Amnesty InternationalJuly 1976 Volume VI Number 7 newsletter

AI Conference Urges PacificCountries to Observe Human RightsAn Al conference, held in Japan in June,urged the countries and people of the PacificOcean region to improve human rights inthe process of developing a just and demo-cratic society. The conference also called onAl not just to concern itself with prisonersof conscience but also to examine thesystems that created such prisoners.

Delegates from many Pacific countriesattended Ars first Pacific RegionalConference and formulated the "GotembaDeclaration".

This called upon the governments andpeople of the region to:

—work for the ratification of the UnitedNations international covenants on humanrights and ensure their implementation

develop a regional appeal machineryfor defendants who believed the existinglegal structures in their countries did notproperly protect their rights—ensure the independence and imparti-ality of the judiciary and the freedom ofthe legal profession

abolish the use of torture and theimposition of the death penalty in allcases and without reservation.

The Gotemba Declaration also asked Al to:concern itself with the systems that

Chilean authorities arrested an estimated385 people in May two weeks before theOrganization of American States (OAS)held its sixth general assembly in the capital,Santiago, in June.

The authorities claimed the detaineeswere "anti-social elements" who had beenplanning to "frighten the delegates" to theOAS assembly. More than 185 people werearrested in Antofagasta, 1,370 kilometersfrom Santiago. An estimated 200 were alsodetained in Santiago.

This new wave of arrests is greater thanany since October 1975 when churchworkers connected with the Committee forPeace and others were arrested.

A cable from Al to OAS SecretaryGeneral Alejandro ORFILA on the openingday of the assembly expressed concern anddeep disappointment at the arrests. In asubsequent letter Al enclosed a list of 55people known to have been arrested in May.AI also referred to the 1,200 people "missingafter arrest" since the 1973 coup in Chile.It urged the OAS to convey its concern at

created prisoners of conscience as wellas with the release of such prisoners

realize that an understanding of humanrights in the region must be seen in thesocio-economic, cultural and religiouscontext of the region--recognize the high priority of develop-ing regional, national and local programsof education about human rights in theregion, particularly amo fg the grass-roots population of each country of theregion

- help Al members in the region defineterms such as "'national security", "publicorder", "national stability" and "nationaldevelopment", and to indicate clearlywhere such terms have been abused tocurtail human rights—create a regional consultative bodylinked to AI to strengthen the strugglefor human rights in the region and theestablishment of just and democraticsocieties.

The Gotemba Declaration formed part ofthe conference report sent to ArsInternational Executive Committee, and tothe 9th International Council meeting inSeptember 19760

the human rights situation to the Chileangovernment.

During a discussion on the human rightssituation in Chile, the OAS assembly calledon its host country to continue "adoptingand putting into practice the necessarymeans to effectively preserve and ensure thefull enforcement of human rights".

Earlier in May the Chilean government hadannounced the release of 405 politicalprisoners, possibly as a gesture to the largenumber of OAS foreign ministers andobservers from non-American countriesarriving in the capital in June. But many ofthose prisoners had already been released.In the context of a prison population ofabout 5,000 the release total is not seen assignificant.• 24 Prisoners Hunger Strike in ChileSix A/-adopted prisoners were among 24prisoners in Chile who went on hungerstrike in June to protest against worseningconditions and the rejection of petitionsto exchange their sentences for exile.

The prisoners were transferred on 6

Ukrainian DissidentDeclared SanePsychiatrists at the Soviet Union's SerbskyInstitute of Forensic Psychiatry reportedlydeclared Ukrainian historian and A/-adopteeValentin MOROZ sane in June. He wasreportedly transferred from the institutein Moscow to a labour camp in Mordovia.

Mr Moroz had been imprisoned since 1970for writing Ukrainian nationalist literatureand an essay condemning Soviet treatmentof political prisoners.

During 1974 he carried out a 145-dayhunger strike in protest against his ill-treatment in Vladimir prison and to demandtransfer to a labour camp.

Prison officials warned Mr Moroz severaltimes during 1975 that he might be trans-ferred to a psychiatric hospital. In the springof this year his wife was told that such atransfer would soon take place. Prisonofficials specified as a symptom of his"mental illness" that "he speaks with God",evidently -according to Mrs Moroz - areference to his praying.

Mr Moroz was due to be moved fromprison to a special regime corrective labourcolony in June 1976. But on 10 May he wasdetained in the Serbsky Institute, wherenumerous dissenters have been diagnosed asmentally ill. One of the institute's psychiat-rists told Mrs Moroz that her husband wasmentally ill.

Fears that Mr Moroz might be falselycategorized as in need of compulsorypsychiatric treatment led to an AI urgentaction on 18 May to prevent his removal toa psychiatric hospitalD

June from the Capuchinos Annex ofSantiago's public prison to the SantiagoPenitentiary where they are now heldamong common law offenders.

Detention with common law prisonersreportedly causes demoralization amongpolitical offenders. Those in the SantiagoPenitentiary found their privileges as politicalprisoners withdrawn. The in petitions underdecree law 504 to exchange their sentencesfor exile were rejected.

