Amnesty International Salisbury Group

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting on Thursday 10th October 20197.30 pm 4 Victoria Road

1 Chairman’s Welcome Present: Tony, Andrew, Fiona, Eddie, Phil, Ria, LesleyApologies: Peter, Michael S, Michael P, Joanna

Andrew welcomed Phil to the Group.

AH

2 Minutes of previous Meeting – These were agreed. LC

3 Treasurer’s Report - £1,301.75 (Bank) £30.06 (Cash)

MP

4 Campaign Reports

Death Penalty

Please see the Salisbury Group Website www.salisburyai.com for the full international update covering Scotland, the USA, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the UK, Bosnia, Japan and Iran.

Of particular note:

A report on Saudi Arabia, published by the Death Penalty Project (DPP) and presented to the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council at the weekend, highlighted an ‘alarming’ rise in state executions in the country, including crucifixions. It claims more than 134 people have been executed this year, with at least 24 more prisoners at ‘imminent’ risk of execution, including three children. This is despite the pledge from the Crown Prince to reduce the use of the death penalty. See Group Action for World Day Against the Death Penalty below.

Expectations are reported to be growing that Pope Francis will meet with Iwao Hakamada in the course of his forthcoming visit to Japan, when it is hoped he will send a clear message about his opposition to capital punishment. Mr Hakamada, convicted of murder, was released in 2014 after 48 years on death row, and is continuing to await a re-trial at the Supreme Court.

The Pakistan Supreme Court quashed the conviction of Wajih-ul-Hassan, who had spent 18 years in prison for

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blasphemy following his sentencing to death in 2002 for writing allegedly blasphemous letters.

In the USA, one execution took place in Missouri, and one in Texas, with a scheduled second in Texas granted a stay of execution.

A YouGov poll for the Times, questioning 1,059 Scots, has found that 41% would support the death penalty for those convicted of murder. 44 % would oppose the death penalty, and 15% were unsure. (Note: At the UN Human rights Council in Geneva, the UK’s Ambassador to the UN, Julian Braithwaite, outlined the UK’s opposition to the death penalty in all circumstances.)

Urgent Actions

An email was received from Reprieve asking for emails of support to be sent to Kris and Marita Maharaj in advance of Kris’s Evidentiary Hearing in Florida on 17th October (circulated to DPLWG and the Committee, and posted on 25.9.19.)

Following news of the deferral of the Hearing, we were asked to circulate the news on social media, and to continue to send messages of support. (Circulated to DPLWG 1.10.19; posted on Facebook and on our website 2.10.19.)

An email was received from Amnesty Australia with a request to take action on behalf of Tashpolat Tyip, an academic from the Uyghur ethic minority group, who is at risk of execution in China. (Circulated to DPLWG 25.9.19.)

An email was received from Reprieve with an Action calling on supporters to sign their petition calling on Egypt to close a loophole in their Child Law which allows children to be tried alongside adults on capital offences. (Circulated by FD to the wider membership and posted on Facebook and our website 8.10.10.)

An email was received from Amnesty Australia with a request to take action on behalf of 17-year-old Magai Matiop Ngong, sentenced to death at 15 in South Sudan for murder in an incident which he says was an accident. (Circulated to the DPLWG and Committee on 10.10.19.)

Campaigning

World Day Against the Death Penalty – 10th October 20192 | P a g e

o An email was sent to members and supporters asking them to write to John Glen on 10th October, drawing his attention to Baroness Kennedy’s report (see above) on the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, and calling on him to read and consider the report, to ask the Foreign Secretary to do the same and to make representations to the UK Government to support its recommendations, and to condemn Saudi Arabia’s use of the death penalty.

o The Anti-Death Penalty Group invited members and supporters to attend a screening of ‘Guilty’, a film which looks at the last few days in the life of convicted drug trafficker Myuran Sukumaran, who became an accomplished artist before being executed by firing squad. There were also to be readings from monologues exploring death row in the USA, and a short Q&A about the death penalty around the world.

o To mark WDADP, AI UK have released a report Fatally flawed: Why Malaysia must abolish the death penalty calling on Malaysia to fulfil its promise to abolish the death penalty by swiftly ending capital punishment for drug-related offences and eliminating mandatory death sentences. The report reveals how torture is used to obtain ‘confessions’ while those accused have inadequate access to legal assistance.

o A Joint Declaration was made by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on behalf of the European Union, and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe on the occasion of the World Day Against the Death Penalty, stating their firm opposition to the death penalty at all times and in all circumstances.

Note: Concern was expressed at the lack of direction from AIUK, including the Anti-Death Penalty Project, in respect of local campaigning. None of this month’s DP Urgent Actions had been received from London – 2 were from Reprieve, and 2 from Amnesty Australia – and this is increasingly becoming the norm.

It was agreed that DP Urgent Actions would now be circulated to the Committee as well as to the Letter Writing Group.

North Korea

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TM reported that NK had pulled out of nuclear talks with US, denouncing them as a waste of time. They are continuing to develop their nuclear arsenal.

Reference was made to the death of Han Sung-ok and her 6-year-old son. They had fled to the South from North Korea but had then died of suspected starvation. Huge crowds attended the funeral, and have called on the South Korean Government to do more for defectors from the North.

