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.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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
$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
----------------------------------
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.
----------------------------------
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Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax: 202.675.8566
----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
U.S. Weapons in Gaza
Link for on-line petition:
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=11787&tr=y&auid=4542037
Online Action Center
Investigate misuse of US weapons in Gaza and stop arms transfers to Israel
Take Action On This Issue
Amnesty International researchers came across many US made white phosphorus artillery carrier shells, and fragments of other US produced weapons, throughout Gaza. We consider the repeated use of white phosphorus in densely-populated civilian areas a form of indiscriminate attack, and amounts to a war crime. Since 2001, the USA has been by far the major supplier of conventional arms to Israel, including government to government as well as private commercial sales. In addition to this trade, the USA has provided large funding each year for Israel to procure arms despite US legislation that restricts such aid to consistently gross human rights violators. Call for a US government investigation into Israel's potential misuse of US made weapons in Gaza.
http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/index.aspx?c=jhKPIXPCIoE&b=2590179&template=x.ascx&action=11787&tr=y&auid=4542037
Online Action Center
Investigate misuse of US weapons in Gaza and stop arms transfers to Israel
Take Action On This Issue
Amnesty International researchers came across many US made white phosphorus artillery carrier shells, and fragments of other US produced weapons, throughout Gaza. We consider the repeated use of white phosphorus in densely-populated civilian areas a form of indiscriminate attack, and amounts to a war crime. Since 2001, the USA has been by far the major supplier of conventional arms to Israel, including government to government as well as private commercial sales. In addition to this trade, the USA has provided large funding each year for Israel to procure arms despite US legislation that restricts such aid to consistently gross human rights violators. Call for a US government investigation into Israel's potential misuse of US made weapons in Gaza.
Friday, February 20, 2009
2 Things :
Note: Please write on behalf of these persons even though you may not have
received the original UA when issued on December 23, 2008. Thanks!
20 February 2009
Further information on UA 350/08 (23 December 2008) – Health concern/Legal concern
USA Ahmed Zaid Salem Zuhair (m), Saudi Arabian national, aged 44
The medical condition of Guantanamo detainee Ahmed Zuhair, who has been on hunger strike and a force feeding regime since 2005, has worsened. On a recent visit to meet him at the base, his US lawyers observed a marked deterioration in his health since they last met with him in mid-December.
According to his US lawyers in information recently filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia (DC), when they met with Ahmed Zuhair on 11 and 12 February, he was shackled to a gurney (trolley stretcher) and was repeatedly given "large quantities of painkillers by medical personnel". Guantanamo staff informed the lawyers that Ahmed Zuhair had recently suffered a fall in his cell. He was brought to the meetings, which were held in the base's Camp Echo, from the Detainee Hospital at Camp Delta.
The lawyers have said that his pain during their meetings with him was evident and that he could not sit up: "Even though Mr Zuhair was administered painkillers, any movement of the gurney caused him to wince in pain, and his own movements were slow and limited to slight gestures". The lawyers have also reported that Zuhair's weight was "perilously low": "He appeared to weigh approximately 100 pounds, his biceps were roughly the thickness of his wrists, his eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were sharp and gaunt. Mr Zuhair was considerably fatigued and unable to speak above a whisper for the entirety of the meeting." Ahmed Zuhair's own account of his condition and treatment remains classified.
In a separate development, his lawyers discovered on 21 January that Ahmed Zuhair has been approved for transfer from Guantanamo. They made the discovery by chance; the US authorities did not notify them. The government has now said that the approval for his transfer was made on 23 December 2008. The Guantanamo authorities notified Ahmed Zuhair on 10 February, on the eve of his meeting with his lawyers, that he had been authorized for transfer from Guantanamo. The written notice to him states that "while your transfer has been authorized, the date of such transfer depends on the United States reaching agreement with your country of origin or another country, to accept you". The notice stated that "negotiating these agreements can in certain circumstances take considerable time", adding that "although the United States will attempt to transfer you as soon as possible no date has been set for your transfer". Other detainees have been held for years since their release from the base has been approved under the administrative review scheme. Ahmed Zuhair's lawyers have said that he "affirmatively wishes to return to his family and homeland [Saudi Arabia], where he has never run afoul of the law".
