, and another on Human Rights in
China. Two AIUSA specialists, T. Kumar (staff person who directs our Asia
office in D.C.) and Govind Acharya (South Asia country coordinator, a
volunteer), impressed me with their knowledge and insightful analysis, far
better than the usual stuff in the media.
One of the things that regional
conferences do is pass resolutions, which then go to the national meeting.
During the debate on 11 proposed resolutions, I learned the difference between
"in behalf" and "on behalf", plus a whole lot about
Robert's Rules of Order. It's a very democratic process -- anyone can propose
changes -- but of limited interest to a first-timer like
me.
An important part of the
conference is the chance to meet people from other Amnesty groups and learn
about their activities. We lunched with people from New Mexico and Oakland and
got to tell them about our book group and Doodah. Earlier at a breakfast caucus I'd heard several references
to "that very active group in Pasadena."
--Joyce
Wolf
Conference Impressions Part
2. Preceding the main conference
on Friday, death penalty opponents from around the state used the opportunity
of a gathering in Sacramento for a day of strategizing for a
statewide moratorium
on executions. While plans for the
one-day meeting were scaled back in the wake of 9-11, attendance was good and
enthusiasm was high for moving forward even in an atmosphere where
“Justice not Vengeance” is a message many are not ready
to hear. This event marked the first statewide
meeting of a new organization: Californians for a Moratorium on
Executions. Visit the CME website www.californiamoratorium.org to
learn more about how you can get involved.
As Joyce has noted, the
conference kicked off with a very inspiring speech by Toney Anaya. In addition three workshops were
offered on the death penalty, one for those just getting started in abolition
work, another on coalition building which detailed the impressive work of AI
member Terry MacCaffrey in passing a moratorium resolution through the Santa
Clara County Board of Supervisors.
And finally a panel on the death penalty and mental retardation
featuring attorney Billy Edwards who championed the case of John Paul Penry in
Texas, which resulted in a landmark mental retardation Supreme Court
decision. Good news for us: Mr. Edwards has
recently moved to Pasadena! It was
great to meet this new ally in our work.
This workshop gave participants some valuable insights into
the importance
of passing California Assembly Bill 1512 to ban the execution of the mentally
retarded. You’ll be hearing
more from us on that in the near future.
Finally, at the close of the
conference we heard another perspective on execution from Ken Wiwa the son of
Ken Saro Wiwa, the author-environmentalist executed by the Nigerian government
in 1995. He made the moving point
that people who become martyrs are all too human and that they generally
sacrifice the things that are most meaningful to them (family) for the sake of
the cause (he mentioned Aung San Suu Kyi as another example). As the younger Ken has recently
published a memoir about his father, we can all look forward to learning more
of his story in a future book group discussion. --Martha Ter
Maat
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
Ngawang Pekar, Tibetan
Monk
Group 22 remains committed to
working on behalf of prisoner of conscience (POC) Ngawang Pekar (naw-wan
pee-kar), a Tibetan Buddhist monk. Pekar has been imprisoned since 1989 after
being arrested by Chinese authorities for participating in a peaceful
demonstration in the city of Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, in support of
Tibetan independence. Although the human rights situation in Tibet remains
grim, as we enter the holiday season some words of encouragement seem to be
fitting. Below are statements from two former Tibetan POCs that highlight just
how important our letters can be for those languishing in Chinese
prisons:
Statement by Tibetan former
prisoner and torture victim, Ganden Tashi -
"I was arrested on the
charge of staging a 'peaceful demonstration' in Lhasa, the capital city of
Tibet, on 5th March 1988 and I was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment by the
Chinese authorities in Drapchi Prison ...
I was tortured inhumanely in prison and maimed for a long time until I
was released on medical parole because of 'concerns' and 'actions' taken by AI
.. If I were not released on medical parole at the time, I probably would have
died in prison and nobody will know about it".
Former Drapchi inmate Jampel
Monlam told AI in June 2001 -
"I think the writing of
letters is very useful, because the guards and prison personnel will be aware
that there is international attention to this particular prisoner. If they know
that people outside know about this prisoner and his or her case, they will be
more careful when it comes to beating and maltreatment. They will know that
there might be troubles because this prisoner and his or her situation is known
to the outside world and people watch him or her. In short, I think the chance
for such a prisoner to be really treated badly becomes
less."
So let's all keep those cards and
letters coming folks and never give up hope!
