URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To learn about recent Urgent Action successes and updates, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/iar/success
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For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa31408.pdf
Note: Please write on behalf of these persons even though you may not have received the original UA when issued on November 14, 2008. Thanks!
21 June 2010
Further Information on UA 314/08 (14 November 2008) and follow ups (12 February 2009 and 23 March 2009) – Prisoners of conscience and Fear for safety
MEXICO
Raul Hernandez (m) ]
Manuel Cruz (m) ] members of Me’phaa Indigenous People’s Organization
Orlando Manzanarez (m) ] (OPIM)
Natalio Ortega (m) ]
Romualdo Santiago (m) ]
Rafael Rodriguez Dircio (m)
Obtilia Eugenio Manuel (f)
9 other members of OPIM
Prisoner of conscience Raul Hernandez has received threats from fellow inmates in Ayutla prison, Guerrero state, Mexico. The indigenous rights defender's security is at risk.
On 7 June, imprisoned indigenous rights defender Raul Hernandez witnessed an argument between two inmates with whom he shares a cell in Ayutla prison. The argument led to one of the inmates being beaten, which the injured inmate reported to the head of security of the prison. Raúl Hernández was later called upon by the head of security to act as a witness for the incident.
As a consequence of giving testimony on this incident, Raul Hernandez has received several threats from inmates. One inmate told Raul Hernandez "why are you being a snitch, you feel so big because you're getting help from the human rights people, now you'll see the consequence" (porque andas de chismoso, te sientes cabron porque te apoyan los de derechos humanos, ahora atente las consecuencias).
On 14 June, Raul Hernandez told the head of security about the threats he had received and asked for help to guarantee his security in the prison but no action has been taken.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On 17 April 2008, Raúl Hernández of the Me'phaa Indigenous People's Organization (OPIM) was detained and charged with the murder of Alejandro Feliciano Garcia on 1 January 2008 in the village of El Camalote, Guerrero state. Amnesty International has adopted the indigenous rights defender as a prisoner of conscience and believes that the charges against him are politically motivated.
Raul Hernandez was denied an injunction by a federal judge on the grounds that two alleged witnesses had testified to his presence when the victim was shot. However eyewitness testimonies that Raul Hernandez was not present at the time of the murder have not been taken into consideration. Raul Hernandez has appealed against the decision to deny an injunction in his case.
He has not yet been tried.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
* Urging the authorities to provide effective protection for Raul Hernandez, in consultation with him and according to his wishes,
* Reminding the authorities that Raul Hernandez is a prisoner of conscience, wrongfully accused of murder in reprisal for his legitimate work to promote indigenous rights and urging them to immediately and unconditionally release him.
APPEALS TO:
Minister of Interior
Lic. Fernando Francisco Gomez-Mont
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso,
Col. Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc,
Mexico D.F., C.P.06600,
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 555 093 3414
E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Señor Secretario/Dear Minister
Federal Attorney General
Arturo Chavez Chavez
Procuraduria General de la Republica
Av. Paseo de la Reforma no 211-213,
Col. Cuauhtemoc, Del. Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F., C.P. 06500,
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 5346 0908
Email: ofproc@pgr.gob.mx
Attorney General of Guerrero
Lic. Eduardo Murueta Urrutia
Procurador del Estado de Guerrero
Carretera Nacional Mexico-Acapulco Km. 6+300
Tramo Chilpancingo-Petaquillos
Chilpancingo 39090, Guerrero, MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 747 494 2981
COPIES TO:
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20006
Fax: 1 202 728 1698
Fax: 1 202 728 1698
Email: mexembusa@sre.gob.mx
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 2 August 2010.
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To learn about recent Urgent Action successes and updates, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/iar/success
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa13710.pdf
21 June 2010
UA 137/10 - Forcible return
UNITED KINGDOM "Mr S" (m)
The UK authorities are preparing to forcibly return a rejected asylum-seeker, referred to as "Mr S" to protect his anonymity, to Mogadishu, the capital city of Somalia on 23 June. They may be intending to return other Somali nationals on that date.
