wire13 nov dec_web

for pe o pL e pa s sion at e abo u t h u m a n r i g h t sNovember/december 2013 voLUme 43 ISSUe 006

Let’s Light up the worLd’sdarkest cornersjoin write for rights 2013

insidethis wire

first published in 2013 by

amnesty international publications

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international, international

secretariat, peter benenson house,

1 easton street, London wc1X 0dw,

united kingdom

a tinY ViLLage with a big VoiceIn a small Palestinian village, people are risking their lives to

protest peacefully against the Israeli occupation. page 4

a LifeLine to the worLdBirtukan Mideksa from Ethiopia was featured in Write for Rights

2009. This year, she hopes the power of letter writing can help

release her good friend, journalist Eskinder Nega. page 8

‘You can go to jaiL for a word or an idea’Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni was shocked when Jabeur

Mejri was given seven years in prison for posting his views online.

page 10

tortured at random Why was Miriam López kidnapped on the school run by men in

balaclavas, tortured and detained for months? We take a look at

the reality of torture in Mexico. page 14

‘neVer forget bopha!’Defending her community landed Cambodian activist Yorm

Bopha in prison. Her husband and son are hoping the

international spotlight could help her get released. page 16

caught up in the geZi park protestsHakan Yaman’s life changed forever in June, when the police

brutally attacked him. page 19

the high price of teLLing hard truthsBahraini politician Ebrahim Sharif is one of 13 opposition leaders

jailed after the country’s 2011 uprising. We spoke to his wife,

Farida Ghulam. page 20

out in the openWhen he tried to set up a gay rights organization, Ihar Tsikhanyuk

was beaten up by the police. He told WIRE how he deals with

growing homophobia in Belarus. page 24

aLso in wireWhy Dr Tun Aung in Myanmar needs your help (page 11). And

a photo story about three Russian men who symbolize President

Putin’s crackdown on peaceful political protest (page 12).

Find out how Bimbo Osobe and other people evicted from Badia

East in Lagos, Nigeria, are fighting back (page 18), and how

threats and intimidation can’t stop human rights defenders in

Honduras. (page 22).

getting wirewire is available online atlivewire.amnesty.org

You can subscribe to receive six printedcopies of wire for £16/us$25/€19 a year(or £25/us$38/€29 for institutions).amnesty international sections andstructures can buy discounted copies. email [email protected] or call +44 (0)20 7413 5814/5507.

to join amnesty international visitwww.amnesty.org/en/join

coVer storYJoin the world’s biggest

human rights event this

December, and help

change people’s lives!

You’ll meet them all in

this special issue of

WIRE. Find out how

Write for Rights works on

page 6.

Cover image: Students in

Poland lighting lanterns

with “stamp” images of

people featured in

Write for Rights 2012.

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mailto:[email protected]

http://www.amnesty.org/en/join

weLcome to wire noVember/decemberthese “lights of hope” lanterns were lit in tokyo, japan during write for rights − the world'sbiggest human rights event − in 2011. each one was made by someone who felt passionatelyabout an injustice done to somebody else. each candle was lit by a person who wanted to make adifference. each flame threw light on distinctive “stamp” images: of people in prison just forspeaking their minds, who had been killed or disappeared, who deserve justice.

thousands of people came together worldwide, in community centres, cafés, churches, schools,streets, offices, town squares. together, we sent almost 2 million messages, asking the powersthat be to open cell doors, tell the truth, do justice. and we gave hope to people who havesuffered human rights abuses, simply by showing that we care, and that we want to help.

this december, we'll do it all again. read the powerful stories of the people and communitiesfeatured in write for rights 2013 in this special issue of wire. find out how this huge globalevent works, and how you can join in. and spend a few minutes lighting a small flame and takingaction for somebody else. together, we'll be lighting up the world.

read wire online and our LiVewire blog at livewire.amnesty.org

25,000 signatures for chiLeJust before the 40th anniversary of the

Chile coup in September, during an

event at the Presidential Palace, La

Moneda, Amnesty activists handed the

Chilean authorities a petition signed by

more than 25,000 activists in countries

including Spain, Germany, the UK,

Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela, Italy and

Japan. Together, we called for an end

to impunity for the gross human rights

violations committed during Pinochet’s

military regime. Many thanks to

everyone who signed – your support

remains crucial for victims of torture

and disappearances, and their relatives.

join 16 daYs of actiVismfor women and girLsViolence against women is a human

rights violation. We highlight this in our

annual 16 Days of Activism campaign,

which will run from 25 November to 10

December 2013. Through letters,

petitions and other actions we’ll call for

perpetrators to be held accountable for

gender-based violence during past or

current armed conflicts in Bangladesh,

the Democratic Republic of Congo,

Egypt, Venezuela and Syria.

Get involved in promoting real security for women and girls: amnesty.org/en/womens-rights/16-days

News about Amnesty International’s work and campaigns

AgendaThe

new ambassadors ofconsciencePakistani schoolgirl and education

rights campaigner Malala Yousafzai,

and American singer and activist Harry

Belafonte, received Amnesty

International’s highest honour – the

Ambassador of Conscience Award – in

September. Malala Yousafzai said: “I

hope that by working together we will

one day realise our dream of education

for every child.” Harry Belafonte called

Amnesty “our moral compass” and

said he was especially honoured to

share the award with Malala: “a true

hero of our time”. The award was

inspired by the poem From the

Republic of Conscience, written for

Amnesty International by the late Irish

poet, Seamus Heaney.

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do not read thisDuring a short, experimental campaign

in August, a clandestine network of

Freedom Agents intercepted and

subverted repressive authority

messages. Armed with camera phones,

they created imaginative advertisements

promoting freedom of expression. Why?

Because small acts of defiance start

conversations. Conversations lead to

action, and actions lead to change.

Ai Weiwei, Chinese artist and activist,

loved this small, but radical art project

and retweeted it several times.

Find out more at Ifoundtheletter.org/secretvideo and facebook.com/ifoundtheletter

A woman and child from Paga Hill in Papua New Guinea, 2013.

They live in the ruins of one of 20 houses destroyed by the

police while community leaders were in court challenging the

eviction notice, in May 2012. Police officers attacked residents

with sticks, metal bars, machetes and automatic rifles. Those

residents who were brave enough to return are now living in

makeshift shelters under constant threat of another eviction.

Amnesty will launch a briefing and campaigning action to end

forced evictions in Papua New Guinea in early 2014.

the fight goes onDiana Nyakowa from the Deep Sea

slum in Nairobi, Kenya, said it felt great

to be featured on the cover of WIRE

September/October. The fight against

forced evictions in the city goes on:

“We don't eat, we don't sleep – we just

don't know when the bulldozers will

come. We are worried because our

Governor [Kidero] says he's going to

clean Nairobi. And we know what he

means: The slums are the dirtiest

houses in this city and he wants the

investors here, not us," she told us.

visit amnesty.org/en/endforcedevictions

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agenda

Charlotte Phillips,Amnesty’s Researcher onRefugees’ and Migrants’Rights, recently visited a camp for thousands ofSyrian refugees.

It is difficult not to feel

overwhelmed by the scale and

brutality of the conflict in Syria.

Massive displacement and deep suffering continue to affect

countless people.

The situation escalated after videos emerged in August

2013 showing scores of civilians apparently killed by chemical

weapons in towns outside Damascus.

Then the UN announced that the number of refugees

from Syria had officially reached 2 million, a tragic milestone.

At least 1 million are children, many under the age of 11.

I recently visited Za’atri refugee camp in neighbouring

Jordan, now the second-largest refugee camp in the world,

hosting over 120,000 refugees from Syria. Many have

survived torture, are seriously injured or sick, are elderly or

have disabilities.

At Amnesty’s headquarters in London, we receive almost

daily phone calls and emails from individuals and families,

many of them in Syria’s neighbouring countries. People are

asking for help and for their rights to be protected. They want

to start their lives again – and many believe they can only do

this in another safe country.

The UN and organizations working on the ground have

appealed to the international community for funding. Because

despite some significant donations, essential services such as

food, education, a reliable water supply and shelter, are still

seriously underfunded.

At the launch of the largest humanitarian appeal in its

history, the UN said around US$3 billion is currently needed

to support refugees from Syria in the region. But this is not

enough. Donor governments should also be prepared to take

the most vulnerable refugees out of the region and allow them

to settle safely in their countries.

With no political solution in sight, the very least we could

do is allow those who have escaped with their lives to live in

safety and dignity.

If your country could and should do more, please call on

your government to increase their support for Syria’s refugees.

read charlotte’s original blog post at bit.ly/syria-2million

Up front

How many more? Syria’srefugees top 2 million

LettersWant your

views and

comments to

appear in

The Agenda?

