Sri Lanka: Navi Pillay’s visit and Day of the Disappeared.

Sri Lanka: Navi Pillay’s visit and Day of the Disappeared 

Spokespeople and new case studies available

 On 30 August 2013, the world will mark the International Day of the Disappeared. In Sri Lanka, some 12,000 complaints of enforced disappearances have been submitted to the UN since the 1980s – making it second only to Iraq. But the actual number of disappeared is much higher, with at least 30,000 cases alleged up to 1994 and many thousands reported after that. “The number of disappeared people in Sri Lanka is astounding. The government has to stop making empty promises and once and for all seriously investigate the tens of thousands of cases of enforced disappearances,” said Yolanda Foster, Amnesty International’s Sri Lanka expert. This year’s Day of the Disappeared coincides with the visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, to Sri Lanka (25-31 August). She is expected to meet family members of some of the disappeared. 

More information - Amnesty International spokespeople as well as activists based in Sri Lanka are available for interviews on enforced disappearances and on Navi Pillay’s visit. To arrange, please contact: Olof Blomqvist, Amnesty International Asia/Pacific press officer, + 44 (0) 20 7413 5871, olof.blomqvist@amnesty.org In addition, Amnesty International has documented several new case studies of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka that have never been published before. Photo material and more information on these cases are available through the Amnesty International press office. 

Background -On 26 July 2013, the Sri Lankan government announced that it will establish a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to look into enforced disappearances from the final years the conflict (1990-2009), but there are questions about the commission’s independence from the government. Similar commissions appointed in the past have accomplished very little and some have had close ties to the authorities, undermining their independence. There have been ten commissions on disappearances since the early 1990s, but their recommendations have largely been ignored, and few of the many alleged perpetrators they identified have been brought to justice. During the final bloody months of the armed conflict in 2009, thousands of people disappeared after their arrest or capture by the Sri Lankan security forces or abduction by the Tamil Tigers. Very few of those cases have been resolved. In addition there has been blatant intimidation reported against families and others seeking to take remedial action. The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) gives the security forces wide powers to arrest suspected opponents of the government and detain them incommunicado and without charge or trial for long periods – conditions which provide a ready context for deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture. Victims and their relatives have faced enormous difficulties in seeking redress. Hundreds of relatives have filed habeas corpus petitions in an attempt to trace ‘disappeared’ prisoners but the procedure has proved slow and ineffective. 

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL �MEDIA ADVISORY ��AI index: ASA 37/020/2013

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA37/020/2013/en/0917e9e8-e938-4a77-95a4-fda27a36e5fc/asa370202013en.html

India needs comprehensive reform, not death penalty, to deal with violence against women.

The horrific sexual assault and murder of 23-year-old 'Nirbhaya' shocked India in December 2012, drawing attention to the widespread violence against women in the country and sparking nation-wide protests and reforms.

On 31 August 2013, the judge presiding over the trial of one of the accused will hand down the first verdict in the case. The defendant is one of six people charged with tricking the victim into boarding an off-duty Delhi bus where she was brutally gang raped on 16 December 2012. She died on 29 December 2012 due to injuries resulting from the attack. Four of the other defendants are being tried in a special fast-track court in New Delhi. The sixth was found dead in his prison cell in March 2013.

While some in India have called for the death penalty to ensure that 'justice is seen to be done', this by no means represents the majority view. Most Indian states support life imprisonment without parole, while many politicians have remained silent on the issue. Similarly, protestors internationally have focused on the importance of strengthening women's, especially victims', rights within India. Indeed, many women's and human rights groups across India have campaigned against the introduction of the death penalty for rape cases, arguing that it is "neither a deterrent nor an effective or ethical response to these acts of sexual violence".

However, supporters of the death penalty continue to stress its symbolic value for communicating collective condemnation. This argument ignores how in practice capital punishment may lead to the further silencing of women victims within the country by driving sexual violence underground where it cannot be addressed. This problem is compounded by the fact that, according to National Crime Records Bureau statistics from 2011, nearly 95% of offenders are known to their victims; a fact borne out by the recent spate of rapes of women and girls in Delhi and neighbouring Haryana, where the perpetrators were mainly relatives or powerful upper-caste men from the area. If the death penalty is mandated, it will become even more unlikely that victims will be allowed to register their cases - already a common problem in India - against neighbours, relatives, friends and men who wield immense local power.

Moreover, there is no evidence to suggest that the death penalty is an effective deterrent. Around the world there is a low rate of conviction in rape cases, irrespective of the use of the death penalty. Also in countries with the death penalty, men from minority communities constitute a disproportionate number of death-row inmates. Within India, the law on crimes punishable by death is selectively and arbitrarily applied to favour the powerful, with persons from disadvantaged communities and religious and ethnic minorities receiving the vast majority of death sentences and long prison terms.

Ultimately, the notion of the fundamental 'right to life' implies that even the state should not have the right to take a life, irrespective of a person's status or actions. Human rights-based perspectives argue that punishment should focus on providing meaningful justice in the context of both the victim's and offender's lives. Justice mediated by the state should not seek shortcuts in addressing the complex socio-political issue of violence against women. Far-reaching social change is needed to tackle the cultural norms that allow men to rape with impunity. Using the death penalty to quiet public anger, without changing society, will not address the fundamental underlying issues.

It is encouraging to note that positive steps in this direction are underway in India. Following the murder of 'Nirbhaya', The Justice Verma Commission was established to create recommendations regarding how India might curb violence against women and strengthen rape laws. In its 630-page report of 23 January 2013, the Commission suggested amendments to the law to provide for quicker trials in rape cases and enhanced punishments for sexual offences. By identifying Indian society's patriarchal frameworks as the foundation upon which crimes against women occur, the Commission gave Indian statutory agencies cause to reflect on the extent to which social attitudes and norms contribute to the climate of misogyny that feeds the commodification of women, in turn leading to violence. The Commission's report also highlighted the Government's responsibilities under the Indian Constitution to protect the "right to life with all aspects of human dignity for women".

