Amnesty International Group 22 Pasadena/Caltech News Volume XV Number 6, June 2007 UPCOMING EVENTS Thursday, June 28, 7:30 PM. Monthly Meeting Special Location This Month Only! 187 South Catalina Ave, Unit 2, Pasadena. (This is 2 blocks east of Lake Ave, between Del Mar and Cordoba. Call 626-795-1785 for more information.) Help us plan our group's actions for the coming month. Also, this month, we will be showing an hour-long video documentary called "Dangerous Living", about gay communities in Africa, India, Vietnam and Honduras. Refreshments provided. Tuesday, July 10, 7:30 PM. Letter-writing Meeting at the Athenaeum. Corner of California & Hill. In the summer we meet on the lawn behind the building in the outdoor dining area. Look for the table with the Amnesty sign. This informal gathering is a great way for newcomers to get acquainted with Amnesty! Sunday, July 15, 6:30 PM. Rights Readers Human Rights Book Discussion Group. Vroman's Book Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. This month we read Greg Mortenson's account of building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, Three Cups of Tea (More below). COORDINATOR'S CORNER For example, the underlying premise of representative democracy was that the voters in each constituency would be able to communicate freely within the public forum with the candidates vying to be their representative in Congress and assumed further that they could rely on the free flow of information about that representative's subsequent performance in Congress in order to hold him accountable. (From The Assault on Reason by Al Gore) We experienced some representative democracy on May 29, when Ariel, Christina, Joyce, Martha, Stevi and Wen visited Representative Adam Schiff's office to discuss our prisoners of conscience in Eritrea. Paula arranged the appointment for us. We met at Memorial Park before our appointment to organize our thoughts and then walked to Mr. Schiff's office. As we waited for our appointment, Wen told us about her previous encounters with Mr. Schiff, one of which netted her a certificate of appreciation for translating his remarks into Chinese at a local event. After our meeting began with handshakes all around, Martha gave a short introduction about Group 22. Joyce talked about Eritrea and told Mr. Schiff about the April 23, Congressional letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice regarding prisoners of conscience in Eritrea. He said he would send his own letter modeled after the Congressional letter, which he would have been happy to sign if he'd known about it. He told us world press freedom was a special concern of his, and, indeed, he recently had given a speech on that topic with particular reference to murdered Russian journalists. We, of course, remember Anna Politkovskaya's Putin's Russia and her brutal death. He mentioned the organization Reporters Without Borders. Martha adroitly steered the discussion to our next topic: Internet censorship in China. Wen filled in the details. Mr. Schiff didn't seem familiar with the Global Online Freedom Act. Wen and Martha suggested he support it. He seemed receptive and directed his assistant to make a note to get information on it. As our time came to an end, Martha briefly summarized AI's position on the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007 and asked for his support. Mr. Schiff explained his position on this issue and said he might recommend even stronger legislation. We thought the meeting was productive and Mr. Schiff was receptive to the issues we raised with him. We are happy to introduce Mr. Schiff to our Eritrea work. Many thanks to Paula for arranging the meeting. It was fun, interesting and definitely worthwhile. In fact, Paula suggests we make it an annual event! Maybe some of you will participate next year. Right now you can visit the Rights Readers May 30 blog entry (see http://rightsreaders.blogspot.com) to take action on the issues we discussed with Mr. Schiff. For those of you who may be traveling this summer and find yourselves wandering along U. S. Highway 395, you might consider a stop at the Eastern California Museum in Independence, CA. An exhibit called GULAG: Soviet Forced Labor Camps and the Struggle for Freedom will be there until October 21, 2007. According to the Amnesty website, "the National Park Service, in a unique partnership with the Gulag Museum at Perm-36, the International Memorial Society, and Amnesty International USA, presents the first exhibition on the Belbaltlag-1932. Courtesy of the Central Russian State and Photo Archive." And as long as you are in Independence, you might want to visit Manzanar, the Japanese internment camp six miles south of town. We hope you can join us for letter writing, discussing books, planning our upcoming events, and sharing in delightful conversation and snacks. Good summer to all! Joyce and Stevi aigp22@caltech.edu OUTFRONT Dangerous Living This month at our monthly meeting we will be screening the documentary film "Dangerous Living." (See Up-coming Events for time/location details). Join us for what should be a stimulating discussion. Dangerous Living examines the struggles and triumphs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the Global South. It is the first documentary to deeply explore the lives of GLBT people in non-western cultures. The crew of Dangerous Living traveled to five continents to tell the heartbreaking and triumphant stories of these incredible individuals on film. The persecution of gay men in Egypt attracted much attention from the western press. However, most occurrences of oppression of LGBT individuals around the world receive no media coverage at all. By sharing the personal stories of LGBT activists from other countries, Dangerous Living sheds light on an emerging global movement striving to end the atrocities against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people., OUTFRONT Summer Postcard Action Join us at our July letter-writing meeting for our annual summer postcard action! Right a note of encouragement to threatened and imprisoned activists around the world! William Hernandez, director of Asociación Entre Amigos (Among Friends Association), and his staff have been subjected to death threats and intimidation as a result of their work on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in El Salvador. The issues on which the organization has campaigned include the ability of same-sex couples to marry and adopt children. Their