As out action this month on
behalf of Ngawang Pekar, we ask that you write to the Director of the Tibet
Autonomous Regional Office of Foreign Affairs. Below is a letter that you can
either copy or use as a guide in composing your own
letter:
Dear Sir,
I am writing to you out of
concern for a prisoner being held in Tibet Autonomous Region Prison No. 1. The
prisoner's name is NGAWANG PEKAR (layname: Paljor). Ngawang Pekar, a Tibetan monk, was arrested in 1989 for
participating in a peaceful demonstration in the city of Lasashi and sentenced
to 8 years in prison. Subsequently, his sentence was increased by an additional
6 years.
Amnesty International considers
him to be a prisoner of conscience and I am concerned that he has been
imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of his universally recognized right
to freedom of expression. I am further deeply concerned about reports that he
has been beaten and denied access to medical care since his
arrest.
I respectfully urge you to
request that Ngawang Pekar's case be reviewed and that he be immediately and
unconditionally released in accordance with the international laws to which
China is signatory. I further request that he be allowed access to independent
non-governmental agencies so that his current state of well-being may be
determined and made known.
I thank you for your attention to
this important matter and would greatly appreciate any further information that
your office may be able to provide.
Sincerely,
Address your letter
to:
Suolang
Zhuren
Waishi
Bangongshi
Linkuobeilu
Lasashi, Xizang
Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
Postage is 80 cents for a letter,
70 cents for an aerogram. As
always, if by any chance you should receive a reply, please notify
Group 22.
LETTER
COUNT
Prisoner of Conscience (Ngawang
Pekar):
7
Campaign Against Torture &nb
sp;
7
Government Action Network
21
(Includes
Clean Diamonds Campaign,
Bush/Powell
on Afghan refugees
and
Ashcroft on Torture)
Just Earth Network
(Digna Ochoa)
10
Urgent Actions: &nb
sp;
8
Total:
&nb
sp;
42
Want to add your letters to the
total? Get in touch with lucas.kamp@jpl.nasa.gov
See Upcoming Events
for Location
|
Omon Ra By Victor
Pelevin A
vigorous satire on the Soviet space program is combined with a thoughtful
dramatization of the mixed human impulses to explore, conquer, and transcend
in this |
memorable
short novel… This haunting tragicomedy was nominated for the 1993 Russian
Booker Prize (which Pelevin won for a collection of short stories). It's the
work of an exciting new talent, and one hopes his other fiction will soon be in
English translation as well. -- Kirkus Reviews
Call for Location:
626-281-4039
|
Unexpected Light: Travels
in Afghanistan By Jason
Elliot This
extraordinary debut is an account of Elliot's two visits to Afghanistan. The
first occurred when he joined the mujaheddin circa 1979 and was smuggled into
Soviet- |
occupied
Afghanistan; the second happened nearly ten years later, when he returned to
the still war-torn land. The skirmishes that Elliot painstakingly describes
here took place between the Taliban and the government of Gen. Ahmad Shah
Massoud in Kabul. Although he thought long and hard before abandoning his plan
to travel to Hazara territory, where "not a chicken could cross that pass
without being fired on," Elliot traveled widely in the hinterland,
visiting Faizabad in the north and Herat in the west. The result is some of the
finest travel writing in recent years. With its luminous descriptions of the
people, the landscape (even when pockmarked by landmines), and Sufism, this
book has all the hallmarks of a classic, and it puts Elliot in the same league
as Bruce Chatwin.
AFGHANISTAN
New Report: Making Human Rights the
Agenda
Please
visit the AIUSA website to download this important report as well as access
press releases and other relevant actions. Please also see this month’s Campaign Against Torture
action to Attorney General Ashcroft.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/usacrisis
"In
debating the future of Afghanistan, the international community must ensure
that human rights are not just on the agenda, but that human rights become the
agenda," Amnesty International said in a new report.
"The
international community has an opportunity at this critical moment to put the
human rights of the Afghan people first, to learn from the past to build the
future. The UN Secretary-General's Special Representative to Afghanistan, Mr
Brahimi, has the responsibility to ensure that human rights are integrated into
all discussions about the future of Afghanistan."
The
report makes several recommendations to assist in the rebuilding of
Afghanistan. Those entrusted with leadership must be persons of integrity
committed to the human rights protection of all, particularly women. Women and
ethnic and religious minorities must not be discriminated against in the
creation of government and institutions.
Throughout
23 years of conflict Amnesty International has documented grave human rights
abuses by combatants of all the various warring parties. Any settlement to the
conflict must ensure accountability for these abuses and the perpetrators
should be brought to justice in accordance with international standards of fair
trial.
"While
Amnesty International appreciates the need for national reconciliation after
years of war and repression, any future political agreement must not allow for
impunity for those who have abused human rights in the past. Avoiding the truth
about a country's past and ignoring accountability will not achieve
peace."