Ahmed Zuhair has been in detention for more than seven years without charge or trial. According to his 2008 petition for habeas corpus, in late December 2001 Ahmed Zuhair was seized in a market in Lahore, Pakistan, by a dozen men in civilian clothes. He was blindfolded and taken to a house in a residential area of Lahore, where, he said, he was tortured and otherwise ill-treated. In early January 2002, he was transferred to a military facility in the capital, Islamabad, and held incommunicado there for about 10 weeks: in mid-March 2002 he was handed over to US custody and held in Bagram air base in Afghanistan. In June 2002 he was transferred to detention in Kandahar, where he was held for two weeks. He said he was ill-treated in US custody in Afghanistan, including forced prolonged kneeling and stripping during interrogations. He was transported to Guantanamo in June 2002. Ahmed Zuhair began his hunger strike in mid- 2005, to protest at his indefinite detention without charge and the conditions in which he is detained. He has been force fed since August 2005.
Ahmed Zuhair’s lawyers filed an emergency motion in District Court in late November 2008 in relation to his deteriorating health. On 22 December, Judge Emmett Sullivan ordered the authorities to allow a court-appointed independent medical expert to examine Ahmed Zuhair. He also ordered the government to release Zuhair's medical records to his lawyers. Judge Sullivan made the decision on the grounds that Zuhair must be medically fit enough to have "meaningful access to counsel", and so that his lawyers "are able to adequately communicate with him" in his habeas corpus challenge. On 16 January 2009, Judge Sullivan appointed the independent expert suggested by Zuhair's lawyers to conduct a "comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluation" of Ahmed Zuhair, and ordered that she and an independent interpreter be provided transport to Guantanamo and access to the detainee, that she be given access to all Zuhair's medical records and records relating to his force feeding, and allowed to speak with personnel at Guantanamo regarding Zuhair's medical and mental health and the feeding process. No further details are publicly available.
On 23 January, around the seventh anniversary of Ahmed Zuhair being taken into US custody, his lawyers filed a petition pointing out that their client "continues to languish in Guantanamo Bay without charge, trial or due process" and with no "definitive judicial determination as to the legality of his detention". They argued that the need for the "prompt habeas corpus hearing" ordered by the US Supreme Court's Boumediene v. Bush ruling seven months earlier was "especially pressing as he nears the fourth anniversary of his hunger strike protesting his indefinite and arbitrary imprisonment".
On 22 January, President Obama signed three executive orders on detentions and interrogations (see: The promise of real change: President Obama's executive orders on detentions and interrogations, 30 January 2009, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/015/2009/en). One of the orders required his administration to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility "as soon as practicable" and to conduct a review of all the cases of detainees held there to decide what should happen to them. For more information on Amnesty International's Counter Terror with Justice campaign and to take further action visit http://obama100days.amnesty.org/.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- expressing concern about the deteriorating health of
Guantanamo detainee Ahmed Zuhair, who has been in US custody without charge for more than seven years and on hunger strike since 2005;
- calling for an immediate end to the use of the restraint chair against Ahmed Zuhair during force feeding;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that Ahmed Zuhair receives all necessary medical treatment;
- noting that Ahmed Zuhair's transfer from Guantanamo has been authorized, indicating that the US government does not intend to charge him with any offense;
- calling for the immediate release from Guantanamo of Ahmed Zuhair.
APPEALS TO:
The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General
US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Fax: 1 202 307 6777
Email: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
Salutation: Dear Attorney General
The Honorable Robert Gates
US Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301
Fax: 1 703 571 8951
Salutation: Dear Secretary of Defense
Gregory Craig, Counsel to the President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Fax: 1 202 456 2461
Salutation: Dear Mr Craig
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office, if sending appeals after 3 April 2009.