The groundswell of public and media fury over the 'Nirbhaya' and other recent high-profile rape cases has precipitated a political moment, providing impetus for much needed reforms of India's laws, policing practices and other aspects of the criminal justice system. However, in seeking to seize the political moment there is a distinct danger of acting in haste, ignoring the experience of the women's movement and civil liberties activists about what reforms are most likely to prove effective in tackling this problem. It is vital that India looks beyond the natural human desire for retribution to seek more complex and holistic ways (e.g. sex-offender treatment programmes and restorative justice approaches) to deal with and, ultimately, prevent violence against women, thus providing a true and lasting legacy of change. 

http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2013/08/india_needs_com

PAKISTAN - Balochi journalist’s mutilated body found in Karachi.

The mutilated body of Balochistan-based journalist Haji Abdul Razzak was identified by his family today, one day after it was found in Karachi, Pakistan’s business capital. Missing since 24 March, Razzak was tortured to death.

“We urge the Pakistani authorities to fully investigate Razzak’s disappearance and barbaric murder in order to establish the motive and determine whether it was linked to his work as a journalist,” Reporters Without Borders said.

“Journalists in Balochistan and the Tribal Areas are constantly the targets of intimidation and violence, and the impunity enjoyed by those who murder them just sustains this climate of terror. The authorities must end it at once by pursuing this investigation to its conclusion.”

As well as working for the Balochi-language daily Tawar, Razzak was linked to a Balochi political party. The investigation must determine whether either of these activities was linked to the motive for his appalling murder.

Razzak’s body was found alongside another mutilated body. His family was contacted yesterday but took 24 hours to identify him because the body was so badly mutilated that only the arms and legs were sufficiently intact to enable identification.

Four other Balochi journalists have been killed this year. Imran Shaikh, Saifur Rehman and Mohammad Iqbal were killed in a double bombing in Quetta on 10 January. Mehmood Ahmed Afridi was gunned down by men on a motorcycle in Karat on 1 March.

If it turns out that Razzak’s death was linked to his work, it would bring to seven the number of journalists killed this year in Pakistan. One of the world’s deadliest countries for media personnel, Pakistan is ranked 159th out of 179 countries in the Reporters Without Borders press freedom index

 

http://en.rsf.org/pakistan-balochi-journalist-s-mutilated-22-08-2013,45095.html

Maldives: Girl rape victim to be spared outrageous flogging sentence.

© LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images


A flogging sentence against a 15-year-old rape victim in Maldives has been annulled, but the girl should never have been prosecuted at all, Amnesty International said.
A Maldives High Court today quashed a sentence of 100 lashes and house arrest against a 15-year old girl for the “offence” of extra-marital sex. The girl, who was convicted of “fornication” in February this year, had reportedly also been sexually abused repeatedly by her step father.
“Annulling this sentence was of course the right thing to do. We are relieved that the girl will be spared this inhumane ‘punishment’ based on an outrageous conviction, which we hope has also been quashed,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.
“No one should ever be prosecuted for sex outside marriage in the first place. And victims of sexual abuse need counselling, not punishment. The government must make sure that she has continuing access to appropriate support services.
“Flogging violates the most basic standards prohibiting torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. The Maldives authorities must comply with their international law obligations. This means urgently establishing a moratorium on flogging, annulling all outstanding flogging sentences, and making sure that the penal code does not permit prosecution or punishment for ’fornication’.”
Prosecutions for ”fornication” violate individuals’ rights to privacy and freedom of expression, and bodily autonomy. They are used disproportionately and discriminatorily against women in Maldives.
Background - The girl was first arrested in June 2012, after the body of a baby she had given birth to was found buried outside her home on Feydhoo island. The girl’s step-father has reportedly been charged with sexual abuse and murder, and her mother for concealing a crime.
A juvenile court in the Maldives capital, Malé, on 25 February 2013 sentenced the girl to 100 lashes and eight months house arrest for “fornication”. The court said the ruling was unrelated to the sexual abuse by the step father.
In 2009, at least 180 people faced the punishment of flogging for “fornication”. Some of them have been survivors of rape and other forms of sexual abuse. During its April 2013 visit to Maldives, Amnesty International met a woman and a girl who gave personal accounts of having been subjected to this treatment.
Media reports indicate that almost 90 per cent of the individuals convicted of “fornication” in Maldives in 2011 were female.

TRADUZIONE ITALIANA.

La fustigazione della ragazza di quindici anni vittima di violenza nelle isole Maldive è stata annullata, ma la ragazza non avrebbe mai dovuto subire alcun processo, afferma Amnesty International. Oggi la Corte Suprema ha annullato la condanna della quindicenne a 100 frustate e agli arresti domiciliari per rapporti extra-coniugali. Secondo quanto riferito, la ragazza, condannata per rapporti extra-coniugali (“fornicazione”) nel febbraio scorso, ha subito ripetute violenze sessuali dal patrigno.