Amnesty International believes that it is not safe to return Somali nationals to southern and central Somalia, including Mogadishu. All Somalis are at risk of being injured or killed in the generalized violence and indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, given the consistent failure of all parties to the ongoing conflict to respect international humanitarian law. No individual should be forcibly returned to Somalia.
Mr S, a 50-year-old Somali national, is due to be forcibly removed on 23 June from the UK to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, via Nairobi, Kenya. Mr S arrived in the UK in August 2003 and applied for asylum. The UK authorities rejected his application and his appeal was dismissed in February 2004. Subsequent legal appeals and applications have been rejected. The UK authorities have maintained that Mr S is not at risk if returned to southern and central Somalia, despite the guidelines of the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), updated on 5 May 2010, which call on all governments not to forcibly return anyone to southern and central Somalia.
In line with UNHCR's position, Amnesty International is opposed to all forcible returns to southern and central Somalia at present, and believes that all Somalis from southern and central Somalia should be granted refugee status or another form of international protection.
The UK's obligations under domestic and international law, including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Convention against Torture and the European Convention on Human Rights, prohibit it from returning anyone to a country where they would be at risk of torture or other serious human rights violations.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In Somalia, civilians have been victim to indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks by all parties to the conflict, resulting in death and injury to thousands, and bringing the number of people internally displaced since 2007 to 1.55 million. In 2009 and 2010, the humanitarian crisis deepened, compounded by lawlessness, threats against aid agencies and a reduction of humanitarian access to civilians. Civilians living in areas controlled by armed opposition groups are also increasingly subject to abduction, torture and unlawful killings. Individuals have been stoned to death, publicly executed, had parts of their bodies amputated and been flogged on the orders of quasi-judicial bodies operated by local leaders linked to armed groups. Total impunity for those who violate international humanitarian law continues to prevail.
The Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) controls only part of Mogadishu. Armed groups control vast areas of southern and central Somalia where they are carrying out an increasing number of unlawful killings and torture, including stoning, amputations and floggings.
The UNHCR guidelines of 5 May 2010 say that "in light of the risks to safety and security, ongoing armed conflict and the shifting armed fronts and ongoing widespread human rights violations, it cannot be considered reasonable for any Somali, regardless of whether the individual originates from southern and central Somalia, Somaliland or Puntland, to relocate within or to southern and central Somalia." UNHCR has called on all governments to grant complementary or subsidiary protection to Somalis from southern and central Somalia seeking asylum and whose claims are considered as not meeting the refugee criteria.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
* Urging the immigration minister not to proceed with the forcible removal to Mogadishu of Mr S, or any other Somali national, due to the widespread and serious human rights abuses being committed, and the situation of generalized violence in the city and the rest of southern and central Somalia;
* Reminding the minister that the UK is obliged, under the 1951 Refugee Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention against Torture (CAT), not to return anyone to countries where they would be in danger of torture or other serious human rights violations;
* Calling on the minister to follow the UNHCR Eligibility Guidelines for Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum-Seekers from Somalia, issued on 5 May 2010, and not to return any rejected asylum-seekers to southern and central Somalia.
APPEALS TO:
Damian Green MP
Minister of State (Borders and Immigration)
Home Office, 2 Marsham Street
London SW1P 4DF
UNITED KINGDOM
Fax: 011 44 870 336 9034
Email: privateoffice.external@
homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Salutation: Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
Ambassador Sir Nigel Sheinwald
British Embassy
3100 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington DC 20008
Phone: 202 588 6500
Fax: 202 588 7870
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 2 August 2010.
----------------------------------
Tip of the Month:
Write as soon as you can. Try to write as close as possible
to the date a case is issued.
** POSTAGE RATES **
Within the United States:
$0.28 - Postcards
$0.44 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Canada:
$0.75 - Postcards
$0.75 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico:
$0.79 - Postcards
$0.79 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$0.98 - Postcards
$0.98 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.
This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including
contact information and stop action date (if applicable).
Thank you for your help with this appeal.
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax: 202.675.8566
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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