URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa09009.pdf
Note: Please write on behalf of these persons even though you may not have received the original UA when issued on March 30, 2009. Thanks!
6 May 2009
Further information on UA 90/09 (30 March 2009), and update (9 April 2009) - Fear of torture or other ill-treatment
SYRIA Maryam Kallis (f), aged 36, UK national
Maryam Kallis received a second visit from two members of staff of the British Consulate in Damascus on 23 April. The meeting took place in the presence of an officer of the Syrian security forces at a detention center in Kafr Sousa, Damascus. The Consulate staff are allowed to see her for around 15 minutes, having asked to visit her when delivering food and toiletries, among other items, to the detention center.
It is not known which security branch is holding Maryam Kallis. She has apparently been moved several times during her detention.
Maryam Kallis appeared frail and fatigued during her meeting with the Consulate staff. According to the authorities detaining her, she is being treated daily by a doctor as an apparently routine measure. She has been held without charge for 46 days and a reason for her detention has not been provided.
Amnesty International remains seriously concerned for Maryam Kallis' health. She remains at risk of being subjected to torture or other ill-treatment while in detention. She continues to be denied access to her family or legal representation.
BACKGROUND
Maryam Kallis arrived in Syria from the UK on 5 March and had been staying with her sister before her arrest on 15 March 2009. She had returned to Syria to collect her three children, who were staying in Damascus with her sister and who are aged between five and eight years. She intended to return with them to London at the end of March but was arrested by around 10 men in plain clothes in the Rukna al-Din area of Damascus. She was with her eight-year-old son at the time and was taken back with him to her sister's apartment, where her passport and those of her children were confiscated. She was then taken away to detention.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling on the authorities to release Maryam Kallis immediately and unconditionally unless she is charged with a recognizably criminal offense and given a prompt and fair trial;
- urging the authorities to ensure that Maryam Kallis is not tortured or otherwise ill-treated;
- welcoming the news that Maryam Kallis has been given access to British Consulate staff for the second time and urging that she be permitted regular visits from UK representatives in Damascus as well as immediate access to her family and to a lawyer of her choosing.
APPEALS TO:
President
His Excellency Bashar al-Assad
Presidential Palace
Al-Rashid Street
Damascus
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Fax: 011 963 11 332 3410
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Interior
His Excellency Sa'id Sammour
Ministry of Interior
'Abd al-Rahman Shahbandar Street
Damascus
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Fax: 011 963 11 2223428
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Defense
His Excellency General Hassan Ali Turkmani
Ministry of Defense
Omayyad Square
Damascus
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Fax: 011 963 11 223 7842
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Justice
His Excellency Ahmad Yunis
Ministry of Justice
Al-Nasr Street
Damascus
SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC
Fax: 011 963 11 666 2460
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Ambassador Dr Imad Moustapha
Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic
2215 Wyoming Ave. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 234 9548
1 202 265 4585
1 202 232 4357
Email: info@syrembassy.net
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 17 June 2009.
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Friday, May 8, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April 21, 2009
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
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21 April 2009
UA 106/09 Fear of forcible return/Fear of torture or other ill-treatment / Fear of unfair trial
SPAIN Ali Aarrass (m),
Mohamed el Bay (m)
Ali Aarrass and Mohamed el Bay are at imminent risk of being extradited to Morocco, where they would be at risk of incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment as well as an unfair trial. The Spanish national criminal court (Audiencia Nacional) approved the extraditions in late 2008 and they must now receive final confirmation from the Council of Ministers. If the extraditions go ahead Spain will be violating its obligations under international human rights law, including the UN Convention against Torture.
Ali Aarrass and Mohammed el Bay were arrested in the Spanish city of Melilla on 1 April 2008 on the basis of international arrest warrants requested by Morocco on 28 March 2008. The Spanish national criminal court authorized the extradition of Ali Aarrass to Morocco on 21 November 2008. The decision was confirmed on appeal on 23 January 2009, on the assurance from the Moroccan government that Ali Aarrass would not be sentenced to the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. Ali Aarrass had claimed that his joint Belgian-Moroccan nationality should bar his extradition to Morocco, but the court rejected this argument.
According to Amnesty International’s knowledge, Ali Aarrass has appealed to the Constitutional Court, but this appeal does not have any suppressive effect on the extradition process. The extradition request is now awaiting final approval by the Council of Ministers, which may happen at any time.
The National Criminal Court authorized Mohamed el Bay’s extradition on 22 December 2008. This was confirmed on appeal on 12 March 2009, despite the fact Mohamed el Bay has lived in Spain since birth and has been a Spanish citizen since 1976. Under the 1997 extradition agreement between Spain and Morocco, the extradition of a state’s own national is prohibited. However, the court relied on a Moroccan ID card in Mohamed el Bay’s name, found at his home at the time of arrest, as evidence that he unlawfully held dual nationality and could therefore be legitimately returned to Morocco as a Moroccan citizen. According to Amnesty International’s knowledge, Mohamed el Bay has not been formally stripped of his Spanish nationality. The extradition request is now awaiting approval by the Council of Ministers.
Both Ali Aarrass and Mohamed el Bay are wanted in Morocco on terrorism-related charges and are accused of belonging to a terrorist network headed by dual Moroccan-Belgian citizen Abdelkader Belliraj. In February 2008, Moroccan authorities arrested some 35 individuals and announced the dismantlement of the terrorist network headed by Abdelkader Belliraj which was allegedly plotting “terrorist” attacks. Ali Aarrass had been under investigation since 2006 by the Spanish National Criminal Court on terrorism-related charges, but on 16 March 2009 the court provisionally closed its investigation against him on the basis of lack of evidence.
Spain is a state party to several international treaties
that expressly prohibit the return of anyone to a country where they would be at risk of torture, including the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
There was a sharp increase of allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of individuals suspected of terrorism following the bomb attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003. Judicial proceedings were brought against over 1,500 people suspected of involvement in the attacks or of planning or inciting other violent acts attributed to Islamist groups. Hundreds of those sentenced are alleged to have been tortured in custody, but the Moroccan authorities have failed to adequately investigate their complaints. Scores have received long prison sentences and over a dozen have been sentenced to death on the basis of “confessions” that they allege were extracted through torture and other ill-treatment.
While allegations of torture of individuals suspected of terrorism decreased in recent years after a peak following the Casablanca bombings in 2003, a number of individuals arrested in connection with the “Belliraj Cell” led by Abdelkader Belliraj (as is the case of Ali Aarrass and Mohamed el Bay) have reportedly been held incommunicado in secret detention centers and subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty International received information that a number of individuals implicated in the “Belliraj Cell” case were arrested by the Directorate for the Surveillance of the Territory (Direction de la surveillance du territoire, DST). Reports indicated that a number of individuals arrested in connection with the “Belliraj Cell” case were taken to the Temara detention center operated by the DST, despite the fact that according to the Moroccan Code of Criminal Procedure, DST agents are not authorized to arrest, detain or interrogate suspects as they are not members of the judicial police. It was reported that a number of detainees were held in garde a vue (pre-arraignment detention) for periods exceeding the 12-day maximum period allowed by Moroccan law. Furthermore, a number of detainees were reportedly held incommunicado for weeks without contact with the outside world in contravention of Moroccan legislation and international human rights law and standards. Amnesty International also received allegations that a number of the detainees faced torture and other ill-treatment during interrogation. In addition, a number of defense lawyers complained that the authorities failed to provide them with complete case files of their clients in breach of their right to an effective defense.