“L’annullamento della sentenza era senza dubbio la cosa giusta da fare. Siamo sollevati dal fatto che alla ragazza sia stata risparmiata questa punizione disumana basata su una condanna crudele che speriamo venga anch’essa annullata” afferma Polly Truscott, direttore responsabile di Amnesty International per l’area dell’Asia pacifica. “In assoluto nessuno dovrebbe mai essere perseguito a causa di rapporti sessuali al di fuori del matrimonio. Le vittime di un abuso sessuale hanno bisogno di consulenza e sostegno, non di punizioni. Il Governo delle isole Maldive deve assicurare alla ragazza un continuo accesso ad adeguati servizi di supporto. La fustigazione viola i più basilari principi contro la tortura e gli altri trattamenti crudeli, inumani e degradanti. Le autorità maldiviane devono assolvere ai loro impegni di fronte al diritto internazionale. Questo significa stabilire immediatamente una moratoria delle fustigazioni, annullando tutte le condanne pendenti di tale natura e assicurando che il codice penale non consenta ulteriori processi e condanne per “fornicazione”.

I processi per “fornicazione” violano il diritto dell’individuo alla tutela della sua sfera privata, alla libertà di espressione  alla autonomia del proprio corpo. A tali processi, nelle isole Maldive, si fa ricorso in maniera sproporzionata e discriminatoria contro le donne.

ULTERIORI INFORMAZIONI SUL CASO - La ragazza fu arrestata per la prima volta nel giugno 2012, dopo che il corpo di un neonato (da lei partorito) fu trovato sepolto intorno a casa sua nell’isola di Feydhoo. Sulla base di testimonianze, il patrigno della ragazza fu accusato di violenza sessuale e omicidio, la madre della ragazza fu accusata di per connivenza.

Il 25 febbraio 2013 il tribunale per i minori della capitale, Malè, condannò la ragazza a cento frustate e otto mesi di arresti domiciliari per “fornicazione”. La corte stabilì che l’ordinanza non era in relazione con la violenza sessuale da parte del patrigno.

Nel 2009 almeno 180 persone sono state condannate alla fustigazione per “fornicazione”. Alcune di esse avevano subito violenza e altre forme di abuso sessuale. Nell’aprile del 2013, durante la sua visita nelle isole Maldive, Amnesty International ebbe modo di incontrare una donna e una ragazza che riferirono di avere subito tale trattamento.

I dati di cronaca dei media indicano che almeno il 90% dei condannati per “fornicazione” nelle isole Maldive nel corso del 2011 erano donne.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/maldives-girl-rape-victim-be-spared-outrageous-flogging-sentence-2013-08-21

 

Bangladesh: Arrest of human rights defender sends a chilling message.

Amnesty International has adopted Bangladehsi human rights defender Adilur Rahman Khan as a prisoner of conscience.

© Ibrahim Ibrahim/Demotix

The arrest of a prominent Bangladeshi human rights defender over the weekend is a clear violation of the right to freedom of expression, Amnesty International said.

The organization has adopted Adilur Rahman Khan as a prisoner of conscience following his arrest without a warrant on 10 August. He is being detained solely for peacefully challenging alleged human rights violations by Bangladesh security forces.

“Adilur Rahman Khan’s arrest sends a chilling message to government critics – if you raise concerns about human rights, there will be serious consequences. He must be released immediately and unconditionally,” said Abbas Faiz, Bangladesh researcher at Amnesty International.

“Instead of punishing human rights defenders, the Bangladeshi authorities must address alleged violations by carrying out investigations and holding accountable those responsible.”

Adilur Rahman Khan is the secretary of Dhaka-based human rights organization Odhikar. Yesterday detectives searched Odhikar’s office, seizing computers and other equipment.

In recent months Odhikar had been critical of the Bangladeshi security forces’ actions during protests by the opposition group Hefazat-e-Islam on 5 and 6 May this year.

At least 44 people were killed during the protests, most of them after police allegedly used excessive force. Two police officers and a Bangladeshi Border Guard were reportedly killed by the protesters.

At a press briefing on 11 August, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam explained the reasons for Khan’s detention: “Odhikar published a motivated report which used the photos of those who had died in the Hefazat attacks on May 5… This has tarnished the image of the law enforcement agency, government, and, overall, the state”.

Odhikar has reported that as many as 61 people died during the May protests, but says it will not publish the list of victims’ names, fearing it would put their relatives at risk. It has instead called on the government to form a commission to carry out an independent and impartial investigation into the incident – a call echoed by Amnesty International and other international human rights organizations.

“Rather than investigating the dozens of deaths reported, the authorities have turned against the messenger, Odhikar,” said Abbas Faiz.

“The government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is letting the security forces implicated in human rights violations off the hook, whilst suppressing those who raise concerns about their conduct.

“This is in clear breach of the right to freedom of expression and makes a mockery of the Bangladeshi government’s pledges to other UN member states to uphold human rights.”

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/bangladesh-arrest-human-rights-defender-sends-chilling-message-2013-08-12

Pakistan: Further information: Executions temporarily halted in Pakistan.

URGENT ACTION

executions TEMPORARILY HALTED in pakistan

A temporary halt to planned executions was ordered by the Pakistan Prime Minister on 18 August until he has spoken to the President, Asif Ali Zardari, who is opposed to the death penalty. Thousands will be at risk of execution after President Zardari’s term in office ends on 8 September.

At least eight men were scheduled to be executed across Pakistan between 20 and 25 August. In Sindh province: Attaullah alias Qasim, Muhammad Azam alias Sharif and Jalal alias Abdul Jalil, who are in Sukkur Jail, Behram Khan and Shafqat Hussain in Karachi Central Prison; and in the Punjab; Muhammad Munir Hussain in Vehari Jail, Zulfiqar Ali Khan in Kot Lakhpat Jail, and Mohammad Ameen. Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif halted these planned executions on Sunday 18 August, after the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, asked to speak to him about plans to resume carrying out the death penalty.

Shafqat Hussain and Mohammad Ameen were juveniles when the crimes were committed. Pakistan is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which forbid the imposition of capital punishment for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age. Shafqat Hussain claims he was subjected to ill-treatment during interrogation under police custody.

