On August 16, a fourteen-year-old Christian girl, Rimsha Masih, was arrested in Islamabad for having allegedly burned pages from the Quran. She was found carrying a plastic bag containing several singed papers inscribed in Arabic. It was then unclear whether the leaves had come from the Quran; but an incensed mob, tipped off by the local imam, had converged at her door, threatening to torch the house.

300 Christian families fled in the incident’s wake for fear that they, as minorities, would be made scapegoats – as has happened in previous infringements of Pakistan’s unforgiving blasphemy laws. As investigations ensued, however, authorities’ perusal of Rimsha’s medical reports revealed she had been born with Down’s Syndrome and that her mental age was several years shy of her real age. A game-changing revelation rocked the case when a month later, Khalid Jadoon, the religious leader who had initially called the police, was arrested on suspicion of having planted the burned papers.

In an interview with ABC News the day before his arrest, Jadoon stoically declared that Rimsha had confessed to the burning of the pages. “It’s a matter of my religion. If there’s a threat to Islam, if our government doesn’t stand up to that person, then the people will. I’ll be the first of them.”

What Jadoon had really meant by “threat” became clear when two witnesses and Jadoon’s deputy, Hafiz Muhammad Zubair, brought evidence against him. Zubair had seen several people handing Jadoon some burnt papers. To this pile Jadoon had added additional pages of the Quran. “I asked him what he was doing,” Zubair told a television station, “and he said, ‘This is the evidence against them (the local Christians) and this how we can get them out from this area.’”

Religious tension as just one factor

Rimsha’s arrest had been at the nucleus of a larger scheme to evict Christian families from the neighborhood. “I have known for the last three months that some people in this area wanted the Christian community to leave so they could build a madrasa (on their land),” Hafiz Mohammad Ashrafi, Chairman of the All Pakistan Ulema Council, a body of senior muslim clerics, reportedly said. “Our heads are bowed with shame for what [Jadoon] did.”

Breaking the political code of simply glossing over religious tensions, Paul Bhatti, the minister for national harmony, conceded, “It is not just a religious problem. It’s a caste factor, because (the victims) belong to the poorest and most marginalized people. Unfortunately, they are Christians, and this caste system creates lots of problems.” The Muslim-Christian animosity predates the British occupation of Pakistan, stemming from a Hinduism-instilled social hierarchy that demoted the Christians to the most menial and despised rank.

Rimsha was acquitted and released from a prison in Rawalpindi on September 8, from where she was flown in a military helicopter to meet her family in an undisclosed location. Rimsha’s neighbors told ABC News reporters they do not believe she and her family will ever return to her village.

Implications for the future

Despite the exonerating evidence, Rimsha’s acquittal is a miracle in a country where those convicted of defiling the Quran face life in prison. The family is living in protective custody, in constant fear of assassination by vigilantes and Islamic hardliners who side with the tunnel-vision judiciary.

Critics of the blasphemy law, however, nurture a cautious hope that the court’s decision bodes a revision of the laws, as the case has highlighted how the stringency of the laws can invite people to misuse them for their own advantage. “The decision by a Pakistan court to grant bail to Rimsha Masih is an encouraging step, but the Pakistan government must urgently reform its blasphemy laws to prevent similar cases in future,” said a spokesman from Amnesty International. “In the recent past individuals accused of blasphemy have been killed by members of the public, often in incidents where the victim has not been formally charged by the authorities,” he continued. He then went on to stress the importance of “legal, policy and social reforms” to address “vilification on the basis of religion that has lead to almost daily intimidation and deadly attacks.”

Dr. Nazir S. Bhatti, President of Pakistan Christian Congress (PCC) has demanded reinvestigation in all cases lodged against Christians, Ahmaddiya and Muslims under charges of blasphemy.

Image Courtesy of   Mikhail Levit / Shutterstock.com

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London, U.K. — The detention on August 26 of the editor of one of Ethiopia’s last independent publications is a worrying signal that the government intends to carry on targeting dissent, Amnesty International said on August 27.

Temesgen Desalegn, editor of Feteh newspaper, faces a number of criminal charges based on articles he has written or published criticizing the government and calling on Ethiopia’s youth to peacefully protest against government repression.

He is the first journalist to be detained since the announcement on Monday of the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, under whose leadership the government regularly targeted critical journalists.

“It’s business as usual in Ethiopia. Temesgen Desalegn has been charged for exercising his right to freedom of expression in advocating for peaceful protests to take place, among other criticisms of the government,” said Claire Beston, Amnesty International’s Ethiopia researcher.

“Meles’ leadership was characterized by cracking down heavily on any dissent and dismantling the independent media, and yesterday’s events show that nothing has changed.”

