Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News Volume XXVII Number 5, May 2019 UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday, May 23, 7:30-9:00 PM. Monthly Meeting. We meet at the Caltech Y, Tyson House, 505 S. Wilson Ave., Pasadena. Our guest speaker is Tim Nistler from Friends In Deed. He wears a few hats including Program Director, coordinator of The Food Pantry, and Director of Social Media. He'll talk about food, hunger, dignity, and human rights. Friends In Deed is an interfaith organization that provides supportive services to meet basic human needs, so our homeless and at-risk neighbors can rebuild their lives. Tuesday, June 11, 7:30-9:00 PM. Letter Writing meeting at the Caltech Athenaeum, corner of Hill and California in Pasadena. (In summer we meet outdoors at the "Rath al Fresco" on the lawn next to the building.) This informal gathering is a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with Amnesty. Sunday, June 16, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group. For June we read a novel, "The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon", by Kathleen J. McInnis. COORDINATOR'S CORNER Hello all, Crazy weather we've been having! Sunny days and then colder rainy ones. I've been taking advantage of the nice days to smell the flowers (the jasmine bushes and jacaranda trees are in bloom now-my favs) and get some exercise outdoors. 14 more days of the school year left but who's counting - lol. It is very busy as schools try to get stuff done they've put off all year... Benedictine monk Dennis Gibbs, who spoke to us last year about the episcopal diocese of LA's ministry to the incarcerated, has written a book called "Oblivion" about his personal struggle with addiction and its consequences. There was a book signing at the monastery in San Gabriel a few weeks ago. Rob and I weren't able to attend but hopefully some of you were. I do intend to read the book, which is available on Amazon. Great turnout at letter writing last week. Come for the camaraderie, beer and popcorn and do good while having fun! Speaking of doing good, don't forget to bring unused travel sized toiletries to the monthly meeting this week for the clients of Friends in Need. We're having a speaker from this program tell us about what they do to help people in Pasadena who are down on their luck. Con carino, Kathy Next Rights Readers Meeting Sunday, June 16, 6:30 PM Vroman's Bookstore (upstairs) 695 E. Colorado Blvd, Pasadena The Heart of War: Misadventures in the Pentagon by Kathleen J. McInnis REVIEW https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The- Heart-of-War/Kathleen-J-McInnis/9781682616512 Featured in The NY Times magazine! Featured in "Best of 2018" by Foreign Policy magazine! The Devil Wears Prada meets Catch-22; a novel about a young woman's journey into the heart of Washington's war machine. Dr. Heather Reilly has been an anti-war activist since her brother died fighting the Taliban. But her crushing student loans drive her to take a job working on a peace plan for Afghanistan, in the last place on Earth she ever thought she'd be employed: the Pentagon. On her first day, however, her position is eliminated and she's shuffled to a war-fighting office focused on combating Russian aggression. Unfortunately, she knows little about Russia and has deep moral reservations about war. Making matters worse, she's also working for Ariane Fletcher-a woman so terrifying, she eats generals for breakfast. As Heather learns to navigate the Pentagon's insane bureaucracy and petty power struggles, she finds that her successes come at the expense of her personal life... and that small mistakes can have major consequences in the Department of Defense. From Washington D.C.'s corridors of power to the dusty streets of Kabul, Kathleen McInnis spins a smart, hilarious, and heartwarming tale that shines a light on the often frustrating but sometimes rewarding experience of a career in the Pentagon. Packed with insider knowledge about one of the least-known-yet most- powerful-organizations in U.S. national security, McInnis' debut novel establishes her as a major new literary voice with a point of view we've never seen before. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kathleen J. McInnis is a national security policy analyst who has worked in the Pentagon, the UK Parliament, and in think tanks on both sides of the Atlantic. As an International Security Analyst for the Congressional Research Service and a Senior Non- Resident Fellow for the Atlantic Council of the United States, she currently analyzes international security and defense issues for the United States Congress. Prior to that, she was a research consultant at Chatham House in London, working on NATO and transatlantic security matters. Kathleen also served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (Policy), working NATO-Afghanistan matters and stability operations capability development. During her time there, she helped formulate and support US policy for two NATO summits, eight NATO Defense Ministerial meetings, and four Regional Command- South Ministerial meetings. Prior to joining Stability Operations, Ms. McInnis