Ignoring
a past history of human rights violations for reasons of political expediency
has a poor track record. From Cambodia to Sierra Leone, Angola to Chile, the
legacy of grave human rights violations which have never been accounted for
continues to have a negative effect on the peace process, and has undermined
human rights protection - even decades after the violations occurred.
Any
political settlement should contain explicit guarantees from the parties on the
immediate ending of serious abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture
and arbitrary detention. Specific protection should be sought against
retaliation and discrimination against ethnic and religious groups.
The
report calls for child soldiers to be demobilized, restrictions on arms
supplies, international protection for refugees, and a vigorous program of
human rights institution-building. Disarmament and demining should be included
as important components of a political settlement, and should be adequately
resourced and supported by the international community.
An expert
commission should be set up to examine and advise on how to bring perpetrators
to justice and ensure that all future institutions, including the judiciary and
law enforcement agencies, are established to promote and protect
human rights.
Amnesty
International is also calling for human rights monitors to be deployed
throughout Afghanistan as soon as possible to assist in ensuring protection of
human rights during peace-making, in the immediate post-conflict phase as well
as during the phase of institutional reform. The monitors should include
experts on women's rights.
The
report gives a history of human rights abuses over the past 23 years until the
present day, including under Northern Alliance and Taliban and provides a human
rights agenda for the future.
CAMPAIGN AGAINST
TORTURE
US may be considering use of
torture for detainees
Please write to Attorney General
Ashcroft to urge him to ensure that torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment or punishment are not used under any circumstances and
that detainees are not mistreated and are provided prompt access to counsel. AI
opposes the use of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment
under any circumstances and is concerned by recent media reports indicating
that US Government officials may be considering the use of torture against
detainees who have not cooperated with law enforcement
officials.
Media reports indicate that some
US Government officials may be considering the use of torture against detainees
who have not cooperated with law enforcement officials. Amnesty International
opposes the use of torture under any circumstances. AI is asking Attorney
General Ashcroft to ensure that torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment are not used under any circumstances and that
detainees are not mistreated and are provided prompt access to
counsel.
Sample
Letter
The Honorable John Ashcroft
Attorney General
US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530 USA
Dear Attorney General
Ashcroft:
I am deeply concerned by media
reports that U.S. government investigators of the September 11 attacks may be
considering the use of torture against detainees who have not cooperated with
law enforcement officials. In the Washington Post edition of October 22, an
"experienced FBI agent involved in the investigation," in discussing
the use of torture, is quoted as saying, "It could get to that spot where
we could go to pressure." AI is also disturbed by numerous reports that
many individuals arrested in the wake of the attacks were denied prompt access
to lawyers or relatives, and is concerned about the physical conditions of some
of those in custody.
Torture, or cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment under any circumstances is unacceptable, and
violates U.S. and international law. The United States has ratified the
Convention Against Torture and must uphold all the obligations of the
convention. This includes prohibitions on using torture, or cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment, to extract confessions or extraditing
suspects to states where they could be tortured. The government must adhere to
the standards and procedures that we press other states to uphold. The United
States will not be well served if it erodes its own values in the name of
justice.
I urge you to speak to this issue
publicly and emphatically, as you have done with hate crimes. It must be clear
to U.S. investigators, to the American public, and to the world community, that
the United States will neither practice nor condone torture, and that anyone
who engages in torture under the aegis of the U.S. government will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I further urge you to ensure that
no detainees are subjected to mistreatment and that all detainees have prompt
access to counsel.
Thank you for your attention to
this issue. I look forward to hearing about how you will address this very
serious matter.
Sincerely,
Your Name &
Address
JUST EARTH
NETWORK
Developments in
Mexican cases
Action for Grigory Pasko
As reported on our
e-mail network, Digna Ochoa, a leading Mexican human rights attorney who
handled several significant cases including those of Rudolfo Montiel
and Teodoro
Cabrera was assassinated in October.
Many of us had the chance to hear Digna speak at Amnesty events and feel
this loss personally. In
response to
the outcry over her death, President Vicente Fox used an executive procedure to
release Rudolfo and Teodoro. They
are of course pleased to be free but unsure of whether it will be safe for them
to return to their native Guerrero state.
We will continue to monitor this situation and demand justice for Digna
in the months to come. Please see
Up-coming Events for a Human Rights Day event dedicated to Digna
Ochoa.
This month however,
we draw your attention once again to the case of Grigory Pasko, who was
initially arrested by Federal Security Service (FSB) officers in November 1997
and accused of espionage and revealing state secrets. Pasko, a journalist and former captain in the Far Eastern
Fleet, was arrested because he filmed and reported on the human and
environmental threats stemming from the illegal dumping of nuclear waste by the
Russian Navy into the Sea of Japan.