The prisoners were previously allowedmore visits than common law detainees,permission to improve their own sanitaryconditions and to cook food brought bytheir families.

Many of the hunger strikers are servingextremely long sentences. Of the A/-adoptedprisoners, three are serving life sentences,one 28 years, another 54 years and the otheris serving a life sentence plus 25 years0

New Wave of Arrests as OAS Meets in Chile

IRREGULARITIES ALLEGEDIN NAMIBIA TRIALDefence lawyers representing two mensentenced to death after a major politicaltrial told the Windhoek Supreme Court on 2June that vital defence documents had beenleaked to the South African security policeby defence attorneys' employees.

They stated that the two defendants,Hendrik SHIKONGO and Aaron MUSHIMBA,had been deprived of a fair trial and askedthar the court take note of the irregularitieswhen deciding on the question of an appeal.

Mr Shikongo and Mr Mushimba weresentenced to death on 12 May after a three-month trial at Swakopmund. Together withfour other members of the South WestAfrica People's Organization (SWAPO), theywere charged under the Terrorism Act inconnection with the assassination in 1975of Chief Minister of the Ovamboland"bantustan" Chief Filemon ELIFAS (June1975 Newsletter).

The early stages of the trial were attendedin March 1976 by an AI observer, ProfessorOtto TRIFFTERER of West Germany (AprilNewsletter)0

MASS TRIAL OF SOUTHKOREAN OPPOSITION LEADERSSouth Korea's only living ex-president anda former opposition presidential candidateare among 18 prominent and respectedopposition leaders whose mass trial con-tinued in Seoul in June.

The 18 political, religious and academicleaders were arrested in March in connectionwith a declaration read out in a Seoulcathedral. It called for the release of politicalprisoners and the restoration of independenceof the judiciary, as well as other democraticfreedoms (April Newsletter).

Relatives of the accused appealed-to Alon 25 May for help to ensure an "open"trial. They said that they had been unableto attend some hearings because the trial wasbeing conducted in "an atmosphere ofterrorism".

The relatives claimed that the authoritieshad illegally detained close friends of thedefendants, restricted the number of seatsin the courtroom by issuing admission ticketsand prevented lawyers and relatives fromfreely seeing the accused.

The 18 have been charged underEmergency Regulation number 9 with agitat-ing to overthrow the government. Thisregulation is the latest in a series of specialpresidential decrees designed to outlaw allforms of criticism of the revised 1972 con-stitution which allows President Park to holdoffice for life. The accused may face longprison sentences if found guilty, withsuspension of civil rights to follow for upto 10 years.

Besides former President YUN Po Sun,aged 78, and former opposition presidentialcandidate KIM Dae Jung, aged 51, those ontrial include former foreign minister CHUNG11 Hyung, aged '12, and the distinguished

Quaker leader HAHM Suk Hon, aged 75.At one hearing, the defendants explained

that the declaration of 1 March wasmotivated solely by a wish to restoredemocracy. They had endorsed the declara-tion because they opposed dictatorial rule.

Two wo nen and the very elderly defend-ants are not under detention at present, butmost of the accused are in prison. Kim DaeJung is seriously ill with arthritis andneuralgia. Informed observers believe thathis poor health is largely the result of anattempt made on his life during thepresidential campaign of 19710

Al APPEALS FUR RELEASEOF FORMER ALGERIAN PRESIDENTAl in June urged Algerian PresidentHouari BOUMEDIENNE to release formerPresident Ahmed BEN BELLA on 19 June,the 11th anniversary of his overthrow andarrest.

Mr Ben Bella has been detained underclose surveillance for the past 11 yearswithout any official charge against him.

He spent six years as a political prisonerin France before he became president onAlgeria's independence in 1962.

As army chief of staff and defenceminister, President Boumedienne seizedpower in 1965 on the grounds that thegovernment had become a dictatorship0

SOUTH AFRICAN JUDGE CRITICIZESPULICE INTERROGATION METHODSA South African judge accused securitypolice in May of forcing or tricking detaineesinto signing false and incriminating state-ments. Judge Irving STEYN referred tostatements made by witnesses and defendantsduring the trial of seven members of theNational Youth Organization (NAYO) inPretoria and criticized security policeinterrogation methods.

David NHLAPO and Amos MASONDOwere jailed for 5 years under the Suppressionof Communism Act but two others,Andrew MOLOTSANE and MalebelleMOLOKENG were acquitted on all charges.

Earlier, Bheki LANGA, SandileMFENYANA and Phumza DYANTYI hadbeen discharged, but Miss Dyantyi was re-detained as she left the court (JuneNewsletter).

The activities of South Africa's securitypolice are also expected to figure in the trialof 10 alleged supporters of the bannedAfrican National Congress (ANC) in July.Two of the accused, Cleophas NDLOVUand Joseph NDULI, reportedly were forciblyabducted from neighbouring Swaziland bySouth African security agents. The SouthAfrican authorities have ignored Swazilanddemands for their return.

