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    f o r p e o p l e w h o c a r e a b o u T h u m a n r i g h Ts january / february 2012 VOLuMe 42 ISSue 001

    iT rainsbombs inThe souThof sudanaboriginal peopleresisT ThreaTs To

    homelands in ausTralia

    The lives ofmigranT workers

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    conTenTs

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    insideThis wire

    acT nowworldwide appealsread, disTribuTe, acTsee our inserT

    updaTes on page 21

    The agendaNews from Amnesty Internationals regional teams and

    campaigns. Sign and send a posTcard demanding securityof tenure for slum residents in Cairo.

    page 2

    a migranTs JourneYMigrants face various risks and challenges every

    day of their lives. Three campaigns to know about.roberT godden , giorgos kosmopoulos and

    sarah shebbeare .

    page 8

    The sTruggle for JusTicedoesnT end wiTh me

    How did the execution of Troy Davis affect thecampaign to end the death penalty?

    roseann rife

    page 13

    aboriginal peoples homelands inJeopardY in ausTralia

    Support the Alyawarr and Anmatyerr Peoples asthey struggle to keep their homelands and

    traditional way of life. sarah marland

    page 16

    deaTh from The skiesThe Sudanese authorities are bombing civiliansin Southern Kordofan. It is time for theinternational community to act to stopthe killings, says khairunissa dhala.

    page 4

    living in hellChilling testimonies from Yodok, one of NorthKoreas political prison camps.

    page 14

    wire inTerviewThe people of Central African Republic have been facingdecades of conflict and abuse. Human rights defenderlewis-aleXis mbolinani talks to wire .

    page 18

    irans killing spreeExecutions of drug offenders are on the rise in Iran.

    ann harrison

    page 12

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    Middle East and North Africa

    Forced evictions inEgypt

    People living in dangerous conditionsin some of Egypts slums faceeviction without being consultedabout their resettlement options.Many are at risk of being madehomeless. In September, AmnestyInternational brought children fromfive slums to the banks of the Nile toperform theatre plays and dances atthe First Arabic Book Fair, and usedpublications and photos to raiseawareness of forced evictions inAfrica.http://ti l.com/ g ptsl msSig d s d th postc d i th i s t,

    gi g eg pts P im Mi ist to p v to c d victio s.

    Asia and the Pacific

    Japan backtrackson death penaltyJapans Justice Minister HideoHiraoka is under pressure to signdeath warrants, despite a recentannouncement that he would notapprove executions. Hideo Hiraokarecently committed to suspendexecutions until Japans use of thedeath penalty had been reviewed.However, with the review still inprogress, the Minister announced

    in October that he did not intend to

    end capital punishment. There arecurrently 126 people on death rowin Japan.http://ti l.com/ p dp

    Africa

    Ugandan journalistsunder attackJournalists in Uganda areincreasingly being harassed forexpressing views deemed critical of the authorities. Meanwhile, publicprotests have been banned and fourpolitical activists charged with treason,a capital offence, for organizingprotests. The Ugandan authoritiesare creating a climate where it isbecoming increasingly difficult forpeople to freely criticize governmentofficials, their policies or practices,said Amnesty InternationalsResearcher Godfrey Odongo.http://ti l.com/ g d o lists

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    Americas

    Success inancestral land battleThe Sawhoyamaxa Indigenouscommunity in Paraguay could soonreturn to their ancestral land followingan agreement by the authorities topurchase a 14,404-hectares plot.Ninety Sawhoyamaxa families havefought a legal battle to return to aportion of their lands, while living inprecarious conditions alongside anearby highway. The community hascampaigned for years with the helpof local and international groups,including Amnesty International.http://ti l.com/l dwi

    Europe and Central Asia

    Finland mustinvestigaterenditionsThe Finnish Ministry for ForeignAffairs has published informationrevealing more than 100 landings inFinland by aircraft linked to the CIAsrendition and secret detentionprogrammes. However, the Ministrysaid that they were only seekingclarification from the USA on oneflight. Amnesty International is callingon Finland to investigate further anddetermine whether USA renditionflights landed in the country.http://ti l.com/ l dights