In the majority of cases where complaints about torture allegations have been made, investigations have either not been opened, have been dismissed or not adequately conducted, or have not resulted in perpetrators being prosecuted. To date, hundreds of Islamist detainees sentenced after the 2003 Casablanca bombings continue to demand a judicial review of their trials, which were tainted by unexamined claims of torture and other ill-treatment during questioning by the security forces.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities not to extradite Ali Aarrass or Mohamed el Bay to Morocco, as they would be at risk of incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and an unfair trial;
- pointing out that the forcible return of Ali Aarrass or Mohamed el Bay to Morocco would be a breach of the principle of non-refoulement and a violation of Spain’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
APPEALS TO:
Minister of Justice
Excmo. Sr. D. Francisco Caamano Dominguez
Ministerio de Justicia
C/ San Bernando 45
28015 Madrid, SPAIN
Email: ministro@mju.es
Fax: 011 34 91 390 22 44 OR 011 34 91 390 22 68
Salutation: Dear Minister / Estimado Senor
Vice President
Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega
Complejo de la Moncloa
28071 Madrid, SPAIN
Email: secretaria.vicepresidencia@vp.gob.es
Fax: 011 34 91 390 04 34
Salutation: Dear Vice President
Ambassador D. Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo
Embassy of Spain
2375 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20037
Fax: 1 202 833 5670
Email: embespus@mail.mae.es OR spain@spainemb.org OR emb.washington@maec.es
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 2 June 2009.
----------------------------------
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Fax: 202.675.8566
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa10609.pdf
21 April 2009
UA 106/09 Fear of forcible return/Fear of torture or other ill-treatment / Fear of unfair trial
SPAIN Ali Aarrass (m),
Mohamed el Bay (m)
Ali Aarrass and Mohamed el Bay are at imminent risk of being extradited to Morocco, where they would be at risk of incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment as well as an unfair trial. The Spanish national criminal court (Audiencia Nacional) approved the extraditions in late 2008 and they must now receive final confirmation from the Council of Ministers. If the extraditions go ahead Spain will be violating its obligations under international human rights law, including the UN Convention against Torture.
Ali Aarrass and Mohammed el Bay were arrested in the Spanish city of Melilla on 1 April 2008 on the basis of international arrest warrants requested by Morocco on 28 March 2008. The Spanish national criminal court authorized the extradition of Ali Aarrass to Morocco on 21 November 2008. The decision was confirmed on appeal on 23 January 2009, on the assurance from the Moroccan government that Ali Aarrass would not be sentenced to the death penalty or life imprisonment without parole. Ali Aarrass had claimed that his joint Belgian-Moroccan nationality should bar his extradition to Morocco, but the court rejected this argument.
According to Amnesty International’s knowledge, Ali Aarrass has appealed to the Constitutional Court, but this appeal does not have any suppressive effect on the extradition process. The extradition request is now awaiting final approval by the Council of Ministers, which may happen at any time.
The National Criminal Court authorized Mohamed el Bay’s extradition on 22 December 2008. This was confirmed on appeal on 12 March 2009, despite the fact Mohamed el Bay has lived in Spain since birth and has been a Spanish citizen since 1976. Under the 1997 extradition agreement between Spain and Morocco, the extradition of a state’s own national is prohibited. However, the court relied on a Moroccan ID card in Mohamed el Bay’s name, found at his home at the time of arrest, as evidence that he unlawfully held dual nationality and could therefore be legitimately returned to Morocco as a Moroccan citizen. According to Amnesty International’s knowledge, Mohamed el Bay has not been formally stripped of his Spanish nationality. The extradition request is now awaiting approval by the Council of Ministers.
Both Ali Aarrass and Mohamed el Bay are wanted in Morocco on terrorism-related charges and are accused of belonging to a terrorist network headed by dual Moroccan-Belgian citizen Abdelkader Belliraj. In February 2008, Moroccan authorities arrested some 35 individuals and announced the dismantlement of the terrorist network headed by Abdelkader Belliraj which was allegedly plotting “terrorist” attacks. Ali Aarrass had been under investigation since 2006 by the Spanish National Criminal Court on terrorism-related charges, but on 16 March 2009 the court provisionally closed its investigation against him on the basis of lack of evidence.
Spain is a state party to several international treaties
that expressly prohibit the return of anyone to a country where they would be at risk of torture, including the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
There was a sharp increase of allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of individuals suspected of terrorism following the bomb attacks in Casablanca on 16 May 2003. Judicial proceedings were brought against over 1,500 people suspected of involvement in the attacks or of planning or inciting other violent acts attributed to Islamist groups. Hundreds of those sentenced are alleged to have been tortured in custody, but the Moroccan authorities have failed to adequately investigate their complaints. Scores have received long prison sentences and over a dozen have been sentenced to death on the basis of “confessions” that they allege were extracted through torture and other ill-treatment.
While allegations of torture of individuals suspected of terrorism decreased in recent years after a peak following the Casablanca bombings in 2003, a number of individuals arrested in connection with the “Belliraj Cell” led by Abdelkader Belliraj (as is the case of Ali Aarrass and Mohamed el Bay) have reportedly been held incommunicado in secret detention centers and subjected to torture and other ill-treatment. Amnesty International received information that a number of individuals implicated in the “Belliraj Cell” case were arrested by the Directorate for the Surveillance of the Territory (Direction de la surveillance du territoire, DST). Reports indicated that a number of individuals arrested in connection with the “Belliraj Cell” case were taken to the Temara detention center operated by the DST, despite the fact that according to the Moroccan Code of Criminal Procedure, DST agents are not authorized to arrest, detain or interrogate suspects as they are not members of the judicial police. It was reported that a number of detainees were held in garde a vue (pre-arraignment detention) for periods exceeding the 12-day maximum period allowed by Moroccan law. Furthermore, a number of detainees were reportedly held incommunicado for weeks without contact with the outside world in contravention of Moroccan legislation and international human rights law and standards. Amnesty International also received allegations that a number of the detainees faced torture and other ill-treatment during interrogation. In addition, a number of defense lawyers complained that the authorities failed to provide them with complete case files of their clients in breach of their right to an effective defense.