Detainees Released then BannedTwo A/-adoptees, Johnny RAMROCK andWeizmann HAMILTON were each banned for5 years under the Suppression of ComniunismAct after their release from detention inMay. Both are members of the "black

consciousness" organization AFRO. Theywere first detained without charge underthe Terrorism Act in February 1975.

Their banning orders, which may bereimposed upon expiry, require them toreport to the police each day and allowtheir absence from their homes only onweekdays and between the hours of 06.00and 18.00 hours. They may no longercommunicate with one another or with anyother banned personCI

Prisoner Releases and CasesThe International Secretariat learned inMay of the release of 99 A/-adoptedprisoners and took up 127 new cases

Al APPEALS TO INDIA TOFREE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERSAl appealed to the Indian government on24 June to free all prisoners held withoutcharge or trial on 26 June, the first annivers-ary of the declaration of a state of emergency.

Al also urged the government to restoreconstitutional safeguards and implementfully the provisions of the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights.

Amendments to the constitution andemergency laws such as the Maintenance ofInternal Security Act have introducedindefinite detention without trial and deniedthe fundamental right of habeas corpus toIndian citizens.

Estimates based on official Indianstatistics published in the various states aloneindicate that there are now at least 40,000prisoners held without trial. Many of thesehad been detained since the emergencydeclaration.

The government has said that prisonersdetained under the emergency are beingreleased. But reports continue of large scalearrests.

Al called for an independent inquiry intoill-treatment of prisoners. Specific reportsalleged that prisoners have been hungupside down with their hands behind theirbacks, reportedly burned with candles andcigaretts, or subjected to electric shocks.

Al also repeated a previous request thatan Al delegation be allowed to visit Indiato discuss various measures affectingfundamental rights under the emergency

Al Concerned at Hunger Strike: Al sentcables to India's Home Affairs MinisterBrahmananda REDDY and West Bengal'sChief Minister Siddarta Shankar RAY on 9June to express concern at reports that sixpolitical prisoners in Calcutta's PresidencyJail had been on hunger strike since 27 May.The prisoners were protesting against thewithdrawal of basic amenities provided inthe jail code to under-trial prisoners.

The six--Himansu HALDER, Amal BOSE,Sandip DAS, Sukumar BANERJEE, SanatKumar BOSU and Gourhari DUTTA—areamong 1,700 under-trial prisoners currentlydetained in Presilency Jail.

Al urged full restoration to under-trialpolitical detainees of all jail code provisionson humanitarian groundsCI

3

Roberto MOTTA, BrazilRobert MOTTA, a lawyer of Florianopolis,Santa Catarina, was among more•than 30people arrested on 4 November 1975 in afull scale campaign conducted by securityforces against members of the illegalCommunist Party.

Another prisoner arrested at the sametime described how some of the detaineeshad been. followed before the arrests, whichstrongly resembled kidnapping. "Thesecurity agents acted without officialauthorization. They broke into our housesand stole books and personal possessions..."

Prisoners were severely tortured duringinterrogation and several people are knownto have died in custody.

Torture sessions lasted 11 hours. Loadedrevolvers were held against prisoners' heads,and they were beaten in the stomach, headand genitals. Prisoners were then returnedto their cells where they were hung by theirwrists. They remained unable to sit or liedown for hours.

Senhor Motta attempted suicide after thistreatment and after repeated threats totorture his family.

Al has recently learned that he hasattempted suicide a second time. His mentaland physical health is so grave that doctorsfear he will not recover unless released. Hehas not been tried and has been adopted byAI.

Please send courteously worded lettersappealing for his release on the grounds ofhis very poor health to: Ilmo SenhorPresidente, General Ernesto Geisel, Casa doBrasilia (DF), Brazil.

Porfiry Antonovich ROMANKOV,Soviet UnionPorfiry Antonovich ROMANKOV, aged 78,is a member of the dissenting wing of theBaptist Church in the Soviet Union. He wasarrested in April 1973 in his native town ofGomel in Belorussia. Charged under article222 part 1 of the Belorussian criminal code(infringement of person and rights ofcitizens under appearance of performingreligious ceremonies) he was sentenced to5 years in an ordinary regime correctivelabour colony.

Although there is very little informationabout Mr Romankov, given his age and theconditions of hard labour in corrective labourcolonies, it is unlikely that he will be ingood health.

Please send courteously worded appealsfor the release of Mr Romankov on thegrounds of his age to: SSSR, RSFSR,Moskva, ul. Pushkinskaya 15a, ProkuratoraSSSR, Generalnomu Prokuroru R A Rudenko(Procurator General of the USSR).

Khan Abdul Ghaffar KHAN, PakistanKhan Abdul Ghaffar KHAN, the 86-year-oldcampaigner for Pakhtoon autonomy withinPakistan, is believed to be seriously ill inKohat military hospital, North West FrontierProvince. He was transferred from Kohatjail to the military hospital earlier this yearwith heart trouble and a serious eye disease.