    Syria Uprising

    Syrian activist killedActivist Ghayath Mattar is reported tohave been killed in custody followinghis arrest by Syrian security forces on6 September. His body was returnedto his family on 10 September. Fourother Syrian activists arrested at thesame time are in grave danger. Act

    on their behalf at www. so s i .o g

    C ll i Lib ria Mo roviaC ral Pri o ar oov rcrowd d ha om

    pri o r l p ohammock mad frommp y ric ba i d o h

    c ll bar a d wi dow .Am y I r a io al hacall d o Lib ria oimprov h appallico di io wi d ifour of h cou ry 15pri o .

    http://ti l.com/li i -p iso s

    News from Amnesty Internationals regional teams and campaigns

    AgendaThe

    "

    22journalists and mediaworkers killedin Russiabetween 2000 and 2010.(Source: Committee for the Protection of Journalists)

    http://ti l.com/ s ls2

    Hundreds of thousands of peoplejoined our annual letter writingmarathon. Find out more onwww. m st .o g/50

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    The agenda

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    I a g st 2009, th nig i riv sSt t gov m t o ci l vict d

    p to 17,000 sid ts o n m z ,o o th i o m l s ttl m ts iPo t H co ts w t o ts.

    M o th old sid ts h vsi c t d to th i vill g s. b twith o wo k th , m o g

    m d wom h v st d i thcit . Wh t h pp d to th m two

    s t th victio ? W t v ll dto Po t H co t to i d o t.

    W m t g o p o o g wom i igh o i gw t o t. Wh t w wit ss d w s shocki g. Th wom shti ooms i ho s s m k d o d molitio . M p g to h v i s, d c ot o d ood o ss ti l m dici s.

    b o th 2009 victio , ll th s o g wom wlivi g with th i p ts, st d i g d s ppo ti g th mil

    with i o m l o s. W s d to l d w co ld to w w t to d, o wom told s. Th i liv s in m z w h d, o do t, t th w dig i d. a tth victio , th wom h v l t with othi g. now,th st ggl to h v v o m l d .

    M wom h v o optio t to s ll s x to s viv . Ths d som o th mo to th i mili s. C imi l g gsp o th wom , xto ti g th mo th . Th ss m g gs, d oth m , lso t th i ooms t ight

    d p th m. Wh th wom st d, polic o c sd m d mo , which th s ll do ot h v , o s x ol tti g th m go.

    W sk d th wom wh t am st I t tio l c do.Th s id th t st o ll, th w t s to t ll th i sto i s. Th

    lso d cid d to p ot ct th i ow ights d s t p l ttwo k, which will t k ctio wh o o th m is st d.

    W will co ti to sp k to n m z s o g wom . Ith m tim , w doc m ti g wh t w o d d will

    m ki g comm d tio s to th nig i tho iti s owh t th d to do. Th tho iti s sho ld k ow: wh thd st o hom s, th lso d st o liv s.

    Up front

    Life after eviction:The youngwomen ofNjemanzeR arch rAsteR VAnKRegten

    Death Penalty

    Executions breachinternational lawOn 21 September, the day the USAexecuted Troy Davis (see p.13), Iranpublicly hanged 17-year-old AlirezaMolla-Soltani despite internationalprohibitions against executing

    juveniles. The same day, Chinaexecuted Pakistani national ZahidHusain Shah for drug smuggling,even though drug offences do notmeet the threshold for most seriouscrimes under international law.http://ti l.com/t o dp

    Global Ethics Series

    The Human Right to HealthA new publication from AmnestyInternational Global Ethics series isout in February 2011. The HumanRight to Health explores currentdebates and ideas on the right tohealth. The book examines the ideaof a human right assesses whetherhealth meets those criteria andidentifies the political and culturalrealities we face in attempts toimprove the health of people in wildlydifferent regions.The author,Jonathan Wolff, is a professor of philosophy at university CollegeLondon, UK. Available in English only.

    http://ti l.com/H lth-f 2012

    (truly women have a place, trulywomen have a face and truly the worldhas not been functioning well withoutthe input, in every sphere, of women.

    Leymah Gbowee, one of three womenawarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize

    )

    2years in prisonfor three Azerbaijani

    opposition activistswho organized peacefulpro-reform protests.

    l ttWant yourviews andcomments toappear in TheAgenda? Writeto us [email protected]

    Glenna Gordon

    Above and top: Asterspeaking to womenevicted from Njemanze.

