Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News Volume XVII Number 7, July 2009 UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday, July 23, 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 August 11, 7:30 PM. Note change of venue. Letter writing meeting at Panera Bread coffee house, 3521 E. Foothill, Pasadena 91107 626-351-8272. This informal gathering is a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with Amnesty. Sunday, August 16, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group. Vroman's Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This month we read "Finding Nouf", a mystery by Zoe Ferraris. Sunday, August 2, Monthly Movie Night. Time and location TBD. COORDINATOR'S CORNER Hi everyone Hope you are enjoying the summer so far. I worked 3 days in late June for extra money, and then am taking the rest of the summer off. Better to rest up for whatever next year may bring! (Let's hope LAUSD comes to its senses and lays off the over-abundance of high-paid administrators and not health and human services personnel like school nurses, social workers, and counselors!) I will be catching up on my reading, trying new recipes, sewing (plan to make more tote bags for fund-raising for our group), and Spanish reading and conversation. Note we are trying another cafe' for letter writing. I've been going to Panera for my Spanish sessions with my tutor - it is very spacious, cool, and has an extensive menu of food and drink! We will be discussing the book I and others had lobbied for in July, "Daughters of Juarez", about the investigation into the murders of young women in this Mexican border town. Unfortunately, that's the time when we will be going to Oregon to see Rob's family - just the way it worked out. However, I will still read the book and comment via email! The Iranian government is threatening to execute the leaders of the anti-election protests. See the urgent action in this newsletter. There is also an action in this newsletter regarding the persecution in China of the Uyghurs, a minority ethnic group in northwest China. Some of you may remember hearing Rebiya Kadeer, a Uyghur activist, leader, and businesswoman, speak at an AI Regional Conference in San Francisco about 5 years ago. She was arrested in the PRC 8-99 and was released 11-06. At one point, she was an AI Special Focus case. For info, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebiya_Kadeer Con carino, Kathy ERITREA UPDATE Tricia Hepner, Amnesty International Country coordinator for Eritrea, participated in the Eritrea Human Rights Symposium June 18-21 in Washington DC. Trish has not yet sent her report, but there's an interview with the event organizer at http://delina.org, in which he stated, "any conversation between the Obama administration and the Isaias regime will not be productive if it only dealt with the regime's involvement in Somalia. We strongly believe the wholesale suffering of the Eritrean people has to be the major part of the agenda." Photos of the march are at http://www.gereger.com/pictures.asp. The new U.S. Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Johnnie Carson, said in a July 2 interview with AllAfrica, "After I took over as the assistant secretary, the Eritrean ambassador came to my office and indicated to me that it was the first time he had been into the office of the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs since he had come to Washington. I told him that the United States clearly wanted to see if we could return to a more normal relationship and that I was prepared to go out to speak with [Eritrean] President Isaias to begin such a dialogue." http://www.ethiomedia.com/adroit/2543.html Let's write letters of support to Johnnie Carson and also put in a word for Estifanos Seyoum, the POC whom Group 22 adopted in 2006. I feel that individual letters would be more effective than a form letter, so here are my suggestions for some points to make in your letter. * Mention that you are writing about the Obama administration's desire to improve relations with Eritrea, and that you support Mr. Carson's recent efforts to engage Eritrea in constructive dialog. * Ask that the Obama administration consider the tragic human rights situation in Eritrea as an issue of extremely high priority. * Remind Mr. Carson of Aster Fissehatsion, Estifanos Seyoum, and the other former government officials known as the G-15 group, who have been held incommunicado in secret prisons without charge or trial since their arrest in 2001. Amnesty International designated them as Prisoners of Conscience because they were detained solely for peacefully expressing their political opinions. Several are alleged to have died while in custody because of harsh treatment and denial of medical care, but the Eritrea authorities refuse to release any information about their status. * Express your appreciation for Mr. Carson's attention and your hope for a response. Send to: Johnnie Carson Assistant Secretary of State Bureau of African Affairs U.S. Department of State 2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520 And when you're all done with your letter, check out some Eritrean music and epic poetry at this link from Rights Readers. http://www.peoplespoetry.org/pg_home.html# -Joyce RIGHTS READERS Vroman's Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena Sunday August 16, 6:30 pm "Finding Nouf" By Zoe Ferraris Review from the Los Angeles Times By Sarah Weinman, Special to The Times June 20, 2008 One of the best developments in contemporary crime fiction of late is how willing, even eager, writers are to explore uncharted territory. What with the mini-boom of translated Scandinavian novels by Arnaldur Indridason, Karin Fossum and Jo Nesbo (to name just a handful), Deon