----------------------------------
Tip of the Month:
Use shortcuts: Do whatever is necessary to make your letter
writing as quick and easy as possible. This way, letters
will not be put off and they can be sent out sooner. Start
by making a generic file for each type of concern;
paragraphs on torture, the death penalty, disappearances,
denial of medical care and so on, can be copied into your
working file and edited as needed.
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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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
20 February 2009
Further Information on UA 38/09 (11 February 2009) - Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture and other ill-treatment
DEMOCRATIC REPUBIC OF CONGO (DRC)
Pepe Nginamau Malaba (m), trade unionist
On 17 February, after nearly one month in illegal incommunicado detention, trade union leader Pepe Nginamau Malaba was transferred to Kinshasa's central prison, the Centre Penitentiaire et de Reeducation de Kinshasa (CPRK).
On 19 February he appeared before a Kinshasa magistrates court, accompanied by his lawyer, where he was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.
In the CPRK, Pepe Nginamau Malaba has access to legal representation, family visits and basic medical care. Amnesty International considers that he is no longer at risk of torture or ill-treatment. However, the organization remains concerned that he might be a prisoner of conscience and will continue to follow the case closely.
UA appeals appear to have been decisive in securing his release from incommunicado detention. Thank you to all who sent appeals. No further action is needed.
received the original UA when issued on December 23, 2008. Thanks!
20 February 2009
Further information on UA 350/08 (23 December 2008) – Health concern/Legal concern
USA Ahmed Zaid Salem Zuhair (m), Saudi Arabian national, aged 44
The medical condition of Guantanamo detainee Ahmed Zuhair, who has been on hunger strike and a force feeding regime since 2005, has worsened. On a recent visit to meet him at the base, his US lawyers observed a marked deterioration in his health since they last met with him in mid-December.
According to his US lawyers in information recently filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia (DC), when they met with Ahmed Zuhair on 11 and 12 February, he was shackled to a gurney (trolley stretcher) and was repeatedly given "large quantities of painkillers by medical personnel". Guantanamo staff informed the lawyers that Ahmed Zuhair had recently suffered a fall in his cell. He was brought to the meetings, which were held in the base's Camp Echo, from the Detainee Hospital at Camp Delta.
The lawyers have said that his pain during their meetings with him was evident and that he could not sit up: "Even though Mr Zuhair was administered painkillers, any movement of the gurney caused him to wince in pain, and his own movements were slow and limited to slight gestures". The lawyers have also reported that Zuhair's weight was "perilously low": "He appeared to weigh approximately 100 pounds, his biceps were roughly the thickness of his wrists, his eyes were sunken, and his cheekbones were sharp and gaunt. Mr Zuhair was considerably fatigued and unable to speak above a whisper for the entirety of the meeting." Ahmed Zuhair's own account of his condition and treatment remains classified.
In a separate development, his lawyers discovered on 21 January that Ahmed Zuhair has been approved for transfer from Guantanamo. They made the discovery by chance; the US authorities did not notify them. The government has now said that the approval for his transfer was made on 23 December 2008. The Guantanamo authorities notified Ahmed Zuhair on 10 February, on the eve of his meeting with his lawyers, that he had been authorized for transfer from Guantanamo. The written notice to him states that "while your transfer has been authorized, the date of such transfer depends on the United States reaching agreement with your country of origin or another country, to accept you". The notice stated that "negotiating these agreements can in certain circumstances take considerable time", adding that "although the United States will attempt to transfer you as soon as possible no date has been set for your transfer". Other detainees have been held for years since their release from the base has been approved under the administrative review scheme. Ahmed Zuhair's lawyers have said that he "affirmatively wishes to return to his family and homeland [Saudi Arabia], where he has never run afoul of the law".