In the majority of cases where complaints about torture allegations have been made, investigations have either not been opened, have been dismissed or not adequately conducted, or have not resulted in perpetrators being prosecuted. To date, hundreds of Islamist detainees sentenced after the 2003 Casablanca bombings continue to demand a judicial review of their trials, which were tainted by unexamined claims of torture and other ill-treatment during questioning by the security forces.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities not to extradite Ali Aarrass or Mohamed el Bay to Morocco, as they would be at risk of incommunicado detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and an unfair trial;
- pointing out that the forcible return of Ali Aarrass or Mohamed el Bay to Morocco would be a breach of the principle of non-refoulement and a violation of Spain’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
APPEALS TO:
Minister of Justice
Excmo. Sr. D. Francisco Caamano Dominguez
Ministerio de Justicia
C/ San Bernando 45
28015 Madrid, SPAIN
Email: ministro@mju.es
Fax: 011 34 91 390 22 44 OR 011 34 91 390 22 68
Salutation: Dear Minister / Estimado Senor
Vice President
Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega
Complejo de la Moncloa
28071 Madrid, SPAIN
Email: secretaria.vicepresidencia@vp.gob.es
Fax: 011 34 91 390 04 34
Salutation: Dear Vice President
Ambassador D. Jorge Dezcallar de Mazarredo
Embassy of Spain
2375 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20037
Fax: 1 202 833 5670
Email: embespus@mail.mae.es OR spain@spainemb.org OR emb.washington@maec.es
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 2 June 2009.
----------------------------------
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Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement that promotes and defends human rights.
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END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Urgent Action 4-9-09
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa09909.pdf
09 April 2009
UA 99/09 Fear of forced eviction/health concern
CAMBODIA Around 32 families living at Borei Keila, Phnom Penh
Around 32 families living with HIV and AIDS are facing forced eviction from Borei Keila, central Phnom Penh. The families have protested at their planned resettlement to a site 20 kilometers from the capital, where they would have no means of income; lose access to medical treatment; and go without basic services. Despite protests, the local authorities have said the eviction will take place in May 2009.
At least one person in each family requires access to anti-retroviral treatment and treatment for AIDS-related illnesses. There are no adequate health services at or near the proposed resettlement site, and transport costs to continue anti-retroviral treatment and access to medical services would be prohibitive. The families have been denied assessment for eligibility to new housing under construction at Borei Keila.
The proposed resettlement site, Tuol Sambo in Dangkor district, sits on a landfill, and forms a separate enclave of housing. The housing, made of green metal sheets, looks different from other housing in the area. The living space is not sufficient for an average family, and buildings are too close together for safety and ventilation. Both the land and the buildings are unstable. In addition, the proposed site has no clean water, sanitation, or electricity. Such conditions would pose serious dangers for opportunistic diseases. The families, most of who are living in severe poverty, strongly fear they will face further stigmatization and discrimination at Tuol Sambo because of their HIV status. Villagers in the vicinity already call it “Aids Village.”
Most of the 32 families make a living as scavengers or porters in a market near to Borei Keila or as day laborers, earning daily wages of between 6,000 and 10,000 riels (approx 2.25-4 USD). A one-way trip from Tuol Sambo to their current work places costs an estimated 15,000 riels, so the forced eviction would effectively deprive them of their livelihood.
The families currently live within a large urban poor community, Borei Keila, which is part of a land-sharing arrangement made in 2003 between a private developer, the Municipality of Phnom Penh and residents. The agreement gave the developer part of the land of Borei Keila for commercial development, while providing new housing for the original over 1,700 residents on another part of the land.
In 2007 the Municipality of Phnom Penh resettled the families in the so-called Green Houses, temporary shelters with appalling conditions, to pave way for the construction of a number of residential multi-storey houses. Many of them have lived long enough in Borei Keila to be eligible for flats in the new buildings still under construction. The families believe that because of their HIV status, the authorities are discriminating against them, by forcibly evicting them instead of assessing them to determine eligibility for flats in the new buildings.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The last decade has seen a steady rise in the number of reported land disputes and land confiscations and evictions, including forced evictions, in Cambodia. Victims are almost exclusively marginalized people living in poverty, who are unable to obtain effective remedies. This rise is a result of the lack of the rule of law; a seriously delayed process of legal and judicial reform; and endemic corruption.
In 2008, Amnesty International received reports about 27 forced evictions, affecting an estimated 23,000 people. Some 150,000 Cambodians are known to be living at risk of forced eviction in the wake of land disputes, land grabbing, agro-industrial and urban redevelopment projects. An estimated 70,000 of these live in Phnom Penh.
HIV prevalence is reported to be declining in Cambodia, down from 1.2 percent of the adult population between 15 and 49 years in 2003 to 0.9 percent in June 2007, according to UNAIDS. The number of adults living with HIV is estimated at 67,200 and 3,800 children.
As a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other international human rights treaties which prohibit forced eviction and related human rights violations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Cambodia has an obligation to stop forced evictions and to protect the population from forced evictions.
Forced evictions are evictions that are carried out without adequate notice, consultation with those affected, without legal safeguards and without assurances of adequate alternative accommodation. Whether they be owners, renters or illegal settlers, everyone should possess a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal protection against forced eviction, harassment and other threats. Cambodia also has an obligation to ensure adequate provision of health care to all its citizens, including access to treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and human rights also urge states to ensure universal access to HIV-related goods, services and information, and that they “not only be available, acceptable and of good quality, but within physical reach and affordable for all.”
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- expressing concern that 32 families living with HIV and AIDS at Borei Keila, Phnom Penh, are at risk of forced eviction to an inadequate resettlement site, with no clean water, sanitation, electricity or health services;
- calling on the authorities to protect the 32 families from forced eviction, and ensure that they are immediately assessed to determine their eligibility for flats in the new buildings which are being constructed as part of the 2003 land-share agreement;
- calling on the authorities to guarantee adequate alternative housing with security of tenure for those determined to be ineligible, including access to health services for continuation of anti-retroviral treatment and treatment for HIV and AIDS related illnesses or opportunistic infections;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that the families are not discriminated against because of their health status, either in the assessment process for eligibility for housing at Borei Keila, or provision of alternative adequate housing;
- calling on the government to end all forced evictions as a matter or urgency.
APPEALS TO:
Governor
Kep Chuktema
Phnom Penh Municipality
#69 Blvd.
Preah Monivong
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 426101
Email: phnompenh@phnompenh.gov.kh
Salutation: Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
President Cambodian Red Cross
Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen
#17, Street Cambodian Red Cross (street 180)
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Email: info@redcross.org.kh
Salutation: Dear Lok Chumteav
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
Sar Kheng
Ministry of Interior
#75 Norodom Blvd
Khan Chamkarmon
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 212708
Email: moi@interior.gov.kh
Salutation: Dear Minister
Hem Heng
Royal Embassy of Cambodia
4530 16th St NW
Washington DC 20011
Fax: 1 202 726 8381
Email: recdc@embassyofcambodia.org
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office if sending appeals after 21 May 2009.
----------------------------------
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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
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Fax: 202.675.8566
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- From Amnesty International USA
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For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
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09 April 2009
UA 99/09 Fear of forced eviction/health concern
CAMBODIA Around 32 families living at Borei Keila, Phnom Penh
Around 32 families living with HIV and AIDS are facing forced eviction from Borei Keila, central Phnom Penh. The families have protested at their planned resettlement to a site 20 kilometers from the capital, where they would have no means of income; lose access to medical treatment; and go without basic services. Despite protests, the local authorities have said the eviction will take place in May 2009.
At least one person in each family requires access to anti-retroviral treatment and treatment for AIDS-related illnesses. There are no adequate health services at or near the proposed resettlement site, and transport costs to continue anti-retroviral treatment and access to medical services would be prohibitive. The families have been denied assessment for eligibility to new housing under construction at Borei Keila.