Meyer's and Michael Stanley's criminal investigations in the wilds of Africa and Matt Beynon Rees' elegant mysteries set in Palestinian territories, readers have an embarrassment of global riches to choose from. There is "Finding Nouf," the fictional outcome of San Franciscan Zoe Ferraris' habitation in Saudi Arabia for several years after the first Gulf War. Even if that information had been left off the jacket flap, it would be readily apparent; only a writer with experience both as a part of and apart from Saudi culture could have crafted such a novel. Nayir ash-Sharqi is a Palestinian born and raised in Saudi Arabia, an outsider with an insider's understanding of his home country. He's also a guide, often hired by the wealthy Shrawi family, and his current task is most unpleasant: to track down the whereabouts of their 16-year-old daughter, Nouf, who went missing just three days before her wedding. Her body is discovered in the desert. When Nayir goes to the coroner to bring her home to her family, the sight of her corpse fills him with horror, tinged with an overdeveloped sense of modesty -- which soon gives way to curiosity as to how she died. A laboratory technician, Katya Hijazi, suspects murder. Katya is connected to the case through her engagement to Nouf's older brother Othman, and she teams with Nayir to look into Nouf's death. The duo's investigations uncover family secrets so tragic that murder is the least of it. Ferraris does not skimp on the structural elements necessary for a good mystery, imbuing the story with escalating suspense that all but masks a telegraphed revelation of the murderer's identity. But "Finding Nouf" is more concerned with exposing a simmering world of heightened emotion held in check by the culture's restrictive and iron-clad rule. Nayir may chant "Allah forgive me for imagining her ankles" early in the search for Nouf, and he may be resigned to longing for female companionship he might never have, but he also approves of the order imposed by Saudi society. "It's designed to protect women," he tells Katya. "All the prescriptions for modesty and wearing the veil, for decent behavior and abstinence before marriage -- isn't the goal to prevent this very sort of thing from happening?" "In theory, I agree," Katya responds, "but you have to admit that those same prescriptions can sometimes cause the degradation people fear the most." That fear of degradation persists throughout the book, as Ferraris shows how the clash of tradition and desire, especially for women, is fraught with danger both hidden and overt. Katya's decision to follow up her doctorate with a proper scientific career is viewed not with pride but disdain by family and friends, especially the women. They question her leaving her widowed and retired father to fend for himself; they counsel her to watch what she eats, lest her fiancˇ choose another. The idea that Nouf may have wanted to leave Saudi Arabia behind for greener, more democratic pastures is unthinkable, in a culture where women are still expected to marry young and men to take multiple wives. Even Nayir's joining forces with Katya requires subterfuge and deception -- quickly derailed when a stranger harshly rebukes him for letting his "wife" dress so immodestly. The Saudi Arabian setting also allows Ferraris to twist the plot in ways that would horrify aficionados of American crime fiction. For example, Katya's forensic investigation of Nouf's death -- kept secret from nosy co-workers and a boss more interested in moving on and covering up than in seeking justice -- requires her to collect evidence and conduct DNA testing on her own time and off the books. In the United States, Katya's actions would rightly be challenged on admissibility grounds. But in Saudi Arabia, where justice is more often administered on a family-to-family basis or according to sharia law, Katya's illicit means are not only justified by the prospect of unmasking Nouf's killer but are necessary and believable in the context of a cloistered culture. Ferraris writes with authority about how Saudi insiders and outsiders alike perceive the United States: "America represented all that was free and exciting . . . a destination worth erasing your life for, . . . [T]his place, this city, this desert, this sea, weren't the material of a young girl's dreams." With equal authority, she stakes her own claim on the world map, opening Saudi Arabia for mystery fans to reveal the true minds and hearts of its denizens. Sarah Weinman writes "Dark Passages," an online monthly mystery and suspense column, at www.latimes.com/books. She blogs about crime and mystery fiction at www.sarahweinman.com. About the Author Zoe Ferraris moved to Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of the first Gulf War to live with her then-husband and his extended family, a group of Saudi-Palestinian Bedouins who had never welcomed an American into their lives before. She first conceived the idea for Finding Nouf at a jacket bazaar in Jeddah, where her ex-husband bought a "Columbo" coat and proposed setting off to solve mysteries - though to Zo‘ the only mystery at the time was why they were at a jacket bazaar in the hottest country in the world. She has an M.F.A. from Columbia University and received first prize for mystery fiction at the Santa Barbara Writers' Conference in 2003. She currently lives in San Francisco with her teenage daughter. Finding Nouf is her first novel. IRAN ELECTION ACTION Background Information on Detained opposition leaders in Iran There has been widespread unrest in Iran since incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner of the June 12 presidential election. His re-election has been endorsed by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, the