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    deaThfrom The s

    c t t s t kt s t t t y

    t s t s . w , , t

    t t y. ckhairunissa dhala t .

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    a r s t e n

    S t o r m e r

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    souThern sudan

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    Kadugli, the capital of Southern Kordofan, and UmDurein, and quickly spread to other towns andvillages. On 1 September, it reached neighbouringBlue Nile state.

    Tensions had been growing between Sudansruling National Congress Party (NCP), and the

    ruling party of the newly independent SouthSudan, the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement(SPLM), in the context of the governmentsattempts to disarm the SPLA and the disputedoutcome of the elections for the governorship of Southern Kordofan in May. These elections werenarrowly won by the NCP candidate AhmedHaroun, wanted since 2007 by the InternationalCriminal Court for war crimes and crimes againsthumanity committed in Darfur.

    Following the independence of South Sudanon 9 July 2011, the SPLM operating in Sudanbecame known as the SPLM-N (SPLM-North), andthe SPLA became known as SPLA-N.

    Southern Kordofan lies on the border withSouth Sudan and is home to large populations of Nuba people. During the 22-year civil war whichended in 2005, the Nuba took up arms against theSudanese government.

    In August 2011, Amnesty International andHuman Rights Watch spent a week in Southern

    Kordofan to investigate the impact of the conflict.The team was not able to reach the front lines orareas controlled by the SAF, but interviewed scoresof people from those areas who had escapedthe fighting.

    going hungrYZenab Al-Ameen Hamis and her 10 children fledfrom Serifiya in late June, after the village wasattacked by the Sudanese army and its allied militia.I ran with my children and left everything behind,Zenab said. I had five tukuls (huts) and twosorghum stores. They all burned, and they stolecattle. I am waiting here for plastic sheeting. Wereceived sorghum, but now we dont have any.

    More than 200,000 people have been forcedto flee their homes in Southern Kordofan, in fear of aerial bombardments by the SAF, fighting betweenthe SAF and SPLA-N, and the threat of arrests andextrajudicial killings of Nuba people believed tosupport the SPLM-N.

    Many of the displaced in areas controlled bythe SPLA-N live in and around the NubaMountains, with little more than the clothes ontheir backs and some plastic sheeting for shelter.The bombings mean that people live in constantfear and many abandoned their fields at primecultivation time.

    The Sudanese government has activelyblocked or severely restricted humanitarian aid tothe region, in violation of international

    humanitarian law. The World Food Programme,which supplied aid to the Kadua region, left in

    iess itting on boulders, overlooking the lush greenthat surrounds the Nuba Mountains inSouthern Kordofan, you could almost forgetthat an internal armed conflict is taking place. Butnot for long. The group of people sitting theresuddenly hear the familiar drone of an Antonov

    plane, and before the aircraft has emerged fromthe clouds, they have run to seek shelter in thecaves they now call home.

    A few minutes later, the sound of threeexplosions booms from across the mountain.Everyone on this side of the mountain is safe,today. However, the way the Sudanese governmentis carrying out the bombings using bombs thatcannot be targeted with precision means thattomorrow they could be less fortunate.

    On 26 June 2011, Hawatef Kober and her twoteenage daughters Iqbaal and Maryam Musa Al-Rahima, came down from the mountains. They hadbeen seeking shelter in caves, one hour from theirhome, for the past month, only going down to collectwater and food from their home. We were afraid of the planes which have been flying above us aboutthree or four times every day, Hawatef told us.

    I was in the house when the planes came. Itwas about 4pm and my daughters went to fetchwater at the borehole. After they had dropped the

    bombs, neighbours brought Maryam to the house.She was dead she was hit on the head part of her head was gone. A neighbour told me to go tothe graveyard because they had taken my otherdaughter Iqbaal there. I went and her injuries wereso terrible, I could not even look, Hawatef said.

    Thirteen people, mostly women and children,were killed and over 20 injured on that day whensix bombs dropped near Kurchi market.

    A few days before, on 19 June in the village of Um Serdiba, Mahasin, a mother of 10 who wasexpecting her 11th child, was planting crops in afield near her home. We heard a plane, anAntonov, circle above. There was an explosion andmy wife was killed instantly; she was decapitated,her husband Angelo al-Sir told us.