Four charges were filed against Temesgen and his publishing house, Mastewal Printing and Advertising, including ‘Provocation and Preparation’ to incite the youth to overthrow the constitutional order, ‘Inciting the public through false rumours’ and ‘Attacks against the state’ through defaming the government.

The charges relate to various articles published in Feteh between July 2011 and March 2012.

Articles cited in the charge sheet as evidence discuss subjects including how Ethiopians should be angry about the repressive practices of the government, the role of the youth as agents of change and their role in popular uprisings in Ethiopia and abroad and that lessons should be learnt from the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt.

Temesgen first learnt that there were charges against him on state radio Fana FM.

He was later summoned by federal police in early August, who informed him of the charges. At a court appearance on 23 August, the judge denied bail and Temesgen was sent to Kaliti prison on the outskirts of the capital Addis Ababa.

Feteh and Temesgen have fallen foul of the authorities on multiple occasions, and the editor has had numerous complaints and some criminal charges filed against him in the past. These have resulted in several incidents of temporary detention, police questioning, bail costs, fines or the dropping of charges.

In June 2011 Feteh columnist Reyot Alemu was arrested after writing articles critical of the government and reporting on calls for peaceful protests to take place. She was subsequently charged with terrorism offences and, in January 2012, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment. Her sentence was reduced to five years on appeal.

In late April 2012 Temesgen was fined 2,000 Ethiopian Birr (about US$115) after the Addis Ababa High Court ruled that he was guilty of contempt of court for “biased coverage” of the trial of journalist Eskinder Nega, opposition members and other government critics. The finding of “biased coverage” was based on Feteh’s publication of statements from some of the defendants in the trial.

On 20 July, Ethiopian authorities blocked Feteh’s distribution and impounded 30,000 copies of the paper stating that its front cover – featuring stories about Muslim protests and the Prime Minister’s health – posed a threat to national security.
“The nature of the latest charges against Temesgen Desalegn, and the content of the articles cited as evidence, exposes not only the continuing intolerance of dissent but also the government’s fear of peaceful protests,” said Beston.

“It is clear that the authorities are very concerned about the possibility of popular uprisings in the wake of last year’s events in the Middle East and North Africa.”

The Ethiopian authorities have repeatedly taken measures to silence any suggestion that protests should or could take place. Concern about popular uprising has been behind the recent arrests and prosecutions of journalists, opposition members and protestors including those from the Muslim community recently arrested.

“The government of Ethiopia should see the succession of Meles as an opportunity to break with the past and end the practice of arresting anyone and everyone who criticizes the government,” said Beston.

“Temesgen Desalegn should be released immediately and charges against him should be dropped. The post-Meles government must begin a new era of respect for freedom of expression.”

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London, U.K. — Amnesty International has received credible reports that nine persons were executed on the night of August 26 in Gambia, and that more persons are under threat of imminent executions in the coming days.

According to reliable sources nine persons, including one woman, were removed from their prison cells last night and executed. Two of those said to have been executed are supposed to have been Senegalese.

In Gambia, capital punishment can be imposed for murder and treason. Three of the reportedly executed have been sentenced for treason.

“The decision of the Gambian president Yahya Jammeh to execute nine prisoners after more than a quarter of a century without execution would be a giant leap backwards”, said Paule Rigaud, Amnesty International’s Africa deputy director.

“If confirmed the reported executions are a hugely retrograde step – they would bring The Gambia back into the minority of countries which are still executing, and we are urging the authorities to immediately halt any further possible executions” said Rigaud.

The last execution in the country took place in 1985, 27 years ago. Amnesty International had classified Gambia as abolitionist in practice, and therefore as one of the more than two thirds of states worldwide which have abolished the death penalty either in law or practice.

In Africa, 22 of the 54 member states of the African Union are abolitionist in practice, and 16 are abolitionist in law for all crimes.

On both 19 and 20 August, in a television address broadcast to mark the Muslim feast of Eid-al-Fitrt, President Jammeh had announced to the nation that by the middle of September all existing death sentences would be “carried out to the letter”.

According to The Gambian government, there were 42 men and two women on death row as of 31 December 2011, 13 of whom had been sentenced during that year. This year, three men have reportedly also received the death sentence, making a total of 47 people currently on death row.

“President Jammeh should establish an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, in line with resolutions of the UN General Assembly and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” said Rigaud.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

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A man was in the kitchen on what promised to be another relaxing night at home. He washed up and plopped on the living room couch next to his wife who wore a smile, perhaps glad to have her husband around after another hectic day at work; a typical scene repeated in households worldwide. In most stories, what follows next is another night’s sleep. Not many end with armed forces bursting through your door and dragging your husband away.