The proposed resettlement site, Tuol Sambo in Dangkor district, sits on a landfill, and forms a separate enclave of housing. The housing, made of green metal sheets, looks different from other housing in the area. The living space is not sufficient for an average family, and buildings are too close together for safety and ventilation. Both the land and the buildings are unstable. In addition, the proposed site has no clean water, sanitation, or electricity. Such conditions would pose serious dangers for opportunistic diseases. The families, most of who are living in severe poverty, strongly fear they will face further stigmatization and discrimination at Tuol Sambo because of their HIV status. Villagers in the vicinity already call it “Aids Village.”
Most of the 32 families make a living as scavengers or porters in a market near to Borei Keila or as day laborers, earning daily wages of between 6,000 and 10,000 riels (approx 2.25-4 USD). A one-way trip from Tuol Sambo to their current work places costs an estimated 15,000 riels, so the forced eviction would effectively deprive them of their livelihood.
The families currently live within a large urban poor community, Borei Keila, which is part of a land-sharing arrangement made in 2003 between a private developer, the Municipality of Phnom Penh and residents. The agreement gave the developer part of the land of Borei Keila for commercial development, while providing new housing for the original over 1,700 residents on another part of the land.
In 2007 the Municipality of Phnom Penh resettled the families in the so-called Green Houses, temporary shelters with appalling conditions, to pave way for the construction of a number of residential multi-storey houses. Many of them have lived long enough in Borei Keila to be eligible for flats in the new buildings still under construction. The families believe that because of their HIV status, the authorities are discriminating against them, by forcibly evicting them instead of assessing them to determine eligibility for flats in the new buildings.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The last decade has seen a steady rise in the number of reported land disputes and land confiscations and evictions, including forced evictions, in Cambodia. Victims are almost exclusively marginalized people living in poverty, who are unable to obtain effective remedies. This rise is a result of the lack of the rule of law; a seriously delayed process of legal and judicial reform; and endemic corruption.
In 2008, Amnesty International received reports about 27 forced evictions, affecting an estimated 23,000 people. Some 150,000 Cambodians are known to be living at risk of forced eviction in the wake of land disputes, land grabbing, agro-industrial and urban redevelopment projects. An estimated 70,000 of these live in Phnom Penh.
HIV prevalence is reported to be declining in Cambodia, down from 1.2 percent of the adult population between 15 and 49 years in 2003 to 0.9 percent in June 2007, according to UNAIDS. The number of adults living with HIV is estimated at 67,200 and 3,800 children.
As a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and other international human rights treaties which prohibit forced eviction and related human rights violations, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Cambodia has an obligation to stop forced evictions and to protect the population from forced evictions.
Forced evictions are evictions that are carried out without adequate notice, consultation with those affected, without legal safeguards and without assurances of adequate alternative accommodation. Whether they be owners, renters or illegal settlers, everyone should possess a degree of security of tenure which guarantees legal protection against forced eviction, harassment and other threats. Cambodia also has an obligation to ensure adequate provision of health care to all its citizens, including access to treatment for people living with HIV and AIDS. The International Guidelines on HIV/AIDS and human rights also urge states to ensure universal access to HIV-related goods, services and information, and that they “not only be available, acceptable and of good quality, but within physical reach and affordable for all.”
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- expressing concern that 32 families living with HIV and AIDS at Borei Keila, Phnom Penh, are at risk of forced eviction to an inadequate resettlement site, with no clean water, sanitation, electricity or health services;
- calling on the authorities to protect the 32 families from forced eviction, and ensure that they are immediately assessed to determine their eligibility for flats in the new buildings which are being constructed as part of the 2003 land-share agreement;
- calling on the authorities to guarantee adequate alternative housing with security of tenure for those determined to be ineligible, including access to health services for continuation of anti-retroviral treatment and treatment for HIV and AIDS related illnesses or opportunistic infections;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that the families are not discriminated against because of their health status, either in the assessment process for eligibility for housing at Borei Keila, or provision of alternative adequate housing;
- calling on the government to end all forced evictions as a matter or urgency.
APPEALS TO:
Governor
Kep Chuktema
Phnom Penh Municipality
#69 Blvd.
Preah Monivong
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 426101
Email: phnompenh@phnompenh.gov.kh
Salutation: Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
President Cambodian Red Cross
Lok Chumteav Bun Rany Hun Sen
#17, Street Cambodian Red Cross (street 180)
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Email: info@redcross.org.kh
Salutation: Dear Lok Chumteav
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior
Sar Kheng
Ministry of Interior
#75 Norodom Blvd
Khan Chamkarmon
Phnom Penh
CAMBODIA
Fax: 011 855 23 212708
Email: moi@interior.gov.kh
Salutation: Dear Minister
Hem Heng
Royal Embassy of Cambodia
4530 16th St NW
Washington DC 20011
Fax: 1 202 726 8381
Email: recdc@embassyofcambodia.org
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office if sending appeals after 21 May 2009.
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Wednesday, April 1, 2009
4-1-09, no it's not an April Fool's day result
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
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http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa06009.pdf
1 April 2009
Further Information on UA 60/09 (4 March 2009) - Fear of torture and other ill-treatment
IRAN
Nasim Roshana'i (f) ]
Maryam Sheikh (f) ] All students
Amir Hossein Mohammadi-Far (m) ]
New name: Mohammad Pour Abdollah (m) ]
Sanaz Allahyari and Amir Hossein Mohammadi-Far were released on 19 March 2009. It is not known whether they have been released under any conditions. In a statement on its website, the Students for Freedom and Equality (Daneshjouyan-e Azadi Khah va Beraber Talab), a students' rights body, stated that they had been ill-treated during their 18 days of detention. The students' rights body reported that at the time of their release the students had signs of bruising and breathing difficulties possibly caused by beating they received while in detention.
Maryam Sheikh and Nasim Roshana'i remain in detention in Evin Prison where they continue to be at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.
The four students were arrested on 1 March, possibly in connection with a demonstration held on 23 February, at Amir Kabir University to protest against the government burying the remains of soldiers killed during the Iran-Iraq war between 1980 and 1988 on university campuses.
The details of the arrest of a fifth student, said to be linked to the Students for Freedom and Equality (Daneshjouyan-e Azadi Khah va Beraber Talab) student body, have emerged. Mohammad Pour Abdollah, a Tehran University student was detained at his house on 12 February 2009. Reports suggest that he was held for one month in solitary confinement at Evin Prison in Tehran and then transferred on 18 March 2009 to Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj, west of Tehran. He was detained there in a section of the prison reserved to individuals convicted of serious crimes. He was reportedly later moved to the quarantined section of the prison for inmates with infectious diseases. On 21 March, Iran's Norouz, or New Year, his mother and father sat in front of the prison for several hours in the hope they would be granted permission to see their son.
In the presence of the prosecutor working on his case, Mohammad Pour Abdollah's parents were allowed to have a meeting with him during the last week of March. His parents have written an open letter to the Head of the Judiciary, calling for their son, to be released.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since December there have been waves of arbitrary arrests and harassment, particularly directed against members of Iran's religious and ethnic minorities, students, trade unionists and women’s rights activists. These measures may in part be intended to stifle debate and to silence critics of the authorities in advance of the presidential election in June 2009.