The prisoners have all been convicted of various crimes that include murder and kidnapping. Behram Khan claims he was subjected to ill-treatment during interrogation under police custody and that he did not receive a fair trial after he failed to bribe law enforcement officials. Munir Hussain’s family say he suffers from mental illness and his lawyers are trying to arrange an independent mental health examination. Attaullah and Muhammad Azam were convicted for killing a Shi’a Muslim doctor. They and Jalal are reported to be members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an armed group that has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks, targeting the Shi’a Muslim minority, that have claimed hundreds of lives. Zulfiqar Ali Khan was arrested for murder on 14 April 1998. According to his lawyer, he committed the crime in self-defence. During the 14 years he has been on death row, Zulfiqar Ali Khan has gained a Masters Degree in Political Science and a Master of Business Administration. He is also known as ‘The Educator’ at Adiala Jail as he has contributed to the education of hundreds of other inmates while in prison.

Please write immediately in English, Urdu or your own language:

Welcome the Prime Minister’s decision to halt executions and urging the Pakistan government to establish an official moratorium on all executions in the country as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty in line with four UN General Assembly resolutions;

Calling on the Pakistan government to ensure that any measures taken to combat crime do not violate human rights standards regarding law enforcement and the right to a fair trial; and

Urging the Pakistan President and government to commute all existing death sentences.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 01 OCTOBER 2013 TO:

�

President

Asif Ali Zardari�Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad

Pakistan�Fax: +92 51 920 4974

Email:http://www.presidentofpakistan.gov.pk/index.php?lang=en&opc=8

Salutation: Dear President

Prime Minister

Nawaz Sharif

Prime Minister House

Islamabad

Pakistan

Fax: +92 51 921 3780, +92 51 922 1596

Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

�

Also send copies to your own government in your country.

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date. This is the first update of UA 224/13. Further information: http://amnesty.org/en/library/info/ASA33/010/2013/en

URGENT ACTION

EXECUTIONS TEMPORARILY HALTED IN PAKISTAN

ADditional Information

More than 8,000 prisoners are at risk of being executed should the government of Pakistan resume the implementation of the death penalty. The Interior Minister reportedly said that 450 convicts were awaiting imminent execution as they have exhausted their legal appeals. These executions would be the first to be authorized by the government of Pakistan since late 2008, with the exception of the execution of a soldier by military authorities in late 2012.

After a succession of high-profile killings across the country since taking office in June 2013, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has promised to recommence executions as it faces pressure to improve the law and order situation. There is no compelling evidence that the death penalty is a deterrent in capital crimes compared to other forms of punishment. The most comprehensive study carried out by the UN in 1988 and most recently updated in 2008 concluded that there is no proof that executions are a greater deterrent to crime than life imprisonment. Amnesty International’s concern is heightened by the fact that in Pakistan many death sentences are handed down after trials that do not meet international fair trial standards. These trials are characterized by a lack of access to legal counsel and an acceptance of evidence inadmissible under international law. Statements extracted through torture continue to be used as evidence in court. Defendants often face restrictions in trying to access a lawyer or are given state-appointed lawyers who are often poorly trained and paid, and may not represent their clients vigorously unless given further payments by the defendant or their family. In addition, the right to fair trial has been undermined in trials before lower courts which continue to sentence people to death. These courts operate with restricted public access and with the requirement for trials to be completed within a matter of days or weeks, putting judges under extreme pressure to convict.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances, regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The organisation considers the death penalty a violation of the right to life as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Names: Attaullah alias Qasim; Muhammad Azam alias Sharif; Jalal alias Abdul Jalil; Behram Khan; Shafqat Hussain; Muhammad Munir Hussain; Dr Zulfiqar Ali Khan; Mohammad Ameen.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA33/011/2013/en/6e24f960-6dc8-452a-a4d9-9a744928abe2/asa330112013en.html

Pakistan, Musharraf incriminato per l'omicidio di Benazir Bhutto.

 

ROMA - L'ex presidente pachistano Pervez Musharraf è stato formalmente incriminato per l'assassinio di Benazir Bhutto. L'ex generale, tornato di recente dall'esilio, è stato accusato di non aver impedito l'attentato terroristico del dicembre 2007 nel quale morì leader del Partito popolare pachistano (Ppp) al termine di un comizio a Rawalpindi.

Musharraf, che ha 70 anni e da aprile si trova agli arresti domiciliari, si è presentato stamane davanti al tribunale antiterrorismo di Islamabad per una udienza a porte chiuse. "I capi d'imputazione - ha spiegato il procuratore Chaudry Azhar - sono omicidio, cospirazione ai fini di omicidio e complicità in omicidio".

Salito al potere nel 1999 dopo un golpe militare, Musharraf ha respinto tutte le accuse. "Questo processo ha dei chiari fini politici. Sono innocente e lo proverò", ha detto in aula, secondo fonti giudiziarie. I media non sono stati ammessi all'udienza, che è stata poi aggiornata al 27 agosto. Tra i testimoni citati dall'accusa c'è anche il giornalista americano Mark Segal, che aveva intervistato la Bhutto al ritorno del suo esilio nell'ottobre 2007. L'ex premier gli aveva confidato che se le fosse successo qualcosa la responsabilità sarebbe stata di Musharraf.

