Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News
Volume XIV Number 9, September 2006
UPCOMING EVENTS
Thursday, September 28, 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.
Tuesday, October 10, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum.
Corner of California & Hill. We meet downstairs in the cafeteria. This
informal gathering is a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with
Amnesty!
October 13-15, Western Regional Conference, "Human Rights Have No
Borders" Tucson, Arizona. For more info, call the Regional Office at:
310-815-0450 or visit http://www.amnestyusa.org/
events/western/regionalconference.html.
Sunday, October 15, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion
Group. Vroman's Book Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This
month we read Uzodinma Iweala's novel about child soldiers, Beasts of No
Nation (More below.)
COORDINATOR'S CORNER
The odd things that one remembers. On September 11, 2001, after taking
in the news early in the morning I went to work as usual. I parked my
car and walking past Los Angeles Central Juvenile Hall on the way to the
office, I encountered a parent and child headed away from the building.
Looking relieved, they told me the courts were closed. Their judgment
day, maybe their own family tragedy, had been postponed by our national
tragedy. Mostly what I remember though, is that Group 22 had a
letter-writing meeting that evening. Because Caltech closed its campus,
regrettably, we had to cancel it. Some of us obeyed the instinct to be
in community during a time of loss and gathered at our favorite
discussion spot, Vroman's Bookstore, to debrief the day's events over
coffee, but I think we would have felt even better if we had been
writing. For this reason, I think I will always associate 9/11 with
Amnesty letter-writing.
Sometime later, I observed that even though many felt the world changed
on that day, for our then prisoner of conscience case, a Tibetan monk,
nothing changed at all. He was still in prison and the shift in
geopolitics wasn't going to affect him. We still needed to make sure he
wasn't a "forgotten prisoner," the kind of prisoner Peter Beneson,
Amnesty's founder, formed the organization to assist. Now we have
adopted a different prisoner of conscience case, Eritrean Estifanos
Seyoum. In his case, the world did change that week, but not in a way
that the rest of us noticed. He was arrested on September 18, 2001 and
although never officially charged or brought to trial, he has been held
incommunicado since that time. We still need to make sure he isn't
forgotten, even as we are still grappling with the human rights fallout
of 9/11. Five years on, we can remember Estifanos Seyoum and other
Eritrean prisoners swept up in that September 2001 purge by sending the
letter suggested below. Thank you so much for helping us out with this
action!
Hope to see you soon at one of our meetings!
Martha aigp22@caltech.edu
PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE
Eritrean Estifanos Seyoum
In September 2001 the Eritrean Government detained without charge or
trial eleven former members of Parliament (known as the G-15), ten
journalists, and hundreds of other men and women. All were accused of
committing or aiding "treason" because they had called for democratic
reforms or reported on political debates of concern to the Eritrean
public. Less than one year later, the government began detaining without
charge or trial members of minority religious groups, including
approximately 2000 evangelical Christians, four Orthodox priests, 31
Jehovah's Witnesses, and 70 Muslims. Most of the several thousand
political and religious prisoners in Eritrea are held incommunicado in
secret security or military prisons, without being charged or taken to
court. Amnesty International considers they are prisoners of conscience
imprisoned on account of their opinions and criticism of the government.
It is renewing its ongoing appeals for their unconditional release, as
well as the release of all other prisoners of conscience, including
those imprisoned on account of their religious beliefs.
A recent publicly circulating report said to be written by escaped
prison guards has alleged that several of G-15 prisoners and journalists
have died in detention on account of the harsh conditions and denial of
medical treatment. Among them is General Ogbe Abraha, said to have died
in July 2002 of injuries related to a suicide attempt. The other deaths
allegedly occurred in later years after detainees fell ill. The Eritrean
authorities have refused to comment on these allegations. By failing to
provide any information whatsoever on the prisoners, the Eritrean
government has essentially authorized their disappearance. Despite
numerous appeals over the years and international concern about their
detentions, the authorities have never disclosed their whereabouts or
conditions in detention or allowed access to them. Nor has the
government permitted independent investigation of the conditions facing
religious prisoners known to be held in secret prisons and military
camps, at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.