    My son Yasser, aged nine, was in the kitchenhelping his older sister Amal, who was cooking.Yasser was hit in the head [by bomb fragments].He ran outside screaming Daddy, daddy, Imhurt. My daughter Amani, not yet two years old,was outside [in the courtyard] and was hit in thechest by fragments which went through her back.Her cousin Musaab [Al-Fakih], aged four, waskilled next to her.

    Both Yasser and Amani died before Angelocould get them to safety. Several others died orwere injured in the strike.

    conflicT spreadsOn 5 June fighting erupted between the Sudanese

    Armed Forces (SAF) and the armed oppositionSudan Peoples Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) in

    l

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    June (as did most international NGOs), after thefighting started. The supplies that remained intheir storerooms were distributed by localorganizations over 60 days. However, supplieshave since dwindled and many families surviveonly on soup made from berries and leaves.

    inTernaTional inacTionThe conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nilecontinues with no signs of any resolution, but theinternational community has done little to stop it.

    On 15 August, the Office of the HighCommissioner of Human Rights released a reportbased on research carried out by human rightsmonitors of the UN Mission in Sudan before theirmandate ended on 9 July. The reports findingsinclude accounts of unlawful killings, massdestruction and looting of civilian property, whichcould amount to war crimes and crimes againsthumanity.

    Shortly after the report was released, the UNSecurity Council met, but failed to condemn theindiscriminate bombings and other human rightsviolations, and the lack of access to aid agencies

    in Southern Kordofan. Following this, inSeptember, during the UN Human Rights Council

    session on Sudan, the international communityfailed to take a stand and call for independenthuman rights monitors in both Southern Kordofanand Blue Nile. Until action is taken, civilians willcontinue to bear the brunt of the conflict.

    acT nowask o Mi ist o fo ig a i s to c ll o th unS c it Co cil to co d m d d m d d to thi disc imi t om i gs d oth viol tio s i So thKo do d bl nil th S d s gov m t.

    ask th Mi ist to c ll o hi d d cc ss o idg ci s so th t th c ssist th civili pop l tio

    d to c ll o i d p d t h m ights mo ito i gc oss So th Ko do d bl nil .

    Above: Eight-year-old Marcela Teimas Suleimans footwas mutilated when a Sudanese Armed Forces bomb hither village of Kurchi, Southern Kordofan, on 26 June.Her two younger sisters, Makalina, aged 4, andBreskela, aged 3, were killed in the attack along with11 other civilians, most of whom were children andwomen.

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    backgroundsuda i a cou ry wi h a urbul pa .si c i ai d i d p d c i 1956 iha b pla u d by y ar of i r al arm dco flic , i cludi a war b w h

    ou h suda P opl Lib ra io Army(sPLA) a d h ov r m which pa d22 y ar .

    th co flic b w or h r a d ou h rsuda d d i 2005 wi h h i i of

    h Compr h iv P ac A r m (CPA)b w h ruli na io al Co r Par y(nCP) a d form r ou h r oppo i io

    roup, h suda P opl Lib ra ioMov m (sPLM). A par of h CPA, hp opl of ou h r suda vo d o ar f r dum o 9 Ja uary 2011 o d cidwh h r h ir r io would c d fromsuda . th y vo d wi h a r ou di y a d sou h suda b cam h worldyou a io o 9 July 2011.

    th r f r dum a d cr a io of ai d p d a w r la iv ly moo hly,y h proc cr a d om probl m , a d

    l f o h r u r olv d. A o cou ry,ou h r suda h ld mo of h oil, bud p d d o or h r suda o ra por i .A wo cou ri , h y hav o y ma a d

    o o ia a arra m for profihari .

    n i h r hav h wo cou ri b abl or olv xac ly wh r h bord r b w

    h m li , l adi o arm d co flic i hAby i r io , which bo h id claim

    b lo o h m. Fi h i i Aby i ow iMay 2011 l d o h di plac m of ov r110,000 p opl o sou h suda .