Write to us at

thewire@

amnesty.org

good news from iran:nasrin sotoudeh reLeasedOn 18 September, human rights lawyer

and prisoner of conscience Nasrin

Sotoudeh was released from Tehran’s

Evin Prison, where she was serving a

six-year sentence. She had spent a

long period in solitary confinement,

and was weakened by several hunger

strikes. She thanked everyone who

had taken action for her release: “I

have been aware of all your efforts

on my behalf and I want to thank you

and all your colleagues for your work,”

she said.

sri Lanka: our campaigncontinuesAn amazing 47,545 people from 181

countries (see some of them below)

signed our #TellTheTruth petition,

which called on Sri Lanka's authorities

to come clean about human rights

abuses. Dr Manoharan, whose son

was killed by security forces in 2006,

handed the signatures over to a Sri

Lankan UN delegation in September.

Sri Lanka is hosting a high profile

government meeting in November.

Please sign our petition asking

Commonwealth leaders not to approve

Sri Lanka’s crimes by appointing the

country as its new Chair.

visit bit.ly/SriLankacrimes

“The tragic situation inSyria underlines thehorrific human cost ofthe reckless global armstrade. The Arms TradeTreaty is the opportunityto prevent such humansuffering in the future.”Amnesty's Secretary General, Salil

Shetty, on the historic occasion of the

world's largest arms exporter – the USA –

signing the Arms Trade Treaty, one of

113 countries to do so by October 2013.

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> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > take action onLine amnestY.org/indiViduaLs-at-risk

occupied paLestinian territories

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every friday, people in a smallpalestinian village risk their livesto protest peacefully againstisraeli settlers’ theft of their landand water. wire spent a day withthe courageous men, women andchildren of nabi saleh.

It is noon on a Friday in the West Bank, and the

summer sun is burning strong. The small village of

Nabi Saleh, tucked away on a small hill north-west

of the capital, Ramallah, stirs to life with the call for

prayer from the village mosque.

As the prayers end, people gather in the shade

of a nearby tree. This Friday, as on any other Friday

since 2009, Nabi Saleh's men, women and children

prepare to march towards the village's water spring.

The girls are wearing colourful dresses and are

wrapped in Palestinian flags. In the past, people have

turned up in clown outfits, masks and superhero

costumes. They could have been easily mistaken for

a group heading out on a family picnic.

no picnicBut this is no picnic. The people of Nabi Saleh are

protesting against the theft of their lands, the loss

of their water source and against the Israeli military

occupation. On the other side of the fence waits

the Israeli army.

The spring has been out of the villagers’ reach

since 2008. It was taken over by the nearby illegal

Israeli settlement of Halamish, explains Saleh Hijazi,

Amnesty’s Campaigner on Israel and the Occupied

Palestinian Territories.

“The spring was once used by the villagers for

farming,” he says. “Now it’s a tourist site, open only

to settlers.” Saleh points out the settlement's rows

of white buildings on the next hill. “Halamish has

been encroaching on lands belonging to Nabi Saleh,

and another Palestinian village called Deir Nidham,

for years.”

Saleh also points out the nearby Israeli army

base, and the army jeeps parked by the spring and

at the entrance to Nabi Saleh.

three broken camerasThe demonstrators leave the tree’s protective shade

and begin marching down the road, chanting slogans

and holding placards. Saleh, who has been visiting

this place for years, explains: “The soldiers are waiting

with tear gas launchers and stun grenades. They start

using them, usually aiming directly at people and their

houses, as soon as the protesters reach a certain point.”

“If the demonstration carries on after that, the

army starts using rubber-coated metal bullets and,

in some cases live ammunition, against peaceful

demonstrators.”

“The army sometimes also sprays villagers’

houses with canons of 'skunk' water, which leaves a

bad, lingering smell. They also spray it inside people's

homes and on bystanders.”

Along the road, the villagers march alongside

activists who have come from around the world to

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show their solidarity and support. Bilal Tamimi,

his children at his side and a camera over his

shoulder, smiles and welcomes them to Nabi Saleh.

His camera has captured the villagers’ struggle for

years, like Emad Burnat did for the Oscar-nominated

documentary Five Broken Cameras, about Bil’in,

another Palestinian village.

Bilal records the villagers’ persistence, their

defiance, and the tragedies that have befallen their

people. So far, he has three broken cameras. At least

one was hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet.

Young LiVes LostSince the demonstrations started in 2009, the village

has lost two of its young people. Mustafa Tamimi,

28, was the first, killed in December 2011.

“That day, the army was using excessive force

and some people responded by throwing rocks at the

army jeeps as they were leaving,” says Saleh. “Then

a soldier in the last jeep to leave opened his door and

launched a tear gas grenade directly at Mustafa's

face from a close distance.” Mustafa died in hospital

two days later.

As the demonstration continues down the hill,

Saleh points to the spot where Rushdi Tamimi, 31, was

shot by live ammunition in November 2012. He too

died in hospital days later. “We have also seen hundreds

of injuries caused by rubber-coated metal bullets, to

people’s upper body and face, including children.”

Rushdi was the brother-in-law of Bassem Tamimi,

another leader of the struggle, who was previously

jailed by Israel for taking part in the demonstrations.

Today, Bassem tells a young journalist about the

importance of demonstrating peacefully. Bassem is

at the demonstration with his children, but his wife,

Nariman Tamimi, a prominent activist, is not.

men and women, shouLder toshouLderNariman – pictured on stamp image above, left – has

been forced to stay at home because she the Israeli

authorities have put her under house arrest. Instead,

she welcomes a constant stream of activists and well-

wishers with small cups of strong black coffee.

“Nariman and other women in Nabi Saleh are

the forefront of this struggle,” explains Saleh. “Here,

women and men stand shoulder to shoulder, in the

face of constant harassment by the army.”

Back at the demonstration, the children stay

under a tree, chanting and singing through a

megaphone as the others continue down the hill

towards the army. Soon the army launches tear gas

grenades and white clouds of smoke cover the

hillsides.

come together and saY ‘enough’“It is very important that we show solidarity with the

brave human rights defenders of Nabi Saleh,” says

Saleh. “We need to come together and tell the Israeli

authorities to stop harassing them.

“We need to insist that they stop using excessive

force against demonstrators. And hold soldiers

accountable for the deaths, injuries, and damage of

property they are causing.

“Our voices, solidarity and actions will show all

the villages holding regular peaceful demonstrations

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

From left to right: Young and old gather for the weekly

demonstration after Friday prayers in Nabi Saleh, a

small Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank.

Since 2009, Israeli forces have killed two protesters

and injured hundreds of villagers, including children.

Israeli security forces regularly respond to peaceful

demonstrations in Nabi Saleh with tear gas, rubber-

coated metal bullets, and sometimes live ammunition.

The illegal Israeli settlement that is encroaching on the

villagers’ land can be seen in the background.

Twelve-year old Ahd holds on to her mother, Nariman

Tamimi, as Israeli soldiers detain her, August 2012.

Nariman – who is featured in our Write for Rights stamp

image (left) – is one of hundreds detained since the

villagers’ Friday protests began in 2009.

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against the military occupation in the Occupied

Palestinian Territories, that they are not alone.

“We need to tell the Israeli authorities: enough.

You are no longer facing a tiny village on small hill.

You now have the entire Amnesty movement to

reckon with.”

Many thanks to Amnesty International Israel for their

help with making this article possible.“We need to tell the Israeli authorities:

enough. You are no longer facing a tiny

village on small hill. You now have the entire

Amnesty movement to reckon with.” write a Letter - heLp protectthemPlease join Write for Rights 2013 by sending a solidarity letter or a card to:

Naji Tamimi, Popular resistance committee,Nabi Saleh, birzeit/ramallah, Palestine.

You can also leave the villagers a message on theirFacebook page: bit.ly/nabi-saleh

Urge Israel’s minister of defence to stop security forcesusing excessive and unnecessary force againstdemonstrators in Nabi Saleh, and to ensure that thoseresponsible for killings and injuries in the village arebrought to justice.

write to: moshe Ya’alon, minister of defence, ministry ofdefence, 37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya, Tel Aviv 61909, Israel.

fax: +972 3 691 6940 email: [email protected]

foLLow @amnestYonLine on twitter and tweet using #write4rights



write for rights 2013

6


It’s a classic Amnesty technique: 52 years of

human rights work show that words really do have

the power to change lives.

Last year, activists in at least 77 countries took a

record-breaking 1.9 million actions during our annual

letter-writing event. Millions more have taken part since

Write for Rights became a global Amnesty event in

2002.

The event itself is as varied, creative, inspired and

truly global as our entire movement of over 3 million

people.

In anything from short bursts of tweeting during

a hectic day to 24-hour marathon writing sessions,

people take time out to express their solidarity with

12 people and communities whose human rights

have been abused.

They also write to the authorities. A government

might brush aside a single message. But thousands

of voices calling for change are much harder to ignore.

From Iceland to India, Barbados to Burkina Faso,

people send thousands of letters, tweets, faxes and

SMS messages, and sign petitions for human rights.

Many get together to hold vigils, and make

lanterns that light up the iconic stamp images

featuring each of the 12 people and communities.

This year, amazing events are being planned

across the globe – concerts, light projections, 24-hour

writing sessions, Facebook and Twitter actions and

much more.