Ahmed Zuhair has been in detention for more than seven years without charge or trial. According to his 2008 petition for habeas corpus, in late December 2001 Ahmed Zuhair was seized in a market in Lahore, Pakistan, by a dozen men in civilian clothes. He was blindfolded and taken to a house in a residential area of Lahore, where, he said, he was tortured and otherwise ill-treated. In early January 2002, he was transferred to a military facility in the capital, Islamabad, and held incommunicado there for about 10 weeks: in mid-March 2002 he was handed over to US custody and held in Bagram air base in Afghanistan. In June 2002 he was transferred to detention in Kandahar, where he was held for two weeks. He said he was ill-treated in US custody in Afghanistan, including forced prolonged kneeling and stripping during interrogations. He was transported to Guantanamo in June 2002. Ahmed Zuhair began his hunger strike in mid- 2005, to protest at his indefinite detention without charge and the conditions in which he is detained. He has been force fed since August 2005.
Ahmed Zuhair’s lawyers filed an emergency motion in District Court in late November 2008 in relation to his deteriorating health. On 22 December, Judge Emmett Sullivan ordered the authorities to allow a court-appointed independent medical expert to examine Ahmed Zuhair. He also ordered the government to release Zuhair's medical records to his lawyers. Judge Sullivan made the decision on the grounds that Zuhair must be medically fit enough to have "meaningful access to counsel", and so that his lawyers "are able to adequately communicate with him" in his habeas corpus challenge. On 16 January 2009, Judge Sullivan appointed the independent expert suggested by Zuhair's lawyers to conduct a "comprehensive medical and psychiatric evaluation" of Ahmed Zuhair, and ordered that she and an independent interpreter be provided transport to Guantanamo and access to the detainee, that she be given access to all Zuhair's medical records and records relating to his force feeding, and allowed to speak with personnel at Guantanamo regarding Zuhair's medical and mental health and the feeding process. No further details are publicly available.
On 23 January, around the seventh anniversary of Ahmed Zuhair being taken into US custody, his lawyers filed a petition pointing out that their client "continues to languish in Guantanamo Bay without charge, trial or due process" and with no "definitive judicial determination as to the legality of his detention". They argued that the need for the "prompt habeas corpus hearing" ordered by the US Supreme Court's Boumediene v. Bush ruling seven months earlier was "especially pressing as he nears the fourth anniversary of his hunger strike protesting his indefinite and arbitrary imprisonment".
On 22 January, President Obama signed three executive orders on detentions and interrogations (see: The promise of real change: President Obama's executive orders on detentions and interrogations, 30 January 2009, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/015/2009/en). One of the orders required his administration to close the Guantanamo Bay detention facility "as soon as practicable" and to conduct a review of all the cases of detainees held there to decide what should happen to them. For more information on Amnesty International's Counter Terror with Justice campaign and to take further action visit http://obama100days.amnesty.org/.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- expressing concern about the deteriorating health of
Guantanamo detainee Ahmed Zuhair, who has been in US custody without charge for more than seven years and on hunger strike since 2005;
- calling for an immediate end to the use of the restraint chair against Ahmed Zuhair during force feeding;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that Ahmed Zuhair receives all necessary medical treatment;
- noting that Ahmed Zuhair's transfer from Guantanamo has been authorized, indicating that the US government does not intend to charge him with any offense;
- calling for the immediate release from Guantanamo of Ahmed Zuhair.
APPEALS TO:
The Honorable Eric Holder
Attorney General
US Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Fax: 1 202 307 6777
Email: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov
Salutation: Dear Attorney General
The Honorable Robert Gates
US Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301
Fax: 1 703 571 8951
Salutation: Dear Secretary of Defense
Gregory Craig, Counsel to the President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Fax: 1 202 456 2461
Salutation: Dear Mr Craig
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action Office, if sending appeals after 3 April 2009.
----------------------------------
Tip of the Month:
Use shortcuts: Do whatever is necessary to make your letter
writing as quick and easy as possible. This way, letters
will not be put off and they can be sent out sooner. Start
by making a generic file for each type of concern;
paragraphs on torture, the death penalty, disappearances,
denial of medical care and so on, can be copied into your
working file and edited as needed.