More than 70 students were arrested on 23 February during a peaceful demonstration held by students at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University in protest at the government’s burial on campus of soldiers' remains
The burial of the unknown soldiers on the university campus has widely been seen as a move by the government to seek to control student groups opposed to its policies. Burial of soldiers, called martyrs on account of their sacrifice in fighting against Iraqi forces, appears to enable non-students to enter the campus without being required to show evidence that they are students, a normal requirement for access to university premises. Students groups fear that the presence of the graves would allow unrestricted access to the campuses by security forces, including the Basij mobilization forces who are under the control of the Revolutionary Guards.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling on the authorities to ensure that Nasim Roshana'i, Maryam Sheikh and Mohammad Pour Abdollah are protected against torture or other ill-treatment and are allowed immediate access to their family, legal representation and any medical attention that they may require;
- seeking specific details of the reasons for their arrest and any charges they may be facing and urging that they be released immediately if they are not charged with a recognizably criminal offense and brought to trial promptly and fairly;
- noting that if any of the students are held solely on account of the peaceful expression of their views or the exercise of their right to freedom of assembly, then they are prisoners of conscience, and should be released immediately and unconditionally.
APPEALS TO:
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
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency
COPIES TO:
Head of Judiciary for Tehran province
Ali Reza Avaie
Tehran Judiciary
No. 152, corner of 17th Alley, before Shahid Motahhari Avenue
Sanaei Avenue
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Tehran
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
Email: avaei@dadgostary-tehran.ir, info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
Fax: 011 98 21 8832 6700 (unreliable, please try three times)
Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh/Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri
Tehran 1316814737
ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN
Fax: 011 98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Javid Larijani)
Iran does not presently have an embassy in the United States. Instead, please send copies to:
Iranian Interests Section
Embassy of Pakistan
2209 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington DC 20007
Phone: 202 965 4990
Fax: 202 965 1073
Email: requests@daftar.org
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 13 May.
----------------------------------
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Write as soon as you can. Try to write as close as possible to the date a case is issued.
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To all other destination countries:
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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
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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
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Urgent Action 3-25-09
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa08209.pdf
25 March 2009
UA 82/09 Fear for safety
MEXICO Miguel Angel Casillas Baez (m), his family and other journalists of the newspaper,
Diario de los Altos
Miguel Angel Casillas, editorial director of local newspaper, Diario de los Altos, was
threatened on 18 March2009 by a man claiming to be an official in charge of the Zetas’
department (a notoriously criminal organization responsible for hundreds of murders). The
threat was made because Miguel Angel Casillas, and the newspaper he works for, have given
critical coverage to a dam development project in el Zapotillo, Los Altos region, Jalisco
state.
On 18 March, Miguel Angel Casillas received an anonymous call on his mobile from a man
saying "We know who you are, where you live, where you go, who your family are, and we
want to know how you are going to cooperate with us" (sabemos quien es usted, sabemos
donde vive, sabemos como se mueve, sabemos quien es su familia y queremos saber como piensa
colaborar con nosotros). The caller insinuated that he was acting on the behalf of a
politician who wished to damage Miguel Angel Casillas, and added that "from this point on,
you and your family are at risk" (corre peligro a partir de ahora, usted y su familia).
The day before receiving the anonymous phone call, Miguel Angel Casillas noticed that both
his personal email and that of the newspaper he works for had been hacked. The hackers had
left a message stating that "Today the email of the newspaper has been kidnapped. Careful
what you publish we don’t want to hurt anyone. Regards from Jalisco State Congress, from a
friend that likes you a lot and is watching anxiously over you. Rightist Jalisco." (Hoy
el secuestro fue del korreo elektonico del medio kuidado kon lo ke publican no keremos
lastimar a nadie. Saludos desde el congreso de Jalisco de un amigo que te quiere mucho y te
vigila con ansias de encontrarte. Yunque Jalisco)
Miguel Angel Casillas has submitted a official complaint with the Jalisco State Public
Prosecutor’s Office and the State Human Rights Commission.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The project to build el Zapotillo dam in Jalisco state on the Rio Verde has led to concern
among local communities, particularly those of Temacapulin, Palmarejo and Acasico, which
will be flooded. Despite previous commitments by the state government to consult the
public on the project, the Diario de los Altos and local human rights organizations have
been critical of the project and the failure of the authorities to consult adequately with
local communities or provide reliable and detailed information on impact and compensation
packages.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling for safety measure to be provided for Miguel Angel Casillas Baez, his family and
other journalists at the Diario de los Altos, and for protection measures to be implemented
in accordance with their wishes;
- call on the authorities to instigate a thorough, prompt and impartial investigation into
the email and telephone threats against Miguel Angel Casillas, including any possible links
to local politicians, for the results to be made public and for those responsible to be
held to account;
- call on the authorities to fulfill their obligations under the UN Declaration on the
Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and
Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and ensure that human
rights defenders can carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of
reprisals.
APPEALS TO:
Governor of Jalisco
Emilio Gonzalez Marquez
Gobernador del Estado de Jalisco
Palacio de Gobierno
Av. Corona No. 31, Planta Baja
Col. Centro
Guadalajara C.P. 44100
Estado de Jalisco
MEXICO
Fax: (011 52 33) 36 48 1601/02
Email: emilio.gonzalez@jalisco.gob.mx
Salutation:Dear Governor/ Senor Gobernador
Attorney General of Jalisco
Lic. Tomas Coronado Olmos
Procurador del Estado de Jalisco
Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado
Calle 14 no. 2567
Colonia Zona Industrial
Guadalajara, C.P. 44940
Estado de Jalisco
MEXICO
Salutation: Dear Attorney/ Senor Procurador
Minister of Interior
Lic. Fernando Francisco Gomez-Mont Urueta
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso
Col. Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc,
Mexico D.F., C.P.06600
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 5093 3414
E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Secretario/Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
Human Rights organization
Instituto Mexicano Para el Desarrollo Comunitario (IMDEC), A.C.
A.C. Pino 2237-A, Col. del Fresno, Guadalajara, Jalisco C.P 44900
MEXICO
Human Rights Commission of Jalisco
Lic. Felipe de Jesus Alvarez Cibrian, Presidente de la Comision Estatal de Derechos Humanos
de Jalisco, Pedro Moreno No. 1616, Col. Americana, Guadalajara C.P. 44160, Estado de
Jalisco,
MEXICO
Fax: (011 52 33) 36 69 11 01
Salutation: Dear President/ Senor Presidente
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
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 6 May.
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa08209.pdf
25 March 2009
UA 82/09 Fear for safety
MEXICO Miguel Angel Casillas Baez (m), his family and other journalists of the newspaper,
Diario de los Altos
Miguel Angel Casillas, editorial director of local newspaper, Diario de los Altos, was
threatened on 18 March2009 by a man claiming to be an official in charge of the Zetas’
department (a notoriously criminal organization responsible for hundreds of murders). The
threat was made because Miguel Angel Casillas, and the newspaper he works for, have given
critical coverage to a dam development project in el Zapotillo, Los Altos region, Jalisco
state.