Join us! Your words have the power to change

lives. As Chiou Ho-shun, who has been on death

row in Taiwan since 1989, put it: “Love flows across

the world, and friends from all over the world have

brought me incredible strength. Words cannot

express the gratitude I have towards everyone.

Thank you!”

join the world’s biggest human rights event!

‘LoVe fLows across the worLd’

every year, around human rightsday on 10 december, hundreds of thousands of people aroundthe world send a message tosomeone they’ve never met.

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5. people worldwide write letters,tweets, emails, faxes, sms messages

and sign petitions.

7. change happens, hope grows: prisonersmight get better conditions, or be released.

people know that others worldwide are takingtheir injustice personally.

8. amnesty receives updatesshowing that people’s actions

are making a difference.

6. messages startarriving at governmentoffices, in prison cells,

family homes…

write for rights 2013

7


> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

write a Letter - change a Lifecontact your nearest Amnesty office to find out more andget involved. find it at amnesty.org/join/en

Take part online at www.amnesty.org/individuals-at-risk

Follow @amnestyonline on Twitter and tweet using#write4rights

does Write for RightsreaLLY change LiVes?Here are some of

the messages we’ve

received from people

previously featured

in Write for Rights.

“i have been coveredwith an avalanche ofletters and postcards.over new Year i kept readingthe hundreds of letters and postcards. i cansincerely say i haven’t missed out a single oneof them. it was an indescribable new Year.”

Ales bialiatski, a prisoner of conscience in belarus

“it is this kind of support thatis helping us live on.”

chief baribor Koottee from bodo, Nigeria, acommunity devastated by a 2008 oil spill

“thanks for keepingjuan present, formaking him known inthe entire world. iwould like to thankall the people whotook time andshared my pain.”

Ana montilla, wife of humanrights activist Juan Almonte Herrera, who“disappeared” in 2009 in the dominican republic.

"these letters gave me hope thatsomeone in this world feels forme and my husband, who hasbeen detained for seven yearswithout charge or trial."

Tahani, wife of Sudanese national Hamad al-Neyl Abu Kassawy, one of thousands detainedin Saudi Arabia as part of the “war on terror”.

Photographs, clockwise from top left: Write for Rights events held in France, South Korea, Burkina Faso,

Morocco, Mongolia, Brazil, Canada, Austria and Thailand.

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1. amnesty identifies people and communitiesat risk of human rights abuses worldwide,

who need solidarity and justice.

2. we pick 12 cases whereglobal activism can make ahuge difference, right now.

4. activists organize amazing events and actionsfor some or all 12 people and communities around human rights day on 10 december.

3. we share them withamnesty offices worldwide.

Write for Rights:how it works


http://www.amnesty.org/individuals-at-risk


ethiopia

8


birtukan mideksa spent years in an ethiopian prison, and wasfeatured in write for rights 2009as a prisoner of conscience. she told wire what internationalsupport meant to her, and howthe power of letter writing can beharnessed again this year to helpher good friend, eskinder nega.

Birtukan Mideksa speaks to us from her

desk in Boston, USA, amid the bustle of

student life. A Harvard fellow, she is taking an

MA in Public Administration at Kennedy School and

is a thriving academic.

It’s a far cry from the Ethiopian prison cell she

occupied only a few years ago – a place her friend,

Eskinder Nega, knows only too well. He is currently

serving an 18-year sentence because of his

journalism.

In fact, the two were detained together between

2005 and 2007, alongside Eskinder’s wife Serkalem.

All three were declared prisoners of conscience.

They have also featured in Amnesty’s Write for Rights

campaign – Serkalem in 2006, Birtukan in 2009,

and this year, Eskinder, because he’s in prison again.

“I was incarcerated twice. The first time, for

18 months, the second, 21 months,” recalls Birtukan.

“Look at how many times Eskinder has been

imprisoned over the past 10 years – eight times.

His wife, Serkalem, was also incarcerated. This is

a story of thousands and millions of government

opponents in Ethiopia. If you look at the pattern,

it’s getting worse.”

the toughest time in prisonIn 2005, Birtukan was leader of Ethiopia’s main

opposition party, Unity for Democracy and Justice.

Her party contested the elections that year, but lost

under questionable circumstances. When she and

her supporters peacefully protested against the

legitimacy of the election results, thousands were

arrested. Birtukan, Eskinder, Serkalem and over

100 journalists, opposition leaders and others were

put on trial.

“The whole time was very difficult, especially for

Serkalem,” says Birtukan, who shared a cell with her

at one point. “She was pregnant and she had to live

with 70 to 80 prisoners in a very unclean cell. The

smell was terrible.

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“When she finally had her baby, that was one of

the times I really felt low. She went to the hospital

and… came back alone. She had to leave the little

one with her mum. My daughter was with my mum –

she was eight months old. So we consoled each

other. Our major difficulties came because of our

responsibilities as mothers, and our attachment to our

children. That was really the toughest time in prison.”

siLVer LiningBirtukan was given a life sentence, but was eventually

pardoned and released after nearly 18 months in

detention. Her freedom, however, was short-lived.

After speaking publicly in Sweden in November 2008

about the process that had led to her release,

she was re-arrested in Ethiopia on 28 December

2008. Her pardon was revoked and her life sentence

re-imposed.

Amnesty issued Urgent Actions on her behalf

and promoted her case in Write for Rights 2009.

For Birtukan, who was kept in solitary confinement

for long periods, this collective effort was a lifeline.

“In 2009, only my mum and my daughter were

allowed to visit me,” says Birtukan. “I was really

cut off from the whole world. I didn’t have any

access to the media. We were not allowed to talk

about Amnesty International’s initiatives, but my

mum mentioned to me that Amnesty people

were trying to advocate for me. That was like a

silver lining. It gave me hope. It connected me

to the real world.”

Birtukan was finally freed in October 2010.

“The pressure you guys were exerting on the

Ethiopian government was very instrumental in

securing my release,” says Birtukan.

She hopes it will be possible to do this again,

this time for Eskinder.

sustained optimismIn 2012, Eskinder was jailed for “terrorism” after

giving speeches and writing articles criticizing the

government and supporting free speech. To Birtukan,

his struggle is almost heroic.

“Eskinder is one of the most virtuous people I

know in my country,” she says. “He really believes

in the good in all of us. It’s vivid in his personal life

and in his activism. The love he has for his country,

his dedication to seeing people living a dignified life –

it’s really huge.

“He didn’t start his activism with just criticizing

the government. He always gave them the benefit of

the doubt. He was relentlessly committed to

expressing his views, his ideas.”

That commitment triggered a campaign of

harassment, including threats, a ban on the

newspaper Eskinder ran with Serkalem, and repeated

imprisonment. In 2005, when all three were jailed,

Eskinder was thrown into solitary confinement for

months on end. “That didn’t make him a hateful

person,” observes Birtukan. “Still, he sustained his

optimism and strong belief in his cause.”

indispensibLe supportWith its network of supporters worldwide, Amnesty’s

potential to secure Eskinder’s freedom is significant,

notes Birtukan. “The support we get as political

prisoners is indispensible.”

But, she adds, “We shouldn’t forget the people

back home – they would love to support us – but the

suppression is huge. People can’t express that kind

of protest against our imprisonment in an organized

way.” This makes Amnesty’s support all the more

crucial, she says.

It also lends legitimacy to the struggle. “Some

people say fighting for rights and democracy in

Africa is futile,” explains Birtukan. “Some people

even try to focus on the economic performance of a

country. But we mustn’t trade off our human rights

for monetary benefit.

“The things you are working on – they validate

and reassert those aspirations and those rights we

have as human beings as inviolable, no matter what.

It has huge significance in terms of the moral support

you generate for activists like Eskinder and myself.”

write a Letter - change his LifeUrge Prime minister Hailemariam desalegn toimmediately and unconditionally release eskinder Nega.

write to (start your letter: dear Prime minister): P.o. box 1031, Addis Ababa, ethiopia.

email: [email protected]

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Far left: Birtukan Mideksa (centre) is greeted by

hundreds of supporters shortly after being released

from prison in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 6 October 2010.

Birtukan was featured in Amnesty’s global Write for

Rights campaign in December 2009.

Below: A rare photograph of Eskinder Nega with his

wife, Serkalem Fasil, and their baby son Nafkot, taken

in 2007.

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“My mum mentioned to me that Amnesty

people were trying to advocate for me. That

was like a silver lining. It gave me hope. It

connected me to the real world.”




tunisia

10


‘You can go to jaiL for a word or an idea’

“Jabeur’s conviction and sentence was a

big shock. It is incredible. People are

talking about the success of the democratic

transition in Tunisia, but can we talk about democracy

at all in a country where someone is sent to jail with

such a heavy sentence just for expressing his beliefs?

“Before the departure of [former President] Ben

Ali, bloggers faced censorship, and maybe arrest

and jail. Then we witnessed a few months of

revolutionary euphoria, during which Tunisians

could express themselves freely [after the first

uprising in the Middle East and North Africa in

January 2011]. But it didn’t last.