** 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
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
20 February 2009
Further Information on UA 38/09 (11 February 2009) - Incommunicado detention/Fear of torture and other ill-treatment
DEMOCRATIC REPUBIC OF CONGO (DRC)
Pepe Nginamau Malaba (m), trade unionist
On 17 February, after nearly one month in illegal incommunicado detention, trade union leader Pepe Nginamau Malaba was transferred to Kinshasa's central prison, the Centre Penitentiaire et de Reeducation de Kinshasa (CPRK).
On 19 February he appeared before a Kinshasa magistrates court, accompanied by his lawyer, where he was remanded on charges of falsifying documents.
In the CPRK, Pepe Nginamau Malaba has access to legal representation, family visits and basic medical care. Amnesty International considers that he is no longer at risk of torture or ill-treatment. However, the organization remains concerned that he might be a prisoner of conscience and will continue to follow the case closely.
UA appeals appear to have been decisive in securing his release from incommunicado detention. Thank you to all who sent appeals. No further action is needed.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Urgent Action 2/18/09
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/uaa04609.pdf
18 February 2009
UA 46/09 Fear for safety
COLOMBIA Hollman Morris (m), journalist
His family and colleagues
Journalist Hollman Morris has received numerous threatening e-mails accusing him of being a member of a guerrilla group, and saying that he should die. He, his family and his colleagues are in danger.
In the last week of January Hollman Morris was in a remote part of the southern department of Caqueta, trying to arrange an interview with representatives of the largest guerrilla organization, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, for his investigative television program CONTRAVIA, which he both directs and presents.
While he was carrying out his investigative work, the FARC released three police officers and a soldier they had been holding hostage since 2007. The FARC had told Hollman Morris they were preparing to release the soldier and police officers so he was able to be present when it took place, on 1 February.
A few days after the release, the authorities accused him of having links with the FARC. Referring to Hollman Morris and another Colombian journalist who was also present during the release, on 3 February President Uribe told a press conference that it was “important to distinguish between friends of terrorists who act as journalists and those who are real journalists” (una cosa son aquellos amigos del terrorismo que fungen como periodistas y otra cosa son los
periodistas). He also said that the actions of Hollman Morris and the other journalist were “deceitful and a glorification of terrorism” (un engano y se convirtio simplemente en una exaltacion al terrorismo). The same day in a radio interview the Minister of Defense also said that with his actions Hollman Morris had “made a statement justifying violence” (una apologia de la violencia). He
also said that he “had a lot in common with the FARC” (era afin a las FARC).
Since these statements were made the CONTRAVIA e-mail address has been swamped with messages accusing Hollman Morris of being a guerrilla, and threatening him with death.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
During Colombia’s 40-year armed conflict, which has pitted the security forces and paramilitary groups against guerrilla groups, those accused of collaborating with one side or the other are often threatened, abducted or killed.
Journalists and human rights defenders who have campaigned for justice in cases of human rights violations committed by the security forces or paramilitary groups have often been threatened or attacked. Guerrilla groups have also threatened or killed human rights defenders they consider to be siding with the enemy.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities to guarantee the safety of the journalist Hollman Morris, his family and the people who work with him on the production of the investigative program CONTRAVIA, using all measures deemed appropriate by those at risk;
- calling on the authorities to order a full and impartial investigation into the threatening emails sent to CONTRAVIA, publish the results and bring those responsible to justice;
- urging the authorities not to make unfounded accusations linking journalists, human rights defenders and trade unionists with guerrilla groups, because these threats can lead to those they accuse being threatened or killed.