The treatment of Pasko reflects a trend in Russia where environmental
activists are persecuted for speaking out on behalf of the environment, as
evidenced by other cases such as that of Aleksander Nikitin. The real irony of the situation lies in
the fact that under the Russian Criminal Code it is a crime to withhold
information about the condition of the environment or on incidents or
catastrophes, which endanger human life, precisely the kind of information
Pasko revealed.
Pasko was declared an
Amnesty Prisoner of Conscience after his initial arrest and during his 20-month
pretrial detention. He was
subjected to a military trial, and at the time Amnesty raised concerns about
the fairness of the trial and the impartiality and independence of the
court. The trial lasted from
February until July 1999 at which time Pasko was sentenced to three years
imprisonment because of "abuse of office." However, he was immediately released from detention
under the terms of a nationwide amnesty.
The charges of treason and espionage were dismissed by the
court.
Military prosecutors
appealed against the dismissal of the treason charges and called for the case
to be tried anew. The Russian
Supreme Court's Military Collegium decided in November 2000 that the July 1999
decision did not correspond to the materials and the facts of the case, and
agreed to send the case back for a retrial. The trial was scheduled to begin on June 4th, but just kept
getting pushed back and is now set for Oct 29. Grigory Pasko faces up to 20 years' imprisonment for doing
nothing more than exercising his fundamental right to freedom of
expression.
Write to the Russian
authorities and urge them to fully and unconditionally acquit Pasko once and
for all. Ask that all charges
against him be dropped, as there is no evidence that he committed any crime
under Russian laws. Emphasize that
the information Pasko released was already public and did not constitute a
threat to national security.
Remind the authorities that the government of Russia has committed
itself to upholding the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, including the right to freedom of opinion and
expression. Addresses for Russian
officials are below.
Send letters to:
Military Court of the Pacific
Fleet
General-Mayoru S.
Volkov
Russian Federation
690600 Primorsky Krai
g. Vladivostok
ul. Stetlanskaya 55
Voennomu Sudu Tihookeanskogo
Chairman of the State Duma Committee for
Ecology,
Grachev, V.A.
Rossiyskaya Federatsiya
103009 g. Moskva 103009
Okhotny ryad 1
Gosudarstvennaya Duma Rossiyskoy Federatsii
Komitet po Ekology
Predsedatel
Grachevy, V. A.
You can send your letters to the individuals
above care of:
His Excellency Yuri
Ushakov
Ambassador
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
NIGERIA: DEATH BY
STONING
Save Safiya Yakubu
Hussaini
Safiya Yakubu Hussaini, a 30-year-old woman and a resident of
Tungar-Tudu in Sokoto State in northern Nigeria, was tried in a Shari'ah court
in the town of Gwadabawa on October 14, 2001 and condemned to death by stoning.
Safiya Hussaini, who is a divorcee and has a five-month-old baby, was charged
and convicted of adultery. Under Shari'ah adultery is a capital offence when
the individual involved is married. It appears that different standards and
validity of testimony were applied to Safiya and the married man involved in
the case. The man was released because of lack of evidence raising the concern
of discrimination on the basis of gender by the court.
Please immediately send a letter to the Nigerian Ambassador to
United States asking that Safiya's death sentence be commuted and that the
Federal Government take all measures to ensure that Safiya's right to an appeal
be respected and enforced.
BACKGROUND. Amnesty International takes no position on any
country's religious or legal system. However AI is unconditionally opposed to
imposition of the death penalty or the use of flogging, amputation and death by
stoning as forms of punishment, as these constitute torture or cruel, inhuman
or degrading punishment under international law, including treaties Nigeria has
signed and ratified, such as the African Charter on Human and People's Rights
and the UN Convention Against Torture. AI is concerned about the lack of
transparency and the swiftness with which trials are conducted in Shari'ah
courts in northern Nigeria. In particular, Amnesty is concerned about whether
Safiya had legal counsel during trial; whether she was advised of her full
rights of defence and her right to appeal to the higher courts, including the
Supreme Court.
Please send letters
to:
Professor Jibril
Aminu
Embassy of Nigeria
1333 16th St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
Your
Excellency:
I am writing to express my alarm over the case of Safiya Hussaini,
who was condemned to death on October 14, 2001. Ms. Hussaini, aged 30 and a
resident of Tungar-Tudu in Sokoto State, was condemned to death by stoning for
adultery by the Upper Shari'ah Court in Gwadabawa, Sokoto State. I am concerned
about the lack of transparency and the swiftness with which this trial has been
conducted. In addition, it appears that different standards and validity of
testimony were applied to Safiya and the married man involved in the case. The
man was released because of lack of evidence raising the concern of
discrimination on the basis of gender by the court.