Alla conclusione della sua inchiesta lo scorso 25 giugno, la Federal investigation Authority (Fia) aveva incluso anche Musharraf

tra le persone sospettate dell'attentato di Rawalpindi. Gli investigatori si erano basati proprio sulle dichiarazioni di Segal. Ieri un altro tribunale di Quetta, in Baluchistan, ha inviato a Musharraf una richiesta di comparizione per il 10 settembre relativamente al caso dell'assassinio di un leader separatista, Akbar Bugti. L'ex uomo forte di Islamabad è sotto processo anche per aver esautorato i giudici della Corte suprema durante lo stato di emergenza da lui proclamato nel 2007.

http://www.repubblica.it/esteri/2013/08/20/news/pakistan_musharraf_incriminato_per_omicidio_butto-65018388/

PAKISTAN - Bimba 'blasfema', prosciolto accusatore.

ISLAMABAD, 17 AGO - L'Alta Corte di Islamabad ha prosciolto oggi l'imam Khalid Chisti, principale imputato per le false accuse di blasfemia avanzate un anno fa contro la 14enne cristiana Rimsha Masih. La Corte non ha potuto fare altrimenti, dato che 6 degli 8 testimoni hanno ritirato le accuse contro il religioso di aver aggiunto pagine del Corano bruciate ad un sacchetto di spazzatura trovata in mano alla bambina. Rimsha si è trasferita in Canada con la famiglia grazie a una organizzazione cristiana.

http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/topnews/2013/08/17/Bimba-blasfema-prosciolto-accusatore_9167650.html

PAKISTAN - Urgent Action: executions set to resume in Pakistan.

URGENT ACTION - EXECUTIONS SET TO RESUME IN PAKISTAN.

Thousands at risk of execution in Pakistan as the new government is set to resume executions for the first time in five years. Eight prisoners have been scheduled to be executed from 20-25 August. These eight are amongst 450 prisoners who are now facing imminent execution.  

Eight men are scheduled to be executed across Pakistan between 20 and 25 August. In Sindh province: Attaullah alias Qasim, Muhammad Azam alias Sharif and Jalal alias Abdul Jalil are in Sukkur Jail, Behram Khan and Shafqat Hussain in Karachi Central Prison; and in the Punjab; Muhammad Munir Hussain in Vehari Jail,  Dr Zulfiqar Ali  Khan in Adiala Jail, and Mohammad Ameen.

Shafqat Hussain and Mohammad Ameen were juveniles at the time they committed the offence that they were found guilty of. Pakistan is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which forbid the imposition of capital punishment for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age.  

The men have all been convicted of various crimes that include murder and kidnapping. Behram Khan and Shafqat Hussain claim they have been subjected to ill-treatment during interrogation under police custody. Behram Khan, also claims he did not receive a fair trial after failing to bribe law enforcement officials. Munir Hussain’s family say he suffers from mental illness and his lawyers are trying to arrange an independent mental health examination. Attaullah and Muhammad Azam were convicted for killing a Shi’a Muslim doctor. They are reported to be members of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, an armed group that has claimed responsibility for a number of attacks, targeting the Shi’a Muslim minority, that has claimed hundreds of lives. Zulfiqar Ali was arrested for murder on 14 April 1998. According to his lawyer, he committed the crime in self-defence. During the 14 years he has been on death row, Ali has gained a Masters Degree in Political Science and a Master of Business Administration. He is also known as ‘The Educator’ at Adiala Jail as he has contributed to the education of hundreds of other inmates while in prison.      

Please write immediately in English, Urdu or your own language:
n    Urging the Pakistan government to immediately halt plans to carry out any executions and to establish an official moratorium on all executions in the country as a first step towards abolition of the death penalty in line with four UN General Assembly resolutions;
n    Calling on the Pakistan government to ensure that any measures taken to combat crime do not violate human rights standards regarding law enforcement and the right to a fair trial; and
n    Urging the Pakistan President and government to commute all existing death sentences.


PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 20 AUGUST 2013 TO:

President
Asif Ali Zardari
Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 920 4974
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
Salutation: Dear President

Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 921 3780
        +92 51 922 1596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister

 Also send copies to your own government in your country. Please insert your government addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation      

Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.


ADditional Information
More than 8,000 prisoners are at risk of being executed should the government of Pakistan resume the implementation of the death penalty. The Interior Minister reportedly said that 450 convicts were awaiting imminent execution as they exhausted their legal appeals. These executions would be the first to be authorized by the government of Pakistan since late 2008, with the exception of the execution of a soldier by military authorities in late 2012.

After a succession of high-profile killings across the country since taking office in June 2013, the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has promised to recommence executions as it faces pressure to improve the law and order situation. There is no compelling evidence that the death penalty is a particular deterrent in capital crimes compared to other forms of punishment. The most comprehensive study carried out by the UN in 1988 and most recently updated in 2008 concluded that there is no proof that executions are a greater deterrent to crime than life imprisonment. Amnesty International’s concern is heightened by the fact that in Pakistan many death sentences are handed down after trials that do not meet international fair trial standards. These trials are characterized by a lack of access to legal counsel and an acceptance of evidence inadmissible under international law. Statements extracted through torture continue to be used as evidence in court. Defendants often face restrictions in trying to access a lawyer or are given state-appointed lawyers who are often poorly trained and paid, and may not represent their clients vigorously unless given further payments by the defendant or their family. In addition, the right to fair trial has been undermined in trials before lower courts which continue to sentence people to death. These courts operate with restricted public access and with the requirement for trials to be completed within a matter of days or weeks, putting judges under extreme pressure to convict.   

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases and under any circumstances, regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution. The organisation considers the death penalty a violation of the right to life as recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Names: Attaullah alias Qasim; Muhammad Azam alias Sharif; Jalal alias Abdul Jalil; Behram Khan; Shafqat Hussain; Muhammad Munir Hussain; Dr Zulfiqar Ali Khan; Mohammad Ameen.

Gender: M  

UA: 224/13 ASA:11/033/2013 Issue Date: 17 August 2013

TRADUZIONE ITALIANA.

