Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News 14/02/2025
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
In 2013, an innocent Kenyan man named Ali Kololo was wrongly convicted of the murder of a British tourist, after a “confession” obtained under torture by the Kenyan Police. At the time a senior Metropolitan Police Officer gave flawed evidence against Mr Kololo, who was then convicted and spent 11 years in prison in appalling conditions. He had his conviction overturned in April 2023 and was exonerated and released, but in the meantime his father and brother had passed away and his children had grown up without him. Since his release from prison Mr Kololo has never received any acknowledgement or apology relating to the Met’s role in his wrongful conviction.
This week’s action from Reprieve involves sending an email to your MP to ask them to put pressure on the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, to issue an apology to Mr Kololo. If you click on the link below and supply your postcode, a pre-written email to your MP will be generated, but you can amend it if you want.
***THIS EVENING*** MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL for Palestine and Israel
St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 14th February, 5-6pm.
Please do not bring placards, banners or flags.
We will provide placards with Amnesty’s messages, and tea-lights. Feel free to bring your friends.
We will be holding a meeting on Wednesday 19th February at 7pm to consider recent developments in Palestine and Israel and how to respond to them. Those who are on the Israel/Palestine group email list will be sent a zoom link. If anyone else would like to attend please let alison.wearden@gmail.com know.
Amnesty International UK Webinar. All are welcome to attend.
Launch of AIUK’s new report on predictive policing technology “Automated Racism”
Thursday, 20th February, 18:30-19:30, register here
Plans are firming up for the Human Rights Festival on 7th June in Sefton Park, Liverpool.
More information will be provided in due course, but please keep the date free!
Non Amnesty events and actions
This Sunday, 16th February at the Royal Northern College of Music, 7pm
Nai Barghouti, award winning Palestinian singer, composer and flautist
More information and tickets available here
Balfour Project Webinar – UNRWA and the Palestinian Refugees at the Crossroads.
Thursday 20th February, 3pm. More information and register here
Friends of Al-Aqsa – Peace in Palestine
Sunday 23rd February,12-6pm, The Crystal Suite, Kirkmanshulme Lane, M18 7BA
Palestine Convention Manchester. Inform, educate and empower yourself on key issues.
More information and tickets here
***FREE EVENT*** At the start of Women’s History Month
The Margaret Ashton Lecture 2025 will celebrate the life of Shena Simon 1883-1972
pioneer in women’s education and rights, with a lecture by Dr Charlotte Wildman.
Saturday March 1st, 1:30-4:00 pm. Mechanics Institute, 103 Princess St., M1 6DD
Organised by Trailblazers, partners include Manchester Labour History Group and Manchester City Archives, plus a Manchester Amnesty stall. All welcome. Register to attend here.
Greater Manchester Friends of Palestine and other organisations
Sunday, 16th February Meet at 10:30 AM (expected finish about 1:30pm)
Sainsbury’s Car Park, Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield M14 6SS
Join us for the February Greater Manchester Big Ride
as we cycle together to raise awareness for Palestine!
Whalley Range Peace and Justice Stand with Palestine
Each Wednesday 4.30-5.30 at Brooks Bar M16 7RN
Didsbury against genocide, rally, every Wednesday, 5.30-6.30pm outside the Library.
Levenshulme Peace and Justice for Palestine All out for Palestine
Each Thursday, 5-6pm, Levenshulme Village Green, junction of Stockport Rd & Chapel St
Good news
Israel / Occupied Palestinian Territory - On February 1, 2025, as part of the fourth hostage-prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, Mohammed al-Halabi, former director for the Gaza Strip of the NGO World Vision, was released. He was arrested by Israeli security forces on 15 June 2016 at the Erez crossing. After interrogations without lawyers, torture, non-public hearings and a trial repeatedly postponed and seriously flawed based on secret evidence that he financed Hamas, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison on August 30, 2022.
Morocco - On February 5, 2025, Ismail Lghazawi, an activist of the BBS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement, was released after the Casablanca Court of Appeal reduced his sentence. He had originally been sentenced in December 2024 to one year in prison after calling for a boycott of Carrefour supermarkets which sell products from Israeli companies operating in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Italy - On February 5, 2025, Maysoon Majidi, an Iranian Kurdish human rights activist and filmmaker, was acquitted of the charge of aiding and abetting irregular immigration. She had been arrested on December 31, 2023 after landing on the coast of Roccella Jonica, in Calabria, and had spent over 300 days in prison before being released pending the outcome of the trial.
UK – On February 6th, 2025, the High Court ordered the Home Office to pay £98,757 to an asylum seeker who had been unlawfully detained and had her rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 grossly restricted between 2018 and 2020. See this report in the Guardian.
Germany - On February 6, 2025, the Constitutional Court ruled against extradition to Hungary of Maja T, an anti-fascist activist wanted by the Budapest authorities for an alleged assault on a group of neo-Nazis, in 2023. The Federal Court cited the conditions in Hungarian prisons, the risk of discrimination against the activist as a non-binary person and the lack of independence of the Hungarian judiciary as reasons for its decision.
Saudi Arabia – On February 10, 2025, Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University PhD student and mother of two who had been sentenced to 34 years in prison for tweets in supports of women’s rights, was released from prison, four years after her arrest in January 2021. During those four years, she had been denied legal representation and had spent almost 300 days in solitary confinement.
Manchester Amnesty issue and campaign coordinators
Anti-racism –Hazel Errey hazelerrey@gmail.com
Craftivism – Lima Al-Iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
Europe/ Turkey Fatih Segmen - fsegmen@yahoo.com
Human Rights in the UK volunteer needed
Individuals at Risk (bi-monthly appeal writing drop ins and Write for Rights in Nov/Dec) please let us know if you are interesting in organising this activity.
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride – Zoe Song weiyi.zoe.song@gmail.com
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com & Danny Jones dannyj644@gmail.comsu
Refugees Whatsapp group – Alison Wearden alison.wearden@gmail.com
UAE – Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
Our website Manchester | Amnesty International UK [amnesty.org.uk] (managed by Alison Wearden)
X/Twitter @amnestymanc [twitter.com] (managed by Steve Lindsay – stevenjameslindsay@gmail.com)
Facebook Manchester Amnesty Group [facebook.com] MANAGER NEEDED!
Instagram @amnestymanchester [instagram.com] Lucy Downing lucy.dow@outlook.com is looking after this until we can appoint a permanent manager.
Alison Wearden
Communications Secretary
Manchester Group of Amnesty International
Please contact me with items for our Weekly Action and News email, or with ideas for longer articles for the quarterly Manchester Amnesty Group Bulletin.
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