spent several years at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), analyzing US nuclear weapons strategy, strategic capabilities, NATO, European security, and transatlantic relations. Before joining CSIS, she was a researcher in the United Kingdom House of Commons, working on NATO, the European Union, and US-UK political- military relations. She has contributed to outlets including The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Times, The Washington Quarterly, Buzzfeed, Defense One, Foreign Policy, War on the Rocks, and Defense News. She has appeared on CNN, Sky News, BBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera English, and Voice of America to comment on international affairs. Some of the places she has traveled for her work include the Republic of Djibouti, the Norwegian Arctic, China, Tokyo, Saudi Arabia, Lithuania, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Australia. Kathleen received her PhD in War Studies at King's College in London; her MSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics; and her Bachelor of Arts at Towson University in Maryland. Born in Annapolis, Maryland, Kathleen is a self-professed "base brat" who grew up on US bases overseas. She lived in D.C., Baltimore, London, and Yorkshire before returning to Annapolis, where she currently lives. https://kjmcinnis.com/about-kathleen DEATH PENALTY NEWS By Stevi Carroll We Have Manners And Recently when I was visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, I had a lesson in manners. Something I enjoy while I'm visiting our National Parks is seeing and listening to all of the visitors from other countries who also enjoy visiting our Parks. I listen to their conversations to figure out what their languages are. I ask if they'd like me to take photos of them posing with the beautiful vistas. I make eye contact and small talk with them, as Timothy Snyder suggests we do in his book On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From The Twentieth Century. We discuss the majesty of the lovely scenery. When my friend and I stopped on the path along the rim, we noticed a White fellow alone taking photos of the canyon. My friend asked if he'd like a photo of himself. He said yes and then began to chat with us. After a couple of sentences, he asked, "Have you noticed how rude the foreigners are?" I replied, "Nope, I sure haven't." He then went on to say he was from the South where people have manners and open doors for each other. I will admit I have some biases about our Southern states, their politics, and yes, their habits, attitudes, and manners. If he could have seen my thought bubble, he would have seen, 'Before or after you lynch them?' I asked where he was from, and he answered Alabama. Two things have recently happened in Alabama. Governor Kay Ivey signed into law the criminalization for essentially all abortions, including those for women and girls who have experienced rape or acts of incest and become pregnant. Governor Ivey tweeted, "Today, I signed into law the Alabama Human Life Protection Act. To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious & that every life is a sacred gift from God." This brings us to the second thing that has recently happened in Alabama. On May 16th, the state of Alabama executed Michael Brandon Samra. Mr. Samra was 19 when he took part in the murder of four people. His co-defendant, Mark Duke, was 16 and angry at his father because his father would not let him use his pick-up truck. Mr. Duke murdered his father, his father's girlfriend, and one of her daughters. Mr. Samra murdered the girlfriend's other daughter. Originally, Mr. Duke was also sentenced to die, but when the Supreme Court barred the death penalty for people under 18 at the time of their crimes, he was sentenced to life without parole. So the law is the law and it was carried out. However, a few things about Mr. Samra might have been considered before he was executed. He had no significant criminal history prior to this crime. From an early age, he showed signs of significant cognitive impairments. He was developmentally slow and had tremors in his hands. Mental experts prior to the trial found that he had a low IQ and had recommended neurological testing after they found evidence of brain dysfunction. Mr. Samra's court appointed lawyer's compensation for out-of-court work was capped at $1,000.00; therefore, no neurological testing was performed and his lawyer did not consult with an expert on intellectual disability. Instead the jury was repeatedly told by his trial counsel that Mr. Samra was a follower of Satan and that the crime was related to his involvement with a Satan-worshipping gang. Even the prosecutor realized these allegations were baseless and prejudicial and should not be allowed. After the jury returned a guilty verdict, the penalty phrase began within half an hour and on the same day the death sentence was recommended. Now let's return to our friend at the Grand Canyon and Governor Ivey. Alabamians are so polite they hold doors open for people, and they have a "deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift from God." Well, unless that life is a mentally