On 18 March, Miguel Angel Casillas received an anonymous call on his mobile from a man
saying "We know who you are, where you live, where you go, who your family are, and we
want to know how you are going to cooperate with us" (sabemos quien es usted, sabemos
donde vive, sabemos como se mueve, sabemos quien es su familia y queremos saber como piensa
colaborar con nosotros). The caller insinuated that he was acting on the behalf of a
politician who wished to damage Miguel Angel Casillas, and added that "from this point on,
you and your family are at risk" (corre peligro a partir de ahora, usted y su familia).
The day before receiving the anonymous phone call, Miguel Angel Casillas noticed that both
his personal email and that of the newspaper he works for had been hacked. The hackers had
left a message stating that "Today the email of the newspaper has been kidnapped. Careful
what you publish we don’t want to hurt anyone. Regards from Jalisco State Congress, from a
friend that likes you a lot and is watching anxiously over you. Rightist Jalisco." (Hoy
el secuestro fue del korreo elektonico del medio kuidado kon lo ke publican no keremos
lastimar a nadie. Saludos desde el congreso de Jalisco de un amigo que te quiere mucho y te
vigila con ansias de encontrarte. Yunque Jalisco)
Miguel Angel Casillas has submitted a official complaint with the Jalisco State Public
Prosecutor’s Office and the State Human Rights Commission.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The project to build el Zapotillo dam in Jalisco state on the Rio Verde has led to concern
among local communities, particularly those of Temacapulin, Palmarejo and Acasico, which
will be flooded. Despite previous commitments by the state government to consult the
public on the project, the Diario de los Altos and local human rights organizations have
been critical of the project and the failure of the authorities to consult adequately with
local communities or provide reliable and detailed information on impact and compensation
packages.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling for safety measure to be provided for Miguel Angel Casillas Baez, his family and
other journalists at the Diario de los Altos, and for protection measures to be implemented
in accordance with their wishes;
- call on the authorities to instigate a thorough, prompt and impartial investigation into
the email and telephone threats against Miguel Angel Casillas, including any possible links
to local politicians, for the results to be made public and for those responsible to be
held to account;
- call on the authorities to fulfill their obligations under the UN Declaration on the
Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and
Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and ensure that human
rights defenders can carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of
reprisals.
APPEALS TO:
Governor of Jalisco
Emilio Gonzalez Marquez
Gobernador del Estado de Jalisco
Palacio de Gobierno
Av. Corona No. 31, Planta Baja
Col. Centro
Guadalajara C.P. 44100
Estado de Jalisco
MEXICO
Fax: (011 52 33) 36 48 1601/02
Email: emilio.gonzalez@jalisco.gob.mx
Salutation:Dear Governor/ Senor Gobernador
Attorney General of Jalisco
Lic. Tomas Coronado Olmos
Procurador del Estado de Jalisco
Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado
Calle 14 no. 2567
Colonia Zona Industrial
Guadalajara, C.P. 44940
Estado de Jalisco
MEXICO
Salutation: Dear Attorney/ Senor Procurador
Minister of Interior
Lic. Fernando Francisco Gomez-Mont Urueta
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso
Col. Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc,
Mexico D.F., C.P.06600
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 5093 3414
E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Secretario/Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
Human Rights organization
Instituto Mexicano Para el Desarrollo Comunitario (IMDEC), A.C.
A.C. Pino 2237-A, Col. del Fresno, Guadalajara, Jalisco C.P 44900
MEXICO
Human Rights Commission of Jalisco
Lic. Felipe de Jesus Alvarez Cibrian, Presidente de la Comision Estatal de Derechos Humanos
de Jalisco, Pedro Moreno No. 1616, Col. Americana, Guadalajara C.P. 44160, Estado de
Jalisco,
MEXICO
Fax: (011 52 33) 36 69 11 01
Salutation: Dear President/ Senor Presidente
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Avenue N.W.
Washington, DC 20006
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 6 May.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
3-10-09
Petition for Palestinian Refugees:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=11886&ICID=R0903A1&tr=y&auid=4597146
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa06409.pdf
9 March 2009
UA 64/09 Torture/ill-treatment/Fear for safety/Death threats
MEXICO Jesus Arturo Torres Parra (m), aged 18
Jesus Arturo Torres Parra was unlawfully detained, then beaten and threatened with death by federal police officers in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua state on 3 March. He was released a few hours later, though he fears that he and his family are at risk of further attacks.According to Jesus Arturo Torres, on the evening of 3 March, he was at home with his family, when a group of uniformed Federal Preventive Police officers (Policia Federal Preventiva, PFP), smashed the front door and broke in. Without any explanation or warrant, they handcuffed him and bundled him into a pick up truck. Eyewitnesses noted that the vehicle had PFP markings and recorded the number plates which they later passed on to federal authorities. The PFP has the mandate and powers to combat organized crime nationwide.
Jesus Arturo Torres was then beaten and threatened for three hours inside the vehicle. During that time, he was questioned about individuals of whom he had no knowledge and has reported that one of the officers told him that "if you don't tell us what we want to know, we will take you to Chapo Guzman [a notorious drug trafficker and killer] so he'll make you talk, or we will just kill you and dump you in the desert" (si no dices nada de lo que te preguntamos, te vamos a llevar con el Chapo Guzman para que te haga hablar, o te matamos y te echamos al desierto). He was then released in a different part of Chihuahua City and threatened with death if he reported the incident.
The following day Jesus Arturo Torres filed a complaint with the Federal Attorney General's Office (Procuraduria General de la Republica, PGR) in Chihuahua City and the Chihuahua State Human Rights Commission.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2007 organized crime related violence has spiraled in Mexico. In 2008, media reported that more than 5000 people were killed in violent incidents attributed to organized crime, at least 1500 of them in Chihuahua State alone. President Calderon's administration has attempted to deal with the spiraling violent crime by deploying thousands of federal police and some 45000 military personnel in the worst affected areas. However this has not resulted in a reduction in crime -- (in Chihuahua the governor requested federal intervention). Reports of unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions and illegal house searches by members of the military and police personnel have increased, many of which fail to be adequately investigated.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities to ensure that Jesus Arturo Torres Parra and his family are given appropriate protection, in accordance with their wishes, following the his unlawful detention and ill-treatment on 3 March by Federal Preventive
Police;
- calling on the authorities to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into his apparent unlawful detention and ill-treatment and hold those responsible to account;
- calling for effective measures to ensure police and military anti-crime operations are carried out in accordance with the law and international human rights standards, and that any alleged abuses are promptly and impartially investigated.
APPEALS TO:
Attorney General of the Republic
Lic. Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza
Procurador General de la Republica
Procuraduria General de la Republica
Av. Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213, Piso 16
Col. Cuauhtemoc, Delegacion Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F., C.P. 06500
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 53 46 09 08
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Senor Procurador General
Minister of Public Security
Lic. Genaro Garcia Luna
Secretaria de Seguridad Publica
Constituyentes n° 947, edif. "B" planta alta, Col. Belen
de las Flores, Del. Alvaro Obregon
Mexico D.F., C.P. 01110
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 1103 6026 (if someone answers, say "me da tono de fax, por favor")
Email: genaro.garcia@ssp.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Secretario/Dear Minister
Minister of Interior
Lic. Fernando Francisco Gomez-Mont Urueta
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso
Col. Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F., C.P.06600
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 5093 3414
E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Secretario/Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
Human Rights organization
Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres A.C.
