Manchester Amnesty Weekly Action and News

**Please do this action and make a difference. Urgent action - by 12^th May**

Slovenia: Protestors forced to pay costs of policing

Slovenian theatre director Jasa Jenull is facing exorbitant claims to cover the costs associated with policing protests he joined in 2020 against restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly imposed in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. Claims against Jenull and other peaceful protesters are punitive in nature and aimed at silencing people exercising their human rights. Requiring participants to pay for the costs of policing is a violation of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Amnesty is demanding that the Slovenian authorities withdraw their claims for compensation and refrain from imposing penalties against peaceful protestors. More information here

TAKE ACTION

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/protesters-forced-pay-costs-policing

Open letter about deaths following police pursuit in Greater Manchester

You might wish to sign this open letter which points out that the majority of those killed in police chases in Manchester have been young men, disproportionately from racially minoritized populations.

https://openletter.earth/northern-police-monitoring-project-npmp-open-letter-of-concern-regarding-the-growing-number-of-deaths-following-police-pursuit-by-greater-manchester-police-795c2bfe

Manchester Amnesty Subgroups

If you would like to join any of our subgroups, please contact the current convenors.

UAE – Kathryn Fletcher, bussk@btinternet.com. The UAE subgroup is planning a twitter storm in support of Mohammed Al-Roken. This will be on 26^th April. More details in next week’s newsletter.

HR in UK – Matthew Sherwood, m.j.sherwood@outlook.com, next meeting TBA

Anti-racism – Hazel Errey, hazelerrey@gmail.com, next meeting 16^th May

Refugees – Alison Wearden, alison.wearden@gmail.com, next meeting 18^th April

Events

Palestinian Solidarity Campaign & War on Want. Weds April 20^th online 6-7pm (UK).  Palestinian prisoners of apartheid demand justice. Click this link to see more details and to register for the event.

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYqdO2pqjkrHdz5U6yVeydJ9RYnsdHqcVl0

Greater Manchester Police  - Ongoing public consultation to inform its neighbourhood policing plan.  The meeting for Central Manchester is on Monday 25^th April at the West Indian sports and social club, Westwood Street, Manchester, M14 4SW, or you can complete an online survey.

Amnesty International UK 2022 AGM 25^th June

This year's Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held as a hybrid meeting on Saturday 25 June 2022 from 10:00 to 18:00 at the Human Rights Action Centre (HRAC) in London at 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA. Members will also be able to access the meeting online. More information here.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDzNVfG9ELC_FL4xMfYQ_OxXSAK83mfi4qwqZcSPcq--JLEw/viewform

Good news

We are trialling reporting good news from around the world, and would be interested in your feedback. Thanks to Simona for this week’s good news.

From Malaysia: on 7^th April 2022, citing errors of fact and law, an appeal court judge overturned the death sentence which had been passed in September 2020 on Ahmad Kamil Anuar, for the crime of trafficking 1.6kg of cannabis.

Message to Amnesty supporters from Anoosheh Ashoori, on his birthday

Watch this lovely video on youtube.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDXsyk_OFl0

Alison Wearden

Communications Secretary

Manchester Group of Amnesty International

alison.wearden@gmail.com

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.