Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News
Volume XIII Number 10, October 2005
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, October 27, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting Caltech Y is located off
San Pasqual between Hill and Holliston, south side. You will see two
curving walls forming a gate to a path-- our building is just beyond.
Help us plan future actions on Sudan, the War on Terror, death penalty
and more.
Sunday, October 30, 7:00 PM. Human Dignity Under Assault: The Use of
Torture in the War on Terror. All Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Ave,
Pasadena. Speakers: Jennifer Harbury, STOP Torture Campaign, Maria
LaHood, Center for Constitutional Rights, Rev. Edward Bacon, All Saints
Church, Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Kol Tikvah Synagogue, Dr. Nazir Khaja,
Islamic Service Center. This forum seeks to educate the public about
torture and to rally support behind the growing call for an independent
investigation on the War on Terror. This event marks an important
milestone in Amnesty's Denounce Torture campaign, as sponsorship of
this event will be shared with a number of religious and inter-faith
groups. Amnesty recognizes the importance of involving religious
community in public debate and public action on the subject of torture
and US policies and practices. Prior to the forum, Amnesty and All
Saints will hold an Interfaith Service at 5:30 PM followed by a meal
($8 suggested donation) at 6:00. Questions? Call/email
310-815-0450/aiusala@aiusa.org. To RSVP for the 6:00 meal:
626-583-2734.
Tuesday, November 8, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum.
Corner of California & Hill. Look for our table downstairs in the
cafeteria area. This informal gathering is a great for newcomers to
get acquainted with Amnesty!
November 11-13. AIUSA Western Regional Conference in San Francisco
(more info inside).
Thursday, November 17, 7:30 PM. (Moved to Earlier Date due to
Thanksgiving!). Monthly Meeting. Caltech Y (see Oct 27 for location
details).
Sunday, November 20. 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (aprox). Doo-Dah Parade! We are
recruiting volunteers now. Entry fees are $10 per person. We provide
all props and costuming. If you are interested in participating, or
have questions, please contact us at: phone: (626) 795-1785 email:
aigp22@its.caltech.edu
Sunday, November 20, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book
Discussion Group. Vroman's Book Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd.,
Pasadena. This month we read Ken Wiwa's memoir of his father, Nigerian
writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro Wiwa, In the Shadow of a Saint.
(More below.)
Saturday, December 10. International Human Rights Day. Group 22 is
planning a write-athon. Stay tuned for details.
Saturday, December 12. Vigils and Demonstrations prior to the
execution of California Death Row inmate Stanley "Tookie" Williams.
Details later.
COORDINATOR'S CORNER
Ten years ago on November 10, the Nigerian government executed writer
and environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. The campaign to save his life was
unprecedented in its global reach and unique in the collaboration
between human rights, labor and environmental groups it produced. The
reaction to his death was also unprecedented in the shock and outrage
felt by those activists who worked on the case. This month, Amnesty
releases a report on the human costs of the Nigerian oil industry ten
years after Saro-Wiwa's death. We'll have more on this in our next
newsletter. Meanwhile, Group 22's book group commemorates the occasion
by taking up Ken Wiwa's powerful memoir of his father, In the Shadow of
a Saint. For more information on the worldwide effort to honor
Saro-Wiwa's legacy visit, www.priceofoil.org and
www.remembersarowiwa.org.
After hearing the protests of the United States government regarding
the execution of Saro-Wiwa, the Nigerian government actually turned
around and pointed a finger at the US and said, more or less, "but you
execute your criminals too!" The company we keep when it comes to the
death penalty! We are fast approaching another kind of memorial
benchmark, the 1000th execution since reinstatement of the death
penalty in 1976. California finds itself in the running to take this
dubious honor with three, that's right, three, scheduled executions in
the coming months. We focus this month on Stanley "Tookie" Williams
whose execution is set for December 13 and we will take up the cases of
Clarence Ray Allen (January 17) and Michael Morales (February) in later
newsletters. After our successful event (thanks all who helped!) last
month with All Saints Church in raising awareness about Tookie's case
and meeting his collaborator Barbara Becnel we are very committed to
Tookie's clemency drive and the campaign for a moratorium on California
executions.
