Weekly Actions and News 08/07/2022
Manchester Amnesty Weekly Actions
Please do these actions and make a difference
- Abdullah al-Huwaiti, at imminent risk of execution in Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah al-Huwaiti was arrested when aged only 14, tried in 2019 on various charges including gang formation and armed robbery and sentenced to death. On 13 June 2022, the Appeals Court upheld his death sentence after a grossly unfair trial. During his time in detention, Abdullah has been held in solitary confinement, denied access to a lawyer, and forced to “confess” under duress. Amnesty International calls on the Supreme Court and the King to not ratify Abdullah al-Huwaiti’s death sentence, quash his conviction, and re-try him in proceedings that are fully consistent with international fair trial standards, without resort to the death penalty.
- Dr Nasser bin Ghaith, human rights defender imprisoned in UAE.
This action is related to the cases of Drs Mohamed El-Roken and Ahmed Mansoor, which we have been working on for some time. On 29th March 2017, the Federal Court of Appeals in Abu Dhabi sentenced Dr Nasser bin Ghaith, a lecturer at Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and a prominent human rights defender, to ten years in prison for charges solely relating to the peaceful expression of his conscientiously held beliefs. More information available here. A group of students from the University of Oslo are working to publicise his case and ask you to sign their petition.
July Online Group meeting focus on Israeli Apartheid against Palestinians
This month the focus of our meeting is the Amnesty Campaign on Israel's Apartheid against Palestinians. We will have a talk on the topic by Mike Reed, information about forthcoming events, and there will be the opportunity to discuss how the Manchester group can contribute further to the campaign.
PLUS - catch up on all our other campaigning activities and group news.
All are welcome, including new members.
We will send out an agenda & joining link before the meeting, so keep an eye out for it!
You might like to watch the following Amnesty video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUGICfaULXA or read this article from the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/jul/06/a-moment-that-changed-me-i-fled-the-gaza-blockade-to-study-but-my-freedom-came-at-a-cost?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
before or after the meeting.
Upcoming campaigning events
UAE
1. Saturday 16th July twitter storm. We are holding a joint Twitter storm with several other UK Amnesty groups to call for the release of Mohammed al-Roken on 17th July. Sample tweets and guidance will be sent out the week before
2. Arab Arts Festival Family day 12-5pm Sefton Park Liverpool Sun 17th July We have a joint stall with Liverpool and Wirral Amnesty groups to campaign for the release of Mohammed al-Roken whose sentence should end on 17th July 2022. We have plenty of people to staff the stall but it should be a fun day out so please join us if you can. https://www.arabartsfestival.com
Individuals at risk – letter writing – volunteers needed
Our next letter-writing drop in will take place on Saturday 23rd July, 2-4pm, Manchester Central Library (right next to St Peter’s Square tram stop). We could do with an extra volunteer to help set up and clear up. All are welcome so please do come along, even if only for an hour.
Israel’s apartheid against Palestine
We will have an Amnesty Stall on Israel-Palestine on Sat 30 July from 7pm, at The Klondyke, Levenshulme, M19 2HQ. This is at the Big Gig event for the Big Ride for Palestine (see previous newsletters), which culminates this year in Manchester. Please come and help for an hour on the stall, and have a fun night with music, drinks, food and more.
More information about these events will be given at the July Online group meeting.
Other events
A free music event by DeRanged Nights, 6th August at Overdraught MCR in Levenshulme from 8pm until late. In support of freedom of speech, free press and whistleblowers’ protection, highlighting the cases of Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange and other persecuted journalists. More details available from Lima Al-iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com
We have applied to join the Manchester Pride parade on 27th August at a discounted rate, and will let you know if our application is successful, but in the meantime please save the date!
Acoustic Amnesty is back! Friday Nov 18 7.30pm to 1am 53Two, Arch 19, Watson St, Manchester M3 4LP. Acoustic Amnesty is going electric and having a party. There will be many singers, bands, poets and there will be a DJ spinning dance tunes. 100% of ticket sales will go to good causes including Amnesty Manchester. Just donate at least £10 per person here for all this loveliness – tickets at www.paypal.com/pools/c/8KVmcbGC1T
Anti-racism subgroup – guilt by association campaign - update.
As you may have read in the press the 10 young people of colour whose case we have been supporting were sentenced on Friday 1st July. The sentences were brutal, ranging from 8-21 years, with four young men who had done nothing more than sending texts and liking drill music deemed to be part of a criminal “gang” and sentenced to 8 years in prison each. This Guardian article about the case makes very interesting reading.
Our antiracism group, which contributed towards the Kids of Colour campaign and community document, will continue to monitor the case and to support future action to remedy these injustices. If you would like further information or to get involved, please contact: hazelerrey@gmail.com.
Refugees – Rwanda deportations – next court case 19th July
Care4Calais report that they are working with 24 people who have been detained and issued with deportation notices since the last court hearing, including the first woman to receive a notice. They will be back in court on 19th July, and will argue that there is compelling evidence, provided by UNHCR, that Rwanda is not a safe country for refugees; that there is a risk that refugees human rights may be breached in Rwanda; and that it is against international refugee law to penalise refugees for their unlawful arrival in a country. UNHCR have provided evidence that asylum seekers will not get a fair hearing in Rwanda. Some ideas about how you can protest using social media can be found on the Care4Calais website.
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 – Kathryn Fletcher, bussk@btinternet.com.
Anti-racism – Hazel Errey, hazelerrey@gmail.com,
Refugees – Alison Wearden, alison.wearden@gmail.com
HR in UK – Matthew Sherwood, m.j.sherwood@outlook.com
Craftivism - Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com.
Other areas of work are led by:
Crisis and Tactical Afghanistan, Myanmar, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen Rebecca Shaw, r.h.shaw.7@gmail.com
Europe/ Turkey, Fatih Segmen, fsegmen@yahoo.com
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
Individuals at Risk (quarterly letter writing) Anne Walker anne.walker9@ntlworld.com
LGBTQ rights – Manchester Pride 2022 coordinator – Steve Lindsay stevenjameslindsay@gmail.com
Good news
UK – on 6th July 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that diplomats who exploit domestic workers in conditions of modern slavery cannot rely on diplomatic immunity to prevent compensation claims. See this Guardian article
Lithuania – on 30 June 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Lithuanian legislation ordering the automatic detention of persons entering the territory of the State illegally and de facto denying them the right of asylum, is incompatible with Union law.
Switzerland - After the popular vote of 26 September 2021, on 1 July 2022, the law establishing same-sex marriage came into force.
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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