Refugees

It was reported that:

The Asylum Migration Integration Fund has now stopped, and the Government is no longer putting money into charitable organisations.

In Wiltshire the focus on Vulnerable Syrians is moving from the South to the North

Campaigning

Families Together – see Local Group Action below.

AH

5 Social Media Report

Statistics for September 2019

WebsiteBusier month with 246 views and all time views has passed 14 thousand at 14,092.

Most popular:1. The post about Chemring supplying cs gas to the Hong Kong

police and being invited to the DSEI arms exhibition in London

2. Amnesty’s report on the use of torture in China

FacebookContinues to go from strength to strength and is our most viewed platform. A total of 2,068 engagements and the first time we have exceeded two thousand in a month. We have 456 followers but it fluctuates and has been as high as 654.

Most viewed;1. The coffee morning 2. The announcement of our September meeting 3. The post about our taking part in the climate strike

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TwitterAn amazing month with 11,600 views approximately. We have 159 followers.

Top tweets:1. Chemring supplying cs gas as above which has reached

8,831 impressions2. Our presence at the climate strike which had 519

impressions and a lot of engagement.

6 Monthly Action

This photo in the latest Amnesty International Local Groups news is of the North Korea protest outside the Guildhall in Salisbury organised by the group (photo:

Salisbury Amnesty)

Families in Action – Groups are asked to increase the pressure on the Home Office to change the rules, and to campaign over the next 4 months in persuading them to keep refugee families together. AH will order the toolkit.

In case of an Election – Should a snap General Election be called in the coming months, AIUK will send a special mailing outlining what this will mean and how Groups can work together to ensure as many candidates and newly elected MPs as possible are aware and supportive of Amnesty and our priorities for Human Rights. Guidance is available regarding the implications of the Lobbying Act.

The Secret Policeman’s Tour’s next event is at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on 3rd December. Further information is available on line.

As part of the above, a new initiative – Truth to Power Hour – has been launched. This involves regular calls to action bringing together celebrities and the general public to highlight a particular case or Human Rights issue. The action for women imprisoned in Saudi Arabia had a reach of 26.3 million. Follow @Amnesty UK.

Climate Change as a Human Rights issue – The right to live, to a safe environment, to food, to safety and more are at risk

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from rising temperatures. Greta Thunberg and 15 others have taken a complaint to the UN under Optional Protocol 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. More information about the Children’s Network Campaign is available in their explainer leaflet.

7 Citizenship Day – 24th October

Some minor amendments to the slides have been requested. The Group will meet at FD’s at 2.30 pm on Thursday 17th October to finalise their presentations.

PG provided FD with the name of a contact with a view to offering a session at S6C.

AHFDAW

8 Amnesty Film – 13th November

The Film ‘Nae Passeran’ will be shown at 7.30 pm at the Arts Centre. Posters for circulation have been produced by FD

Group members are asked to be at the Arts Centre by 6.45 pm with tabards, clipboards, pens and leaflets about the Group.

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9 St Thomas’s Christmas Tree – 3rd-8th December

FD will send the application form to St Thomas’s and will contact AW and LC to arrange a planning meeting.

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10 Write for Rights

AH has not received a reply from the Cathedral regarding the venue and date and will contact them again.

It was agreed that FD would arrange for the printing of 200 cards with a choice of 4 paintings by PD. The Group sent thanks to PD for his generosity.

The cards will feature the simple greeting ‘Thinking of you’ on the back.

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11 Carol Singing

The date has been confirmed as 17th December – with thanks to M and CS. FD will follow up her request to JP for advice regarding the advance notification of residents.

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12 Evensong AH

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The date has still to be fixed, but the Service is likely to take place in Jan/Feb 2020.

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13 Human Rights Act

Concern was expressed at the reports that Dominic Cummings, following the advent of Brexit, is seeking to take the UK out of the European Court of Human Rights.

This will be kept under review.

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14 AOB

TM had received a response with a translation from JS in Moscow regarding the letter he had received. It concerned a prisoner in Russia who had received a life sentence for involvement in an attack in 2005 and had appealed to the High Court regarding the unsatisfactory prison conditions. His last appeal in 2016 had not been successful.

TM raised the possibility of running special evening events to publicise our Group, and suggested short films on our campaigns.

AW offered to make contact with a local ska group regarding the possibility of a local fund-raiser.

EB was concerned that any such events should have a good chance of attracting significant numbers.

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15 Forthcoming Events

Citizenship Day – 24th October Arts Centre Film – 13th November St Thomas’s Christmas Tree Festival – 3rd – 8th December 50th Anniversary of the abolition of the death penalty in the

UK – 16th December Write for Rights – TBC Carol Singing – 17th December Evensong – TBC

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Next Meeting: Thursday 14th November Time: 7.30 pm Venue: 4 Victoria Road

Web: www.salisburyai.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/salisburyai

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Facebook: www.facebook.com/salisburyai

Should you wish no longer to receive Minutes of meetings, or other communications from the Group, please let us know by emailing our Group Secretary at Donovan.fiona@gmail.com

14 October 2019

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