Weekly Action and News 12/01/2024
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
During COP28, while the eyes of the world were them, the UAE took the extraordinary step of bringing new trumped-up terrorism related charges against human rights defenders and prisoners of conscience Ahmed Mansoor, Mohammed al-Roken and Nasser bin Ghaith and 84 other Emirati men. Their trial began on 7 December before the Federal Appeal Court in Abu Dhabi. 62 of the defendants were previously tried and unjustly imprisoned after a 2013 mass trial, known as the UAE94, 59 of whom remain arbitrarily detained after serving their sentences. This means that political dissidents are being tried for a second time on the same “offences,” a situation which contravenes the Arab Charter for Human Rights, which the UAE has signed.
Amnesty have prepared a letter to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all the prisoners in the new trial, who have been arbitrarily detained and charged solely for expressing their opinions. Clicking the button below will take you to the Amnesty Urgent Action page, which allows you to print out a template letter, which you will need to post. You can also use the contents of the letter to tweet @MohamedBinZayed.
***THIS EVENING*** MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL
Silent vigil calling for a permanent ceasefire
and the protection of all civilians in Palestine and Israel
St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 12th January, 5pm to 6pm
Meet in front of Central Library
Please dress warmly, wear black/dark colours
and please do not bring placards, banners or flags.
We will provide placards with Amnesty’s messages and tealights. Feel free to bring your friends.
We have decided to continue with the weekly vigils until further notice.
Our next appeal-writing drop-in session will take place on
Saturday 27th January, 2-4pm, in the café area at Manchester Central Library.
A chance to share a coffee with your Amnesty colleagues while writing appeals on a range of cases. All materials provided, and wifi is available if you prefer to email or tweet. If there are any cases that you would like her to include, please contact Anne.Walker9@ntlworld.com copying in alison.wearden@gmail.com
Julian Assange has been in Belmarsh Prison under threat of extradition to the USA for 5 years.
His final appeal against extradition has now been scheduled to be heard on 20/21 February.
On Tuesday 20th February, from 12.00-2.00pm,
Manchester Amnesty will hold an event in St Peter’s Square in support of Assange,
with artwork, banners, speakers, poets, music.
Please contact Lima Al-Iskalachi if you can participate in the event in any way, or if you know a journalist who will cover it. limazakoor@gmail.com. We want to create a big splash!
We need volunteers to help on our stall highlighting human rights abuses in the UAE,
at the People’s History Museum, on Wednesday 21st February, 2024
The stall will offer art-blocking on pre-loved teeshirts to raise awareness about Ahmed Mansoor, and visitors will have the opportunity to sign a letter to the President of the UAE
Contact Kathryn Fletcher on bussk@btinternet.com to volunteer for one of these slots:
10:20-12:30; 12:30 – 2.00; 2.00- 3.30pm. Thank you!
Acoustic Amnesty fundraiser
Friday Feb 2 at Sacred Trinity church on Chapel Street, Salford. Door 7pm, start 7.30pm.
Raising ££ for Amnesty and a Palestine relief charity (tbc)
Bill Holmes (vocal) and Tim Mottershead (piano) will give their take on the entirety of Marvin Gaye's classic album What's Goin' On (1971), followed by an eclectic mix of material straddling multiple genres and including songs by Bill Withers, David Bowie, and the Beatles.
Tickets (all proceeds to charity) available for £10 in advance here - https://www.wegottickets.com/event/605048 [wegottickets.com]
On Valentine’s day 14th February, Together with Refugees are launching a campaign
“Fair Begins Here” to encourage people to send messages of solidarity to refugees and to demand a new and different approach from political leaders.
We are looking to join with another group or organisation to see if there is an action we can take, possibly using our orange hearts. If you want to get involved or have any ideas for actions or collaborations, please let alison.wearden@gmail.com know.
Non-Amnesty events
There will be another big demonstration in London this Saturday (13th January) calling for a ceasefire and an end to the killings in Gaza.
Coach spaces may still be available here
Please consider going if you can, but please do not take Amnesty banners.
Rethink Rebuild Society is pleased to invite you to the screening of THE TOWER
Followed by Q&A with the Film Director Mats Grorud
A young Palestinian girl in a refugee camp learns about her family's history through stories told by three previous generations
Friday, 26 January at 7pm. Screening will start a 7.15 prompt
Rethink Rebuild Society,First Floor, Discovery House, Manchester, SK4 5BH
Good news
On December 29, 2023, the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights passed a resolution opposing the proposal for an amendment to the Constitution that would have provided for hangings in public, particularly of people found guilty of rape.
Estonia - On January 1, 2024, the law on same-sex marriage passed by the parliament in June 2023 came into force.
On January 3, 2024, Virginia Laparra, former prosecutor of the Guatemalan Special Prosecutor's Office for the Fight against Impunity, was released. On 16 December 2022, after nine months of pre-trial detention, she was sentenced to four years for continuous abuse of authority, following a complaint from a judge she was investigating for corruption.
Chile - On 3 January 2024, a prosecutor's office opened investigations against three senior leaders of the Carabineros (police), including the current and then director-general, for the disproportionate and contrary to international law repression of the mass protests that swept the country from 18 October to 30 November 2019. During that time, thousands of protesters were injured, 400 of them with eye trauma.
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 Lancine Sacko - sacko10@hotmail.co.uk
Individuals at Risk (bi-monthly appeal writing drop ins) - Anne Walker anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
Manchester Central Library café, 2-4pm 4th Saturdays January, March, May, July, September, November
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride coordinator – Zoe Song weiyi.zoe.song@gmail.com
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-Iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
Refugees – Alison Wearden alison.wearden@gmail.com
UAE – Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
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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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