Riprendono le esecuzioni   in Pakistan Migliaia sono a rischio di esecuzione in  Pakistan. Il nuovo governo sta per riprendere le esecuzioni per la prima volta in 5 anni. Di  otto prigionieri  dovrebbe essere eseguita la condanna a partire dal 20-25 agosto.  Questi otto sono tra i  450 prigionieri che si trovano a fare i conti con un’esecuzione imminente. Otto uomini dovrebbero purtroppo  essere sottoposti alla pena capitale in Pakistan tra il  20 e il  25 agosto. Nella provincia del Sindh  Attaullah alias Qasim, Muhammad Azam alias Sharif e Jalal alias Abdul Jalil sono nel carcere di  Sukkur Jail, Behram Khan e Shafqat Hussain nella Prigione Centrale di Karachi; e nel Punjab Muhammad Munir Hussain nel carcere di Veharil, Dr Zulfiqar Ali  Khan nel carcere di  Adiala , e Mohammad Ameen.   Shafqat Hussain e  Mohammad Ameen erano minorenni quando commisero il reato di cui sono accusati.  Il Pakistan è uno stato che ha firmato il Trattato Internazionale sui Diritti Civili e politici e la Convenzione dei diritti dei minori che proibisce l’imposizione della pena capitale per i crimini commessi da persone al di sotto dei 18 anni. Gli uomini sono stati accusati di vari crimini, tra cui omicidio e rapimento. Behram Khan e Shafqat Hussain hanno detto di essere stati sottoposti a maltrattamento durante gli interrogatori della polizia.. Behram Khan dice inoltre di  essere stato processato in modo non equo dopo aver tentato senza riuscirci di corrompere i funzionari di polizia. La famiglia di Munir Hussain ha detto che lui soffre di problemi mentali e che gli avvocati stanno tentando di ottenere un esame indipendente della sua salute mentale.   Attaullah e Muhammad Azam furono accusati di aver ucciso un dottore sciita. Sono secondo quanto si riferisce, membri di  Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, un gruppo armato che ha rivendicato la responsabilità di numerosi attacchi contro la minoranza sciita, si parla di centinaia di morti. Zulfiqar Ali fu arrestato per omicidio il 14 aprile del  1998. Secondo il suo avvocato ha commesso un crimine per autodifesa. Durante i 14 anni passati nel braccio della morte  Ali ha ottenuto un master in Scienze Politiche e uno in Business e Amministrazione. E’inoltre conosciuto come l’Educatore del carcere di  Adiala perchè ha contribuito all’educazione di altri compagni di prigionia. 

Si chiede di scrivere chiedendo al governo pakistano di fermare immediatamente l’intenzione di riprendere le esecuzioni e di stabilire una moratoria su tutte le esecuzioni nella nazione come primo passo per l’abolizione della pena di morte in linea con le quattro risoluzioni dell’Assemblea Generale dell’Onu.
Si chiede al governo pakistano di assicurare che siano prese tutte le misure per combattere il crimine non violando gli standard dei diritti umani riguardo l’applicazione della legge e il diritto a un processo equo.
Si chiede al governo e al presidente del Pakistan di commutare tutte le condanne a morte.
Per favour scrivi prima del 20 agosto al

President
Asif Ali Zardari
Pakistan Secretariat, Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 920 4974
Email: publicmail@president.gov.pk
Salutation: Dear President

Prime Minister
Nawaz Sharif
Prime Minister House
Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax: +92 51 921 3780
        +92 51 922 1596
E-mail: secretary@cabinet.gov.pk  
Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
 Manda copie anche al governo del tuo paese.
 

Informazioni aggiuntive
Più di  8,000 prigionieri sono a rischio di esecuzione dal momento che il governo sta per riprendere l’uso della pena capitale. Il Ministro degli Interni ha riferito che 450 imputati sono in attesa di imminente esecuzione. E’ scaduto anche il tempo degli appelli legali.  . Queste esecuzioni saranno le prime autorizzate dal governo del Pakistan a partire dalla fine del  2008, con l’eccezione dell’esecuzione di un soldato da parte delle autorità militari alla fine del 2012.

Dopo una serie di omicidi di persone di alto profilo  in tutto il paese dalla presa di possesso dell’incarico nel giugno del 2013 il governo del  Primo Ministro Nawaz Sharif ha promesso di riprendere le esecuzioni per venire incontro alla pressioni volte a chiedere un rafforzamento della legge e dell’ordine.  Non c’è nessuna evidenza che la pena di morte sia un deterrente per i crimini rispetto ad altre pene.  Lo studio più accurato, effettuato dall’Onu nel 1988 e aggiornato più recentemente nel 2008 ha concluso che non c’è nessuna prova che le esecuzioni siano un deterrente più grande rispetto all’ergastolo.   La preoccupazione di Amnesty International riguardo il Pakistan è maggiore dal momento che molte condanne a morte arrivano dopo processi che non seguono i corretti standard internazionali relativamente a  un giusto processo.  Questi processi sono caratterizzati da mancanza di accesso a un avvocato e da un accertamento delle prove inammissibile in base al diritto internazionale. Dichiarazioni estorte tramite tortura continuano ad essere usate come prove in una corte. Gli imputati  appunto spesso fronteggiano restrizioni nell’ avere accesso a un legale oppure sono difesi da avvocati d’ufficio malpagati e senza i mezzi necessari, che non rappresentano con efficacia  i clienti a meno di non ricevere ulteriori pagamenti da parte della famiglia dell’imputato.  Il diritto al giusto processo è stato quindi minato anche da corti più piccole che continuano a condannare a morte le persone.  Queste corti operano davanti a un pubblico ristretto e con l’ingiunzione di terminare il processo nel giro di pochi giorni e settimane. Questo mette i giudici in uno stato di estrema pressione.