“Today there is no official censorship − people

can express themselves freely − but they have to be

ready to pay the price. It can start with online and

newspaper defamation [smear] campaigns, verbal

and physical harassment on the street, or online and

real life threats. It can go on to trials, arrests, jail and

end with death threats and death.”

write a Letter - change his LifeJabeur is a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned only forexercising his human right to free expression. Pleasesend him a letter or card.

write to: Jabeur meJrI, Prison civile de mahdia, route de chiba 5100, mahdia, Tunisia.

Jabeur’s only hope at this stage is a presidential pardonfrom President moncef marzouki – who is himself aformer prisoner of conscience. Please urge him to releaseJabeur mejri immediately and unconditionally.

write to (start your letter: Your excellency): Presidentmoncef marzouki, Palais Présidentiel, Tunis, Tunisia.

fax: + 216 71 744 721email: [email protected]

opinion triaLs“You can go to jail for a word or an idea. ‘Opinion

trials’ have become part of our daily lives: Jabeur is

our first opinion prisoner. Rappers Weld el 15 and

Clay BBJ were sentenced to a year and nine months

in jail for a song. Another young man was given a

two month suspended jail sentence for listening to

a rap song.

“As in many other countries, Tunisia’s taboo

topics are religion and politics. You can’t criticize the

government in general or the Islamists in particular.

“I feel threatened, just for blogging and criticizing

the government and the awful, regressing situation in

Tunisia. I’m on an assassination list and under police

protection. I feel like I have lost my own freedom

while trying to fight for my country and my people’s

freedom. If we don't react to what is happening, every

subject will soon become taboo.”

steaLing peopLe’s right to bedifferent“The authorities gave Jabeur his sentence to

intimidate other people, to prevent people from

expressing themselves, to steal their right to

be different. They wanted to announce that in

order to live in Tunisia, we have to abide by their

rules and their beliefs.

“Our freedom of expression is in real danger.

I am afraid that we are losing the unique fruits of

the revolution: the disappearance of fear and our

Above: Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni works on her

computer at a cafe in Tunis, 2011. Her blog, A Tunisian

Girl, is written in Arabic, English, and French. She has

received several international prizes, including the

Deutsche Welle International Blog Award and El

Mundo’s International Journalism Prize, for her work.

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when jabeur mejri, a tunisian blogger, expressed views online that were deemed offensive to islam, itcost him his freedom. he was jailed in 2012 for over seven years for “attacking sacred values throughactions or words” and “undermining public morals”. Lina ben mhenni is the author of the blog A TunisianGirl. she told wire about her shock at jabeur’s sentence, and the risks tunisians run by expressing theirviews freely.

“I feel like I have lost my own freedom

while trying to fight for my country and my

people’s freedom. If we don't react to

what is happening, every subject will soon

become taboo.”

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freedom of speech. We have to keep on fighting to

protect and preserve this right.

“We have to stop the attacks on freedom of

speech, and reform our justice system. Judges

should refuse to work according to orders dictated

by political leaders or parties. We mustn’t be afraid

of intimidation.

“I want to tell all Tunisians: We have to unite to

say no to censorship and opinion trials.”

read Lina’s blog at http://atunisiangirl.blogspot.co.uk

keep up thepressure on mYanmar

I’ve had a strong interest in civil and political rights

since I was a teenager in Ireland. My father was

a lifelong member of Amnesty, so I was always

aware of the organization. At university, I focused on

the underlying causes of communal tensions between

Indian and Burman communities in Rangoon in the

1930s for my postgraduate research. I’ve also been

there. It was a combination of these factors that led

me to work on Myanmar for Amnesty International.

The political situation in Myanmar has become

quite fluid in recent years. According to the

government, over 28,000 prisoners have been

released in amnesties since it came to power in

March 2011. These included hundreds of prisoners

of conscience, but hundreds of others have been

arrested or continue to be detained for exercising

their rights to freedom of expression, peaceful

assembly and association.

Amnesty activists can play a major role in keeping

the pressure on Myanmar’s government to stop such

abuses. In Write for Rights 2010, members in 33

countries took more than 45,000 actions calling for

the release of peaceful political activist Su Su Nway.

I’m certain that that’s one reason why she was included

in the new government’s first major prisoner amnesty.

I’m hoping we can do this again this year for Dr

Tun Aung (pictured on the “stamp” image above),

whose case I first heard about a few weeks after his

arrest in June 2012.

He is, by all accounts, a family man – a father

and grandfather – who actively promoted tolerance

among the ethnic and religious groups in Rakhine

state. The local authorities considered him an ally

who could help smooth intercommunity relations if

tensions arose.

On a Friday afternoon in June, the authorities

asked Dr Tun Aung to calm a crowd of men outside

a mosque in Maungdaw, western Myanmar. The men

were angry about the massacre of 10 Muslims one

week earlier by a mob of Buddhists who were seeking

revenge for the alleged rape and murder of a

Buddhist woman.

Dr Tun Aung did his best to restore calm, but the

crowd wouldn’t listen. He was arrested several days

later and is serving a 17-year prison sentence after

being convicted of multiple criminal offences,

including inciting a riot. Aged 66, he has a tumour on

his pituitary gland and needs medical care.

It’s really important for us to make Dr Tun Aung’s

case visible to a wide audience – which is why he is

a Write for Rights 2013 appeal case. That way, he

will remain in the minds of Myanmar officials when

they are deciding on their next prisoner amnesty – as

happened with Su Su Nway.

Dr Tun Aung should be released immediately so

that he can return to being a family man, a

community leader and a doctor. I firmly believe that

Amnesty members around the world will play a vital

role in securing his freedom.

our southeast asia campaigner explains how a passion for myanmarled her to become an amnesty activist, and why dr tun aung needsyour help.

write a Letter - change his Life

write to (start your letter: Your excellency) PresidentThein Sein, urging him to release dr Tun Aungimmediately and unconditionally.

address: President’s office, Nay Pyi Taw, myanmar. email: president-office.gov.mm/contact

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Losing hope

Jabeur Mejri’s sister, Ines, recently told us how he

is doing in prison:

“We see Jabeur (pictured above) every

Thursday and take him food and other things. The

last time we saw him his words really affected us.

He is losing hope, and feels very tired and worried.

He requested a pardon before Eid [in August

2013], but nothing has happened since. We’re very

worried about him.

“Before he was in a very crowded cell and

found it very difficult. He was on the verge of

breaking down, so they agreed to change his cell.

He’s now in a room with about seven or eight

people and he’s much better.

“But he still has trouble sleeping, because

he’s thinking too much about what happened to

him and about his future. We’re continuing to

campaign for him and we’re grateful for everyone’s

help in trying to get him a presidential pardon.”

“Dr Tun Aung did his best to restore calm,

but the crowd wouldn’t listen. He was

arrested several days later and is serving

a 17-year prison sentence.”


http://atunisiangirl.blogspot.co.uk


russia

12


Tens of thousands of protesters took to

Moscow’s streets the day before Vladimir

Putin’s third inauguration as Russia’s

President, on 6 May 2012.

They planned to walk through the city centre to

an opposition rally at Bolotnaya Square, near the

Kremlin. The local authorities had given the go-ahead

to both the march and the meeting.

At the last minute, the police blocked one of

two agreed entrances to the square, creating a

bottleneck. As protesters approached the police

line, pressure and tension grew. The protesters

finally pushed through the police line and clashes

broke out.

Hundreds of people were arrested across

Moscow on that day, and 13 are currently standing

trial. Among them are Vladimir Akimenkov, Artiom

Saviolov and Mikhail Kosenko. The men didn’t know

each other before, but their stories have since

followed a similar path.

Released on 7 May, they were rearrested in June

and have been detained ever since. All three were

charged with participating in “mass riots”. Artiom

Saviolov and Mikhail Kosenko were also accused of

violence against police officers.

Amnesty considers all three to be prisoners of

conscience. Read their stories here, and help us get

them released.

three men arrested in moscow’sbolotnaya square have come to symbolizepresident putin’s recent crackdown onpeaceful political protest.

freethe boLotnaYa 3!

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Vladimir Akimenkov (left and above) is an activist with the opposition Left Front movement. He was arrested

minutes after protesters breached the police line. He thinks he was detained because he is well-known to the

police as a political activist. Video footage clearly shows that he stayed in front of the police line, without

breaching it and without using violence.

The only evidence against him seems to be a police officer’s allegation that Vladimir threw a flag pole that

hit another officer. This initially vague testimony changed substantially six months later, becoming much more

detailed than the original version.

Vladimir had a serious eye condition before he was arrested, which has since deteriorated. His lawyer and

family are deeply concerned about his prison conditions, and are afraid that he might soon go blind.

Artiom Saviolov (below) was detained immediately

after the first police line was breached. He claims that

he was pushed through it, and video footage seems to

corroborate this.

He is charged with using force to prevent a police

officer from detaining another protester, and shouting

“down with the police state”. He firmly denies both

accusations, saying that he actively tried to avoid any

contact with the police. As he has a serious speech

impediment, it is difficult for him to speak, let alone

shout slogans.

Artiom doesn’t belong to any political party or

group. He simply came to Bolotnaya Square, along

with thousands of others, to participate in an

authorised protest against Russia’s controversial

presidential election results.