In our post 9/11 world, the word ‘torture’ has been overused up to the point that the shock factor at the mention of its happenings is almost non-existent. ‘Waterboarding’ is now a household term and, just like the Mexican drug wars, the proverbial starving children of Africa and what’s now a disturbingly all too common Middle Eastern civilian deaths, there is an information overload regarding government tortures that we are now numb to it.

Amnesty International’s new video titled Hooded lets us see what it’s like to be tortured. The viewer is given a first person view on the terrifying ordeals of being abducted and having your face covered with a hood, but the worse is yet to come. Coupled with the abductee’s growing sense of disorientation, he became subject to electro-shock and water boarding. The torture is portrayed so powerfully in this video with the intention of depicting the ordeal exactly the way the detainee would see it. Blinded, except for streams of light that penetrates through small holes in the hood, perhaps the only thing worse than the actual torture is not knowing what will happen next.

Amnesty International provided a description to accompany the video stating its purpose:

“Hooded is an exploration of visual and auditory senses to convey the horrific nature of torture. It combines extensive sound design with abstracted visuals to provide a disturbing experience. It is a powerful reminder that torture is barbaric and never justifiable.

This film has been made as part of Amnesty International’s Security with Human Rights campaign, which aims to end abuses of human rights which take place in the context of terrorism, countering terrorism and national security.”

Though many countries have prohibited torture in the past century, what is now labeled ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ has brought the issue back into the public eye, with some nations even practicing it openly. Amnesty International reported that torture is more prevalent in G-20 nations. Torturers are trained and most wouldn’t exist without government backings. The acceptance of using cruel treatment on anyone signifies a serious erosion to fundamental human rights, and though some argue that it’s a necessary tool in the ongoing war against terror, a four-decade study by the US Intelligence Science Board reported torture as being ineffective in obtaining reliable intelligence.

CIA Veteran, Bob Baer, admitted, “To be honest, in those situations (of interrogation) I really had no idea what I was doing.”

In plenty of cases, the victims who are subjected to these interrogation techniques are merely suspects with little to no evidences regarding their involvement in the crimes they were accused of. Such is the case with Maher Arar, a Canadian who was held for a year and tortured in Syria after the US authorities had relied on accurate information to detain him. Although Arar received compensations and a formal apology, no amount of either can compensate for the trauma and emotional scarring suffered by such torture victims.

Torture is the most widespread human rights crime in the world and we find ourselves in yet another situation where we are left to ponder: how can something so horrific be so prevalent? As a civilization that aims to move forward, this is one barbaric act that we can do without because as the video stresses: Nothing justifies this. Nothing makes it right.

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Susan Benn from the Julian Assange Defense Fund addressed the awaiting crowd and press outside the Ecuador embassy in London in a press release statement from Julian Assange on Friday June 29 at 16:00 BST. Wiki leaks founder Julian Assange has been under house arrest for 570 days now.

According to Miss Benn, Metropolitan Police served Mr Assange with a notice on Thursday, June 28, that he should surrender himself to the Belgravia Police Station by 11:30 on the morning of June 29. Assange has refused to abide by the serving notice of Metropolitan police.

Benn said that this is not a sign of disrespect to police, “under both international and domestic UK law asylum assessments take priority over extradition claims.” In the US and UK, asylum law states that a fugitive seeking political asylum cannot be extradited from the country he is seeking protection in while his application for asylum is being processed by official authorities. He can remain in the country indefinitely while he waits to hear about the status of his asylum claim and can only be removed once his claim and appeal have been rejected by authorities.

Assange applied for political asylum in UK in 2010, but on June 12, Britain’s Supreme Court made a decision to extradite him back to Sweden to face sex and rape charges. His appeal to reopen his extradition case was rejected by the court on June 14. After the court decision, Assange surprised many on June 19 by breaching his bail conditions and entering diplomatic territory of Ecuadorian embassy at Knights Bridge in London to seek political asylum under the UN Human Rights declaration.

There is a mounting pressure on Assange to face charges in Sweden. Earlier in the week, avid supporter and British socialite Jemima Khan urged him to face Swedish court. Australian Jemima Khan is among few names that contributed towards his hefty bail money of £240,000.

Estranged Australian Assange faces issues that are of serious nature and compromise his liberty and the safety of those involved in his wiki leaks stint operation. Assange is wanted by Swedish court over rape, sexual molestation, and coercion charges. Like in the UK and Assange’s homeland Australia, Sweden is also a signatory to US international extradition treaty. Under the treaty, Assange could face extradition from all these countries to face espionage charges in America.

According to Miss Benn, “the US department of justice admitted yesterday that its investigation into WikiLeaks proceeds. It is only a matter of time before US authorities begin extradition proceedings against Julian and other leading members of WikiLeaks on various charges including conspiracy to commit espionage.”

Assange fears that if sent to Sweden to face rape charges, he will be extradited to the U.S., where a grand jury investigation has been opened up against him. Once in the U.S., Assange could possibly face the death penalty over publishing leaked wiki cables in 2010.

