Weekly Action and News 31/03/2023
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Actions and News
Please do this action and make a difference
The violent suppression of protest in Iran following the killing of Mahsa Amini by Iran’s morality police continues. Amnesty report that, to date, over 300 people, including 44 children, have been killed, and many more detained, mistreated, and denied their rights to legal representation and health care. Some have been sentenced to death. Amnesty are calling on the authorities in Iran to quash all convictions and death sentences on those detained for exercising their right to freedom of expression. Amnesty further calls for investigations into all the abuses of rights that have taken place, for an end to the law on compulsory veiling of women, and for the abolition of the morality police. You can add your name to their petition by clicking on the link below.
Important notice about group meetings
As you know, we normally meet on the second Monday of each month.
In April and May, those Mondays will be public holidays, so for April and May only, we will meet instead on the second Tuesday, ie 11th April & 9th May, at 7pm, both online.
Starting in June, we are going to trial a period of alternating in-person meetings* at Manchester Central Library at 6pm (2nd Monday in June, August, October, December) with
online meetings on zoom at 7pm (2nd Monday in July, September, November).
As usual, a notice of each meeting will be placed on Facebook and in the preceding weekly newsletter, and a zoom link will be emailed to all members prior to online meetings.
* we are looking into providing an option to join in-person meetings online – ie “hybrid” meetings.
Group subscriptions are due for 2023
Each year, we ask members to pay a voluntary subscription to enable the running of the group and to support our activities. We suggest £20 for those who receive wages or pensions, and £5 or whatever you can afford for anyone else. Please make your payment into our account: Manchester Amnesty Group, Sort code: 05-05-73, account number: 68177527.
You might want to consider setting up a standing order. If you are unable to pay via bank transfer, please contact our treasurer sean.a.dunne@btinternet.com for other ways to pay. Thank you.
Dates for upcoming campaigning events
Please put the following dates on your calendar, as we will be calling for volunteers to come along and help out at each of the events below. More details will be provided as the events draw near.
Saturday May 13th – Israel’s Apartheid - March and rally in Liverpool City Centre
Saturday May 27th – letter-writing drop in at Manchester Central Library
Sunday June 4th – Refugee month event at Burnage Open Gardens
Saturday June 10th – UAE/Craftivism event - COP28, Didsbury Festival
Sat/Sun June 24/25 – Refugee week events at Chorlton Open Gardens
Acoustic Amnesty!
The next fabulous Acoustic Amnesty event will be on
Saturday 15th April, 2023, doors open 7pm, start 7:30
At the King’s Arms, Bloom Street, Salford
5 great acts will be playing to raise money for Amnesty and other charities
There is still time to get your tickets here:
WeGotTickets | Simple, honest ticketing | Acoustic Amnesty at the Kings Arms
On Thursday 28th April at 7pm, St Margaret’s Church, Rufford Rd, M16 8AE
supported by the Manchester Palestine Solidarity Campaign and with the Open Voice Choir
the Tadhamon Singers present an evening of songs, stories and pictures from Palestine.
There will be refreshments and a stall selling Palestinian goods.
Tadhamon Singers are a group of women who sing in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. Formed in 2018, in 2022 they toured the West Bank and Nazareth, singing in refugee camps, cultural centres, streets and cafes, singing with Palestinians and making lasting connections.
As they travelled, Palestinians kept asking for one thing: “please share our story”.
Tadhamon Singers support the struggle for justice and equality for Palestine by engaging in activism in the UK against the injustices of the Israeli Apartheid regime.
Entry is free, donations are welcome. Please reserve your ticket here
We Stand With You Tickets, Fri 28 Apr 2023 at 19:00 | Eventbrite
To celebrate his 75th birthday,
and in conjunction with the Saddleworth Palestinian Women’s scholarship fund (SPWSF)
our member Steve Roman invites you to a magnificent evening of entertainment entitled
“Paul Robeson – the giant in a nutshell”
at the Birch Community Centre in Rusholme on Saturday 17th June at 7:30pm.
Featuring Tayu Aluko, the Obsidian Rock Band, and with a global buffet supper and pay bar.
Proceeds to the SPWSF. More information and get your tickets here:
https://www.wegottickets.com/sct/Gkfp3kRzRW
Good news
Australia - On March 20, 2023, federal police arrested a soldier suspected of war crimes for killing a civilian in Afghanistan. The case came to light in a TV programme aired in 2020, after which Amnesty International pressed for an inquiry. The inquiry subsequently uncovered at least 39 killings and attempted cover-ups of Afghan civilians and prisoners.
Japan - On March 20, 2023, the public prosecutor decided not to appeal against the decision taken on March 13 by the Tokyo High Court, which had ruled that Hakamada Iwao, on death row for 45 years, most of which he spent in solitary confinement, was entitled to a new trial because, when he was sentenced to capital punishment in 1968, The defendant was deprived of the right to a fair trial.
Saudi Arabia - On March 21, 2023, Saad Ibrahim Almady, a 72-year-old with a US passport arrested in November 2021 upon his arrival in Riyadh from Florida, was released from prison and was later sentenced to 19 years in prison for writing tweets critical of the government and Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman.
Rwanda - On March 23, 2023, Paul Rusesabagina was pardoned by President Paul Kagame after he was sentenced to 25 years in prison for "terrorism" in 2021. In 1994, at the time of the genocide, Rusesabagina welcomed 1200 people into his hotel saving them from death. Later, he became an opponent of President Kagame.
Manchester Amnesty Subgroups and other work
If you would like to join any of our subgroups, please contact the current convenors for joining details.
UAE – Next meeting tbc, contact Kathryn Fletcher for joining link, bussk@btinternet.com
Refugees – Next meeting tbc please contact Alison Wearden, if you would like to join alison.wearden@gmail.com
Anti-racism – Next meeting tbc, please contact Hazel Errey if you would like to join hazelerrey@gmail.com
Craftivism –Next meeting Saturday 29th April, Manchester Art Gallery studio room, 1-4pm, please contact Kathryn Fletcher if you would like to join bussk@btinternet.com . Kathryn will be stepping down as craftivism coordinator so if you would like to take on this role, please let her know.
Individuals at Risk (bi-monthly letter writing drop ins) Next session, Saturday, 27th May 2-4pm, then 4th Saturday in July, September, November. Manchester Central Library, café area. Contact Anne Walker for more information anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
Other areas of work are led by:
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride coordinator – Zoe Song weiyi.zoe.song@gmail.com
Europe/ Turkey, Fatih Segmen, fsegmen@yahoo.com
Human Rights in the UK, Lancine Sacko, sacko10@hotmail.co.uk
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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