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Mikhail Kosenko (left) says he was in the front row of

protesters when a police officer was violently attacked

and fell on him. Mikhail then pushed the police

officer away, without using violence. This is consistent

with video footage. The authorities still accuse him of

beating and kicking the officer, who later said that he

had never seen Mikhail before.

Mikhail is mentally ill and very vulnerable. His

condition is thought to have worsened drastically, and

he isn’t receiving the medication he needs. He was

recently denied permission to attend his mother’s

funeral.

In October, a Moscow court ordered Mikhail to

recieve forcible psychiatric treatment, even though

he was successfully treated as an outpatient for a

decade. He could be deprived of his freedom

indefinitely. He doesn’t belong to any political party

or group and has never been accused of violence in

the past.

write a Letter - change theirLiVes

Please send bright, beautiful cards separately to vladimirGheorgievich Akimenkov, Artiom victorovich Saviolov andmikhail Aleksandrovich Kosenko (translate your messageinto russian using translate.google.com). send it to: Pre-trial detention facility, SIZo-2 “butyrka”,ul. Novoslobodskaya, 45, moscow, 127055, russian Federation.

or email [email protected] specifying who it is for.

Urge the General Prosecutor to release the three men,and grant other bolotnaya prisoners fair trials.

write to: Yurii Yakovlevich chaika, General Prosecutor of the russian Federation, General Prosecutor’s office, ul.b. dmitrovka, d.15a, 125993 moscow GSP-3, russianFederation.

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Far left: Russian riot police clash with protesters

during the Bolotnaya Square protest in central Moscow,

6 May 2012




It took time for Miriam Isaura López Vargas to piece

together what had happened to her. The 30-year-

old mother of four had just dropped three of her

children off at school in Ensenada, a city in northern

Mexico, on 2 February 2011. Suddenly, two men

wearing balaclavas appeared, forced her into a white

van and took her away.

“I didn’t know who they were, and when I asked

them they put a gun to my head and told me to shut

up or they would blow my head off,” she later said.

The men turned out to be soldiers in plain clothes.

They took Miriam to a military barracks in a nearby

city, Tijuana. She described what came next as the

worst seven days of her life.

“They tortured me: they repeatedly put wet cloths

over my face and poured water over it so I couldn’t

breathe,” she told us. “They gave me electric shocks.”

Deeply traumatized, she later found the courage

to tell her partner that soldiers had also repeatedly

raped her.

The soldiers were trying to force Miriam to

“confess” to trafficking drugs through a military

checkpoint. Miriam maintains her innocence, and

that she was simply making her usual journey to visit

her mother 45 kilometres away.

After a week of torture, Miriam was taken to a

detention centre in Mexico City. She spent 80 days

there before being charged with drug-related

offences and transferred to a prison in Ensenada.

She was finally released on 2 September 2011, after

her case was thrown out of court because of a lack

of evidence.

using torture to fight crime Torture remains the police’s method of choice for

investigating crimes across Mexico.

People are often tortured and otherwise ill-treated

to make them sign statements that falsely implicate

them – or others – in a crime. These are then used

as evidence to prosecute somebody. The authorities

tend to turn a blind eye, because torture identifies

supposed “criminals” and suggests that the police

are fighting crime effectively.

This leaves many innocent people behind bars,

criminals on the streets, victims of crime without

access to real justice, and the general population at

risk of more crime and violence.

Prosecutors used Miriam’s testimony to

implicate others, not just Miriam, in drug-related

offences. They just needed someone to fill a gap

in the evidence they required to bring charges.

miriam is one of thousandsA few years ago, Mexico started combating

drug cartels and organized crime, using tens

of thousands of soldiers and marines to lead

operations. Since then, complaints of torture and

ill-treatment by the military and police have

increased. This has left Mexicans at much higher

risk of being tortured at random.

Ordinary people like Miriam, with few means and

limited access to independent legal help, are

particularly vulnerable.

Allegations of torture and other ill-treatment alone

rose by 500% between 2006-2012, according to the

National Human Rights Commission. It is also

investigating around 2,400 disappearances in which

public officials are implicated.

faiLed bY the sYstemSuccessive Mexican governments have repeatedly

said they will prevent and punish torture. But they

have so far failed to fully investigate any allegations,

and have brought virtually no one to justice. The

authorities, including judges, are also failing in their

legal obligation to prevent testimony tainted by torture

being used as evidence during trials.

Miriam was examined by National Human Rights

Commission staff in 2012. They confirmed that her

account was consistent with having been tortured,

meXico

14


miriam López was kidnapped on the school run by men inbalaclavas, tortured and detained for months. how could thishappen? wire looks at the reality of torture in mexico.

tortured at random

“I try to live normally, but I’m always

scared – for me, for my family – that

something is going to happen to them.”

meXico

15


> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

including sexual violence. But the Federal Attorney

General’s Office still requested another examination

performed by its own forensic officials.

This was only carried out in May 2013, even

though Miriam filed her complaint for torture in

December 2011. By the time WIRE went to print,

Miriam and her lawyer still hadn’t been informed of

the examination results.

teLL miriam that she is not aLone15 December 2013 will mark two years since Miriam

filed her complaint with the Federal Attorney

General’s Office for the human rights violations she

suffered.

The investigation has hardly moved since. Despite

compelling medical evidence, and Miriam identifying

some of the perpetrators, no one has been officially

questioned.

Most torture victims in Mexico are too scared to

complain. Many women who have been sexually

assaulted fear being stigmatized if they speak out.

Miriam decided to come forward because she is

determined to get justice, and to protect others from

suffering what she went through.

She needs your support. Her home in Ensenada,

Baja California state, is 2,000 km from the capital,

Mexico City, where her case is being processed. She

is in regular touch with her lawyer, a national NGO

that supports her, and with Amnesty. But keeping up

her fight is a constant challenge.

“I try to live normally,” she told us, “but I’m

always scared – for me, for my family – that something

is going to happen to them”. To protect her family,

Miriam has asked us not to publish any images

identifying her.

Please let Miriam know what she is not alone.

It is very important to her that thousands of people

are supporting her campaign for justice.

write a Letter - support hercampaignPlease ‘like’ miriam’s Facebook page and leave her asolidarity message along with your name and country:bit.ly/miriamlopez

Please also ask mexico’s Federal Attorney General tocomplete a full, prompt and impartial investigation into thetorture of miriam López in 2011, to make the results of theinvestigation public and bring those responsible to justice.

write to (start your letter: estimado Señor Procurador):Jesús murillo Karam, Federal Attorney General, Procuraduría General de la república, Paseo de la reforma 211-213, col. cuauhtémoc, c.P. 06500, mexico city, mexico.

email: [email protected]: A common sight on Mexico’s streets: Soldiers on

patrol in Nuevo Laredo, a city on the Rio Grande river in

Tamaulipas state, Mexico, January 2012.

Above right: Miriam Lōpez.

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cambodia

16


‘All I can think about is my mum,” says Lous

Lyhour. “I want her to come out quickly, to

come home.”

It’s a simple enough plea, from a little boy who

badly misses his mum. But Lyhour’s mum isn’t at the

shops or at work. She’s in prison, serving a three-year

sentence on trumped-up charges.

Yorm Bopha was the lynchpin of her family and

a leader of community resistance against forced

evictions in central Phnom Penh’s Boeung Kak Lake,

before her arrest and detention in September 2012.

Her vocal defence of 13 other women activists from

the community, who had themselves been

imprisoned following a peaceful protest in May 2012,

caught the attention of the Cambodian authorities

who threatened and harassed her throughout that

campaign.

Bopha had been standing up for her community

since 2010, joining a largely women-led movement

against the mass evictions taking place around

Boeung Kak Lake. “Her activism was inspiring,”

says Lous Sakhorn, Bopha’s husband. “I supported

her and I was proud. Her activism became part of

our lives.”

But Sakhorn was keenly aware of the dangers

she courted as a result. “I was worried for her. I said:

‘Be careful; don’t put yourself out there too much.’

She said, ‘I want the microphone, to speak, not just

merge into the crowds!’ I was worried of course, but

I supported her. We all felt hurt that our land had

been taken.”

20,000 eVictedTrouble began for Boeung Kak Lake’s residents in

2007, when the land was leased to a company for

development. Since then, around 20,000 people

have been forced out of their homes. They weren’t

consulted about the development plans. In fact,

the first they heard about the plans was on the

television news.

In August 2008, the company began pumping

sand into the lake. Homes were destroyed as water

from the lake flooded the area. Many families refused

to leave and a resistance movement grew. By

February 2012, the lake had disappeared under

mounds of sand. The authorities harassed and

threatened residents, trying to make them accept

poor compensation or relocate to a place far from

work, with no basic services.

The remaining families kept protesting,

demanding their right to keep their homes. In August

2011, they thought they’d made a breakthrough.