Two other notable reports were issued this month, The Rest of Their
Lives: Life Without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States,
and Stonewalled: Police abuse and misconduct against lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people in the US. An action related to the
Stonewalled report is featured in this newsletter. Visit the AIUSA
website to learn more: www.amnestyusa.org
We have a very busy couple of months ahead of us! Please take note of
our Up-coming Events column and sync it up with your activist calendar
and get involved. We know this is the busiest time of year for many,
but what better way to give thanks and make peace and goodwill than by
giving a little of your time to the cause of human rights!
Martha Ter Maat aigp22@caltech.edu
REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN SF
November 11-13, 2005, Western Regional Conference: A Turning Point for
Human Rights. Holiday Inn Golden Gateway (1500 Van Ness Ave.) San
Francisco, 415-441-4000. Featured speakers include:
Dolores Huerta: Founder and Vice President of the United Farm Workers.
Rebiya Kadeer: Former Prisoner of Conscience in China.
Jenny Martinez: Assistant Professor of Law at Stanford University, who
argued Rumsfeld v. Padilla, a landmark case for civil liberties, in the
Supreme Court.
Michael J. Brennan: Clinical Professor of Law at USC, advocate against
the death penalty.
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey
Markos Kounalakis: President and publisher of the Washington Monthly;
journalist and author covering wars and revolutions.
Banafsheh Akhlaghi: President, National Legal Sanctuary for Community
Advancement
Van Jones: National Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for
Human Rights
Lawrence C. Marshall: Professor of Law at Stanford, co-founder of the
Center on Wrongful Convictions.
Eva Paterson: President, Equal Justice Society, a national organization
dedicated to changing the law through progressive legal theory, public
policy and practice.
Dave Eggers: Author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and
Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated. He
founded 826 Valencia, a writing lab for youth.
Lucas Guttentag: National Director, Immigrants Rights Project, ACLU
Steve Fainaru: Iraq correspondent, The Washington Post
Also: Workshops and Roundtable Discussions, Student and Local Group
Caucuses, Poetry Slam, Policy-Making Sessions, ITVS Film Screenings and
more.
To register or for more info visit
http://www.amnestyusa.org/events/western/regionalconference.html.
Download a registration form or contact the Western Regional Office at
310-815-0450 or aiusala@aiusa.org for a registration brochure.
DEATH PENALTY
California Execution set for December 13
California death row inmates Stanley "Tookie" Williams, Clarence Ray
Allen and Michael Morales lost their Supreme Court appeals this month.
Williams' execution date has been set for December 13, Allen's for
January 17 and Morales' sometime in February. We focus this month on
requesting clemency for Tookie Williams on the passage of AB 1121 the
California Moratorium on Executions Act which would benefit all three
men.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
If you missed our recent screening of Redemption, the film made about
Tookie's life starring Jamie Foxx, rent it to learn more about the
case!
Visit Tookie's website to sign the online clemency petition to Governor
Schwarzenegger and download petitions to circulate: www.savetookie.org
Learn more about the death penalty and find talking points to use on
your elected representatives as well as friends and family by visiting
the Death Penalty Information Center's website:
www.deathpenaltyinfo.org
Send letters and emails requesting clemency for Tookie to the Governor
and the Parole Board:
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-445-4633
To send an Electronic Mail please visit:
http://www.govmail.ca.gov
Board of Parole Hearings
1515 K Street
Suite 600
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 445-4072
http://www.bpt.ca.gov/about_us.asp
Some background from Death Penalty Focus follows which you can use for
your letters:
Stanley Williams was convicted in 1981 of killing four people during
two robberies in the Los Angeles area. One robbery took place at a
convenience store where a white male, Albert Lewis Owens who was
employed there was shot to death. The other robbery took place at a
family-owned motel where Tsai-Shen Yang, Yen-Yi Yang and Ye-Chen Lin
were shot and killed. Williams was sentenced to death for these four
murders. Prior to being convicted of these four murders, Williams had
never been to prison and had never been convicted of a felony.
This case depends on the testimony of unreliable informant witnesses.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals described the key witnesses in this
case as having "less-than-clean backgrounds and incentives to lie in
order to obtain leniency from the state in either charging or
sentencing." One key witness, a co-participant in the alleged crimes,
was beaten so severely by police that his ribs were broken. Two other
key witnesses, who produced the gun that allegedly linked Williams to
the crime, were themselves under investigation for capital murder when
they implicated Williams. These witnesses were never charged for murder
or any of the crimes they were suspected of.