    Page 4: Displaced children shelter in caves atLabu in Southern Kordofan, August 2011. Morethan 200,000 people have been forced to eetheir homes for fear of aerial bombardments by theSudanese Armed Forces.Top: The Al-Sir family has been devastated bySudanese Armed Forces bombing raids over theirvillage, Um Sirdeeba. The childrens mother, brother,sister, and cousin were all killed along with a visitingrelative on 19 June 2011. Five other children fromthe family were injured in the attack.Left: A burn victim of a bomb attack in the village ofDalami, Southern Kordofan, August 2011.

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    THree aMneSTyCaMPaIGnerSeXPLaIn WHy WeneeD TO fIGHT fOrMIGranTS rIGHTS

    nepalese migranT workerseXploiTedr t g

    i y t t t t t. it e t y t t t

    . it i y 1,250 m y t (us$ 417)

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    t t y . i t t , y t y y 450t (us$150), 12 t 16

    y t t t t y.

    T.P., D c m 2010

    T.P.s experience is not untypical of manyNepalese people who migrate abroad for work.Like him, most of the people we spoke to camefrom small rural villages. There are no factories.

    Jobs are scarce. In a decade, annual migration forwork has risen from 55,000 to 300,000.

    While an expanding recruitment industry hasbenefited from large profits, protection of migrantworkers rights remains poor. Governmentdepartments are poorly funded, centralized inthe capital, Kathmandu, and weak at enforcingregulations. Systems of redress are difficult toaccess. The result is a recruitment industry actingwith impunity.

    Many prospective migrants believe agentswhen they promise high wages and goodconditions in places like the Gulf States andMalaysia. So they take out large loans, averagingaround US$1,400, at high interest rates, to payrecruitment fees. Often, workers only discover thetruth when they receive their first months wages.By then it is too late burdened with debt and

    their travel documents confiscated, it is difficultto back out.

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    Despite everything, T.P. says he would goabroad for work again. To raise the funds to gothe first time, I mortgaged my land at the bank at12 per cent interest. I still havent repaid the loan.I want to go abroad again because I need to makemoney for my family, my childrens education.

    Many people in Kailali district in Nepal feelcompelled to go despite the risks. It is time thegovernment of Nepal enforced its own regulationsto ensure migrant workers rights are protectedand complaints against recruiters properlyinvestigated. Amnesty International will be pressingthe authorities to ensure that the recruitmentprocess is properly regulated so that people likeT.P. can work abroad without fear of exploitation.

    r d mo t http://ti l.com/ p l-mig t-w ks

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    migranTs righTs

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    put him off his dream of reaching the USA andfinding work; he was planning to get on the nextfreight train heading north. Many more will followhim.Show o solid it o th sh lt s d th mig ts whost i th m p cki g tooth sh, o so p d p i o socks i i g d s di g it to o o th stsh lt s o th mig ts o t o th i so th M xico:L 72 Hog r gio p P so s Mig t s, C ll S/n,Colo i est ci n v T osiq , T sco, M xico.

    W tchThe Invisibles d t k ctio t:www. o t .com/i visi l slms

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    In May 2011, we visited four detention centres onthe border between Greece and Turkey. About 90per cent of migrants and asylum-seekers enteringEurope during 2010 crossed through Greece, anundeniable challenge for the authorities.

    Entering these facilities was like stepping intoanother era. The dirty, overcrowded cells smelt sobad that guards wore surgical masks. In one cell inTychero, women and children had barely enoughspace to stretch their legs. Unaccompanied

    children shared a cell with the men and slept onthe floor on flattened cardboard. Tychero andSoufli detention centres had no courtyards foroutdoor exercise.

    Detainees told me they didnt always receivesoap and other basics, that food was of poorquality and insufficient and that requests to seedoctors were not always answered. We havedone nothing wrong, they said. Why are weimprisoned in such conditions?

    The unaccompanied minors were waiting for

    space to become available at the special receptioncentre. I met some who had been detained forup to two months. Their cell, in Fylakio, was dark,poorly ventilated and short of beds. The toiletsoverflowed and stank.

    Such appalling conditions are a strongdeterrent. If people apply for asylum, they riskhaving to remain in detention for up to six months.One Turkish man had already been held for 188days. He and several others were on hunger strikeagainst their prolonged detention. They said thatthey had fled their countries looking for refuge,solidarity and human rights: Isnt that whatEurope is all about?