Mr Khan was arrested in April 1975 inPeshawar, North West Frontier Province,under a detention order which allows aperson to be detained without trial for up to3 months. He has been detained ever sincewithout charge or trial.

His arrest took place during a round-upin early 1975 of opposition leaders whichhad included ',fr Khan's son, Wali KHAN,leader of the now banned oppositionNational Awami Party, who is currently ontrial. These arrests created a vacuum amongorganized opposition in North West FrontierProvince. It is possible that the arrest ofMr Khan was due to fear on the part of theauthorities that, despite his age and failinghealth, he might play a more prominentpolitical role in the absence of the youngeropposition leaders.

Mr Khan led the Muslim Khudai Khidmatgar(Servant of God) Redshirt movement,founded in North West Frontier Province asa nationalist force for independence fromBritain. At that time, he was closelyassociated with Mahatma GANDHI andearned the nickname of "Frontier Gandhi".Since the partition of India in 1947, he hasconsistently campaigned for an autonomousPakhtoonistan for North West FrontierProvince and Baluchistan. As a result, he hasspent 16 years in various jails and 8 years inself-imposed exile in Afghanistan.

Since the onset of ill-health, Mr Khan hasappealed to the Pakistan government forpermission to go abroad for medical treat-ment. More recently, he asked to be treatedat a special hospital in Peshawar. So far thegovernment has not responded.

Please send courteously worded letters,appealing for Abdul Ghaffar Khan's release,to: His Excellency Zulfiqar A. Bhutto, PrimeMinister and Minister of Defence andForeign Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister,Islamabad, Pakistan.

News of Past CampaignsKIM Chi Ha (April Prisoners of the MonthCampaign) accused the South Koreanauthorities of prosecuting him on "trumpedup charges" when his trial resumed in Seoulon 15 June. He said they sought to label himas a communist on the basis of notes onfictional characters for a book he intendedto write in the future.

Kim Chi Ha told the panel of three judgesthat the Korean Central Intelligence Agency

(KCIA) had forced him to sign a documentwhich was later distributed publicly with theintention of proving that he was a self-confessed communist. He has consistentlymaintained that he signed the documentunder severe pressure.

He went on to say that his "Declarationof Conscience", smuggled out of prison inAugust 1975, effectively refuted thecontents of the earlier forced confession. Thedeclaration clearly set out his views oncommunism and democracy.

The prosecution objection that the declara-tion was irrelevant to the case was overruled.

A number of journalists attended thehearing but the South Korean press has notpublished defence arguments0

'DEATH SQUAD' ARRESTEDIN GUATEMALAFour "bodyguards", allegedly connectedwith former President Carlos ARANAOSORIO, were arrested in June inGuatemala after the body of a governmentdevelopment agency official was found inMay.

Lieutenant Waldemar OROZCO DELEON was abducted in June 1975 byheavily armed men after receiving threateningtelephone calls. No request for ransom wasmade and there was evidence that securityforces took part in his kidnapping. AIlaunched an appeal campaign forLieutenant Orozco shortly after hisdisappearance.

Lieutenant Orozco was an official ofthe government development agencyDesarrollo de la Communidad whichencourages the growth of agrarian coopera-tives. The agency's work is supported byPresident Kjell LAUGERUD. But Vice-President Mario SANDOVAL ALARCONand former President Arana have bothdenounced such work, equating "coopera-tivism" with "communism".

Lieutenant Orozco's body was foundburied in the courtyard of a factory ownedby Elias ZIMERI NASSAR, a principalbusiness partner of former President Arana.Señor Zimeri's son, Jorge ZIMERI SAFFIEhas reportedly been an Arana bodyguard.

During the Arana regime, the Zimerifactory was repeatedly denounced as aheadquarters of the death sc,uad La ManoBlanca (the White Hand).

The four detained men, allegedly "body-guards" working for the Zimeri family, wereMario Rolando RIOS FLORES, RaulAntonio YANES AGUIRRE, Enrique LEMUSand Brigido ESQUIVEL LOPEZ. EliasZimeri was not detained and his son isbelieved to be in Miami in the United States.

Police sources claimed that the four menwere part of an armed group led by JorgeZimeri that carried out "abductions,assassinations and attacks against governmentfunctionaries and private persons". Policeuniforms and car registration plates were

Continued on page 4, column 1

Prisoners of the Month CampaignParticipants in the Campaign are reminded that appeals must only be sent to the officials named at the end of each case. In no circumstances should communications be sent to the prisoner.

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Continued from page 3, column 3

found, as well as a considerable quantity ofarms.

The abduction and murder of LieutenantOrozco was specifically attributed to JorgeZimeri and to two active duty army officers,Lieutenant Fernando MORALES PINEDAand Lieutenant Antonio REYES RODAS.But the police said they had no authorityto detain army officers and that their deten-tion must be carried out by the military.