Race is a factor in this case. The Williams trial was tainted by
racism from beginning to end. First, the prosecutor moved the trial
from a relatively diverse part of Los Angeles County to a predominantly
white area, limiting the number of African-Americans called as
potential jurors. The prosecutor then dismissed every potential juror
identified as African-American. The California Supreme Court reversed
two other death sentences obtained by this very same prosecutor for the
very same reason: racial bias in jury selection. The prosecutor
concluded by using a racially-charged language in his closing argument.
Williams had an ineffective, poorly qualified lawyer. Williams'
attorney never objected to the improper exclusion of three potential
African-American jurors from the jury pool, despite the fact the he
knew it was unconstitutional. His failure to do so constitutes
ineffective assistance of counsel. In addition, Williams' attorney
never presented any mitigation evidence during the sentencing phase of
the trial.
Other serious mistakes were made. Judges are required to caution the
jury about the unreliable testimony of informant witnesses, however,
the judge in this case failed to give any cautionary instructions. The
jury also erroneously considered more special circumstances then
legally applied.
How can we execute Williams while the Justice Commission investigates
these issues? The California Commission on the Fair Administration of
Justice has been established to study exactly these kinds of mistakes.
No one should be executed while the Justice Commission is conducting
this in-depth study. The Justice Commission must report its
recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by Dec. 31, 2007.
Williams deserves clemency. Judge Procter Hug of the 9th Circuit Court
of Appeals said in a 2002 ruling against Williams, "We are aware of
Williams' . . . Nobel Peace Prize nomination for his laudable efforts
opposing gang violence from his prison cell, notably his line of
children's books (titled) 'Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence,'
and his creation of the Internet Project for Street Peace. Williams'
good works and accomplishments since incarceration may make him a
worthy candidate for the exercise of gubernatorial discretion."
Williams has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel
Prize for Literature because of the tremendous impact his work and his
books about ending gang violence have had on youth around the world.
Executing Williams will not only rob California of a valuable anti-gang
activist, but will rob children around that world of a person that has
had a positive impact on their lives. What kind of message will this
send?
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Finally, Write to your Assemblyman/woman in support of AB 1121
California Moratorium on Executions Act. The act, if passed, would
suspend all executions in California until January 1, 2009 while the
California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice conducts a
thorough study of the state's criminal justice procedures. Even if you
have already written (thanks!) please write again emphasizing the
urgency of passing this legislation in view of the three pending
executions. Sample Letter:
Assemblymember _________________
State Capitol
Sacramento, CA 94249
Dear Assemblymember __________,
I am writing in support of AB 1121, which calls for a two-year
moratorium on executions in California. As your constituent, I
respectfully request that you consider becoming a co-author of this
very important piece of legislation.
Recent events, including technological advances, have revealed that
innocent people are being sentenced to death at an alarming rate. In
fact, since the early 1970s, 119 of this nation's death row inmates
have been exonerated, in some cases escaping death by hours. Six were
wrongfully convicted right here in California.
This kind of grave error is unacceptable; the wrongful execution of
even one person is one too many. AB 1121 temporary suspends executions
in California while the California Commission on the Fair
Administration of Justice, a bipartisan commission created by the state
Senate last year, investigates the causes of wrongful conviction and
the application of criminal justice in this state. The Commission will
release their findings no later than December 31, 2007.
AB 1121 does not call for abolition of the death penalty. Rather, it
calls for a temporary suspension of executions while the Commission
completes its research, and until the Legislature is able to fully
consider the Commission's findings. The Legislature can repeal the
moratorium at any time. However, if the Legislature chooses not to act,
the moratorium shall end on January 1, 2009.
A California Field Poll shows that 73% of Californians favor a
temporary suspension of executions while the reliability and fairness
of the death penalty are studied. More than 40% of these people are
supporters of the death penalty. In addition, over 430 organizations --
representing diverse constituencies -- have passed resolutions calling
on Governor Schwarzenegger to suspend executions.
Please join me in supporting AB 1121.
Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS
To look up your state representatives visit:
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html.
RIGHTS READERS
Human Rights Book Discussion Group
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena
Sunday, November 20, 6:30 PM
In the Shadow of a Saint
by Ken Wiwa
In 1995, the little-known Ogoni region in Nigeria became a fable for
our times. Ken Saro-Wiwa, a renowned writer and environmentalist, was
campaigning to protect his Ogoni people against the encroachments of
Shell Oil and a brutal dictatorship. He was imprisoned, tortured,
brought to trial on trumped-up charges, and executed. At the heart of
the public campaign to save Ken Saro-Wiwa was Ken Wiwa - the author's
son - who lobbied world leaders and moblilized public opinion, so that
his father was recognized as a hero and a symbol of the struggle for
environmental justice. Ken Wiwa tells the story - from a human,
anecdotal perspective - of what it means to grow up as a child in the
shadow of such extraordinary men and women. In the end, it's about
Ken's attempts to make peace with himself and his father - following his
journey as he reaches toward a final rendezvous with the father who was
executed.
OUTFRONT
Justice for Transgender Woman in Sacramento
This month AIUSA issued a new report, Stonewalled: Police abuse and
misconduct against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the
US. The report is available on line at www.amnestyusa.org/outfront.
Below is a sample letter on one of the featured cases.
Captain Mark Iwasa
Sacramento County Main Jail
651 I Street
Sacramento, CA 95814-2400
Sheriff Lou Blanas
Sacramento County Sheriff's Department
711 G Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Sheriff Blanas/ Captain Iwasa,
I write with grave concern regarding the alleged ill-treatment of Kelly
McAllister, a transgender woman, by Sacramento County Sheriff's
Department deputies, corrections officers and inmates in August 2002.
On August 16, 2002, Kelly McAllister was reportedly beaten, pepper
sprayed, hog-tied, and dragged across the hot pavement faced down by
arresting deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. It
was also reported that Kelly McAllister's repeated request to use a
toilet were refused by officers, causing her to defecate in her
clothing while hog-tied in the car. At the Sacramento County Main Jail,
she was allegedly subjected to humiliating and threatening treatment,
including transphobic verbal abuse, by Sheriff's deputies, jail
personnel and other inmates.
On September 6, 2002, while Kelly McAllister was being detained in the
Sacramento County Main Jail, the deputies and correction officers put
her in a cell with a male inmate who reportedly proceeded to strike,
choke, bit and rape her. While the SCSD did conduct an investigation
leading to the inmate pleading guilty to "unlawful intercourse in
jail," the SCSD did not investigate the alleged abuses by its own
deputies and corrections officers, including their culpability for the
rape of Kelly McAllister.
By failing to protect Kelly McAllister in custody and by putting her at
particular risk by holding her in a cell with a male prisoner, the
authorities are responsible for her alleged ill-treatment and, in case
of the rape, torture. The lack of a thorough investigation of the
culpability of the deputies and corrections officers at the SCSD and
the Sacramento County Main Jail violates the principle of "due
diligence" in international law that requires authorities to take
appropriate steps to prevent abuses, to investigate them when they
occur, and to bring perpetrators to justice in fair proceedings.
Furthermore, Kelly McAllister's ill-treatment by officers and other
inmates is a violation of international human rights law and norms that
guarantee every individual's right to be free from discrimination, and
torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.
-- I urge you to investigate thoroughly the culpability of deputies and
corrections officers at the Sacramento County Main Jail for the rape of
Kelly McAllister by another inmate.
-- I call on you to conduct an immediate and full investigation into
the allegations of use of excessive force during Kelly McAllister's
arrest.
-- I ask that the results of your investigations be made public and
that any law enforcement officer found guilty be disciplined, or where
appropriate, be prosecuted.
-- I urge you to ban the use of hog-tying, as it has been found that it
can lead to death by "positional asphyxia," and to establish strict
guidelines and limitations in the use of pepper-spray or stop its use
altogether.
-- Finally, I call on the Sacramento Sheriff's Department and the
Sacramento County Main Jail to implement effectively and immediately
the new guidelines that have reportedly been developed pertaining to
the detention of transgender individuals.