Benn said “United States has subjected Julian Assange’s alleged source in this matter, the young soldier Bradley Manning, to conditions amounting to torture.”

Bradley Manning was arrested by the U.S. army in Iraq in May 2010. He is currently awaiting a trial that will begin in September 2012. After his arrest, Manning was placed in solitary confinement in military prison in Quantico, Virginia. Manning’s plight, inhuman treatment and torture have already been highlighted by several Human Rights organizations across the world. According to Amnesty International, “His conditions at Quantico have been a breach of international standards for humane treatment of an untried prisoner.” According to Wikileaks Stratfor emails that the U.S. has issued, a secret closed indictment compels British and Swedish governments to ship Assange to America.

Miss Benn elaborated, “So it is clear that there is a legal process in place which will result in taking Julian to the US, which if allowed to succeed would violate his basic rights.”

Benn said, “Julian will remain in the Embassy under the protection of the Ecuadorian government while evidence for this application is being assembled and processed.”

There is ongoing protest outside Ecuadorian embassy by Assange’s supporters.

Image Courtesy of  dutourdumonde / Shutterstock.com

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Brazil has recently announced the creation of its National Truth Commission to investigate the human rights abuse committed by the military dictatorship that existed from 1946 to 1988. During this dictatorship almost five hundred people were killed or disappeared and several thousand were arrested, exiled, or tortured. Since then the government has compensated citizens for missing family members, but many claim this is not enough.

Current President Dilma Rousseff created the Commission after passing a law this year. The Truth Commission will investigate for two years; a panel of seven people were sworn in by President Rousseff on 16 May 2012. The members of the Truth Commission include Jose Carlos Dias (former justice minister of Brazil), Gilson Dipp (Supreme Court judge), Rosa Maria Cardoso da Cunha (lawyer), Claudio Fonteles (former attorney general), Paulo Sergio Pinheiro (UN diplomat), Maria Rita Kehl (psychoanalyst), and Jose Cavalcante Filho (jurist).

Rousseff herself was arrested during the military dictatorship as a left-wing guerilla. She was tortured and jailed for three years.

International rights groups such as Amnesty International and the International Center for Transitional Justice have praised the creation of the Truth Commission. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay has called the creation of the Truth Commission “a necessary and very hopeful step.”

Rousseff herself stated that “Brazil deserves the truth, new generations deserve the truth, and – above all – those who lost friends and relatives and who continue to suffer as if they were dying again each day deserve the truth.” Although Rousseff passed the law that created the Truth Commission she emphasized that it is not an initiative of the government but of the state of the whole, including past administrations and the people of Brazil. At the swearing in ceremony for the Truth Commission Rousseff was accompanied by the four previous presidents of Brazil since democracy was re-established in 1985.

However several people have criticized the creation of the Truth Commission as an attempt to get revenge. Many retired military officers are upset about the allegations that may arise and have announced that they are planning to create a “shadow commission” that will counter any accusations.

An amnesty law passed in 1979 and upheld in a Supreme Court decision in 2010 guarantees that any military officials or left-wing guerillas would not be prosecuted for crimes. This is disappointing for many of the relatives of victims who wish to see justice served. Many international rights groups, although encouraged by the creation of this commission, wish to see Brazil repeal this law so that arrests and prosecutions would occur.

Many also worry that, although the Truth Commission will be investigating these crimes, they may not fully publicize the information or may be denied access to some files. However, a new Access to Information Law ensures that the human rights abuse information cannot be classified, which means that state archives will be open for the first time.

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It was recently announced that for the first time Amnesty International’s world-renowned Secret Policeman’s Ball will be hosted in the United States. The event – a star-studded, legendary night of comedy and music – will take place on March 4, 2012 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

This historic event is a spectacular evening of original comedy, multiplatinum, award-winning musical performers and collaborations, never-before-seen sketches, stand-up and guest appearances, all written around and in support of free speech. An audience of more than 6,000 people will gather at Radio City Music Hall to experience a special night filled with original performances from some of the world’s most popular entertainers including: Coldplay, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Mumford & Sons, Russell Brand, Reggie Watts and many more.

“I used to think humor was a luxury, but at the last election Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert taught me it was a necessity,” said John Cleese. “The Secret Policeman’s Ball was  - and is  - a coming together of the very best comedy talent of any generation to celebrate their art, remind audiences how important free speech is, and highlight just how much vital work Amnesty International does to protect it. I implore you to support it.”

“We are so happy to be involved with the 2012 Secret Policeman’s Ball,” said Chris Martin of Coldplay. “We have followed and supported Amnesty International – and the amazing work they do around the world in the field of human rights – for years, and it is a pleasure to be asked to contribute to such an inspiring event.”