ultimate arbiter of power in Iran. Mir Hossein Mousavi, who has said he was initially told by the Interior Ministry that he was the victor, has called the result a "dangerous charade." The Guardian Council, which has the charge of certifying the election results, declared that the re-election of President Ahmadinejad was valid. Hundreds of thousands of people participated in street protests in Tehran and other cities in Iran in the week following the announcement of the election results. The protesters were met with violence from riot police and Basij (paramilitaries) who beat many people. At least 21 people were reported to have been killed, including 26-year-old Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot dead, apparently by a sniper, on June 20. Iranian authorities have also arrested hundreds of people. According to Reporters Without Borders, at least 23 journalists have been detained, including Ali Mazroui, the head of the Association of Iranian Journalists. Opposition politicians, students, and human rights activists are among the other people detained since June 12. The government has attempted to restrict the flow of information by requiring foreign journalists to leave the country, and by blocking cell phone and internet communications. The government also shut down the reformist newspaper Etemad-e Melli Politicians Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Mohsen Aminzadeh, Abdollah Ramazanzadeh and Mostafa Tajzadeh were taken away from their homes early on June 16. They had all been officials in the government of former President Mohammad Khatami. Mr. Abtahi, age 51 had been a Vice-President during President Khatami's second term, while Mr. Aminzadeh had been the Deputy Foreign Minister under President Khatami. Mr. Ramazanzadeh was a government spokesperson and Mr. Tajzadeh, age 53 was the Deputy Minister of the Interior. They are believed to be held in Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, which is under the control of the Ministry of Intelligence. They and other detainees are at severe risk of torture. In the last several years there have been numerous cases of individuals who have been tortured in order to force them to publicly confess to serious crimes, including the crime of "Moharabeh" or enmity with God, which carries the death penalty. At least 17 ethnic Arabs were executed for their alleged participation in bomb blasts that took place in the southwestern Iranian city of Ahvaz in 2005 and 2006. Their "confessions" - which they insisted had been extracted under torture - had been broadcast on Iranian national television. Many of the men were convicted of "Moharabeh" in flawed legal proceedings. In May of 2007, an ethnic Baluchi, seventeen-year-old Sa'id Qanbar Zahi, was executed for his alleged involvement in the bombing of a bus in the city of Zahedan. He and four other men "confessed" on Iranian state television to several bomb attacks and to involvement in an armed resistance movement, Jondallah. The five who confessed had reportedly been subjected to brutal torture, including having the bones in their hands and feet broken, being branded with red-hot irons, and having an electric drill applied to their limbs. More recently, several students from Amir Kabir University, arrested for their participation in demonstrations in February 2009 reported having been tortured to force them to make confessions, including to having had relations with the United States and Israel, as well as to an armed opposition group, the Mojahedin-e Khalq. On June 26, cleric Ahmad Khatami gave a sermon at the weekly Friday prayers in which he reiterated that those who committed the crime of "Moharabeh" must be punished severely and called for the Judiciary to deal ruthlessly with the leaders of the "agitations." This warning fllows on an earlier warning on June 17 by the Public Prosecutor of Esfahan Province, Mohammad Reza Habibi, that the elements who were behind the post-election disturbances could face the death penalty. DETAINED IRANIAN OPPOSITION FIGURES AT SERIOUS RISK OF TORTURE TO EXTRACT CONFESSIONS Begin and End Date of this action: 7/5/2009 to 7/20/2009 Mohammad Ali Abtahi Brief Introduction After President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in the June 12 elections in Iran, there were widespread protests against the contested election results. The Iranian authorities responded with violence and repression. At least 21 people have been killed and many dozens more injured. The Iranian authorities have also arrested hundreds of journalists, students, opposition politicians and human rights activists. Prominent detained _reformist_ politicians include Mohammad Ali Abtahi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohsen Aminzadeh and Abdollah Ramazanzadeh, who served under former President Mohammad Khatami and who supported candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi in the June 12 presidential election . Amnesty International is very concerned that these _reformist_ political figures who are being held in incommunicado detention are at serious risk of being torture, especially in order to force them to make televised _confessions._ These confessions could then be used against them in trials for the crime of _moharabeh_ or Enmity with God, which could result in death sentences. Leading Iranian officials have already made ominous threats to deal harshly with those who they have said have orchestrated the post-election unrest; on Friday June 26 cleric Ahmad Khatami called on the judiciary to punish without mercy those involved in the demonstrations, accusing them of _Moharabeh._ Several people arrested for demonstrating have already been put on Iranian national television, _confessing_ to having been instigated by other