However, Minister of the Interior LeonelVASSAUX MARTINEZ contradicted policereports and said the Zimeri family had noconnection with such events. General VassauxMartinez, who had been minister of defenceunder President Arana, said the only problemof violence in Guatemala was due to left-wing guerrillas0

EIGHT ON TRIAL INGHANA FOR SUBVERSIONTwo Al investigation cases were amongsix military officers and two civilians tried inMay and June by a military tribunal in Ghana.,All are charged with subversion, which ispunishable by death under a decree pro-mulgated shortly after the present militarygovernment came to power in 1972.

The Al cases under investigation,Captain Kojo TSIKATA and Michael CharlesKwame HAMENOO, were both detainedduring a wave of arrests in November 1975and held until May 1976 without charge ortrial. Prominent Ghanaian author KofiAWOONOR is also under investigation. Hewas arrested in December and has yet to becharged or tried.

Al has been disturbed by allegations thatsome prisoners detained since Novemberhave been tortured (May Newsletter). InJune Al sought permission to send anobserver to the current trial, which continuesat the time of writing0

RHODESIA FREESFORMER PRIME MINISTERFormer Prime Minister Garfield TODD wasreleased from restriction in Rhodesia on 5June. Mr Todd had been confined sinceFebruary 1972 to his remote Shabani farmby Prime Minister Ian SMITH's RhodesianFront government.

An A/-adoptee, Mr Todd was primeminister of Southern Rhodesia from 1953to 1958 when the country was still part ofthe Central African Federation. He wasrestricted in 1972 after he and his daughter,Judith, had spent more than one month indetention without charge. They werereleased after Miss Todd went on hungerstrike, but they were both immediatelyrestricted. Miss Todd later left Rhodesia.

No reason for Mr Todd's restriction hasever been given by the Smith government,but his arrest occurred during the visit toRhodesia of the Pearce Commission. Thiswas sent to Rhodesia by the British govern-ment in 1971-72 to assess popular reactionto the settlement proposals agreed by

Mr Smith and British Foreign Secretary SirAlec DOUGLAS HOME. The settlementwas rejected by the majority of thepopulation.

Announcing Mr Todd's release, a govern-ment spokesman stated that a special tribunalhad decided that there were no longeradequate security grounds for his continueddetention.

However, Al estimates that more than700 political detainees continue to be heldwithout charge by the Smith regime0

Vacancies at International SecretariatThe International Secretariat has vacancies for thefollowing staff:

Two Researchers for Africa Department.One to work mainly on West Africa and theother on East and Central Africa. Both postsrequire extensive knowledge of the politicsand contemporary history of the area andconcern for human rights issues, togetherwith some experience of international organ-izations. Ability to write good Englishessential, as well.as fluent French, especiallyfor the West Africa post. A knowledge ofPortuguese would be an advantage. Candidatesmust be available for interview in Paris orLondon. Salary £3,699 per annum.

Publications Editor for the Informationand Publications Department. Experienced,English mother tongue journalist/writer withinterest in world affairs to edit reports,research papers, monthly Newsletter, cam-paign material. Must be able to edit hard andanalytically, mark up copy for production,work knowledgeably with production units,coordinate production of translations inother countries and write good, translatablearticles, brochures, etc. Fluency in Spanishand/or French distinct advantage. Salary£3,669:

Information Assistant. To deal withinquiries from journalists, help compileinformation dossiers for the media, writenews releases, arrange news conferences,provide national section press officers withall material necessary for their work, andother information duties. Experience injournalism and good typing essential. Candi-dates should be fluent in English and at leastone other language, preferably French orSpanish. Salary £3,276.

Translators. Twp half-time translatorsrequired. One French mother tongue, thesecond Spanish mother tongue. Salary£1,835.

Secretary. With excellent shorthand/typing and fluent French and Spanish towork with translators. Salary £3,024.

Further information on all the aboveposts is available from Caroline Reeson,Amnesty International, InternationalSecretariat, 53 Theobald's Road, LondonWC1X 8SP, England.

DETAINEE DIES AFTERRELEASE FROM GDR PRISONA/-adoptee Sigmar FAUST died shortlyafter his release from a German DemocraticRepublic (GDR) prison on 22 or 23 March.

The 31-year-old writer could not publishhis books in the GDR as they were out ofline with official ideology. He was firstimprisoned in 1971 on suspicion of "incite-ment hostile to the state" and released undera general amnesty in 1972.

He was again arrested in May 1974 afterapplying for permission to leave the GDRand collecting signatures for a petition tohuman rights organizations.

Mr Faust was tried in camera andsentenced to 4 years 6 months' imprison-ment in Cottbus prison, where he produceda news sheet for fellow prisoners.

His health deteriorated after he wasplaced in isolation and he suffered a heartattack earlier this yearO

TUNISIA PETITIONFollowing the Al campaign for a generalamnesty in Tunisia on 1 June (JuneNewsletter) more than 100 Tunisian intel-lectuals and artists signed a petition on 10June calling on the government to free allpolitical prisoners and to allow freedom ofspeech and freedom of the press, tradeunions and political activity0

LESOTHO COURT FREES THREEAND REDUCES OTHER SENTENCESThree supporters of Lesotho's main opposi-tion Basutoland Congress Party (BCP) werefreed by the Lesotho Appeal Court on 20May. Matthews MONNE, Mosala MOSALAand Philip MOHALE "lad each been sentencedto 5 years' imprisonment in July 1975after conviction on high treason charges. Allthree were Al investigation cases.

