Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News Volume XIII Number 10, October 2005 UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday, October 27, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting Caltech Y is located off San Pasqual between Hill and Holliston, south side. You will see two curving walls forming a gate to a path-- our building is just beyond. Help us plan future actions on Sudan, the War on Terror, death penalty and more. Sunday, October 30, 7:00 PM. Human Dignity Under Assault: The Use of Torture in the War on Terror. All Saints Church, 132 N. Euclid Ave, Pasadena. Speakers: Jennifer Harbury, STOP Torture Campaign, Maria LaHood, Center for Constitutional Rights, Rev. Edward Bacon, All Saints Church, Rabbi Steven Jacobs, Kol Tikvah Synagogue, Dr. Nazir Khaja, Islamic Service Center. This forum seeks to educate the public about torture and to rally support behind the growing call for an independent investigation on the War on Terror. This event marks an important milestone in Amnesty's Denounce Torture campaign, as sponsorship of this event will be shared with a number of religious and inter-faith groups. Amnesty recognizes the importance of involving religious community in public debate and public action on the subject of torture and US policies and practices. Prior to the forum, Amnesty and All Saints will hold an Interfaith Service at 5:30 PM followed by a meal ($8 suggested donation) at 6:00. Questions? Call/email 310-815-0450/aiusala@aiusa.org. To RSVP for the 6:00 meal: 626-583-2734. Tuesday, November 8, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum. Corner of California & Hill. Look for our table downstairs in the cafeteria area. This informal gathering is a great for newcomers to get acquainted with Amnesty! November 11-13. AIUSA Western Regional Conference in San Francisco (more info inside). Thursday, November 17, 7:30 PM. (Moved to Earlier Date due to Thanksgiving!). Monthly Meeting. Caltech Y (see Oct 27 for location details). Sunday, November 20. 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM (aprox). Doo-Dah Parade! We are recruiting volunteers now. Entry fees are $10 per person. We provide all props and costuming. If you are interested in participating, or have questions, please contact us at: phone: (626) 795-1785 email: aigp22@its.caltech.edu Sunday, November 20, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group. Vroman's Book Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This month we read Ken Wiwa's memoir of his father, Nigerian writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro Wiwa, In the Shadow of a Saint. (More below.) Saturday, December 10. International Human Rights Day. Group 22 is planning a write-athon. Stay tuned for details. Saturday, December 12. Vigils and Demonstrations prior to the execution of California Death Row inmate Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Details later. COORDINATOR'S CORNER Ten years ago on November 10, the Nigerian government executed writer and environmentalist, Ken Saro-Wiwa. The campaign to save his life was unprecedented in its global reach and unique in the collaboration between human rights, labor and environmental groups it produced. The reaction to his death was also unprecedented in the shock and outrage felt by those activists who worked on the case. This month, Amnesty releases a report on the human costs of the Nigerian oil industry ten years after Saro-Wiwa's death. We'll have more on this in our next newsletter. Meanwhile, Group 22's book group commemorates the occasion by taking up Ken Wiwa's powerful memoir of his father, In the Shadow of a Saint. For more information on the worldwide effort to honor Saro-Wiwa's legacy visit, www.priceofoil.org and www.remembersarowiwa.org. After hearing the protests of the United States government regarding the execution of Saro-Wiwa, the Nigerian government actually turned around and pointed a finger at the US and said, more or less, "but you execute your criminals too!" The company we keep when it comes to the death penalty! We are fast approaching another kind of memorial benchmark, the 1000th execution since reinstatement of the death penalty in 1976. California finds itself in the running to take this dubious honor with three, that's right, three, scheduled executions in the coming months. We focus this month on Stanley "Tookie" Williams whose execution is set for December 13 and we will take up the cases of Clarence Ray Allen (January 17) and Michael Morales (February) in later newsletters. After our successful event (thanks all who helped!) last month with All Saints Church in raising awareness about Tookie's case and meeting his collaborator Barbara Becnel we are very committed to Tookie's clemency drive and the campaign for a moratorium on California executions. Two other notable reports were issued this month, The Rest of Their Lives: Life Without Parole for Child Offenders in the United States, and Stonewalled: Police abuse and misconduct against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the US. An action related to the Stonewalled report is featured