governments. The Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's representative. SAMPLE LETTER: Your Excellency, I am writing to you to express my concern over the continued incommunicado detention of reformist politicians, including Ali Abtahi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohsen Aminzadeh and Abdollah Ramazanzadeh. They were all arrested in the wake of the disputed 12 June presidential election. I am particularly concerned that they may be subjected to severe torture in detention, possibly to force them to confess to crimes against national security. I am also concerned that hundreds of other people - including at least 23 journalists, as well as students, political opposition figures, and human rights activists - have been detained by authorities since 12 June. I am worried that all those detained may be subjected to torture or ill- treatment while in detention. I urge you to insure that Ali Abtahi, Mostafa Tajzadeh, Mohsen Aminzadeh and Abdollah Ramazanzadeh are treated humanely in detention, that their whereabouts be made known, and that they be granted access to their families and to their lawyers. Furthermore, they are prisoners of conscience, detained solely for their perceived views on the outcome of the recent presidential election and I therefore urge that they be immediately and unconditionally released, along with all those detained for peacefully expressing their opposition to the election results. Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely, your name and address. SEND TO: Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Sayed 'Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader Islamic Republic Street - End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Minister of the Interior Sadegh Mahsouli Ministry of the Interior Dr Fatemi Avenue Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Salutation: Your Excellency Head of the Judiciary Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary) Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran Salutation: Your Excellency Minister of Intelligence His Excellency Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie Ministry of Information Second Negarestan Street Pasdaran Avenue Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran Salutation: Your Excellency ACTION FOR UIGHURS 18 June 2009 UA 158/09 Fear of Torture and other Ill-Treatment CHINA: Yusufjan (Yuesefujiang) (m), aged 27 Memetjan (Maimaitijiang) (m), aged 24 Yusufjan and Memetjan, both ethnic Uighurs and students at Xinjiang University, were detained on 10 May in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in northwest China. There is no information on their current legal status or whereabouts and there are fears that the men maybe subjected to torture or other illtreatment. According to China Aid Association, a US- based Christian NGO, on 10 May Yusufjan, Memetjan, and five other students were holding a meeting at Xinjiang University to discuss religious issues. Their meeting was broken up by two officers from the local internal security police force, accompanied by more than ten plain- clothed men, who led all seven away in handcuffs for interrogation. According to China Aid Association, the five other students were held for 15 days and each fined 5,000 Yuan (approximately 730 USD) for "holding an illegal gathering." This charge and the students punishment does not comply with Chinese law which suggests that their detention was arbitrary and that corruption or discrimination may have played a part. China Aid Association has stated that the authorities have threatened Yusufjan and Memetjan with severer punishment than that received by the five students who were released. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Uighurs are a mainly Muslim ethnic minority who are concentrated primarily in the XUAR. Since the 1980s, the Uighurs have been the target of systematic and extensive human rights violations. This includes arbitrary detention and imprisonment, incommunicado detention, and serious restrictions on religious freedom as well as cultural and social rights. Chinese government policies, including those that limit use of the Uighur language, severe restrictions on freedom of religion, and a sustained influx of Han Chinese migrants into the region, are destroying customs and, together with employment discrimination, fuelling discontent and ethnic tensions. Chinese government has mounted an aggressive campaign that has led to the arrest and arbitrary detention of thousands of Uighurs on charges of "terrorism, separatism and religious extremism" for peacefully exercising their human rights. On 14 August 2008, Wang Lequan, Communist Party Secretary of the XUAR, announced a "life and death" struggle against Uighur "separatism." Local authorities maintain tight control over religious practice, including prohibiting all government employees and children under the age of 18, from worshipping at mosques. Torture and other ill-treatment are endemic in all forms of detention, despite China having ratified the UN Convention against Torture in 1988. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible: - calling on the authorities to release Yusufjan and Memetjan immediately and unconditionally; - calling on the authorities to provide information on their whereabouts, and the reasons and legal basis for their detention; - urging the authorities to guarantee that they are not subjected to torture or other ill-treatment while in custody; - urging the authorities to ensure they are given access to a lawyer of their choice, their families and any medical treatment that they may require; - calling on the authorities to respect and protect the right of Uyghurs to enjoy their own culture, to practice their religion, and to use their own language. - calling on the authorities to make a clear distinction between activities that involve the peaceful exercise of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights and those that would be internationally recognized as criminal acts. APPEALS TO: Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China Wen Jiabao Guojia Zongli The State Council General Office 2 Fuyoujie Xichengqu Beijingshi 100017 PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Salutation: Your Excellency Chairman of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regional People's Government Nur Bekri Zhuxi Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu Renmin Zhengfu 2 Zhongshanlu Wulumuqishi 830041 Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Salutation: Dear Chairman Director of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Regional Department of Public Security Liu Yaohua Tingzhang Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu Gong'anting 58 Huanghelu Wulumuqishi 830001 Xinjiang Weiwuer Zizhiqu PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Salutation: Dear Director COPIES TO: Ambassador Wen Zhong Zhou Embassy of the People's Republic of China 2300 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington DC 20008 PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 30 July 2009. DEATH PENALTY UPDATE From Stevi Carroll Sentenced to death due to police torture Death Penalty, United States | Posted by Brian Evans, July 10, 2009 at 2:42 PM Source: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/sent enced-to-death-due-to-police-torture/ On July 7, Ronald Kitchen became a free man. Convicted of the murder of five people in 1988, he spent over a dozen years on Illinois' death row facing execution, until former Governor George Ryan commuted his sentence, along with all other Illinois death sentences, to life without parole in 2003. But his conviction was based on a confession he gave to Chicago police after they tortured him. According to Kitchen, he was "hit in the head with a telephone, punched in the face, struck in the groin and kicked." Tuesday, all charges against him were dropped, and he was released. "If you're getting whooped for over 39 hours and you're constantly saying that you didn't do it and they're constantly doing what they're doing, somewhere along the line you're going to realize they're not going to stop unless somebody gives in," Kitchen said in a Chicago Sun Times article. Kitchen's wrongful conviction was one of many obtained by officers serving under Police Commander Jon Burge. During the 1970s and 1980s in Chicago, prisoners, mostly African American, were routinely tortured and abused into giving false confessions. Amnesty International reported on these and other abuses ten years ago. Because the arc of the universe bends towards justice, Burge now faces his own day in court, though for perjury and obstruction of justice charges, not torture. Kitchen's exoneration came in part thanks to the efforts of the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University; but, despite the clear evidence of torture, it still took dozens of people years of work to win his freedom. As the video above* makes clear, many others who may be equally innocent aren't lucky enough to get that kind of support. *to view, go to http://blog.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/sent enced-to-death-due-to-police-torture/ Human Rights / Death Penalty Lawyer Arrested in Iran Death Penalty, Middle East | Posted by Brian Evans, June 30, 2009 at 4:14 PM Source: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/deathpenalty/hum an-rights-death-penalty-lawyer-arrested-in-iran/ In the midst of all of the political and social turmoil in Iran right now, activist and lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei was arrested this afternoon and taken away by plainclothes officers while out with his wife and daughter. The arrest was most likely related to his human rights activites connected with the recent protests, but he is most well-known for his work representing juveniles facing the death penalty. The officials searched Mostafaei's home and his office after arresting him and then took him away to an undisclosed location. His family has not been informed of his whereabouts. Mohammad Mostafaei is a lawyer who, among other things, represents those on death row who were juveniles at the time of their crimes. He currently has 25 such cases. As a signitory of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, Iran has agreed not to execute anyone for a crime committed before the age of 18, but they have ignored this agreement many many times. By Amnesty International's count, Iran has executed 18 child offenders since 2007. Several juvenile offenders are currently at risk of execution in Iran, including Mohammad Reza Haddadi and Naser Qasemi, and Mehdi Mazroui. It is important for the Iranian government to know that others are watching how they treat their citizens, particularly those who work in defense of human rights. And it is important for Iranian human rights defenders to have our support. Mostafaei is, in many cases, the only hope his clients have of being spared their life, but there is little that he can do from behind bars. Please urge Iranian leaders* to release Mostafaei, and to permit others to speak out without fear of persecution. * for the Urgent Action pdf, go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actio ns/uaa17509.pdf MONTHLY LETTER COUNT Total (all UAs): 34 To add your letters to the total contact lwkamp@gmail.com. Amnesty International Group 22 The Caltech Y Mail Code 5-62 Pasadena, CA 91125 www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/ http://rightsreaders.blogspot.com