offices have reportedly been ransacked seven times in the past five years. On May 30, 2006, Mr. Hernandez and another staff member discovered that three windows had been broken. No valuable office equipment was stolen in the raid, but files had been searched, and a number of documents were taken, including a hand-written program of the organization's planned activities for June to celebrate sexual diversity. Two written threats were left in the office, one saying, "Fags die" and the other, "This is what you deserve." Two days later on June 1, 2006, William Hernandez was threatened at gunpoint outside his office soon after the police officer assigned to protect him left for the day. The unidentified man approached Hernandez from behind and put a gun to his neck. He cursed and threatened Hernandez, adding, "I already looked inside but didn't find anything. Here I'll find what I'm looking for. Stop f***ing or I'll kill you before you get married." The unidentified man then grabbed the briefcase Hernandez was carrying and ran away. Please send messages of solidarity to the staff of Asociación Entre Amigos. Please send cards of support to: Asociación Entre Amigos Calle San Antonio Abad, Lote 2 Casa Nro. 2562 San Salvador, 503 EL SALVADOR USA/REFUGEES End refugee/migrant child detention This Children's Edition Urgent Action commemorates World Refugee Day (June 20). Amnesty International is concerned about hundreds of migrant* children and their parents who are detained at the Don T. Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas. Before housing children in prison cells, the Hutto building housed convicted criminals. Children from Central America and other parts of the world including Greece, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iraq, Russia and Romania are detained at Hutto, many for months at a time. BACKGROUND: Every day, the United States government detains over 600 migrant children and their parents who are asking permission to remain here legally. Some families flee violence and war in their home countries and they're hoping to be protected by our government. Others come because they want to have a better life than they left behind. When immigration officers find families who don't have permission to stay, they can lock them in facilities like Hutto until they decide whether to allow the families to remain in the U.S. Sometimes this process can take years. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Please write a short, courteous letter to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, asking the government to stop holding migrant children and their parents in prison-like facilities. Thank the Secretary for reading your letter, and ask him to let you know when migrant children and their families being held at Hutto have adequate access to toys, education and health care. The Secretary's address is: Michael Chertoff, Secretary U.S. Department of Homeland Security 245 Murray Lane, SW Washington, D.C. 20528 Salutation [ Dear Secretary ] LETTER COUNT Eritrea 5 Urgent Actions 23 Death Penalty 4 Total: 32 To add your letters to the total contact lwkamp@sbcglobal.net RIGHTS READERS Human Rights Book Discussion Group Keep up with Rights Readers at http://rightsreaders.blogspot.com Sunday, July 15, 6:30 PM Vroman's Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin Anyone who despairs of the individual's power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan's treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade he built fifty-five schools -- especially for girls -- that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth. As it chronicles Mortenson's quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit. DEATH PENALTY Stop the Execution of Troy Davis Troy Anthony Davis has been on death row in Georgia for more than 15 years for the murder of Police Officer Mark Allen McPhail at a Burger King in Savannah, Georgia; a murder he maintains he did not commit. There was no physical evidence against Troy Davis and the weapon used in the crime was never found. The case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but three of the state's non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted their testimony. Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis. One of the three witnesses who has not recanted his testimony is Sylvester "Red" Coles -- the principle alternative suspect, according to the defense, against whom there is new evidence implicating him as the gunman. Nine individuals have signed affidavits implicating Sylvester Coles. Troy Davis is caught in a trap set by the US Congress a decade ago when it withdrew funding from postconviction defender organizations in 1995 and passed the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), which then President Bill Clinton signed in April 1996. The passage of AEDPA required federal courts to show greater deference to the decisions of state courts, meaning that relief was now only permissible if the decision of a state court had "resulted in a decision that was contrary to, or involved in an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law." Federal appeals courts have rejected Troy Davis' claim that his trial was constitutionally unfair, despite 21 separate affidavits either recanting testimony (and in many cases alleging police coercion), or implicating another suspect. Troy Davis has never had a hearing in federal court on the reliability of the witness testimony used against him at trial. Take Action! Unless the US Supreme Court intervenes, the only option left for Troy Davis is clemency. Please write to the Georgia Parole Board, in your own words, to seek clemency for Troy Davis. If possible, write a separate appeal to each of the individual Board members. If you can only write one appeal, please send it to the Chairperson. Please write in English. We recommend that your appeals be no more than two pages in length. The following is a guide only: - explaining that you are not seeking to condone the murder of Officer Mark Allen McPhail, or to downplay the seriousness of the crime or the suffering caused; - explaining that you are writing to seek clemency for Troy Anthony Davis, whose judicial appeals are almost exhausted; - noting that almost all of the witnesses who testimony was used against Troy Davis at his trial have since recanted or contradicted their trial testimony; - noting the large number of wrongful convictions (123) in capital cases that have been uncovered in the