It is important that you send a clear message affirming that the human
rights of ALL people will be respected and protected, regardless of a
person's real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. You
must send a clear message by taking appropriate actions that police
abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated and that any officer found
guilty of committing human rights violations will be brought to
justice.
Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS
LETTER COUNT
Sudan 10
Control Arms Campaign 11
War on Terror 1
Vietnam POC 10
OutFront 2
Death Penalty 10
Urgent Actions 36
Total: 90
To add your letters to the total contact lwkamp@sbcglobal.net
DENOUNCE TORTURE
Secret Detentions in Egypt
Sample Letter:
Minister of the Interior General Habib Ibrahim El Adly
Ministry of the Interior
Al-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk
Cairo, Egypt
Dear Minister:
I write concerning the treatment of individuals in the "war on terror."
I strongly condemn the acts of violence and terrorism that have killed
civilians and instilled fear around the world. I also strongly oppose
the violations that are taking place against individuals who have
become the detainees caught up in a "war on terror" dragnet. These
individuals are being held without charge, indefinitely, and in some
cases in secret facilities that even deny access to the International
Committee of the Red Cross. Many are reported to have been tortured or
subjected to other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
Such cases are featured in a recent report by Amnesty International,
entitled USA/Jordan/Yemen: Torture and Secret Detention: Testimony of
the 'disappeared' in the 'war on terror'.
According to Amnesty International, Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan may be
detained in Egypt and at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Osama Nasr
Mostafa Hassan was abducted on a street in Milan and allegedly driven
to the U.S. air base in Aviano, Italy, where he was interrogated and
drugged before being taken to the U.S. military base in Ramstein,
Germany. From there he was flown to Egypt, where he was allegedly
tortured, including with electric shocks. Although released in 2004, he
was rearrested and remains held in an unknown place of detention. It
has been suggested that he may again be detained in Damanhour prison.
The widespread and systematic practice of torture in Egypt has
persisted despite its prohibition under domestic and international law.
For well over a decade, specialized UN expert bodies, including the
Committee Against Torture and international and national human rights
organizations, have been documenting cases of torture and
ill-treatment, including deaths, in Egyptian custody.
Secret detentions, torture, and ill-treatment by Egyptian officials
must stop. I ask the Egyptian government to disclose the location
where Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan was previously held, clarify whether he
remains in detention in Egypt, and if so, provide details of the
charges against him. If Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan is detained in
Egypt, I ask that you ensure that he is promptly prosecuted for
internationally recognizable criminal offences and in accordance with
international standards of fairness - otherwise he should be released.
Wherever it has occurred, perpetrators of torture or other cruel,
inhuman, or degrading treatment should be punished according to
international and domestic laws.
I look forward to your response.
Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS
VIETNAM POC
Brother Nguyen Thien Phung Released!
Brother Nguyen Thien Phung, Group 22's recently adopted prisoner of
conscience, has been released! We found this announcement at the
Amnesty International webstie:
"Brother Nguyen Thien Phung (Huan) was released on 1 September after
spending 18 years in prison in Viet Nam. He was among a group of 23
Roman Catholic monks and priests arrested in May 1987 for holding
training courses and distributing religious books without government
permission during raids on Thu Duc monastery, near Ho Chi Minh City."
As many of you know, Group 22 only adopted Brother Nguyen's case in May
of this year. That is the month when AI sent out a general urgent
action about him. So our group really can't claim much credit for his
release, although our letters and petition signatures certainly added
to the cumulative pressure of world opinion that eventually resulted in
his release. This is one more of Amnesty's success stories!
Congratulations to the AI groups in France, Spain, Australia, Canada,
Sweden, and New Zealand who have worked on behalf of Brother Nguyen!
Several of these groups spent many years on his case, and they must be
very happy indeed to see their efforts finally rewarded.
In February 2005 the Vietnam government released from prison Father
Nguyen Van Ly, who was an AI special focus case. A number of other
Vietnam prisoners of conscience were also freed this year. We hope that
the Vietnam government will continue to demonstrate a sincere
commitment to human rights, and that never again will anyone suffer 18
years of harsh imprisonment for expression of his right to religious
freedom as did Brother Nguyen Thien Phung.
Editor's Last Word:
Read us on line: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22
Martha Ter Maat, 626-281-4039 / rightsreaders@yahoo.com