Cambodia’s Prime Minister allocated 12.44 hectares

of land in Boeung Kak Lake for more than 900 local

families. But the local authority excluded some

families, and some of those who did receive land titles

still don’t actually have their land. And so the protests

continued, as did the arrests.

protecting her communitYEventually, Bopha’s activism caught up with her. In

September 2012, she and Sakhorn were arrested,

accused of planning an assault on two men

suspected of theft. Despite no evidence connecting

them to the attack, they were convicted that

December. Sakhorn received a suspended sentence;

Bopha was jailed.

‘neVer forget bopha!’mother, businesswoman, wife, activist – Yorm bopha is all of these.but most of all, say her husband and 10-year-old son, she’s missed.

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“I feel such injustice for Bopha,” says Sakhorn.

“She is a woman who tried to protect her family’s and

other’s land – her community. She was thinking

about the next generation. We’ve lost faith in our

country, and in the law. The law is about the wishes

of the powerful people.”

The court required the family to pay heavy

compensation to the two men, leaving Sakhorn and

Lyhour financially vulnerable. As Sakhorn points out,

Bopha was the breadwinner. “She is in charge of the

family,” he says. “She took care of business, selling

cloth.” Sakhorn, who suffers from high blood

pressure, is too ill to work.

The emotional toll has been equally debilitating.

“My mum’s imprisonment has really affected my

studies,” says Lyhour, who was nine when Bopha was

arrested.

“He just doesn’t want to go to school,” adds

Sakhorn. “He wants to join protests for his mum. I can’t

reject this – it comes from his pain, and I understand.”

Sakhorn’s pain is palpable, too. “We were very

happy, the three of us together. We used to go around

together in front of the royal palace, to the pagoda,

just around town. I have very happy memories of that.

But since she’s been in prison, it’s like the warmth

has gone. It’s like we’ve lost part of our body – our

right arm.”

the worLd must knowYorm Bopha is currently held at the Prison Judiciaire

on the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the capital. Sakhorn

and Lyhour are allowed to visit her twice a week. “She

is okay,” says Sakhorn, “but being in prison is not

easy. She shares a small cell with seven others.”

Her detention there is perhaps made easier by

the knowledge that her community is working for her

release. “The people of Boeung Kak Lake never forget

Bopha!” says Sakhorn. “They’re marching. They’re

submitting petitions to the National Assembly, the City

Hall, the government, and different foreign embassies

as well as the World Bank.”

And what does Amnesty’s support for Bopha

mean to Sakhorn and Lyhour? “I feel very glad,” says

Sakhorn. “It brings us hope that my wife can be

released. It would mean us finding justice for people

in Cambodia. It shows us that justice could exist.”

write a Letter - change her Life

write to the minister of Justice (start your letter: Yourexcellency). Urge him to release Yorm bopha immediatelyand unconditionally.

address: minister of Justice, ministry of Justice, No 240Sothearos blvd, Phnom Penh, cambodia.

email: [email protected]

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Top left to right: Lous Sakhorn, Bopha’s husband, holds

a poster with her picture.

Boeung Kak Lake in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Residents

here are at risk of being kicked out of their homes to

make room for corporate development projects. Many

have been living here for over 20 years and have

nowhere else to go. When the company developing the

lake started filling it with sand, many homes were

flooded and people were forced to leave. The lake is

now completely gone.

Yorm Bopha (far right) and other activists hold lotus

flowers as they demand the release of 13 human rights

defenders from Boeung Kak Lake in Phnom Penh. This

largely women-led movement is protesting against mass

forced evictions of their community.

Left: ‘All I can think about is my mum’: A recent

picture of Bopha’s son, Lous Lyhour. He was nine years

old when she was arrested in 2012.

“I feel such injustice for Bopha. She is a

woman who tried to protect her family’s

and other’s land – her community. She

was thinking about the next generation.”

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from Victim to human rights actiVist

It would be easy to forgive Bimbo Osobe if she had

given up and felt she couldn’t go on. She was

among thousands who watched helplessly as their

homes and shops were demolished during a state-

authorized forced eviction in Badia East, Lagos,

Nigeria, on 23 February 2013.

When Amnesty first spoke with her in May, she

was sleeping out in the open under a net and

recovering from malaria. Her livelihood gone, she was

completely dependent on friends or well-wishers for

food and clothing.

She sent her children away to live with relatives,

wanting to spare them the hardship and stress she

was going through.

But Bimbo (pictured on the stamp image above,

right) doesn’t want to be a victim – she wants justice.

And when we met her again in August she had

already begun to transform her own and her

community’s situation through her activism.

Thanks to a sympathetic resident, Bimbo found

a place to live in a part of Badia East that escaped

the bulldozers. She is helping other residents find

adequate alternative housing and get compensation.

She and the other activists plan to display any

solidarity cards they receive in the Better Life

Community Centre where they meet.

She is still separated from her children, but manages

to send them schoolbooks bought with money she

receives from supporters.

At Amnesty’s August launch of a report on Badia

East, Bimbo led the community in singing solidarity

and motivational songs. She also acted as interpreter

during a housing rights workshop, and spoke

passionately to community members.

At a round table discussion about the right to

adequate housing in Lagos state, Bimbo urged the

authorities to resettle and compensate people affected.

Amnesty is campaigning to end forced evictions

in Badia East, and for all those affected to receive

compensation and other protection. But the

community remains at risk: the state government

has indicated that it intends to demolish the whole

community in two further mass evictions.

International solidarity will go a long way in

helping the people of Badia East to continue their

fight for adequate housing. Bimbo said: “We thank

Amnesty International for supporting us after the

demolition, and we want you to continue to support

us and help to fight for our right.”


Please send letters, photos or cards with messages ofsupport to:

badia east Technical committee, c/o Social and economic rights Action center (SerAc),Plot 758, chief Thomas Adeboye drive, omole Phase 2, Isheri, Lagos state, Nigeria.

“many people have been rendered homeless, many children havebeen unable to go to school, many mothers can no longer cater fortheir families and many fathers are helpless to provide for them.that is why i have resolved that with the last drop of my blood i willstand up for my right and that of others.”bimbo osobe

Left: Bimbo Osobe speaks at the launch of Amnesty’s

report If you love your life, move out! about the forced

eviction that destroyed her community. Lagos, Nigeria,

August 2013.

Right: Badia East residents attend the launch of

Amnesty’s new report.

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turkeY

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Late in the evening on 3 June, Hakan Yaman

was on his way home from his job as a minibus

driver in Istanbul, Turkey. The atmosphere in

the city was tense, after a weekend of huge protests

that were met with widespread police violence.

On 30 May, police had used tear gas, beaten

protesters and burned down their tents in Gezi Park

in the city centre. People had been demonstrating

against the threatened destruction of one of Istanbul’s

few remaining green spaces.

Their cause, and the authorities’ abusive

response, touched a nerve. Tens of thousands of

protesters poured out onto the streets across Turkey

in the following days. The authorities responded with

yet more tear gas, violence and arrests.

Hakan, 37, was on his way home to his wife and

two children when he passed a demonstration against

the previous days’ police violence. Moments later, he

was brutally attacked by police officers.

“First I was sprayed by water cannon,” he later

told Amnesty. “Then I was hit in the stomach with a

tear gas canister and fell. Around five police officers

came over and began hitting me repeatedly on the

head. One of them put a hard object into my eye and

gouged my eye out.

caught up in thegeZi park protests

“I heard one of them say ‘this one is finished, let’s

completely finish him off’. They dragged me about 10

to 20 meters and threw me onto a fire. They left and I

dragged myself out of the fire. I was taken to the

hospital by some of the protesters.”

Hakan completely lost one eye, and 80% of his

eyesight in the other. His cheekbone, forehead and

chin were broken, his skull was fractured, and he had

second degree burns on his back. “They thought I

was a protester and they tried to kill me,” he told us.

What happened to Hakan was unusually brutal,

but it was far from an isolated case of police violence.

According to The Turkish Medical Association, by

10 July, more than 8,000 injuries during

demonstrations had been reported. Strong evidence

also links three people’s deaths to police violence.

Amnesty is calling on the Turkish authorities to

prevent unnecessary violence against demonstrators

or other members of the public. We are also calling

for all allegations of ill-treatment during the Gezi Park

protests to be effectively investigated, with those

responsible being brought to justice.

Hakan’s life was changed forever by the attack.

He has made a criminal complaint on the grounds of

attempted murder. By the time WIRE went to print,

the prosecutors had interviewed three riot police

officers who denied any involvement.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

write a Letter - caLL for justicePlease support Hakan by sending him a letter orpostcard, possibly with a picture of a racing car as he isa big Formula 1 fan.

write to: Hakan Yaman, c/o ruhat Sena danışman,Uluslararası Af Örgütü Türkiye Şubesi, Kamer Hatunmahallesi, Hamalbaşı cad. No:22 dükkan:2 daire:2-3-4,34435 beyoğlu/İstanbul, Turkey.

Urge the minister of Justice to ensure an effective,independent and impartial investigation to identify andprosecute those responsible for the attack on HakanYaman on 3 June 2013.

write to (start your letter: dear minister):mr. Sadullah ergin, ministry of Justice, Adalet bakanlığı, 06659 Ankara, Turkey.

fax: +90 (0312) 419 33 70. email: [email protected]

hakan Yaman’s life changedforever when police officersattacked him during the june2013 protests in istanbul, turkey.