I respectfully urge that Ms. Hussaini's death sentence be set
aside and that she be granted an appeal in accordance with the due process of
Nigerian law and Nigeria's obligations under the African Charter on Human and
Peoples Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. I
believe that were she to be executed it would amount to cruel, inhuman and
degrading punishment, as it is an intentional infliction of severe pain or
suffering from which all persons are protected by the Convention against
Torture, which the Federal Republic of Nigeria ratified on 28 June
2001.
Mr. Ambassador, the government of Nigeria has an obligation to
protect the lives of all of its citizens in a fair and equal manner.
I urge that
Safiya's death sentence be set aside and that the Federal Government take all
measures to ensure that Safiya's right to an appeal be respected and enforced.
I look forward to hearing how you intend to address this
issue.
Sincerely
Your Name
and Address
HOLIDAY
CARD ACTION
Send Greetings to
Syria and Thailand
Here’s a chance to reach out directly to prisoners at the
darkest time of the year with a bit of cheer. Just send a simple message of support to these prisoners
such as “Thinking of you at this at this difficult time.” Do not mention Amnesty or their case as
this lessens the chance of prison delivery and please use
non-religious cards. But rest assured that prisoners do
appreciate receiving hundreds of cards from around the world to see them
through tough times and that their jailers will take note that the world is
watching! If you have more cards
to use up, visit the AIUSA website for more cases:
http://www.amnesty-usa.org/action/holiday/
Or join us
at our letter-writing
meeting take part in this annual card writing ritual.
Riad
Seif and Mamun
al-Humsi
[name of
prisoner]
c/o
Director
Adra
Prison
Ministry of
Interior
Merjeh
Circle
Damascus, SYRIAN ARAB
REPUBLIC
Riad Seif and Mamun
al-Humsi, independent members of the National Assembly, criticized the lack of
political freedom in Syria. They are now in jail. Riad Seif was arrested on
Sept. 6, 2001, after organizing a peaceful seminar at which political reform
and democratic elections were discussed. Mamun al-Humsi was detained on August
9, after beginning a hunger strike to protest official corruption and
the far-reaching
powers of the security forces. Another prominent opposition figure, Riad
al-Turk, was arrested Sept. 1 while receiving emergency medical
treatment. al-Turk,
age 71, suffers from diabetes and a heart condition, and previously spent 18
years in prison because of his peaceful political opposition. Other
suspected political
dissidents have been arrested in recent months in a new wave of repression in
Syria. Amnesty International considers Riad Seif, Mamun al-Humsi and
Riad al-Turk
to be prisoners of conscience and seeks their release.
Sok
Yoeun
c/o Klong
Perm
Correction
Center
33/2 Ngam
Wong Wan Road
Ladyao,
Jatujak
Bangkok
10900
THAILAND
Sok Yoeun, recognized
as a refugee by the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, is imprisoned in
Thailand, awaiting possible extradition to his homeland of Cambodia on charges
that Amnesty International believes to be politically motivated. Sok Yoeun is a
member of the Cambodian opposition Sam Rainsy Party (SRP). Cambodian
authorities have accused him of involvement in a rocket attack in Siem Reap
province in September 1998. Two other SRP activists who were arrested
in Cambodia
in connection with the attack were released after the investigating
judge failed
to find any evidence against them. Those two men fled to Thailand,
obtained refugee
status and were resettled abroad. Sok Yoeun was arrested in Thailand
in December
1999 and sentenced to six months' imprisonment for illegal
immigration. Although
his sentence expired in June 2000, he remains detained during ongoing
extradition
hearings. Amnesty International fears that the Thai authorities intend to send
Sok Yoeun back to Cambodia where he faces politically motivated
criminal charges.
Amnesty International believes the allegations to be without foundation, and it
considers Sok Yoeun to be a prisoner of conscience.
Editor's Last
Word:
Read us on line:
http://www.cco.caltech.edu/~aigp22
Martha Ter Maat, 626-281-4039 /
mtermaat@hsc.usc.edu
Check “Up-coming Events” for
details. Meeting dates may
vary due to holidays!
From the 210 exit on Lake Avenue, head south, turn left
on Del Mar
From the 110 continue on Arroyo Parkway north, turn
right on California
Street parking is generally
available.
Amnesty International
Group 22 P.O.
Box 50193 Pasadena, CA 91115-0193 Amnesty
International |