Amnesty International therefore calls on the government of Eritrea to
form an independent and impartial inquiry team to visit the secret
prison where the G-15 and journalists are held, interview them
privately, and report publicly on their situation and conditions of
detention and health. Amnesty International again urges that the
detentions should be brought within the framework of Eritrean
constitutional and legal provisions, as well as the international human
rights treaties which Eritrea has ratified, including the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The ICCPR prohibits
arbitrary and incommunicado detention, torture and other cruel, inhuman
or degrading treatment of prisoners, and unfair trial. Amnesty
International also urges the government to disclose the conditions of
all religious prisoners of conscience. The ultimate goal remains the
release of all prisoners of conscience and the government's observance
of both the Eritrean Constitution and international human rights
guidelines.
ACTION. Please copy, paste, print, and sign the following letter and
submit it via regular mail and/or fax to President Issayas Afewerki. You
may also send copies to the Peoples Front or Democracy and Justice main
office, and the Embassy of Eritrea.
Peoples Front for Democracy and Justice
PO Box 1081
Asmara, ERITREA
Fax: +291 1 129 848
Embassy of Eritrea
1708 New Hampshire Avenue NW
Washington DC, 20009
Fax: 202-319-1304
His Excellency
President Issayas Afewerki
Office of the President
PO Box 257
Asmara
ERITREA
Fax: +291 1 126 422
Your Excellency,
Five years after the detention without trial or charge of eleven former
members of Parliament and ten journalists, we remain deeply concerned
about their whereabouts and well-being. Amnesty International considers
the journalists and former government officials to be prisoners of
conscience, held incommunicado and at risk of torture and ill-treatment
for their political opinions. In light of recent allegations that some
of these prisoners have died in a secret prison location, we call upon
your government to address the situation of the "disappeared." In
particular, we call for the formation of an independent and impartial
inquiry into the conditions of the secret prison where the G-15 and
journalists are held. We further urge you to abide by the framework
established in the Eritrean Constitution and the international human
rights treaties which Eritrea has ratified, including the International
Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Finally, we urge your
government to disclose the conditions facing the several thousand
religious prisoners of conscience held since 2002 and provide for both
the exercise of justice and ultimate release of all prisoners of
conscience in Eritrea.
We thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.
Sincerely, [Your Name and Address]
SUDAN
Seek Protection for Refugees
Continuing with the "100 Days of Action" on Sudan, we offer this sample
letter to the Chadian Ambassador requesting Chad's cooperation in
protecting refugees:
Mahamoud Adam Bechir
Ambassador Embassy of Chad
2002 R Street, NW
Washington DC 20009
Your Excellency:
I am writing to express my deep concern about the safety of civilians in
Eastern Chad. While I recognize your government's need to address
continuing attacks by Janjawid and rebel groups in Chad, I appeal to you
to give the same level of attention to providing meaningful security and
humanitarian assistance to refugees and internally displaced persons
along the border.
I therefore call upon the Government of Chad to ensure that: Uprooted
civilians are protected from Janjawid attacks and recruitment by rebel
groups; Conditions in Eastern Chad are secure enough for international
aid organizations to have access to all refugee camps and IDP
communities to help to save lives Chadian refugees in Sudan are able to
return voluntarily to Chad and resume their lives in safety.
Thank you for your attention to my concerns,
Sincerely, [Your Name and Address]
LETTER COUNT
Eritrea POC 7
Urgent Actions 20
Total: 27
To add your letters to the total contact lwkamp@sbcglobal.net
BANNED BOOK WEEK
Russian Editor Harassed
During Banned Book Week (Sep. 23-30) Amnesty highlights the plight of
jailed and persecuted writers. For more actions visit:
www.amnestyusa.org/bannedbooks
Stanislav Dmitrievskii is Executive Director of the Russian-Chechen
Friendship Society (RCFS), which monitors human rights violations, and
the editor-in chief of the newspaper Rights Defender. He was sentenced
after publishing articles calling for a peaceful resolution of the
Chechen conflict.