Amnesty International si oppone alla pena di morte in tutti i casi e in tutte le circostanze al di là della natura del crimine, delle caratteristiche del reo, o del metodo usato dallo stato per l’esecuzione.  L’organizzazione considera la pena di morte una violazione del diritto alla vita riconosciuto dalla Dichiarazione Universale dei diritti umani e come la  punizione più  crudele, inumana e degradante.

I nomi  Attaullah alias Qasim; Muhammad Azam alias Sharif; Jalal alias Abdul Jalil; Behram Khan; Shafqat Hussain; Muhammad Munir Hussain; Dr Zulfiqar Ali Khan; Mohammad Ameen. 

SRI LANKA -“They killed my son”.

Dr Kasippillai Manoharan calls on Sri Lanka’s authorities to tell the truth about what happened to his son. ©Amnesty International

Dr Manoharan recalls the day when his son was gunned down by Sri Lanka’s security forces

The last time I heard from my son, Ragihar, was a mobile phone text message. It just said: “DAD”. That was 2 January 2006. He had been on the beach with four of his friends in Trincomalee,Sri Lanka, near our home.

That day, I heard a bomb blast near the beach. Two of my sons got back immediately. Ragihar did not.

 Within minutes of the explosion, I got a call from him. “Daddy,” he said, “the forces are around me.” He meant the security forces. That was all he said. After that, I got the text – my last contact with my son.

I rushed to the scene, but the navy guards there said: “No, you can’t go through at the moment.” They purposefully turned the lights off under the Gandhi statue, where my son and his friends had been sitting. And then I heard voices crying in Tamil: “Help us! Help us!” 

I kept arguing with the guards to let me in. Suddenly, gunfire flared by the Gandhi statue. Later, they said: “Five civilians are dead and two are injured.” I was in total shock.

MORE INFORMATION AND PETITION: http://livewire.amnesty.org/2013/08/15/they-killed-my-son/

Pakistan: Hold Musharraf accountable for all abuses during his rule.

Former Pakistani military ruler Pervez Musharraf is today expected to be formally charged in Islamabad.

© AAMIR QURESHI/AFP/Getty Images

The Pakistani authorities must hold former military ruler Pervez Musharraf accountable for all human rights violations committed during his rule, Amnesty International said today.
Musharraf was expected to be formally charged today at an Anti-Terrorism Court in Islamabad with criminal conspiracy and murder related to the December 2007 assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. However, he failed to appear in court after local intelligence services warned his life could be at risk.
There are a number of other cases pending against Musharraf, including in relation to the 2006 killing of the Baloch nationalist leader Akbar Bugti, with trials for these expected to follow later in the year.
“It is encouraging to see the courts take the unprecedented step of bringing a former Army Chief to account for his alleged involvement in past human rights violations and crimes under international law. But Musharraf must be held accountable for all violations committed under his rule, not just a select few,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.
Amnesty International documented a wide range of human rights violations committed during the near 10-year rule of Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan (1999-2008).
“Hundreds, if not thousands, were ‘disappeared’ during Musharraf’s administration in particular human rights activists documenting violations committed by state security forces and members of armed opposition groups. In his final full year in office, 2007, Musharraf also led a clampdown on the judiciary and independent media,“ said Truscott.
As Amnesty International has documented in detail, Pakistan’s security forces continue to be implicated in human rights violations, such as the killing, enforced disappearance and torture of terrorism suspects, political activists and human rights defenders across the country and especially in the northwest tribal areas and Balochistan province.
“No serving or retired member of Pakistan’s security forces is known to have been brought to justice for their alleged involvement in these violations,“ said Truscott.
“It is crucial that Pervez Musharraf – as any other accused in Pakistan - receives a fair, independent and impartial trial without recourse to the death penalty. His human rights must be protected, just like the thousands of other criminal suspects who faced enforced disappearance, torture and other violations during his rule.”

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/pakistan-hold-musharraf-accountable-all-abuses-during-his-rule-2013-08-06

Sri Lanka: Investigators of alleged army killings of protesters should be truly independent.

Three men demonstrating over access to drinking water were killed over the weekend in Weliweriya, western Sri Lanka.

© Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP/Getty Images

The Sri Lankan authorities must not allow the army to investigate itself over allegations of excessive use of force by its members after three protesters demonstrating over access to drinking water were killed over the weekend, Amnesty International said.
“The Sri Lankan army should have never been policing unarmed demonstrators in the first place, and having them investigate their own alleged abuses is simply ridiculous,” said Polly Truscott, Asia Deputy Director at Amnesty International.
“Sri Lankan authorities must urgently initiate an effective  investigation into this tragic incident. The investigation must be independent, impartial and conducted with the professionalism, resources and powers necessary to unearth the truth about this incident. The army cannot be seen to investigate itself. Anything less will send the message that using  excessive force against protesters is permitted.”
Sri Lanka is legally bound by international human rights treaties to respect and protect the right to life, and provide effective remedy when this right is violated.
Protests began last week as thousands of Weliweriya residents in western Sri Lanka complained about the contamination of their source of drinkable water from a factory nearby.
The deaths on Thursday occurred following clashes between demonstrators and the army. Video footage appears to show soldiers firing live ammunition at protestors; some of whom can be seen throwing rocks.
According to media reports, Akila Dinesh, 17, died after in a local hospital soon after the first clashes on Thursday and Ravishan Perera, 19, died on Saturday. An unnamed 29-year-old man, died at the Colombo National Hospital on Sunday. According to media reports many other protesters were injured, and military personnel also assaulted some demonstrators who had taken refuge in a church.

http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/sri-lanka-investigators-alleged-army-killings-protesters-should-be-truly-independent-2013-08-05

MALDIVES - Fifteen year-old’s appeal of flogging sentence for fornication stalled in High Court.