in this newsletter. Visit the AIUSA website to learn more: www.amnestyusa.org We have a very busy couple of months ahead of us! Please take note of our Up-coming Events column and sync it up with your activist calendar and get involved. We know this is the busiest time of year for many, but what better way to give thanks and make peace and goodwill than by giving a little of your time to the cause of human rights! Martha Ter Maat aigp22@caltech.edu REGIONAL CONFERENCE IN SF November 11-13, 2005, Western Regional Conference: A Turning Point for Human Rights. Holiday Inn Golden Gateway (1500 Van Ness Ave.) San Francisco, 415-441-4000. Featured speakers include: Dolores Huerta: Founder and Vice President of the United Farm Workers. Rebiya Kadeer: Former Prisoner of Conscience in China. Jenny Martinez: Assistant Professor of Law at Stanford University, who argued Rumsfeld v. Padilla, a landmark case for civil liberties, in the Supreme Court. Michael J. Brennan: Clinical Professor of Law at USC, advocate against the death penalty. Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey Markos Kounalakis: President and publisher of the Washington Monthly; journalist and author covering wars and revolutions. Banafsheh Akhlaghi: President, National Legal Sanctuary for Community Advancement Van Jones: National Executive Director of the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights Lawrence C. Marshall: Professor of Law at Stanford, co-founder of the Center on Wrongful Convictions. Eva Paterson: President, Equal Justice Society, a national organization dedicated to changing the law through progressive legal theory, public policy and practice. Dave Eggers: Author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and Surviving Justice: America's Wrongfully Convicted and Exonerated. He founded 826 Valencia, a writing lab for youth. Lucas Guttentag: National Director, Immigrants Rights Project, ACLU Steve Fainaru: Iraq correspondent, The Washington Post Also: Workshops and Roundtable Discussions, Student and Local Group Caucuses, Poetry Slam, Policy-Making Sessions, ITVS Film Screenings and more. To register or for more info visit http://www.amnestyusa.org/events/western/regionalconference.html. Download a registration form or contact the Western Regional Office at 310-815-0450 or aiusala@aiusa.org for a registration brochure. DEATH PENALTY California Execution set for December 13 California death row inmates Stanley "Tookie" Williams, Clarence Ray Allen and Michael Morales lost their Supreme Court appeals this month. Williams' execution date has been set for December 13, Allen's for January 17 and Morales' sometime in February. We focus this month on requesting clemency for Tookie Williams on the passage of AB 1121 the California Moratorium on Executions Act which would benefit all three men. WHAT YOU CAN DO: If you missed our recent screening of Redemption, the film made about Tookie's life starring Jamie Foxx, rent it to learn more about the case! Visit Tookie's website to sign the online clemency petition to Governor Schwarzenegger and download petitions to circulate: www.savetookie.org Learn more about the death penalty and find talking points to use on your elected representatives as well as friends and family by visiting the Death Penalty Information Center's website: www.deathpenaltyinfo.org Send letters and emails requesting clemency for Tookie to the Governor and the Parole Board: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: 916-445-2841 Fax: 916-445-4633 To send an Electronic Mail please visit: http://www.govmail.ca.gov Board of Parole Hearings 1515 K Street Suite 600 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 445-4072 http://www.bpt.ca.gov/about_us.asp Some background from Death Penalty Focus follows which you can use for your letters: Stanley Williams was convicted in 1981 of killing four people during two robberies in the Los Angeles area. One robbery took place at a convenience store where a white male, Albert Lewis Owens who was employed there was shot to death. The other robbery took place at a family-owned motel where Tsai-Shen Yang, Yen-Yi Yang and Ye-Chen Lin were shot and killed. Williams was sentenced to death for these four murders. Prior to being convicted of these four murders, Williams had never been to prison and had never been convicted of a felony. This case depends on the testimony of unreliable informant witnesses. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals described the key witnesses in this case as having "less-than-clean backgrounds and incentives to lie in order to obtain leniency from the state in either charging or sentencing." One key witness, a co-participant in the alleged crimes, was beaten so severely by police that his ribs were broken. Two other key witnesses, who produced the gun that allegedly linked Williams to the crime, were themselves under investigation for capital murder when they implicated Williams. These witnesses were never charged for murder or any of the crimes they were suspected of. Race is a factor in this case. The Williams trial was tainted by racism from beginning to end. First, the prosecutor moved the trial from a relatively diverse part of Los Angeles County to a predominantly white area, limiting the number of African-Americans called as potential jurors. The prosecutor then dismissed every potential juror identified as African-American. The California Supreme Court reversed two other death sentences obtained by this very same prosecutor for the very same reason: racial bias in jury selection. The prosecutor concluded by using a racially-charged language in his closing argument. Williams had an ineffective, poorly qualified lawyer. Williams' attorney never objected to the improper exclusion of three potential African-American jurors from the jury pool, despite the fact the he knew it was unconstitutional. His failure to do so constitutes ineffective assistance of counsel. In addition, Williams' attorney never presented any mitigation evidence during the sentencing phase of the trial. Other serious mistakes were made. Judges are required to caution the jury about the unreliable testimony of informant witnesses, however, the judge in this case failed to give any cautionary instructions. The jury also erroneously considered more special circumstances then legally applied. How can we execute Williams while the Justice Commission investigates these issues? The California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice has been established to study exactly these kinds of mistakes. No one should be executed while the Justice Commission is conducting this in-depth study. The Justice Commission must report its recommendations to the Governor and Legislature by Dec. 31, 2007. Williams deserves clemency. Judge Procter Hug of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said in a 2002 ruling against Williams, "We are aware of Williams' . . . Nobel Peace Prize nomination for his laudable efforts opposing gang violence from his prison cell, notably his line of children's books (titled) 'Tookie Speaks Out Against Gang Violence,' and his creation of the Internet Project for Street Peace. Williams' good works and accomplishments since incarceration may make him a worthy candidate for the exercise of gubernatorial discretion." Williams has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and the Nobel Prize for Literature because of the tremendous impact his work and his books about ending gang violence have had on youth around the world. Executing Williams will not only rob California of a valuable anti-gang activist, but will rob children around that world of a person that has had a positive impact on their lives. What kind of message will this send? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Finally, Write to your Assemblyman/woman in support of AB 1121 California Moratorium on Executions Act. The act, if passed, would suspend all executions in California until January 1, 2009 while the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice conducts a thorough study of the state's criminal justice procedures. Even if you have already written (thanks!) please write again emphasizing the urgency of passing this legislation in view of the three pending executions. Sample Letter: Assemblymember _________________ State Capitol Sacramento, CA 94249 Dear Assemblymember __________, I am writing in support of AB 1121, which calls for a two-year moratorium on executions in California. As your constituent, I respectfully request that you consider becoming a co-author of this very important piece of legislation. Recent events, including technological advances, have revealed that innocent people are being sentenced to death at an alarming rate. In fact, since the early 1970s, 119 of this nation's death row inmates have been exonerated, in some cases escaping death by hours. Six were wrongfully convicted right here in California. This kind of grave error is unacceptable; the wrongful execution of even one person is one too many. AB 1121 temporary suspends executions in California while the California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, a bipartisan commission created by the state Senate last year, investigates the causes of wrongful conviction and the application of criminal justice in this state. The Commission will release their findings no later than December 31, 2007. AB 1121 does not call for abolition of the death penalty. Rather, it calls for a temporary suspension of executions while the Commission completes its research, and until the Legislature is able to fully consider the Commission's findings. The Legislature can repeal the moratorium at any time. However, if the Legislature chooses not to act, the moratorium shall end on January 1, 2009. A California Field Poll shows that 73% of Californians favor a temporary suspension of executions while the reliability and fairness of the death penalty are studied. More than 40% of these people are supporters of the death penalty. In addition, over 430 organizations -- representing diverse constituencies -- have passed resolutions calling on Governor Schwarzenegger to suspend executions. Please join me in supporting AB 1121. Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS To look up your state representatives visit: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html. RIGHTS READERS Human Rights Book Discussion Group Vroman's Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena Sunday, November 20, 6:30 PM In the Shadow of a Saint by Ken Wiwa In 1995, the little-known Ogoni region in Nigeria became a fable for our times. Ken Saro-Wiwa, a renowned writer and environmentalist, was campaigning to protect his Ogoni people against the encroachments of Shell Oil and a brutal dictatorship. He was imprisoned, tortured, brought to trial on trumped-up charges, and executed. At the heart of the public campaign to save Ken Saro-Wiwa was Ken Wiwa - the author's son - who lobbied world leaders and moblilized public opinion, so that his father was recognized as a hero and a symbol of the struggle for environmental justice. Ken Wiwa tells the story - from a human, anecdotal perspective - of what it means to grow up as a child in the shadow of such extraordinary men and women. In the end, it's about Ken's attempts to make peace with himself and his father - following his journey as he reaches toward a final rendezvous with the father who was executed. OUTFRONT Justice for Transgender Woman in Sacramento This month AIUSA issued a new report, Stonewalled: Police abuse and misconduct against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the US. The report is available on line at www.amnestyusa.org/outfront. Below is a sample letter on one of the featured cases. Captain Mark Iwasa Sacramento County Main Jail 651 I Street Sacramento, CA 95814-2400 Sheriff Lou Blanas Sacramento County Sheriff's Department 711 G Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Dear Sheriff Blanas/ Captain Iwasa, I write with grave concern regarding the alleged ill-treatment of Kelly McAllister, a transgender woman, by Sacramento County Sheriff's Department deputies, corrections officers and inmates in August 2002. On August 16, 2002, Kelly McAllister was reportedly beaten, pepper sprayed, hog-tied, and dragged across the hot pavement faced down by arresting deputies from the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department. It was also reported that Kelly McAllister's repeated request to use a toilet were refused by officers, causing her to defecate in her clothing while hog-tied in the car. At the Sacramento County Main Jail, she was allegedly subjected to humiliating and threatening treatment, including transphobic verbal abuse, by Sheriff's deputies, jail personnel and other inmates. On September 6, 2002, while Kelly McAllister was being detained in the Sacramento County Main Jail, the deputies and correction officers put her in a cell with a male inmate who reportedly proceeded to strike, choke, bit and rape her. While the SCSD did conduct an investigation leading to the inmate pleading guilty to "unlawful intercourse in jail," the SCSD did not investigate the alleged abuses by its own deputies and corrections officers, including their culpability for the rape of Kelly McAllister. By failing to protect Kelly McAllister in custody and by putting her at particular risk by holding her in a cell with a male prisoner, the authorities are responsible for her alleged ill-treatment and, in case of the rape, torture. The lack of a thorough investigation of the culpability of the deputies and corrections officers at the SCSD and the Sacramento County Main Jail violates the principle of "due diligence" in international law that requires authorities to take appropriate steps to prevent abuses, to investigate them when they occur, and to bring perpetrators to justice in fair proceedings. Furthermore, Kelly McAllister's ill-treatment by officers and other inmates is a violation of international human rights law and norms that guarantee every individual's right to be free from discrimination, and torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. -- I urge you to investigate thoroughly the culpability of deputies and corrections officers at the Sacramento County Main Jail for the rape of Kelly McAllister by another inmate. -- I call on you to conduct an immediate and full investigation into the allegations of use of excessive force during Kelly McAllister's arrest. -- I ask that the results of your investigations be made public and that any law enforcement officer found guilty be disciplined, or where appropriate, be prosecuted. -- I urge you to ban the use of hog-tying, as it has been found that it can lead to death by "positional asphyxia," and to establish strict guidelines and limitations in the use of pepper-spray or stop its use altogether. -- Finally, I call on the Sacramento Sheriff's Department and the Sacramento County Main Jail to implement effectively and immediately the new guidelines that have reportedly been developed pertaining to the detention of transgender individuals. It is important that you send a clear message affirming that the human rights of ALL people will be respected and protected, regardless of a person's real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. You must send a clear message by taking appropriate actions that police abuse and misconduct will not be tolerated and that any officer found guilty of committing human rights violations will be brought to justice. Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS LETTER COUNT Sudan 10 Control Arms Campaign 11 War on Terror 1 Vietnam POC 10 OutFront 2 Death Penalty 10 Urgent Actions 36 Total: 90 To add your letters to the total contact lwkamp@sbcglobal.net DENOUNCE TORTURE Secret Detentions in Egypt Sample Letter: Minister of the Interior General Habib Ibrahim El Adly Ministry of the Interior Al-Sheikh Rihan Street, Bab al-Louk Cairo, Egypt Dear Minister: I write concerning the treatment of individuals in the "war on terror." I strongly condemn the acts of violence and terrorism that have killed civilians and instilled fear around the world. I also strongly oppose the violations that are taking place against individuals who have become the detainees caught up in a "war on terror" dragnet. These individuals are being held without charge, indefinitely, and in some cases in secret facilities that even deny access to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Many are reported to have been tortured or subjected to other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. Such cases are featured in a recent report by Amnesty International, entitled USA/Jordan/Yemen: Torture and Secret Detention: Testimony of the 'disappeared' in the 'war on terror'. According to Amnesty International, Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan may be detained in Egypt and at risk of torture or ill-treatment. Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan was abducted on a street in Milan and allegedly driven to the U.S. air base in Aviano, Italy, where he was interrogated and drugged before being taken to the U.S. military base in Ramstein, Germany. From there he was flown to Egypt, where he was allegedly tortured, including with electric shocks. Although released in 2004, he was rearrested and remains held in an unknown place of detention. It has been suggested that he may again be detained in Damanhour prison. The widespread and systematic practice of torture in Egypt has persisted despite its prohibition under domestic and international law. For well over a decade, specialized UN expert bodies, including the Committee Against Torture and international and national human rights organizations, have been documenting cases of torture and ill-treatment, including deaths, in Egyptian custody. Secret detentions, torture, and ill-treatment by Egyptian officials must stop. I ask the Egyptian government to disclose the location where Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan was previously held, clarify whether he remains in detention in Egypt, and if so, provide details of the charges against him. If Osama Nasr Mostafa Hassan is detained in Egypt, I ask that you ensure that he is promptly prosecuted for internationally recognizable criminal offences and in accordance with international standards of fairness - otherwise he should be released. Wherever it has occurred, perpetrators of torture or other cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment should be punished according to international and domestic laws. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, YOUR NAME and ADDRESS VIETNAM POC Brother Nguyen Thien Phung Released! Brother Nguyen Thien Phung, Group 22's recently adopted prisoner of conscience, has been released! We found this announcement at the Amnesty International webstie: "Brother Nguyen Thien Phung (Huan) was released on 1 September after spending 18 years in prison in Viet Nam. He was among a group of 23 Roman Catholic monks and priests arrested in May 1987 for holding training courses and distributing religious books without government permission during raids on Thu Duc monastery, near Ho Chi Minh City." As many of you know, Group 22 only adopted Brother Nguyen's case in May of this year. That is the month when AI sent out a general urgent action about him. So our group really can't claim much credit for his release, although our letters and petition signatures certainly added to the cumulative pressure of world opinion that eventually resulted in his release. This is one more of Amnesty's success stories! Congratulations to the AI groups in France, Spain, Australia, Canada, Sweden, and New Zealand who have worked on behalf of Brother Nguyen! Several of these groups spent many years on his case, and they must be very happy indeed to see their efforts finally rewarded. In February 2005 the Vietnam government released from prison Father Nguyen Van Ly, who was an AI special focus case. A number of other Vietnam prisoners of conscience were also freed this year. We hope that the Vietnam government will continue to demonstrate a sincere commitment to human rights, and that never again will anyone suffer 18 years of harsh imprisonment for expression of his right to religious freedom as did Brother Nguyen Thien Phung. Editor's Last Word: Read us on line: http://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22 Martha Ter Maat, 626-281-4039 / rightsreaders@yahoo.com