APPEALS TO:
President
Senor Presidente Alvaro Uribe Velez
Presidente de la Republica,
Palacio de Narino,
Carrera 8 No.7-2, Bogota,
COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 337 5890
Salutation: Dear President Uribe/Excmo. Sr. Presidente Uribe
Minister of Defense
Dr. Juan Manuel Santos
Avenida El Dorado,
Carrera 52 OFI. 217,
Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN),
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 266 1003 (Ask: “me da tono de fax, por favor”)
Salutation: Dear Dr Santos/Estimado Dr. Santos
Vice-President
Dr. Francisco Santos Calderon
Vicepresidencia,
Carrera 8A No 7-27,
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 565 7682 (Ask: “me da tono de fax por favor”)
Salutation: Dear Vice-president Santos/Estimado Sr. Vicepresidente Santos
COPIES TO:
Hollman Morris’s TV company
Morris Producciones
Calle 79 B No 7-60
Bogota
COLOMBIA
Ambassador Maria Carolina Barco Isakson
Embassy of Colombia
1101 17th St, NW
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 1 202 332 7180
Email: cwashington@cancilleria.gov.co
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 1 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
- 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/uaa04609.pdf
18 February 2009
UA 46/09 Fear for safety
COLOMBIA Hollman Morris (m), journalist
His family and colleagues
Journalist Hollman Morris has received numerous threatening e-mails accusing him of being a member of a guerrilla group, and saying that he should die. He, his family and his colleagues are in danger.
In the last week of January Hollman Morris was in a remote part of the southern department of Caqueta, trying to arrange an interview with representatives of the largest guerrilla organization, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, for his investigative television program CONTRAVIA, which he both directs and presents.
While he was carrying out his investigative work, the FARC released three police officers and a soldier they had been holding hostage since 2007. The FARC had told Hollman Morris they were preparing to release the soldier and police officers so he was able to be present when it took place, on 1 February.
A few days after the release, the authorities accused him of having links with the FARC. Referring to Hollman Morris and another Colombian journalist who was also present during the release, on 3 February President Uribe told a press conference that it was “important to distinguish between friends of terrorists who act as journalists and those who are real journalists” (una cosa son aquellos amigos del terrorismo que fungen como periodistas y otra cosa son los
periodistas). He also said that the actions of Hollman Morris and the other journalist were “deceitful and a glorification of terrorism” (un engano y se convirtio simplemente en una exaltacion al terrorismo). The same day in a radio interview the Minister of Defense also said that with his actions Hollman Morris had “made a statement justifying violence” (una apologia de la violencia). He
also said that he “had a lot in common with the FARC” (era afin a las FARC).
Since these statements were made the CONTRAVIA e-mail address has been swamped with messages accusing Hollman Morris of being a guerrilla, and threatening him with death.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
During Colombia’s 40-year armed conflict, which has pitted the security forces and paramilitary groups against guerrilla groups, those accused of collaborating with one side or the other are often threatened, abducted or killed.
Journalists and human rights defenders who have campaigned for justice in cases of human rights violations committed by the security forces or paramilitary groups have often been threatened or attacked. Guerrilla groups have also threatened or killed human rights defenders they consider to be siding with the enemy.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- urging the authorities to guarantee the safety of the journalist Hollman Morris, his family and the people who work with him on the production of the investigative program CONTRAVIA, using all measures deemed appropriate by those at risk;
- calling on the authorities to order a full and impartial investigation into the threatening emails sent to CONTRAVIA, publish the results and bring those responsible to justice;
- urging the authorities not to make unfounded accusations linking journalists, human rights defenders and trade unionists with guerrilla groups, because these threats can lead to those they accuse being threatened or killed.