Beginning in 1976, the Secret Policeman’s Ball pioneered cause-focused benefit concerts that bring together star-power and world leaders to raise awareness about critically important global issues. The Secret Policeman’s Ball has featured legendary artists and entertainers who both share world-renowned talent and a dedication to changing the world.

“Secret Policeman’s Ball has a long and hilariously off-color history of using comic genius to fight for free speech and human rights around the world,” said Lily Sobhani, Executive Producer of the Secret Policeman’s Ball. “We are thrilled that the leading lights of comedy and music are coming together to bring the Secret Policeman’s Ball to the United States for the first time.”

“Entertainers have used political cartoons, protest songs and straight-out skewering of politicians and leaders to challenge virtually every government’s failure to uphold fundamental rights,” said Suzanne Nossel, Amnesty International USA’s new Executive Director. “We are thrilled that some of the most creative political humorists of our time will perform when Amnesty International hosts the first Secret Policeman’s Ball in the United States. And on March 4, those of us who can make fun of our government and walk away in safety will dedicate the program to those who cannot.”

Amnesty International is thrilled to present the Secret Policeman’s Ball, being produced by Amnesty International; world leading producer of global events Control Room; and leading independent creative agency, Mother.

Image Courtesy of   https://www.facebook.com/coldplay

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The European Commission decided to extend the list of goods subject to export controls, to prevent their use for capital punishment, torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment. As of today, trade of certain anesthetics, such as sodium thiopental, which can be used in lethal injections, to countries that have not yet abolished the death penalty, will be tightly controlled. Furthermore, the scope of the European Union regulation has been enlarged to include other products such as spike batons that previously were not prohibited.

“I wish to underline that the European Union opposes the death penalty under all circumstances,” said Catherine Ashton, High Representative for the Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the Commission. “The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union states that no one shall be condemned to the death penalty, or executed. In this regard, the decision today contributes to the wider EU efforts to abolish death penalty worldwide. This is a first step in response to the calls of civil society organizations and the European Parliament to strengthen the EU legislation. It will be followed by a full review of the relevant regulation next year.”

Council Regulation, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture, or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment, was adopted on June 27, 2005. It comprises an import and export ban for certain goods listed in Annex II and an export control regime for certain other goods listed in Annex III.

In March 2010, Amnesty International published a report asking for a number of amendments to this regulation. The European Parliament repeated these requests in a resolution adopted on June 17, 2010. Since then, the Commission has examined possible ways to move forward in order to respond to these calls.

Today, the Commission adopted regulation amending the previous one, concerning trade in certain goods which could be used for capital punishment, torture, or other cruel, inhuman acts. As a result:

• exports of short and medium acting barbiturate anesthetic agents are subject to prior authorization by national authorities;
• imports and exports of spiked batons are prohibited;
• imports and exports of electric shock sleeves and cuffs are prohibited (electric shock belts were already banned before).

The Commission will carry out an in-depth review in 2012 which may result in a proposal for an amendment of the regulation to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council. The lists of goods may be further amended in parallel, if other goods are identified as needing particular surveillance.

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The Georgia Board of Paroles and Pardons has, inexplicably, denied clemency to death row inmate Troy Davis. Offering little explanation, the Board announced that the appeal for clemency was denied and that Davis will be executed on Wednesday. Georgia’s State Board of Pardons and Paroles said it considered “the totality of the information presented” before deciding to deny clemency.

“The Board members have not taken their responsibility lightly and certainly understand the emotions attached to a death penalty case,” the five-person panel said in a statement. The board’s statement noted that it has commuted three death penalty sentences since 2000 and “thoroughly deliberated” the Davis case.

During the clemency hearing on Monday, Davis’ legal team and supporters provided testimony from one of the original jurors who believes she made a mistake. Another person testified that a different person confessed to the killing of the off-duty police officer that Davis was convicted of killing. Despite all of the doubt, the victim’s family believes that Davis is the killer and wants the execution to proceed.

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who plans a noon EDT vigil at the state prison in Jackson on Wednesday, said he’s asking his supporters to urge the pardons board to reconsider. Sharpton is also asking Chatham County District Attorney Larry Chisolm to block the execution, although that seems unlikely.

“This is probably the most egregious injustice I have seen in a long time, to set a precedent that a man can be executed when the evidence against him has mostly been recanted,” said Sharpton. “It’s unthinkable.”

Amnesty International USA director Larry Cox called the pardon board’s decision “unconscionable.” “Should Troy Davis be executed, Georgia may well have executed an innocent man and in so doing discredited the justice system,” Cox said. Davis’ legal team said in a statement it was “incredibly disappointed” by the board’s decision.