Above, from left: Hakan Yaman before he was beaten by

police, with his wife Nihal, and after the attack.

For the first few weeks, their youngest

daughter was so shocked she didn’t speak to

her dad at all. “Now she doesn’t leave his

side,” Nihal says. “She constantly hugs her

dad and kisses him.”

Hakan can never drive a minibus again. “Our

children have been really badly affected,” his wife,

Nihal, told us. For the first few weeks, their youngest

daughter was so shocked she didn’t speak to her dad

at all. “Now she doesn’t leave his side,” Nihal says.

“She constantly hugs her dad and kisses him.”

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soon after the popular uprisingbegan in bahrain in 2011, 13 opposition leaders werearrested. their ‘crime’ wasexpressing their opinionspeacefully: calling for democracy,an end to corruption, opposing the monarchy.

after an unfair trial the men weresentenced to between five yearsand life in prison. some say theywere tortured, and all areprisoners of conscience. faridaghulam, wife of imprisonedopposition leader ebrahim sharif,told wire their story.

the highprice ofteLLinghardtruths

please tell us a little about yourself, ebrahimand his connection with the other prisonersEbrahim is a prominent political figure – he’s been

the Secretary General of Bahrain’s secular National

Democratic Action Society (NDAS) – the Wa’ad party

– since 2007. I’ve been married to him for 28 years.

I’ve been a women’s rights activist since I was 17 and

have been president of Bahrain’s first women’s rights

organization. I’m currently the head of the NDAS’

Women’s Bureau and work as an evaluation specialist

in Bahrain’s Ministry of Education.

Ebrahim (pictured on the “stamp” image above,

right, with ‘Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja) is an outspoken

person who became a threat to the government. If

you are in the opposition and telling hard truths that

people are afraid to speak about – like stolen lands

and secret budgets – you become a target.

He and the others come from different schools

of thought, but are all part of the opposition. After

14 February 2011 [when Bahrain’s popular uprising

began], people gathered at the Pearl Roundabout [in

the capital, Manama], where Ebrahim and the others

were giving speeches every night. The government

wanted to put them all in one basket and accused

them of trying to topple the regime.

what happened when they were detained?Ebrahim was arrested on 17 March 2011 [all 13 men

were arrested between that day and 9 April 2011].

Around 30-40 guards came at 2am and kept ringing

the bell. One pointed his gun at Ebrahim’s head.

Ebrahim was very calm – saying he didn’t have to

use the gun, and that he would go with them

voluntarily. They took him, and when I asked where

I could contact him they laughed at me. It was a very

tough moment.

That night, Ebrahim and others were stripped

naked and put in solitary confinement. A team

of torturers beat them for around an hour, three

times a day. They threw cold water on Ebrahim’s

mattress and turned the air conditioning up high

so he couldn’t sleep. After two months the torture

stopped because of international attention. The

men now suffer from pain, illnesses and the

aftermath of torture, and most have not been given

any medical treatment.

what happened during and after their trials?They went through trials for 21 months with no

means of defending themselves. Some were

sentenced to life [Hassan Mshaima’, ‘Abdelwahab

21


Hussain, ‘Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, Dr ‘Abdel-Jalil al-

Singace, Mohammad Habib al-Miqdad, Abdel-Jalil

al-Miqdad and Sa’eed Mirza al-Nuri], others to 15

years [Mohammad Hassan Jawwad, Mohammad ‘Ali

Ridha Isma’il, Abdullah al-Mahroos and ‘Abdul-Hadi

‘Abdullah Hassan al-Mukhodher]. My husband and

another man [Salah ‘Abdullah Hubail Al-Khawaja] got

five years. It was astonishing and strange when a

civilian appeal court said in April 2012 that what

happened in the military court was wrong, that they

should be free. But the public prosecutor said

nothing would change.

It was devastating, especially for those who were

sentenced to life. But because this is a political

situation and the government is taking revenge

against masses of people, it makes your problem

seem a little bit smaller. You have to be strong for

your family and other people.

how has their imprisonment affected youand the other families? I have become more outspoken – all the families take

any opportunity to speak on the men’s behalf. I’ve

had many hate letters and messages on Twitter –

people sending me a picture of a hang rope, saying

that I am a traitor. I was dismissed from my job for

three months and interrogated. But it’s worth it,

because this is a just case.

The regime here is trying to control every outlet

for the opposition, including on national TV, and most

magazines. But now everyone uses Twitter very

successfully to convey their messages. If your

account is big, the Ministries of the Interior or Justice

sometimes reply, using degrading language, saying

that we are lying. But we are simply telling the truth.

what does it mean to the 13 men to befeatured in write for rights 2013? I have to thank Amnesty for all its efforts – it really

affects the men’s spirit by reminding them that they are

not forgotten. All these people writing for their cause –

it’s a big thing! International activism has a tremendous

effect on Bahraini activists, knowing that somebody is

telling their story. In our country there has been a total

plan to block the opposition, spread lies and distort

the story. It’s very important for us– it gives us more

confidence and strength to continue. It makes us

happy that there are people who appreciate basic

rights, stand by their principles and use their time

and effort to help us. It’s a beautiful solidarity feeling.

what are your hopes for bahrain’s future?We have a road map for a better future called the

Manama Document. We want a society with equality

for all, where all Bahrainis can get a job if they are

competent, instead of having discrimination against

Shi'a and opposition party members.

We continue to hope that international pressure

will make the Bahraini government admit that the

uprising resulted from long unresolved political issues

that continue to be ignored and silenced, instead of

trying to control everything. You can’t lie all the time.

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >


Please send the 13 men’s families a solidarity letter or acard via: bahrain Team, Amnesty International, 1 easton Street, London Wc1X 0dW, UK.

call on the King of bahrain to release of the 13 jailedopposition activists immediately and unconditionally; to order an investigation into their torture allegationsand hold those responsible to account.

write to (start your letter: Your majesty):Shaikh Hamad bin ‘Issa Al Khalifa, office of His majestythe King, P.o. box 555, rifa’a Palace, manama, bahrain.

fax: +973 1766 4587 (keep trying)email: [email protected]

Above: Farida Ghulam (front, centre) and Amnesty

staff hold images of Bahraini prisoners of conscience,

International Secretariat, London, February 2013. The

text on the poster Farida is holding says “solidarity and

defiance” in Arabic.

Above left: Two men stand on top of a car holding

a flag saying “peace” in Arabic and English during

a peaceful protest rally at the Pearl Roundabout in

Bahrain, 19 February 2011.

“International activism has a tremendous

effect on Bahraini activists, knowing that

somebody is telling their story.”

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honduras

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Ebed Yanez, 15, left his house in Tegucigalpa

late at night on 26 May 2012, without telling his

parents. Riding his father’s motorbike without

a licence, he went to meet a girl. But going out at

night in the Honduran capital is dangerous. Ebed

never came home.

The next day, his worried parents looked for him

everywhere, until they found his dead body at the

morgue. He had been shot.

Wilfredo Yanez, Ebed’s father, wanted justice for

his son. He followed leads and collected evidence,

putting himself at great risk. A few days later, Wilfredo

discovered that soldiers had shot Ebed after he failed

to stop at an army checkpoint.

Wilfredo complained to the Public Prosecutor, but

he didn’t hold out much hope that they would help

him. After the 2009 military coup, Honduras’ state

institutions became even weaker than before. And the

already worrying human rights situation worsened.

According to UN statistics, Honduras has the

world’s highest murder rate, and only 20% of all

criminal cases are investigated. It is one of the

poorest countries in the Americas, with 60% of the

population living in poverty.

The police are notoriously corrupt, and often linked

to organized crime. As the drug trafficking cartels

expand their reach, the authorities have responded by

putting more soldiers on the streets.

So like most victims of human rights violations in

Honduras, Wilfredo also approached the Committee

of Relatives of the Detained and Disappeared in

Honduras (COFADEH) for help.

no strangers to dangerStanding up for human rights in Honduras is

dangerous. Journalists, lawyers, trade unionists,

Indigenous and peasant farmer leaders have been

killed because of their work to defend human rights.

COFADEH’s activists have received text messages

threatening them with sexual violence and been

physically attacked. Their offices have been broken

into many times. But none of this has stopped them

promoting and defending human rights in Honduras

for over 30 years.

The organization was founded in 1982 by the

relatives of political activists, students and trade union

leaders who were “disappeared” by the security

forces during a previous military government.

Since then, it has continued to collect testimony

from victims, protecting people at risk and supporting

people who, like Wilfredo, are searching for justice.

shot on a fishing tripVisiting COFADEH’s office in central Tegucigalpa is a

memorable experience. People wait patiently to tell

their stories to their lawyers, hoping that they can

help. Many have travelled far to get here.

Many victims of human rights abuses we spoke to

said that they didn’t report crimes to the authorities

because they don’t trust them and are scared. They

prefer to file a complaint with COFADEH, who then

pass it on to the prosecutors.