For publishing non-violent articles written by the late Chechen
separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov and his envoy, Akhmed Zakayev,
Stanislav Dmitrievskii was given a two-year suspended sentence and a
four-year probationary period on 3 February 2006.
The prosecutor stated that the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society
director used the society's monthly newspaper to publish criticism of
the Kremlin's policies in Chechnya and the Northern Caucasus - criticism
that amounted to fomenting hatred. While the RCFS has been denouncing
human rights violations in Chechnya, there have been numerous cases of
alleged torture and ill-treatment, "disappearances," and extrajudicial
executions of its own members since 2000.
The persecution of Stanislav Dmitrievskii is part of a pattern of
harassment of human rights defenders. In January 2006, President Putin
signed a new law granting excessive powers of scrutiny and discretion to
government authorities in monitoring non-governmental organizations
(NGOs). The new law may have a stifling affect on civil society: human
rights organizations will be hampered in their work, while many innocent
civilians will be subject to arbitrary authority.
Believing that the prosecution of Stanislav Dmitrievskii on "race-hate"
charges constitutes a violation of his right to freedom of expression,
Amnesty International is calling for the sentence to be overturned.
Please send politely worded letters to the Procurator General of Russia,
urging him to free Stanislav Dmitrievskii from the charges against him,
end harassment of human rights defenders, and amend the new law on NGOs
to bring it in line with international standards.
Vladimir V. Ustinov
Office of the Procuracy
Ul. Bolshaia Dmitrovka 15a
Moscow
125993
Russian Federation
Ambassador Yury V. Ushakov
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
GOOD NEWS!
Honduran POCs released!
Leonardo Miranda, the last of three Honduran prisoners of conscience on
whose behalf AIUSA has campaigned for the past year through its Special
Focus Case project, was freed on August 15, 2006. Leonardo's brother
Marcelino was freed on July 12, 2006, following a decision by the
Honduran Supreme Court in June that acquitted Marcelino and Leonardo of
a 2001 murder for which they were wrongfully imprisoned. On August 15, a
lower court commuted Leonardo's sentence on another charge, resulting in
his release. Amnesty believed the two brothers and another indigenous
rights activist, Feliciano Pineda, were jailed in connection with their
efforts to secure communal land titles for their communities in Montana
Verde. Pineda was released from detention in February 2006.
Cluster Bomb Transfer to Israel Suspended!
Thanks to hundreds of phone calls to U.S. Senators from Amnesty
International USA members, the U.S. Department of State reportedly
suspended the transfer of rockets armed with cluster munitions to Israel
and is investigating Israel's use of previously supplied U.S. made
cluster munitions to Israel. Because of their indiscriminate nature,
Amnesty International has opposed the use of cluster bombs in the past,
especially in civilian populated areas.
RIGHTS READERS
Human Rights Book Discussion Group
Vroman's Bookstore
695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena
Sunday, October 15, 6:30 PM
Keep up with Rights Readers at http://rightsreaders.blogspot.com
Beasts of No Nation
by Uzodinma Iweala
This startling debut by a young American-Nigerian writer follows the
fortunes of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed
African country. Iweala's acute imagining of Agu's perspective allows
him to depict the war as a mesh of bestial pleasures and pain. As seen
through Agu's eyes, machetes sound like music, and bodies come apart on
roads so cracked that you can see "the red mud bleeding from
underneath." Agu has a child's primitive drive that enables him to
survive his descent into hell, and, despite the brutality he witnesses
and participates in, to keep hold of something resembling optimism. The
contrast between his belief in the future and the horrific descriptions
of the world around him makes Agu a haunting narrator. -- The New Yorker
OUTFRONT
Threats Against Salvadoran Gay Rights NGO
Members of the Between Friends Association (Asociacion Entre Amigos),
including the organization's director, William Hernandez, have received
death threats and are apparently under surveillance. This may be an
attempt to halt the organization's work on behalf of lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people in El Salvador.