“The death penalty should not be exercised where doubt exists about the guilt of the accused. The Board did not follow that standard here,” their statement said. “The state’s case against Mr. Davis, based largely on discredited eyewitness testimony and an inaccurate ballistics report, cannot resolve the significant, lingering doubts that exist here.”

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/amnestyinternational_usa/

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A clemency hearing has been set for Monday in the case of Troy Davis. Davis is scheduled to be executed on September 21 at 7 PM in Georgia despite the lack of evidence. Davis and supporters will plead their case before the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles next week. Meanwhile Amnesty International are ramping up their ongoing petition drive to plead with Georgia to stay Davis’ execution once again.

Davis has been on death row since 1999 for the killing of an off-duty police officer in 1989. Although no physical evidence connected Davis to the crime, nine witnesses reported he shot the officer in a Burger King parking lot. Seven of the nine witnesses have since recanted their testimony. Support for Troy Davis has been world wide and include the Pope, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson and others.

Amnesty International says “support for Davis’s clemency campaign has swelled with hundreds of thousands of people worldwide taking action, from luminaries such as Nobel laureate Jose Ramos Horta to singer-songwriter Cee Lo Green.”

Amnesty International also says that among the petition signatures from around the world, 26,000 come from Georgia residents and that “support has also come in form of letters to the parole board from former President Jimmy Carter and Norman Fletcher, former chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, to Tweets from R.E.M.”

“This is a case that has resonated with Americans of all stripes,” said Larry Cox, executive director of AIUSA.  “When serious questions about someone’s guilt permeate a case, it brings together liberals and conservatives, those who oppose the death penalty and those who are staunch supporters.  In the case of Troy Davis, hundreds of thousands are raising their voices to say there is simply too much doubt to execute.”

Earlier this week, former Georgia republican Congressman Bob Barr appeared on MSNBC’s as a guest of Al Sharpton. Barr is an advocate of the death penalty, but opposes Troy Davis being executed. Barr said the “recantations of seven witnesses make the Davis case one of those where the death penalty should not be applied.”

Supporters from Amnesty International will present their petition to the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles this week. Davis’ family is also collecting signatures for their own petition which has over 200,000 names so far.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/javacolleen/

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An execution date was set for Georgia death row inmate Troy Davis. Davis, 42, is scheduled to be executed on September 21. This is the fourth time an execution date has been set for Davis. Amnesty International has renewed the call for clemency amid news of the new execution date.

Davis “could very well be innocent,” said Laura Moye, the head of Amnesty’s Death Penalty Abolition Campaign. “It’s difficult to believe that a system of justice could be so terribly flawed.” Davis was convicted for killing an off-duty police officer in 1989. Davis has maintained his innocence throughout the twenty years he has remained on death row.

Many celebrities, including Susan Sarandan, Desmond Tutu, Jesse Jackson and the Pope, have asked Georgia to give Davis a new trial. No DNA evidence was used and the conviction was based primarily on eyewitness testimony. Since the conviction, seven out of nine eyewitnesses have since recanted their stories. However, Davis has been unable to get a new trial.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Davis’ request that his execution be delayed in order to gain more time to prove his “actual innocence.” Upon reviewing Davis’ claims of innocence, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia found last year that Davis “vastly overstates the value of his evidence of innocence.”

“Some of the evidence is not credible and would be disregarded by a reasonable juror,” Judge William T. Moore wrote in a 172-page opinion. “Other evidence that Mr. Davis brought forward is too general to provide anything more than smoke and mirrors,” the court found.

Families react to the news on Wednesday of the new execution date. “The family’s still feeling optimistic. We’ve been down this road countless times to where you know executing date, clemency hearing, and then at the execution things get changed so we’re still playing very cautious,” Mark MacPhail Jr., son of the murdered police officer, told local news on Wednesday.

Davis’ sister Martina Correia has always been his biggest advocate. ”I’m very disappointed in Georgia because there’s still doubt, but I’m holding the parole board to their standard that when there’s doubt that they won’t execute,” Correia stated. A clemency hearing has been set for September 19^th.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/javacolleen/

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Amnesty International, the British non-governmental organization, and the international shop ‘Women Secret’ have released an advertising campaign by selling t-shirts and shorts around the 320 shops that they have in Spain, with the objective of supporting those women who suffer gender violence.

With the motto “You can´t keep gender violence as a secret,” the lingerie shop wants to donate around 40.000 Euros (around 55,500 dollars) to this NGO so that they could use it to support the gender violence cases.  Starting this month, this campaign will be available until the next summer.

This mini collection includes three shorts and three t-shirts with positive and solidarity  messages on it that encourage women to say “no” to gender violence. The garment, made by the designer Little is drawing, also includes a yellow logo from Amnesty International.