Av. Juarez No. 4107 Col. Centro
Chihuahua, Chih.
MEXICO
Human Rights Commission of Chihuahua
Lic. Jose Luis Armendariz Gonzalez
Presidente de la Comision Estatal de Derechos Humanos de
Chihuahua
Calle Decima y Mina, 1000
Col. Centro
C.P. 31000, Chihuahua
MEXICO
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20006
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 20 April 2009.
----------------------------------
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:
$0.27 - Postcards
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To Mexico and Canada:
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To all other destination countries:
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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
----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=11886&ICID=R0903A1&tr=y&auid=4597146
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa06409.pdf
9 March 2009
UA 64/09 Torture/ill-treatment/Fear for safety/Death threats
MEXICO Jesus Arturo Torres Parra (m), aged 18
Jesus Arturo Torres Parra was unlawfully detained, then beaten and threatened with death by federal police officers in Chihuahua City, Chihuahua state on 3 March. He was released a few hours later, though he fears that he and his family are at risk of further attacks.According to Jesus Arturo Torres, on the evening of 3 March, he was at home with his family, when a group of uniformed Federal Preventive Police officers (Policia Federal Preventiva, PFP), smashed the front door and broke in. Without any explanation or warrant, they handcuffed him and bundled him into a pick up truck. Eyewitnesses noted that the vehicle had PFP markings and recorded the number plates which they later passed on to federal authorities. The PFP has the mandate and powers to combat organized crime nationwide.
Jesus Arturo Torres was then beaten and threatened for three hours inside the vehicle. During that time, he was questioned about individuals of whom he had no knowledge and has reported that one of the officers told him that "if you don't tell us what we want to know, we will take you to Chapo Guzman [a notorious drug trafficker and killer] so he'll make you talk, or we will just kill you and dump you in the desert" (si no dices nada de lo que te preguntamos, te vamos a llevar con el Chapo Guzman para que te haga hablar, o te matamos y te echamos al desierto). He was then released in a different part of Chihuahua City and threatened with death if he reported the incident.
The following day Jesus Arturo Torres filed a complaint with the Federal Attorney General's Office (Procuraduria General de la Republica, PGR) in Chihuahua City and the Chihuahua State Human Rights Commission.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Since 2007 organized crime related violence has spiraled in Mexico. In 2008, media reported that more than 5000 people were killed in violent incidents attributed to organized crime, at least 1500 of them in Chihuahua State alone. President Calderon's administration has attempted to deal with the spiraling violent crime by deploying thousands of federal police and some 45000 military personnel in the worst affected areas. However this has not resulted in a reduction in crime -- (in Chihuahua the governor requested federal intervention). Reports of unlawful killings, torture, arbitrary detentions and illegal house searches by members of the military and police personnel have increased, many of which fail to be adequately investigated.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities to ensure that Jesus Arturo Torres Parra and his family are given appropriate protection, in accordance with their wishes, following the his unlawful detention and ill-treatment on 3 March by Federal Preventive
Police;
- calling on the authorities to conduct an independent and impartial investigation into his apparent unlawful detention and ill-treatment and hold those responsible to account;
- calling for effective measures to ensure police and military anti-crime operations are carried out in accordance with the law and international human rights standards, and that any alleged abuses are promptly and impartially investigated.
APPEALS TO:
Attorney General of the Republic
Lic. Eduardo Medina-Mora Icaza
Procurador General de la Republica
Procuraduria General de la Republica
Av. Paseo de la Reforma nº 211-213, Piso 16
Col. Cuauhtemoc, Delegacion Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F., C.P. 06500
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 53 46 09 08
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Senor Procurador General
Minister of Public Security
Lic. Genaro Garcia Luna
Secretaria de Seguridad Publica
Constituyentes n° 947, edif. "B" planta alta, Col. Belen
de las Flores, Del. Alvaro Obregon
Mexico D.F., C.P. 01110
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 1103 6026 (if someone answers, say "me da tono de fax, por favor")
Email: genaro.garcia@ssp.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Secretario/Dear Minister
Minister of Interior
Lic. Fernando Francisco Gomez-Mont Urueta
Secretaria de Gobernacion
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso
Col. Juarez, Del. Cuauhtemoc
Mexico D.F., C.P.06600
MEXICO
Fax: 011 52 55 5093 3414
E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Senor Secretario/Dear Minister
COPIES TO:
Human Rights organization
Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres A.C.
Av. Juarez No. 4107 Col. Centro
Chihuahua, Chih.
MEXICO
Human Rights Commission of Chihuahua
Lic. Jose Luis Armendariz Gonzalez
Presidente de la Comision Estatal de Derechos Humanos de
Chihuahua
Calle Decima y Mina, 1000
Col. Centro
C.P. 31000, Chihuahua
MEXICO
Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan Casamitjana
Embassy of Mexico
1911 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20006
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 20 April 2009.
----------------------------------
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:
$0.27 - Postcards
$0.42 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico and Canada:
$0.72 - Postcards
$0.72 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$0.94 - Postcards
$0.94 - 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
----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Beatings
URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa34208.pdf
Note: Please write on behalf of this person even though you may not have
received the original UA when issued on December 12, 2008. Thanks!
03 March 2009
Further Information on 342/08 (12 December 2008) and follow-up (10 February 2009) -
Torture/ill-treatment/health concern/non-provision of medical care/intimidation/harassment
RUSSIAN FEDERATION Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev (m), aged about 30
Zubair Zubairaev has again reportedly been severely beaten on both 18 and 24 February 2009.
On a recent visit to the prison, his lawyer saw the marks from the beatings on his face and
has stated that Zubair Zubairaev’s health has been gravely affected. Wounds on his legs
from previous alleged beatings and incidents of torture are not healing and are festering.
He is not receiving adequate medical care. After the most recent incidents he was placed in
an isolation cell as punishment for allegedly possessing a painkilling tablet.
In August 2007 Zubair Zubairaev was sentenced to five years in a high security prison and
sent to prison colony IAR-154/25 in Frolovo, Volgograd region. According to sources close
to Zubair Zubairaev, he was tortured and otherwise ill-treated by prison colony officers
throughout the period he was held there. This included the use of electric shocks. The
sources reported that he was also repeatedly beaten with plastic bottles filled with water,
as well as with truncheons and rifle butts, until he fainted, after which guards revived
him in order to continue the beatings. No medical help was provided and the injuries he
received were not recorded.
After making several complaints about being tortured and ill-treated, Zubair Zubairaev was
transferred to prison colony No 9 in Volgograd. In February 2008 he was admitted to prison
hospital LIU-15 in Volgograd; however, the beatings and other ill-treatment from the prison
officers continued. Zubair Zubairaev complained again about his treatment to the
authorities. This resulted in an inspection of the prison hospital in October 2008 by the
Volgograd regional prosecutor, which, however, found no fault with the prison authorities.