At 7.30pm on 1 June, William Hernandez was threatened at gunpoint
outside the office of the Asociacion Entre Amigos, in the capital, San
Salvador, soon after the police officer assigned to protect him had left
him for the day. An unidentified man approached William Hernandez from
behind and put a gun to his neck, saying, "No voltees a ver. Tenes que
dejar de joder en la Asamblea. Deja de hacer babosadas en la calle por
que ya se que estas organizando mierdas para este mes. Ya busque dentro
y no encontre nada y aqui voy a encontrar lo que busco; deja de joder o
antes de que te cases te mato" ("Don't turn around. Stop fucking in the
Assembly. Stop doing stupid things in the street because I know you are
organizing some shit for this month. I already looked inside but didn't
find anything. Here I'll find what I'm looking for. Stop fucking or I'll
kill you before you get married".) The unidentified man grabbed a
briefcase which William Hernandez was holding, and ran off.
Two days before this attack took place, the office of the Asociacion
Entre Amigos had been raided. On 30 May, William Hernandez and another
member of the organization's staff arrived at the office to find that
three windows had been broken, their files had been searched, and two
threats had been written on pieces of paper and left in the office. One
note read "culeros se mueren", ("'fags' die"), and the other "esto es su
merecido", ("this is what you deserve"). No valuable office equipment
was stolen in the raid, but a number of documents were taken, including
a hand-written program of the organization's activities planned for June
to celebrate sexual diversity. One of the activities was a demonstration
in front of the Legislative Assembly opposing the ratification of a
constitutional reform banning the marriage of same-sex couples and the
adoption of children by lesbians and gay people.
Since the raid, the Asociacion Entre Amigos has moved to a new office,
but staff believe that they may be under surveillance. A number of
unidentified men have been noticed outside the office, apparently
keeping watch, for four to five hours each day.
The opposition Christian Democratic Party, (Partido Democrata Cristiano,
PDC) and the Catholic Church in El Salvador are campaigning for an
amendment to the constitution that would make it illegal for same-sex
couples to marry and adopt children. The amendment was approved by the
Legislative Assembly in 2005 but now has to be ratified by the new
parliament, elected in March. The Asociacion Entre Amigos has been
lobbying members of the legislative assembly and campaigning against
this amendment.
BACKGROUND. The Asociacion Entre Amigos provides sex education to LGBT
people, as well as to the wider public. It has also spoken out about
human rights violations against LGBT people and the failure of the
authorities to investigate such abuses.
LGBT people in El Salvador regularly faces attacks and intimidation. The
Asociacion Entre Amigos has reported seven raids on their offices during
the last five years. Although in all cases the incidents have been
reported to the authorities, investigations into the incidents have
proved superficial, and nobody has been brought to justice. William
Hernandez still receives some police protection during his working hours
following earlier threats against him (see UA 159/99, 12 November 1999,
and follow-up).
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send letters:
- expressing grave concern for the safety of William Hernandez, Director
of the Asociacion Entre Amigos, Between Friends Association, and other
members of staff at the organization;
- calling on the authorities to take immediate measures to ensure the
safety of the Asociacion Entre Amigos staff, in accordance with their
own wishes, and to provide additional security measures for William
Hernandez, in accordance with his wishes;
- calling for a thorough, prompt and impartial investigation into the
death threats against William Hernandez, to make the results public and
to bring those responsible to justice;
- reminding the authorities that the UN Declaration on the Rights and
Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote
and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental
Liberties recognizes the legitimacy of the activities of human rights
defenders and their right to carry out their activities without any
restrictions or fear of reprisals;
- urging the authorities to take immediate measures to end the
intimidation of LGBT people.
APPEALS TO:
Ministro de Gobernacion
Sr. Rene Figueroa
Centro de Gobierno
San Salvador, El Salvador
Email: mariana.orellana@gobernacion.gob.sv
Fiscal General
Lic. Felix Garrid Safie
Fiscalia General de la Republica
Colonia Flor Blanca
49 Avenida Sur
Edificio 8-B
San Salvador, El Salvador
COPIES TO:
Ambassador Rene A. Leon
Embassy of El Salvador
2308 California St. NW
Washington DC 20008
CONTROL ARMS
Help Stop US Production of Landmines
On August 1, 2006, U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Arlen Specter
introduced the Victim-Activated Landmine Abolition Act of 2006 (S. 3768)
to freeze the U.S. procurement and production of landmines that are
victim activated. Victim activated landmines fail to distinguish between
civilians and combatants, detonating when any man, woman, or child
triggers it. The United States has said it will continue to develop
landmines, including victim activated mines, despite the risks of using
such indiscriminate weapons. The Pentagon also requested over $1 billion
for the production of new landmines starting in fiscal year 2006.