Their trial was Lesotho's second majortreason trial. It followed a BCP-inspiredattempt to overthrow the ruling NationalParty government of Chief LeabuaJONATHAN in January 1974.

The Appeal Court also set aside 5 yearsentences imposed on Lekopa MATELA,Mahlomola KHANYAPA and Thabo JESI,three other BCP supporters convicted at thesame treason trial. Sentences of 3 years'imprisonment were substituted. Two yearsof each sentence were suspended0

IEC DISCUSSES ARRANGEMENTSFOR INTERNATIONAL COUNCILPractical arrangements for Ars InternationalCouncil in Strasbourg in September werediscussed by the International ExecutiveCommittee (IEC) at its June meeting inLondon.

The IEC formulated resolutions andplanned discussion papers for the councilmeeting. The IEC also considered actionstrategies prepared by researchers on indivi-dual couatries and evaluated the Uruguaycampaign (see CAT Bulletin)EI

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTERis published monthly by: AMNESTY INTER-NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, 53 Theobald'sRoad, London WC1X 8SP, England. Printed inGreat Britain by Hill and Garwood Ltd, FourthWay, Wembley, Middlesex. Available on sub-scription at £6 (US $15) per calendar year.

amnesty international

campaign for the abolition of tortureJuly 1976 Volume III Number 7 MONTHLY BULLETIN

South Africa: Police on Homicide Charges 350,000 Sign PetitionIn an unprecedented move by the South Griffiths MXENGE, was detained and is stillAfrican judicial authorities, four police being held.officers were charged in June with culpablehomicide over the death of Joseph MDLULI,a black detainee and former member of thebanned African National Congress (ANC).

Mr Mdluli was arrested in Durban on 18March 1976 by the security police and diedin custody less than 24 hours later (MayNewsletter). Mr Mdluli's family claimed thatthe body bore marks of torture. In May,photographs said to be of the body of MrMdluli were produced in London by members Other black yietainees have reportedlyof the ANC. been killed under torture during the past

The family's solicitors said they believed several years. The relatives of some victimsthat Mr Mdluli's death was caused by "unlaw- have been granted ex gratia payments, butful acts of one or more members of the this is the first time that legal proceedingssecurity police". One of the solicitors, have been taken against the alleged offenders0

The Spanish government has effectivelyprevented the publication of any furtherallegations of police torture following thepublication on 31 May of a dossier ontorture compiled by Basque lawyers.

The dossier appeared in Cambio 16, aMadrid news magazine. On 1 June, the editorwas advised that all such matters were nowsub judice and that the publication of thefacts could constitute a libel against theGuardia Civil (paramilitary police).

Another magazine, Cuadernos para elDidlogo, was prevented from publishing atorture dossier in its edition of 5 June.

Journalists throughout the country pro-testedihat reports by the news media were"a contribution to a more just society andcould not impede the judicial investigations".

Protests also came from the Basquelawyers, who said that the governmentdecision would keep the Spanish people inignorance.

Official investigations have been opened into several cases. But so far only one alleged

Detainees held in Iran are systematicallytortured, while constitutionally providedlegal guarantees are subject to the proviso"except when the SHAH determines other-wise", according to a recently publishedreport*.

Confirming Al's own findings, the reportresults from two separate missions carriedout in 1975, one by American lawyerWilliam BUTLER and the other by Frenchpenologist Georges LEVASSEUR.

The report said that SAVAK (Iraniansecret police) was a "state within a state"

South African Justice Minister JamesKRUGER promised in April that a fullinquest would be carried out, and he hassince been frequently questioned by mem-bers of parliament about the date of theinquest. On 11 June the minister himselfannounced in parliament that thc suspectedperpetrators of Mr Mdluli's death had beencharged but gave no names.

torturer, Inspector Jose MATUTEFERNANDEZ of the Canary Islands, has beensubject to judicial proceedings. InspectorFernandez has been accused of torturing aprisoner to death in September 1975.

Another alleged torturer, whose case thegovernment has promised to investigate, hasrecently been transferred to a Guardia Civilunit in the Basque country. A captain of theGuardia Civil, he was in charge of the inter-rogation of Maria Amparo ARANGOASATRUSTEGUI in April 1976 (see May1976 CAT Bulletin). He is reportedly stillresponsible for interrogations.

The dossier compiled by the Basquelawyers indicates that the use of torture hasincreased since General Francisco FRANCO'sdeath last November. The document names30 arrested Basques reportedly tortured bymembers of the Guardia Civil.

The systematic use of torture in theBasque provinces was documented by an Almission to Spain in July 1975 (see October1975 CAT Bulletin)D

responsible only to the Shah. Its officersthemselves often performed the role ofmilitary magistrates.