USA since 1976; - noting that unreliability of witness testimony has been one of the contributing factors in numerous of these cases; - expressing concern that Troy Davis has not had a hearing in federal court on the reliability of the witness testimony used against him at trial; - noting that the power of clemency in capital cases exists as a failsafe against irreversible error that the courts have been unable or unwilling to remedy; - noting that numerous death row inmates whose judicial appeals have been exhausted have received clemency since 1977 in the USA on the grounds of doubts about their guilt (see footnote 57 of the report); - calling on the Board to commute the death sentence of Troy Davis. Board members - Garland R. Hunt, Esq. (Chairperson) - L. Gale Buckner (Vice Chair) - Garfield Hammonds, Jr. - Robert E. Keller - Milton E. Nix, Jr. Address State Board of Pardons and Paroles 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, SE Suite 458, Balcony Level, East Tower Atlanta, Georgia 30334-4909 Salutation, as appropriate: Dear Chairperson Hunt / Vice Chair Buckner / Board Member Hammonds, Keller, etc. CORPORATE ACTION NETWORK Nigerian Activist & Family Attacked Armed men attacked the wife and children of Bari-ara Kpalap, a staff member of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), on 19 May. Amnesty International believes that his life and those of his family may be at risk. At about 2am on 19 May, four unidentified armed men broke into the home of Bari-ara Kpalap in the city of Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria, and entered the room where Bari-ara Kpalap's children were sleeping. While pointing their guns at the children, the men asked them where their father was. When the children responded that their father was not in the house, the men hit them. When Bari-ara Kpalap's wife came into the children's room, the men took her at gunpoint to another room where they also hit her, leaving her with bruises and an injury to her leg. The men then left the house, warning that they would be back. The attack was reported to the police but no effective action has been taken so far. MOSOP is a community organization that campaigns to ensure that oil companies and the Nigerian government address environmental pollution linked to oil exploitation and pay adequate compensation to the oil producing regions. BACKGROUND INFORMATION. The Ogoni ethnic group, based in Rivers State, have been subjected to serious human rights violations in the past in its fight to get compensation for the environmental damage caused by oil companies. In 1995, during the military dictatorship of General Sani Abacha, Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other Ogoni activists were executed for their work in defense of human rights. Ten years later, in 2005, the federal government appointed an independent mediator, the Reverend Matthew H. Kukah, to assist the reconciliation between the oil company Shell Nigeria and the Ogoni community. Disagreement between different groups representing the Ogoni community has lead to recent tensions (including previous death threats to the President of MOSOP) as to how to deal with the reconciliation process. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible: - expressing concern for the safety of Bari-ara Kpalap, from the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP) and his family; - urging the authorities to take immediate and effective action to protect Bari-ara Kpalap, Baridi Kpalap, and their children, in accordance with their wishes; - calling the authorities to order a thorough and independent investigation into the attack on his wife and children, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice. APPEALS TO: Governor of Rivers State: His Excellency Celestine Ngozichim Omehia Governor of Rivers State, Office of the Governor Government House Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria Email: celestine@celestineomehia.net Salutation: Your Excellency Rivers State Police Commissioner: Mr Felix Ogbaudu Commissioner of Police Rivers State Command Headquarters Moscow Road, Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria Salutation: Dear Sir Director of Rivers State Security Service: Alhaji Kola Adesina Director of the Rivers State Security Service State Security Service Headquarters Forces Avenue (old GRA) Port Harcourt Rivers State, Nigeria COPIES TO: Ambassador Professor George Achulike Obiozor Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 3519 International Court NW Washington DC 20008 FREEDOM WRITERS Sample Letter for Belarus POC President Alyaksandr G. Lukashenka ul. Karla Marxa 38 220016 Minsk BELARUS Dear President Lukashenka: I am very concerned about the case of Alyaksandr Kazulin, leader of the Belarusian Socialist Democratic Party, Hramada, former presidential candidate and former rector of the Belarusian State University, who has been in prison since June 2006. Amnesty International believes that he is a prisoner of conscience and that his continuing imprisonment is a violation of his rights to freedom of assembly, association and expression. Amnesty International monitored authorities' treatment of Alyaksandr Kazulin and their treatment of members of his electoral campaign team, his family and his lawyer during the period of the March 2006 presidential elections. On various occasions, activists from his electoral headquarters were harassed, detained and beaten, and their equipment was seized by the security forces. The charges brought against Alyaksandr Kazulin of "hooliganism" and "the organization of group activities that breach public order or active participation in similar activities," for which he is serving a five-and-a-half-year prison sentence, were a blatant pretext for an unfair trial aimed at intimidating Alyaksandr Kazulin and obstructing his lawful political activities. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Belarus is a party, guarantees the rights to freedom of expression, assembly and association. I call for Belarus to live up to its international obligations and immediately and unconditionally release Alyaksandr Kazulin. I further urge you to ensure there is a full and impartial investigation into reports of ill-treatment suffered by Alyaksandr Kazulin at the hands of law enforcement officials. Sincerely, copy to: Ambassador Mikhail Khvostov Embassy of Belarus 1619 New Hampshire Avenue N.W. Washington, D.C. 20009 fax: 202-986-1805 email: usa@belarusembassy.org