As the Women Secret´s chairman, Jaume Miquel, stated at the advertising campaign presentation in Madrid the chain is really worried about gender violence because they have around 1.150 employees, and at least 1.000 of them are women.

Miquel has also claimed that they did this campaign last year in Portugal with excellent results. What they did in the shop window was to announce for a short period of time ads with the motto “Coming up in 15 or three weeks” and the word ‘Secret’ covered by  a yellow tape, so people could just see the word ‘Women’ with a candlelight next to it.

On the other hand, the Amnesty International chairman´s, Ana Rebollar, pointed out that gender violence is “the most popular Human Right´s rape, because one of three women is hit, and is forced to have sex with her husband or boyfriend”.

Rebollar also wanted to highlight that according to the World Health Organization, the 70% of women who suffer from the abuse die due to gender violence episodes. This is the first death reason among women between 16 and 34 years old.

The non- governmental chairman also added that gender violence should be recognized by law as a “big crime”. Rebollar also stated that “in Spain the legislation doesn´t guarantee the victim’s protection and it doesn´t take care of the immigrant women that die on average five times more than the Spanish women”.

Today, ‘Women Secret’ has shops in 48 different countries all over the world and you can find it online at women’secret.com.

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Ruled by Sharia laws, Saudi women have to face most severe reins, such as the dress code, sex segregation, male guardianship, not being able to vote and be elected to high political positions, and many others. Being “the lowest ranking country in Freedom House’s assessment of women’s rights in the Middle East and North Africa”, Saudi Arabia kingdom’s enforcement cause the country to be the only one in the world that doesn’t allow women to drive.

To stand for Saudi women’s one of the most basic rights, one brave Saudi women-rights activist, Manal al-Sharif posted to YouTube, a video of herself driving, and drove both her country’s and world’s attention. While Saudi authorities arrested her, she got the world’s admiration, and gave to the Women2Drive Campaign a voice.

The protest against the ban on women driving  actually first emerged in 1990 in Saudi Arabia, and concluded with the punishment of several women. This last incident of Manal-al Sharif, raised the voice of Saudi women once again.

“Manal al-Sharif, a 32-year-old computer security consultant, was arrested on 22 May, the day after she was stopped by police while driving in al-Khobar city in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province”, reported Amnesty International. Al-Sharif was released this week from Dammam prison, but as a condition of that she had to sign a pledge, which indicates that she will not take part in Women2Drive campaign. She also presented her apologies to the king, and declared that she appreciates her release.

Nonetheless Manal al-Sharif initiated the campaign, and Women2Drive did not lose its effect. Many Saudi women are uploading their videos filmed by their husbands, fathers, relatives and the campaign is growing from Facebook and Twitter .

Supporting the campaign, Freedom House , in its press release demands from Saudi Arabia, to fulfill their promises that has been given since 2008, regarding the lifting of the driving ban of women, and also to allow the campaign to take place in a peaceful environment.

The campaign encourages Saudi women with international driver licences, to drive on Saudi Arabia streets on 17th of June, and demands support from all around the world. It is about time for women to raise their voices against severe Saudi authority.

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The new constitution recently passed by the Hungarian parliament is matter of concern about some of its articles, which seem to put at risk even fundamental human rights and smooth the way for different kinds of discrimination.

On April 25^th President Pal Schimtt signed the new constitutional text presented by the parliament. The new constitution was passed in parliament without the participation of opposition parties, voted only by Fidesz, the right-wing party that has the parliamentary majority and owns the two thirds of the seats, and thus can proceed independently.

The most criticized articles regard abortion, homosexuals’ rights, freedom of religion, freedom of information and expression, and division of powers.

Article 2 is one of the most controversial, it states “The life of a fetus will be protected from conception.” The concern of organizations as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International is that this will provide the basis to restrict the access to abortion or even to ban it completely. Pro-abortion groups are worried about the potential danger of a tougher and stricter abortion law and a restriction of women’s rights.

Another crucial point is about the ban on gay marriage, and the exclusion of sexual orientation from the protected grounds of discrimination. The new constitution recalls the idea of the Christian traditional family and traditional marriage, defined as a union of a man and a woman. Disappointment on this question has been expressed by Amnesty International, and homosexual right’s groups are very critical.

Also freedom of information and expression seem to be undermined. In fact, the rights of being informed about the public interest’s acts and to freely express the personal opinion have been restricted, together with the independence of media. This will be controlled by the National Media and Infocommunication Authority (NMHH), that has strong sanctioning powers and is under the majority party’s control.

Also the powers and the autonomy of authorities and of independent bodies as the Constitutional Court, the regular courts and the ombudsmen, would be rather weakened, scaling down the whole system of checks and balances.