When Amnesty last visited the organization in

May 2013, we met Wilmer Sabillón, a young man. A

few weeks before, he had been shot by a navy officer

during a fishing trip. Wilmer didn’t get proper medical

help and is still recovering.

Wilmer was very relieved to have found

COFADEH. Within hours, it had arranged for Wilmer

be examined by a forensic doctor. It also filed a

complaint with Honduras’ Human Rights Prosecutor,

and got the case moving through the legal system.

Throughout the day, a COFADEH representative

stayed by Wilmer and his family’s side. And in

August, a navy officer was officially charged with

Wilmer’s attempted murder.

for over 30 years, a group of human rights defenders in hondurashas been a beacon of hope for people whose rights have beenviolated.

‘theY can’t cLip ourwings’

“People feel moved when they look at the

doves, now more than ever, it’s important to

keep the solidarity campaign going.”

honduras

23


keeping the memorY aLiVeWilmer is just one of many people COFADEH has

represented. It has become the victims’ voice, and

the place to go for people who want justice.

Passing on historical memory is also fundamental

for its activists. They don’t want the state’s

responsibility for around 200 disappearances in the

1980s to be forgotten.

Honduras has a very young population, and many

are at risk of joining gangs. Under COFADEH’s wings,

a national youth activist network has grown.

In workshops and seminars, seasoned human

rights defenders now teach young people how to

recognize and document violations. They encourage

them to participate in their local communities, and to

promote values such as equality and solidarity.

Bertha Oliva, COFADEH’s founding member and

general co-ordinator, told us that young people are

the organization’s strength.

hope and internationaL supportInternational solidarity is just as important. In the

main hall of COFADEH’s offices hangs a red banner

with doves – their logo – sewn on it. It’s a gift from

Amnesty members in the UK, celebrating the

organization’s 30th anniversary last year (see above).

“People feel moved when they look at the doves,”

Bertha told us. “Now more than ever, it’s important to

keep the solidarity campaign going, and demand that

the Honduran state respects human rights defenders’

work. They can try and clip our wings, but they won't

be able to”.

COFADEH are still supporting Wilfredo’s fight to

get justice for Ebed. One soldier is currently detained

and facing criminal charges.

As Honduras goes to the polls to elect a new

president in November, the importance of their

human rights work – and the risks they face – will

grow. Please write a letter on their behalf – your words

can help support and protect the members of

COFADEH.

Find out more at bit.ly/coFAdeH

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

write a Letter - heLp protectthem

Please send a card or letter – ideally, with a picture of adove − to coFAdeH, expressing your support for their work.

write to: comité de Familiares de detenidosdesaparecidos en Honduras (coFAdeH)barrio La Plazuela, Avenida cervantes, casa No. 1301,Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Urge Honduras’ new president, who will be elected inNovember 2013, to publicly endorse human rightsdefenders’ important and legitimate work, pledge tosupport them, and condemn all attacks against them.

write to (start your letter: dear President elect):President elect of Honduras, c/o central America Team,Amnesty International, 1 easton Street, London, Wc1X 0dW, UK.

what is a human rights defender?

n Human rights defenders (HRDs) are

concerned for other people’s rights, as well as their

own. They are defined by what they do and what

they stand for and their actions are always peaceful.

n HRDs are committed to realising the promise

of justice, human rights and freedoms for all, even

when the issues involved are controversial.

n People’s right to defend human rights is

recognized and protected in international human

rights law.

n The UN Declaration on HRDs was adopted by

the UN General Assembly in 1998.

n States have an obligation to protect HRD s.

Left: Keeping their memory alive: Photographs of

people who “disappeared” during Honduras’ military

government hang on the walls of COFADEH’s office

in the capital, Tegucigalpa.

Right: This handmade banner featuring doves was a

gift from Amnesty UK to mark COFADEH’s 30th

anniversary in November 2012.

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> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > take action onLine amnestY.org/indiViduaLs-at-risk 24

out in the open

‘whiLe theY get readY, i wiLL die’

“When I see injustice, I start to fight it. I was

raised like that – injustice equals horror

for me. I went to a clothes shop in Minsk

[the capital of Belarus] in August, holding hands

with a boy. The manager kicked me out and they

swore at us. I came back the next day and

complained, and they apologized and said it

wouldn’t happen again. I managed to convince

them that they were wrong. That’s what standing up

for your rights is. I didn’t steal anything and I didn’t

kill anyone, I was just holding hands with my

boyfriend.

“A boy and a girl can hold hands, so why can’t

we? I don’t care what they think. I can’t sit and wait

until they are ready. While they get ready, I will die.

There’s only one life and we should live it as best

we can.”

being gaY in beLarus“The media here portrays gays and lesbians as sick

and crazy people, fools and savages. The President

says our country isn’t ready to accept people like us,

and that he isn’t ashamed of that. People see the

President’s attitude and think the same.

ihar tsikhanyuk is an openly gay man from belarus who works as a drag artist.when he tried to set up a gay rightsorganization, the police beat him up. when he complained, they threatened to kill him.

ihar wants justice for what happened,and the freedom to be himself withoutworrying about the consequences. heshared his story with wire.

Left and above right: The many faces of Ihar

Tsikhanyuk, who works as a drag artist.

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“I am an openly gay man. I’m not embarrassed

and I don’t hide it – I try to show that it’s normal. I

dress like a woman when I perform as a drag artist in

clubs. But it’s very difficult. You have to be prepared

for negative situations all the time, attacks by young

people, relatives, the political authorities.

“It’s normal for gay people in Belarus to hide their

lives. If they’ve been beaten up or fired, they don’t

know how to complain to the authorities. Many of my

friends turn to me and ask for help.

“The LGBTI [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender

and intersex] community here used to be very united.

But government policy has become very homophobic

recently – gay clubs have been shut down, it’s

impossible to organize events, meetings, parties – so

people have started to lose touch with each other.”

kicked out of church“I am an Orthodox Christian. I used to like going to

a monastery in Hrodna [in north-western Belarus]

and knew an abbess there. Then I went to gay pride

in Moscow in 2009, I gave a lot of interviews. The

next time I went to Hrodna, the abbess kicked me

out of church during the service in front of the whole

parish. She pointed at me and said that ‘this boy,

Ihar, he's gay, he likes men’. She told the congregation

to spit at people like me, and to expel me if I

came again, because I spoiled the reputation of

the church.

“My mum is very conservative and religious, so

when she saw me hugging and kissing a boy in my

room one day she was shocked. She didn’t talk to me

for about a month, and then she said she would take

me to see a priest to confess, because I had a demon

sitting inside me.

“Then I finished school and left home, and it

calmed down. Nowadays she supports me, and even

asks about my personal life and tells me to be careful

with my health.”

dragged from hospitaL“We tried to set up Lambda, a human rights

organization that protects LGBTI people, in

December 2012. The government started to fight

us after we applied to the Ministry of Justice with

enough signatures to register it [as required by law].

The police called the founding members in for

questioning, asking why we had signed the

application and pressurized us to write letters

denouncing it.

“I was having hospital treatment for a stomach

ulcer at the time. The police came to the hospital and

dragged me to their car. They asked what I had been

doing in Minsk with other gays. I refused to talk to

them, so they started to punch my head and chest.

They told me not to go to Minsk anymore and to not

get involved with the organization.”

‘eVerYone is equaL in the repubLic ofbeLarus’

After the attack, my family became scared of

being attacked. I told them I’d protect them. Some of

my friends expressed support and understanding, but

others said I shouldn’t complain or I’d have more

problems and could be killed.

“I wrote a complaint, and when I told the police

officers they said: ‘Boy, aren’t you worried that you’ll

end up with nine grams [a bullet] in your forehead?’.

I couldn’t believe that they’d openly say that to me.

“I still feel humiliated and empty, because there’s

nothing I can do. We don’t have enough ways to

fight, or good enough legislation to protect LGBTI

people in Belarus.

“It will mean a lot for us to get support from

Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign. LGBTI people

will feel braver and more hopeful. It will show that

everyone is equal in the Republic of Belarus.”

> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

write a Letter - stand with him

Support Ihar by sending a letter or a card to:Ihar Tsikhanyuk, c/o belarus Team, Amnesty International, 1 easton Street, London Wc1X 0dW, United Kingdom.

call on belarus’ General Prosecutor to investigate policeofficers’ ill-treatment and threats against IharTsikhanyuk at the october district police station inHrodna in February 2013, and to bring those responsibleto justice.

write to (start your letter: dear General Prosecutor):Alyaksandr Koniuk, Generalnaya Prokuratura, ul. Internatsionalnaya 22, 220030 minsk, belarus.

email: [email protected]: +375 17 226 42 52 (please say “fax” if someoneanswers)

“There’s only one life and we should liveit as best we can.”



‘historY saYs, don’t hopeon this side of the graVe.but then, once in a Lifetimethe Longed-for tidaL waVeof justice can rise up,and hope and historY rhYme.’

from ‘the cure at troY’ bYseamus heaneY (1939-2013)irish poet, actiVist and friendof amnestY internationaL

wire13 nov dec_web

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