Amnesty International has joined many other non-governmental groups
around the world in opposing the use, production, and stockpiling of
anti-personnel landmines because of their indiscriminate nature and
threat to countless men, women, and children. It is estimated by the
U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines that there are between 15,000 and 20,000
new casualties caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance each year.
Most of the casualties are civilians and most live in countries that are
now at peace. Landmine blasts causes deaths and injuries such as
blindness, burns, destroyed limbs, and shrapnel wounds. Those who
survive and receive medical treatment often require amputations, long
hospital stays, and extensive rehabilitation.
Many of the landmines that have contributed to so much death and injury
have been victim activated. Victim activated mines detonate when any
person touches or triggers a mine, failing to discriminate between the
foot of a soldier and a civilian. The use of these types of mines
violates the prohibitions on the use of indiscriminate weapons contained
in the Geneva Conventions and their Protocols. The 1980 Convention on
Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons
also encourages governments to take "all feasible precautions" to
protect civilians from the effects of indiscriminate weapons.
In February 2004, the Bush administration announced, "The United States
will continue to develop non-persistent anti-personnel and anti-tank
landmines," which could include victim activated mines. The Pentagon is
requesting $1.08 billion for the production of new landmine systems
between fiscal years 2006 and 2011 as well as $688 million for research
into these systems. The Pentagon recently issued a contract for initial
production of a new high-tech munition system, Spider, which is capable
of victim activation.
The Victim-Activated Landmine Act of 2006 (S. 3768) would ensure that
the U.S. government only procures command activated weapons as opposed
to victim activated weapons. Command activated munitions are detonated
by human decision through remote-controlled means, requiring a user to
identify a target first in order to ensure that they are not a civilian
or a friendly force.
Experts say that command activated as opposed to victim activated mines
will have little effect on military strategy. In addition, the former
commandant of the U.S. Army War College said "the antipersonnel types of
mines have not been planted by U.S. troops in well over a decade and are
not particularly useful on the modern battlefield."
Recommended Action: Urge your Senator to cosponsor this important bill.
We have provided a sample letter, but please be encouraged to add your
own thoughts:
The Honorable Dianne Feinstein
United States Senate
331 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0001
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
United States Senate
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0505
Dear Senator,
I urge you to cosponsor the Victim-activated Landmine Abolition Act of
2006 (S.3768), introduced on August 1, 2006, by U.S. Senators Patrick
Leahy and Arlen Specter. This bill would put a freeze on the U.S.
procurement and production of landmines that can be activated by a
victim and could help reduce the potential use of these indiscriminate
weapons.
According to the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines, an estimated 15,000 to
20,000 are killed or injured from landmines and unexploded ordnance
annually around the world. Many more suffer from the psychological and
economic impact of these weapons. Dozens of U.S. troops in Iraq and
Afghanistan have also been injured by accidentally triggering landmines.
Despite the risks of using these mines, the United States has said it
"will continue to develop nonpersistent anti-personnel and anti-tank
landmines." Reversing a U.S. practice of not producing landmines since
1997, the Pentagon requested over $1 billion for the production of new
landmines starting in fiscal year 2006.
S. 3768 would ensure that the United States refrains from purchasing
mines that are victim activated and fail to distinguish between
civilians and combatants. The bill would also prevent the United States
from procuring "smart" or "non-persistent" mines, which despite
improvements still fail to explode, threatening any person that touches
the unexploded mines.
In order to help prevent the potential use of weapons that have
contributed to so many accidental deaths or injuries around the world, I
urge you to support the Victim-activated Landmine Abolition Act of 2006.
Sincerely, [Your Name and Address]