impaired young man whose final words were "I would like to thank Jesus for everything he's done for me. I want to thank Jesus for shedding his bloods for my sins. Thank you for your grace, Jesus. Amen." Mr. Samra's execution was the seventh execution in Alabama since Kay Ivey became governor. Recent Exonerations James Frazier - State: PA - Date of Exoneration: 4/4/2019 In 2013, James Frazier was sentenced to life in prison without parole for a double murder in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was exonerated in 2019 after the lead detective, accused of obtaining a false confession from Frazier by threatening to sexually assault him, was indicted for sexually assaulting informants and suspects in other cases. Randy Liebich - State: IL - Date of Exoneration: 4/17/2019 In 2004, Randy Liebich was sentenced to 65 years in prison for the murder of his girlfriend's two-year-old son in Willowbrook, Illinois. He was exonerated in 2019 by medical evidence that the boy's death was not the result of injuries inflicted while in Liebich's care. James Gibson - State: IL - Date of Exoneration: 4/26/2019 In 1991, James Gibson was sentenced to life in prison for a double murder in Chicago, Illinois. He was exonerated in 2019 based on evidence that he falsely confessed after he was kicked, beaten and burned by detectives. Elgerie Cash and Jennifer Weathington - State: GA - Date of Exoneration: 5/1/2019 Elgerie Cash and her daughter, Jennifer Weathington, both of Dallas, Georgia, were convicted in 2013 of murder in the death of Weathington's boyfriend, Lennis Jones. Their convictions were overturned in 2014 because of ineffective assistance of counsel, and they were acquitted at a retrial in 2019 based on evidence that the victim had shot himself. Kenneth McPherson and Eric Simmons - State: MD - Date of Exoneration: 5/3/2019 In 1995, Kenneth McPherson and Eric Simmons were sentenced to life in prison for a murder in Baltimore, Maryland. They were exonerated in 2019 after new witnesses confirmed they were not involved, and new evidence showed that the prosecution's only witness could not have seen the shooting from where she said she was. Stanley Mozee and Dennis Allen - State: TX - Date of Exoneration: 5/10/2019 In 2000, Stanley Mozee and Dennis Allen were sentenced to life in prison for murder in Dallas, Texas. They were exonerated in 2019, after DNA tests failed to link them to the crime, witnesses recanted testimony that implicated both men, and evidence showed the police and prosecution concealed evidence. Recent Stays of Execution April 17 Jeffery A. Wogenstahl OH Stay granted by the Ohio Supreme Court on October 24, 2018 pending "exhaustion of all state post-conviction proceedings, including any appeals." May 2 Dexter Johnson TX Stay granted by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on April 30, 2019 to provide recently appointed habeas corpus counsel 90 days to develop a series of claims relating to the alleged ineffective representation provided by prior counsel. 29 Timothy Hoffner OH Rescheduled for August 11, 2021 by Gov. John Kasich on September 1, 2017. June 5 Alva Campbell OH Died on March 3, 2018 Recent Executions April 24 John William King TX Lethal Injection 1-drug (Pentobarbital) Years From Sentence To Execution - 20 May 2 Scotty Garnell Morrow GA Lethal Injection 1-drug (Pentobarbital) Years From Sentence To Execution - 19 16 Michael Brandon Samra AL Lethal Injection 3-drug (Midazolam) Years From Sentence To Execution - 21 16 Donnie Edward Johnson TN Lethal Injection 3-drug (Midazolam) Years From Sentence To Execution - 34 GROUP 22 MAY LETTER COUNT UAs 24 POC (UA for Gao Zhisheng) 10 POC (Narges Mohammadi) 10 Total 44 PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE Narges Mohammadi and Gao Zhisheng By Joyce Wolf [https://iranhr.net/en/articles/3745/] "On the morning of Tuesday, May 14, Narges Mohammadi was transferred to a hospital escorted by guards. 'Doctors had recommended last year that Narges Mohammadi must undergo a hysterectomy. Her family and lawyers had requested a prison furlough. She was transferred to a hospital with an escort [of guards]', tweeted Taghi Rahmani, exiled husband of Narges Mohammadi." We hope that Narges will be able to stay in the hospital long enough to make a good recovery. Many other Amnesty groups around the world are working for Narges. The group in Denmark is very active and presented her case at the Danish Yearly Amnesty Assembly the last weekend of April with 450 participants. (photo from Anette Ibsen, Group Furesoe, Denmark) For Gao Zhisheng, missing since August 2017, no news is not good news. This month Group 22 wrote on the current Amnesty UA for Gao. If you have not already done so, please write or email on this action. Don't forget to report your actions to the UA network! Visit https://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent- actions/urgent-action-update-disappeared- activist-at-risk-of-torture-china-ua-212-17/ Amnesty International Group 22 The Caltech Y Mail Code C1-128 Pasadena, CA 91125 www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/ Amnesty International's mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.