There is another point which has a marked ideological nationalistic connotation. It regards the reference to a broadened Hungarian nation. This model of new Hungary would include also the Hungarians whom don’t reside on the national territory – for example the Hungarian minority groups that live in Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia – that are being considered as member of the nation with the right of participate in the elections. This could appear an actual definition of ethnic nation instead of political, which could even create frictions with the neighboring countries.

The new constitutional document strongly reflects only a one-sided vision of the nation. All the symbols and the elements recalled are ideologically and politically clear expression of the right-wing part. The lack of neutrality and of warranty of normal political balance, competition and change among the parts sounds somewhat anomalous for a modern democratic country.

In a country as Hungary marked by a long and hard history made of totalitarianism, whether black or red, this removal from democratic values rouses worry and the criticism even of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. Meanwhile, Europe looks with concerns at this situation as Hungary waits for 2012 when the new constitution will come into force.

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At the general meeting for the Danish pharmaceutical company Lundbeck and its investors, the polemics surrounding the use of Lundbeck’s product Nembutal in American executions, once again, raised discussion. The head of the company, Ulf Wiinberg, addressed the issue directly in his address to the assembly, reiterating the company’s position on the unintended use of the drug Nembutal. Wiinberg told the Danish daily Berlingske Tidende business section that the board had reviewed the possibility of discontinuing the product in question once they were told about its use in the US. Despite claiming that the drug has little financial value to the company’s overall business, the company had decided not to take it out of their product line. They cite the warnings of American doctors who prescribe the drug to their patients for the final decision but point out that the company is very much against the drug’s use in executions.

However, human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the British Reprieve have not found this position satisfactory. On the contrary, the Danish branch of Amnesty have invited Wiinberg for a meeting where they intend to discuss the pro-active strategy which they would like Lundbeck to adapt towards abolishing the death penalty in the US.

“We do not agree that this is the end of the road. That is why we are asking the top leaders of Lundbeck to meet with us to discuss how Lundbeck can strategically and actively influence effort to abolish the death penalty in the USA. On this issue, we believe that Lundbeck and Amnesty have parallel interests. Because Lundbeck’s problem goes away if the death penalty is eradicated” says Lars Normann Joergensen, the General Secretary of Amnesty International.

Joergensen is critical of Lundbeck’s effort to date. He believes the firm gave up on securing a demand for an end-user agreement with the American distributors in advance and that Lundbeck have proven unwilling to pressure the FDA for position on the arguably ‘misuse’ of their product. The General Secretary of Amnesty is hoping that “by trying to get the use [of Nembutal in executions] stopped, Lundbeck would force the distributors and the officials to make up their minds and make clear that they actually support the death penalty.”

So far, Lundbeck has denied that the company has been lacking in response. After having been made aware that their drug was being taken up in American execution processes, the board contacted grassroots organizations to review alternative solutions to discontinuing the product. “We got to the conclusion that the role of Lundbeck is to prioritize the interest of the patients and that there’s not much else we can do besides what we have done – that is to make our opinion on the matter clear. We have actually been quick to express our standpoint. It is very unusual for a company to be so clear about their positions in an American context,” says Ulf Wiinberg who do not think an activist approach would be useful.

At the general meeting, Mr. Wiinberg avoided to answer more questions from the investors by saying that the American prison authorities had been made aware that their use of Nembutal was against the wished of Lundbeck. Many investors seemed satisfied with this answer so for now, the discussion seems to have been put to rest from the company’s side.

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Tear gas has been used against detainees of the asylum seeker detention centre on Christmas Island, off the coast of Australia.

According to information released in February by the Department of Immigration there are 1829 people being held in the Christmas Island detention centre. All are male.

The majority of the asylum seekers being held in detention throughout Australia are from Afghanistan and have been held in detention from between 6 months and 1 year.

A spokesmen for the Department of Immigration and Citizenship said the mood among those who remain in the centre is generally calm.

“There have been no reported injuries to staff or detainees although one person received medical treatment on-site for a pre-existing condition,” the spokesman said.

“Consideration is being given to what additional resources should be made available for the further management of facilities in the current climate.”

Amnesty International has expressed concern over the incident and issued a reminder that the organisation has been concerned about deteriorating conditions on Christmas Island after a visit there in October last year.

Amnesty says that it had concerns about the time the Department of Immigration takes to process claims, as well as the lack of adequate medical and mental health services available to those in detention. Amnesty International has repeated called for government to end mandatory detention in offshore and remote areas.

The Department for Immigration and Citizenship lists several keys to immigration detention, including that mandatory detention is essential to its current and future strategies for controlling Australia’s borders. .

The Department has also assured that a full investigation will be undertaken into the events at Christmas Island that led to authorities using tear gas.

“We view this sort of protest activity very seriously,” the spokesman said. “Such actions will not influence the outcome of people’s cases and we will be undertaking further discussions with those involved as to the acceptable way to raise any issues they may have.”

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