APPEALS TO:
President
Senor Presidente Alvaro Uribe Velez
Presidente de la Republica,
Palacio de Narino,
Carrera 8 No.7-2, Bogota,
COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 337 5890
Salutation: Dear President Uribe/Excmo. Sr. Presidente Uribe
Minister of Defense
Dr. Juan Manuel Santos
Avenida El Dorado,
Carrera 52 OFI. 217,
Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN),
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 266 1003 (Ask: “me da tono de fax, por favor”)
Salutation: Dear Dr Santos/Estimado Dr. Santos
Vice-President
Dr. Francisco Santos Calderon
Vicepresidencia,
Carrera 8A No 7-27,
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 565 7682 (Ask: “me da tono de fax por favor”)
Salutation: Dear Vice-president Santos/Estimado Sr. Vicepresidente Santos
COPIES TO:
Hollman Morris’s TV company
Morris Producciones
Calle 79 B No 7-60
Bogota
COLOMBIA
Ambassador Maria Carolina Barco Isakson
Embassy of Colombia
1101 17th St, NW
Washington DC 20036
Fax: 1 202 332 7180
Email: cwashington@cancilleria.gov.co
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 1 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.
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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
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Minutes 2-12-09 (Late, sorry)
Amnesty International meeting 2/12/09:
Happy Birthday NAACP
Today, 5:30p
Blume Board room.
Boxes and Walls
Set up on Tuesday the 17 at 4:00
The actual event is Tuesday, February 17 through Thursday, February 19
It’s open from 5p to 9p every night
Frick Center
Walk for Hope
Saturday, May 2, 2009. The Niebuhr Center Team
630-617-3643 or email cassandras@elmhurst.edu
(Cassandra Sheffield)
Women of Atenco Rally
Friday March 6 12-1
In May 06 in Antenco a number of women were arrested, and subsequently held and beaten. There have been no charges to those in authority, now, two years later, justice has still not been served.
Contact Sara E if you want to go.
Death Penalty Lobby Day
Thursday March 12 6am-7pm
Talk to Sara E if you want to go.
Youth Rally for Darfur
Sometime in April- info to come.
Equal Pay Day
April 28 (Progressive Organization of Women- POW)
Freedom Fest
May 1: International Worker’s rights day
Rally in Chicago
May 4-8
Monday:
All day: American Friends service commitee: boots on the mall
Evening: Robert Shultz
Wednesday:
Fair Trade Bazaar 11-1, outside? (SLC)
Friday:
All Day: Interfaith Habitat (contact person: Soofia, SLC )
Evening: Concert (contact person: Sara E)
Guerilla Theater?
THEN WE WROTE LETTERS!!!! THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD COME TO THE MEETINGS, TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
Remember that if you bring your letters to the Niebhur Center, they will send them out for you.
EC Amnesty International Urgent Action Blog: http://ecamnesty.blogspot.com/
Happy Birthday NAACP
Today, 5:30p
Blume Board room.
Boxes and Walls
Set up on Tuesday the 17 at 4:00
The actual event is Tuesday, February 17 through Thursday, February 19
It’s open from 5p to 9p every night
Frick Center
Walk for Hope
Saturday, May 2, 2009. The Niebuhr Center Team
630-617-3643 or email cassandras@elmhurst.edu
(Cassandra Sheffield)
Women of Atenco Rally
Friday March 6 12-1
In May 06 in Antenco a number of women were arrested, and subsequently held and beaten. There have been no charges to those in authority, now, two years later, justice has still not been served.
Contact Sara E if you want to go.
Death Penalty Lobby Day
Thursday March 12 6am-7pm
Talk to Sara E if you want to go.
Youth Rally for Darfur
Sometime in April- info to come.
Equal Pay Day
April 28 (Progressive Organization of Women- POW)
Freedom Fest
May 1: International Worker’s rights day
Rally in Chicago
May 4-8
Monday:
All day: American Friends service commitee: boots on the mall
Evening: Robert Shultz
Wednesday:
Fair Trade Bazaar 11-1, outside? (SLC)
Friday:
All Day: Interfaith Habitat (contact person: Soofia, SLC )
Evening: Concert (contact person: Sara E)
Guerilla Theater?
THEN WE WROTE LETTERS!!!! THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD COME TO THE MEETINGS, TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
Remember that if you bring your letters to the Niebhur Center, they will send them out for you.
EC Amnesty International Urgent Action Blog: http://ecamnesty.blogspot.com/
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