Officials at the prison, as well as an official from the Volgograd Public Prosecutor’s
office, are said to have verbally threatened Zubair Zubairaev that if he does not stop
complaining about his treatment in detention, his prison sentence will be extended or he
might "accidentally" die in prison. They also made threats against his family, saying
"something might happen" to his sisters.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Amnesty International regularly receives reports of torture or other ill-treatment in
places of detention across the Russian Federation, including in prison colonies, and of the
frequent failure of the authorities to investigate effectively such allegations and to
bring those suspected of violations to justice. In February 2007, the UN Committee against
Torture expressed its concern regarding the inadequate health care provided to people in
pre-trial detention centers and prison colonies.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling on prison authorities to ensure immediately that Zubair Zubairaev is not
subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, including psychological;
- calling for an immediate, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the
allegations of torture or other ill-treatment and threats against Zubair Zubairaev and his
family, with the results made public, and for those found responsible to be brought to
justice;
- expressing concern at reports that Zubair Zubairaev is still not receiving the medical
treatment he needs;
- urging that Zubair Zuibairaev is examined by independent doctors and receives all
necessary medical care, in accordance with provisions set out in the UN Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
APPEALS TO:
Mansvetov Andrei Igorevich
Director of the prison colony IAR-154/15
Uchrezhdenie IAR-154/15
400048 Volgograd
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 8442 35 57 00
Salutation: Dear Director
Yurii Ivanovich Kalinin
Director of the Federal Service for Execution of Sentences
Federal Service for Execution of Sentences
Ul. Zhitnaia, 14
119991 GSP-1, Moscow
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 495 982 1930
Salutation: Dear Director
Yurii Yakovlevich Chaika
Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Ul. Bolshaia Dmitrovka 15a
125 993 Moscow
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 495 692 1725 (fax may be switched off outside of office hours (four hours ahead of GMT)
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor General
COPIES TO:
Vladimir Petrovich Lukin
Ombudsperson for Human Rights of the Russian Federation
Miasnitskaia ul. 47
107084 Moscow
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 495 60739 77
Salutation: Dear Ombudsperson
Leonid Leontievich Beliak
Prosecutor of Volgograd region
Pr.Lenina, 8
400066 Volgograd
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Email: pochtaproc@vlpost.ru
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor
Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
Fax: 1 202 298 5735
Email: russ-amb@cerfnet.com (Currently unavailable)
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 14 April.
----------------------------------
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:
$0.27 - Postcards
$0.42 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico and Canada:
$0.72 - Postcards
$0.72 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$0.94 - Postcards
$0.94 - 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
----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
- From Amnesty International USA
To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa34208.pdf
Note: Please write on behalf of this person even though you may not have
received the original UA when issued on December 12, 2008. Thanks!
03 March 2009
Further Information on 342/08 (12 December 2008) and follow-up (10 February 2009) -
Torture/ill-treatment/health concern/non-provision of medical care/intimidation/harassment
RUSSIAN FEDERATION Zubair Isaevich Zubairaev (m), aged about 30
Zubair Zubairaev has again reportedly been severely beaten on both 18 and 24 February 2009.
On a recent visit to the prison, his lawyer saw the marks from the beatings on his face and
has stated that Zubair Zubairaev’s health has been gravely affected. Wounds on his legs
from previous alleged beatings and incidents of torture are not healing and are festering.
He is not receiving adequate medical care. After the most recent incidents he was placed in
an isolation cell as punishment for allegedly possessing a painkilling tablet.
In August 2007 Zubair Zubairaev was sentenced to five years in a high security prison and
sent to prison colony IAR-154/25 in Frolovo, Volgograd region. According to sources close
to Zubair Zubairaev, he was tortured and otherwise ill-treated by prison colony officers
throughout the period he was held there. This included the use of electric shocks. The
sources reported that he was also repeatedly beaten with plastic bottles filled with water,
as well as with truncheons and rifle butts, until he fainted, after which guards revived
him in order to continue the beatings. No medical help was provided and the injuries he
received were not recorded.
After making several complaints about being tortured and ill-treated, Zubair Zubairaev was
transferred to prison colony No 9 in Volgograd. In February 2008 he was admitted to prison
hospital LIU-15 in Volgograd; however, the beatings and other ill-treatment from the prison
officers continued. Zubair Zubairaev complained again about his treatment to the
authorities. This resulted in an inspection of the prison hospital in October 2008 by the
Volgograd regional prosecutor, which, however, found no fault with the prison authorities.
Officials at the prison, as well as an official from the Volgograd Public Prosecutor’s
office, are said to have verbally threatened Zubair Zubairaev that if he does not stop
complaining about his treatment in detention, his prison sentence will be extended or he
might "accidentally" die in prison. They also made threats against his family, saying
"something might happen" to his sisters.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Amnesty International regularly receives reports of torture or other ill-treatment in
places of detention across the Russian Federation, including in prison colonies, and of the
frequent failure of the authorities to investigate effectively such allegations and to
bring those suspected of violations to justice. In February 2007, the UN Committee against
Torture expressed its concern regarding the inadequate health care provided to people in
pre-trial detention centers and prison colonies.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling on prison authorities to ensure immediately that Zubair Zubairaev is not
subjected to torture or other ill-treatment, including psychological;
- calling for an immediate, thorough, independent and impartial investigation into the
allegations of torture or other ill-treatment and threats against Zubair Zubairaev and his
family, with the results made public, and for those found responsible to be brought to
justice;
- expressing concern at reports that Zubair Zubairaev is still not receiving the medical
treatment he needs;
- urging that Zubair Zuibairaev is examined by independent doctors and receives all
necessary medical care, in accordance with provisions set out in the UN Standard Minimum
Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
APPEALS TO:
Mansvetov Andrei Igorevich
Director of the prison colony IAR-154/15
Uchrezhdenie IAR-154/15
400048 Volgograd
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 8442 35 57 00
Salutation: Dear Director
Yurii Ivanovich Kalinin
Director of the Federal Service for Execution of Sentences
Federal Service for Execution of Sentences
Ul. Zhitnaia, 14
119991 GSP-1, Moscow
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 495 982 1930
Salutation: Dear Director
Yurii Yakovlevich Chaika
Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Office of the Prosecutor General of the Russian Federation
Ul. Bolshaia Dmitrovka 15a
125 993 Moscow
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 495 692 1725 (fax may be switched off outside of office hours (four hours ahead of GMT)
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor General
COPIES TO:
Vladimir Petrovich Lukin
Ombudsperson for Human Rights of the Russian Federation
Miasnitskaia ul. 47
107084 Moscow
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Fax: 011 7 495 60739 77
Salutation: Dear Ombudsperson
Leonid Leontievich Beliak
Prosecutor of Volgograd region
Pr.Lenina, 8
400066 Volgograd
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Email: pochtaproc@vlpost.ru
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor
Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak
Embassy of the Russian Federation
2650 Wisconsin Avenue N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20007
Fax: 1 202 298 5735
Email: russ-amb@cerfnet.com (Currently unavailable)
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 14 April.
----------------------------------
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:
$0.27 - Postcards
$0.42 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico and Canada:
$0.72 - Postcards
$0.72 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$0.94 - Postcards
$0.94 - 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
----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
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