State and judicial authorities have failed to provide a timeline for the appeal of a 15 year-old rape victim sentenced to flogging for a separate incidence of fornication, despite repeated pledges and promises of wider legal reform.

The 15 year-old minor from the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll was convicted to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest in February 2013, after confessing to fornication with another man during an investigation into allegations she was sexually abused at the hands of her stepfather. Those allegations arose with the earlier discovery of a dead baby buried in the outdoor shower area of the family’s home.

A month after the sentence was delivered, sources on Feydhoo told Minivan News that islanders had been raising concerns to the authorities over the girl’s abuse by other men on the island since 2009.

Sources at the time accused law enforcement officials, civil society and successive governments of failing on every level to protect the minor.

Widespread international coverage of the sentencing has since led to over two million people signing an Avaaz.org petition calling for her sentence to be quashed, a moratorium on flogging, and reform of laws to protect women and girls in the Maldives.

Despite the country’s international reputation as an romantic island getaway for couples, fornication (sex outside marriage) is illegal in the Maldives and is subject to Sharia punishments under the 1968 penal code.

However, statistics from the Department of Judicial Administration show that flogging sentences are overwhelmingly issued to women. Of the 129 fornication cases filed last in 2011, 104 resulted in sentences – 93 of whom were female.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Services Commission (JSC) has dismissed calls to suspend Supreme Court Judge Ali Hameed following the judge’s appearance in at least three recently-leaked sex videos appearing to depict him fornicating with unidentified foreign women in a Colombo Hotel room, citing “lack of evidence”.

http://minivannews.com/politics/fifteen-year-olds-appeal-of-flogging-sentence-for-fornication-stalled-in-high-court-61850

Storia di Mohamad, fuggito dal conflitto afgano per morire in Grecia - di Riccardo Noury.

Mohamad Hasan era fuggito dal suo paese senza pace, anche se ci ostiniamo a pensare che in Afghanistan vada tutto bene. Era arrivato in Grecia dopo aver attraversato quattro frontiere, per chiedere asilo politico.

Era stato arrestato nel settembre 2012 e portato nel centro di detenzione per immigrati di Corinto, uno dei tanti operativi in Grecia (nella foto, quello di Fylakio).

Per mesi, invano, aveva detto agli agenti di avere dei forti dolori al petto. Invisibile, inesistente, inascoltato. All’ospedale ci è arrivato 10 mesi dopo, il 7 luglio di quest’anno. Gli è stata riscontrata una grave infezione polmonare. Alla metà del mese, è stato trasferito in un ospedale di Atene.

Mohamed Hasan è morto il 27 luglio.

Il centro di detenzione dove i dolori al petto di Mohamed Hasan sono stati ignorati per quasi un anno era stato visitato da Amnesty International lo scorso novembre: privo di riscaldamento e acqua calda, letti sporchi e insufficienti, niente sapone né carta igienica, pestaggi frequenti.

Dopo una nuova denuncia, nell’aprile di quest’anno Amnesty International era  tornata per vedere se la situazione fosse migliorata. La direzione del centro le aveva rifiutato l’ingresso. Ciò nonostante, aveva potuto parlare con alcuni detenuti: per ascoltare, di nuovo, e riferire di nuovo alla direzione del centro, le proteste per l’assenza di acqua calda, l’igiene inesistente, le richieste di cure mediche non prese in considerazione.  Di fronte al ricercatore di Amnesty International, un agente aveva chiamato un gruppo di detenuti “ratti”.

Giorni fa, la Camera della Corte europea dei diritti umani ha dato ragione a un rifugiato sudanese, che aveva denunciato di aver subito trattamenti degradanti durante la detenzione in Grecia.

Ora, la morte di Mohamad chiama nuovamente in causa le autorità di Atene, già al centro delle polemiche per i respingimenti di richiedenti asilo in fuga dalla guerra.

http://lepersoneeladignita.corriere.it/2013/08/04/storia-di-mohamad-fuggito-dal-conflitto-afgano-per-morire-in-grecia/

 

MALDIVES - Police arrest, charge two men for eating during Ramadan fasting hours.

Police have arrested and charged two men who were caught eating during fasting hours.

Police identified the pair as Mohamed Saeed, 42 of Henveiru Happy Villa and Ibrahim Ali, 18 of Violet house in Maafaru, Noonu Atoll. Both names were sent to the Prosecutor General (PG)’s office for prosecution.

In a statement, police said the pair were discovered eating behind the Alimas Carnival Stage at 2:00pm on July 12, 2013. The investigation was concluded by July 24, and sent for prosecution.

Police Chief Inspector Hassan Haneef said eating during fasting hours was a crime under the Maldivian penal code.

‘’I think, although I am not entirely sure, it is a crime punishable by a sentence of up to one year in jail,’’ he explained.

Fasting hours during the month of Ramadan are from dawn to sunset. In the Maldives the dawn prayer is normally called at 4:40am and sunset at 6:23 pm.

During Ramadan in 2010, four men were arrested after they were caught eating in daylight hours. Two of those arrest were also made near the Alimas Carnival stage.

During the same Ramadan, another group of people were arrested while they were eating behind a construction site on the land behind the Dharubaaruge convention centre.

In 2009 a man was arrested for eating in daytime during Ramadan and was sent to the Criminal Court. The Criminal Court fined him MVR 500 (US$32) and ordered him to reinstate that day’s fast.

http://minivannews.com/society/police-arrest-charge-two-men-for-eating-during-daylight-61822