The investigators found that SA VAK's"systematic use of impermissible methodsof psychological and physical torture" ofpolitical suspects included electric shocks,beatings with maces, whipping, the presenceof a gallows in prisoners' cells and broadcast-ing prisoners' screams to other prisoners.

The two missions were hampered in theirinvestigations by the fear of released prisonersand other witnesses and the reticence of

M Urges TortureInquiry in UruguayArs petition to the Uruguayan governmentto allow an independent international investi-gation of torture allegations was handed toUruguay's Permanent Mission to the UnitedNations in New York on 16 June, for relayto newly installed President AlbertoDEMICHELLL

Nearly 350,000 individuals in 70 countrieshad signed the petition, which marked theculmination of the worldwide Al campaignagainst torture in Uruguay conducted fromFebruary to April 1976 (see March-June1976 CAT Bulletins).

Al also presented copies of the petitionto UN Secretary General Kurt WALDHEIMand to Prime Minister of Luxembourg GastonTHORN in his capacity as president of the1975 session of the UN General Assembly.Al appealed to them to use their good officesto "urge upon the government of Uruguaynot only an independent internationalinvestigation into the facts in question, butalso the immediate cessation of practiceswhich constitute an affront to those mini-mum standards of civilization that the worldcommunity as a whole, through the UnitedNations, has pledged itself to uphold".

Main speaker at a New York News confer-ence held to announce the presentation wasexiled Uruguayan parliamentarian WilsonFERREIRA ALDUNATE. As leader of theBlanco Party, Seiior Ferreira had receivedapproximately 18% more votes in the 1971presidential elections than Juan MariaBORDABERRY, but the country's com-plicated electoral system had prevented histaking office. Seilor Ferreira sought refugein Argentina after the dissolution of congressin June 1973, but fled that country followingthe kidnapping and assassination in May1976 of his former colleagues ZelmarMICHELINI and Hector GUTIERREZ RUIZ

Continued on page 2, column 1

officials about legal procedures. But theyconcluded that military tribunals uniformlyignored torture allegations. They found thatno independent investigation of the manyallegations had ever taken place.

These conclusions are entirely in accordwith Al's own findings concerning torture inIran (November 1974 and May 1975 CATBulletins)."Human Rights and the Legal System inIran", International Commission of Jurists,Geneva, Switzerland.

Spain Prevents Publication of Torture Allegations

ICJ Report Confirms Torture in Iran

CAT Bulletin 2

appealsMORE REFUGEESTORTURED IN ARGENTINATwenty five further abductions of politicalrefugees have occurred in Buenos Aires. On11 June, about 40 armed men claiming to bethe police broke into two small hotels wherethe refugees lived under the protection ofthe United Nations High Commission forRefugees (UNHCR). They kidnapped oneUruguayan and 24 Chilean refugees as wellas the Paraguayan manager of one hotel.

All the kidnap victims were released 24hours later gter severe torture. They werestripped, beaten and subjected to electricprods, and threatened with death if they didnot leave Argentina within 48 hours.

The abductions occurred two days afterlists of political refugees were stolen fromthe Buenos Aires office of the UNHCR.

The danger to refugees in Argentina hasbecome increasingly clear since the militarycoup of 24 March. Since then numerousrefugees have been murdered, tortured orforcibly repatriated to their countries oforigin.

Edgardo ENRIQUEZ, Chilean leftistleader, disappeared in Argentina on 10 Apriland was reportedly handed over to theChilean political police on 27 April.

The mutilated bodies of five Uruguayanswho had been living in Argentina werewashed on to Uruguayan shores on 22 April.

AI Urges Torture Inquiry in Uruguay

Continued from page 1, column 3

(June 1976 Newsletter).Serior Ferreira expressed his deep apprecia-

tion for ATs efforts to highlight the grossviolations of human rights in his country andsaid this had provided invaluable moralsupport to his compatriots, especially thoselanguishing in prison.

Signatories to the-petition included manyprominent individuals, including governmentministers, judges, former prisoners ofconscience, three Nobel Peace Prize laureates,scientists, academics, artists, leading Sovietdissidents, religious leaders and parliamentar-ians. The petition was also endorsed on behalfof numerous national and internationalorganizations interested in human rights.Signatures from trade unions in Europe andLatin America represented millions oforganized workers.• President Bordaberry was forced to resignon 12 June 1976 after conflict with Uruguay's

military leaders over the country's future.Serior Bordaberry had pressed for constitu-tional changes to institutionalize militaryrule and to abolish all political parties. Themilitary favoured a gradual return to "demo-cratic rule" over a period of 8-10 years.

Interim President Demichelli is expectedto hold the post for only a few months untilthe military leadership and the Council ofState appoint a long-term successor. AI hasalready asked President Demichelli whatimplications the current developments inUruguay will have for the human rightssituation 0

In May, former Uruguayan parliamentari-ans Zelmar MICHELINI and HectorGUTIERREZ RUIZ were kidnapped inBuenos Aires and assassinated along with twoother Uruguayan refugees, Mr and MrsWilliam WHITELAW BLANCO (June 1976Newsletter). In addition, former PresidentGeneral Jose TORRES of Bolivia wasasSassinated in Argentina on 2 June.

The Argentinian security forces appear tohave full knowledge of these events. Forexample, Serior Michelini was kidnappedopposite a heavily guarded tele-communications building, while SeriorGutierrez Ruiz was abducted from an apart-ment near several guarded foreign embassies.

Since the mass abductions from the twohotels, the police have refused to offer pro-tection to the victims, who could be murder-ed if the armed men return to carry out theirthreat. One police officer was quoted as say-ing that the police could not intervenebecause "some other security organization,perhaps the army, carried out the operation".

Please send courteously worded letters,expressing deep concern about the lack ofprotection for the lives of political refugeesin Argentina and requesting that, at the veryleast, the government facilitate the safedeparture of endangered persons, to: Exmo.Serior Presidente General Jorge R. Videla,Casa de Gobierno, Buenos Aires, Argentina;and to: Exmo. Serior Ministro de RelacionesExteriores, Contralmirante Cesar Guzzetti,Arenales 761, Buenos Aires, Argentina0

VICTIM'S LETTER CONTRADICTSCOLOMBIAN PRESIDENT'S DENIAL OFTORTURETwo days after Colombia's President AdolfoLOPEZ MICHELSEN declared in a Mexicannewspaper interview in May that torture wasnot practised in Colombia, leading Colombiannewspapers published the testimony of atortured lawyer.

Gustavo ARIAS LANDONO, a Bogotalawyer, wrote to the daily El Bogotano andother publications about the treatment hereceived during the seven days following hisarrest on 24 April.

His letter, published on 22 May, said thatheavily armed men ransacked his house andtook him to an unknown destination in amilitary car. He was blindfolded, placed in ahot room and subjected to piercing noises, inattempts to extract a confession about hisalleged activities within M-19, a leftwingguerrilla group.

Serior Arias Landofio insisted he knewnothing but the treatment became moreviolent. He was beaten on the stomach andhis skin was sprayed with a substance whichcaused an "unbearable burning sensation".He was forced to drink salt wafer and hishead was tightly wrapped in a wet towel untilhe felt "it was going to burst". The treatmentwas intensified when Serior Arias Landoriocontinued to assert his innocence.

After four days of almost uninterruptedtorture, Serior Arias Landorio was transferredto the School of Artillery where torturecontinued. He was hung from the wristswhile his stomach and testicles were beaten.His torturers threatened that his pregnantwife and his daughter would be tortured infront of him.

News from Past AppealsFurther confirmation was received recentlyof the torture of Rene NUNEZ TELLEZ(Appeal, October 1975 CAT Bulletin). Amedical certificate signed by a doctor of theSan Vicente de Leon Hospital states: "Today,5 January 1975, medical attention wasprovided in this medical institution to SeriorNunez, 27 years of age, for head injuries andother injuries. The patient was brought bythe National Guard".

Serior Nunez has now been formallycharged and is awaiting trial. He is believedto be in a better physical condition, and hecan now receive visits from his lawyer andfamily.

Allegations of similar treatment at theSchool of Artillery have been made byHector Armando GUALTEROS, who wasalso interrogated about his alleged member-ship of M-19 and asked to admit that SeriorArias Landorio was his leader.

Serior Gualteros was arrested on 28 April1976 and released two weeks later throughlack of evidence. He said he met Serior AriasLandofio for the first time when he was takenback to his cell from the torture room0

Al ASKS ISRAEL TO INVESTIGATEDETAINEES' TREATMENTA 1 has urged the Israeli government to setup an independent inquiry into the treat-ment of detainees. An increasing number ofreports of ill-treatment and torture,particularly in the military-administeredWest Bank territory, prompted Al to writeto Prime Minister Yitzhak RABIN on 28May 1976.'

Al also suggested that Mr Rabin set up aspecial parliamentary commission toexamine complaints and other evidence froma variety of sources.

Reports had indicated that security forcescommitted acts of brutality against personsdetained in what appeared to be routinesecurity operations as well as during therecent unrest.

The London Sunday Times of 28 Marchreported that 60 Arab civilians had beenallegedly rounded up in Jerusalem andsystematically beaten. Injuries had includedbroken bones.

The doctor treating the victims hadreportedly stated that the injuries were con-sistent with persistent and systematic beat-ing. This testimony contradicted policeclaims that the-injuries had resulted fromattempts to resist arrest.

In other cases brought to Ars attention,medical evidence corroborated allegationsof ill-treatment.

Al had previously requested clarificationfrom the responsible Israeli authorities onseveral occasions about allegations of ill-treatment and torture, particularly ofPalestinian detainees. Police investigations ofsuch allegations were either inconclusive orhad resulted in rejection of the complaints0

Egyptian Torturer Sentenced: A Cairocriminal court on 26 June sentenced formerchief of Egyptian intelligence Salah NASR to10 years hard labour for torturing the journjournalist Moustafa AMIN in 1965.(September 1975 CAT Bulletin)