    This kind of routine detention of asylum-seekers and irregular migrants must stop and nominors should be detained. We need to urge theGreek authorities to act immediately to bringdetention conditions in line with internationalstandards.

    H lp p t p ss o th G k tho iti s sig i g l tt t http://ti l.com/migt- ights-g c

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    Mig l a g l, S pt m 2011

    We met Honduran Miguel Angel and his sister-in-law Laura at a migrants shelter in Mexico state.Miguels description of being kidnapped by acriminal gang, just days earlier, shocked me.

    But his experience is one shared bythousands of people who make the journeythrough Mexico every year in the hope of gettingto the USA; experiences we have documented inthe film The Invisibles , of migrants falling victimto beatings, abduction, rape and even murder.

    Miguel and Laura managed to escape theirkidnappers and reach a shelter where they weretaken care of. A nurse volunteering there betweenshifts at the local hospital helped them recover. Theywere offered a bed, food and a new set of clothes.

    It is largely thanks to this network of sheltersproviding humanitarian aid, and the efforts of thepriests and lay workers who run them, that manymore migrants do not succumb to exhaustion,

    abuse and starvation on their journey.To my surprise, Miguels experience had not

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    Left: Workers take a break at a construction site inDubai, United Arab Emirates, where temperatures

    often reach 45 C or higher. Many Nepalese migrantworkers end up at sites such as this, having beenpromised other jobs.Top: Asylum-seekers and migrants at Fylakio DetentionCentre, Thrace, Evros, Greece, October 2010.Above: A migrant with her son at the Hermanos en elCamino migrants shelter, where they are given foodand a bed before the next leg of their journey north.Oaxaca, Mexico, July 2011

    Amnesty International (Photo: Ricardo Ramrez Arriola)

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    regularlY eXploiTed, regu Marc Silver

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    arlY abused, regularlY denied JusTice

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    executions of alleged drugs offenders in Iran have skyrocketedsince officials in the judiciary announced a crackdown ondrug trafficking in October 2010. Arrests of drug traffickershave soared in recent years as Iranian drug seizures have risen, inpart as a result of international assistance to try to stem the flow of narcotics from Afghanistan.

    In a new report, Addicted to death: executions in Iran for drugs

    offences , Amnesty International has shown how many of thoseexecuted are killed in secret mass executions in some of thecountrys overcrowded prison facilities. Many have not received afair trial - they have often been denied access to lawyers, andappear to have no right to appeal against their death sentences.

    The authorities have never acknowledged the September 2011execution of Haj Basir Ahmed, an Afghan national. [He] phonedus from Tayebad prison in Iran to say that he was going to beexecuted in under two hours. As far as I know he never evenappeared in court, a relative of Haj Basir Ahmed said. Wecouldnt get his body back, as the Iranians wanted 200 million rialspayment, which we couldnt afford.

    disadvanTaged are mosT aT risk Those most at risk of execution for drug-related offences are oftenfrom the most disadvantaged sectors of society: members of ethnicminorities which suffer discrimination in law and practice in Iran,or foreign nationals who often come from countries where theireconomic opportunities are limited. Women sometimes resort todrug smuggling to feed their families, and some individuals may beduped into carrying drugs for others while the drugs barons oftenavoid arrest and prosecution.

    Death row prisoner Yousef Islamdoust is a member of the Sunni Azerbaijani minority. Although we had been told bythe Judge that Yousef would be sentenced to six or seven months in prison, the Ministry of Intelligence asked for hisexecution, Yousefs father, Mahmoud Islamdoust, says. My son was tortured by Ministry of Intelligence [officials] forabout 50 days.

    Iran continues to violate the international prohibition on the execution of juvenile offenders. Two juvenile offenders Vahid Moslemi and Mohammad Nourouzi, both Afghan nationals may have been among 22 individuals executedfor drugs offences in Evin and Rejai Shahr prisons on 18 September 2011. Amnesty International is aware of other

    juvenile offenders reported to be on death row, some of whom may have already been executed.Twenty years ago, the authorities stepped up executions for alleged drugs offences in a war on drugs, aiming

    to eliminate drug trafficking from the country. But Iran still has an estimated two million or more addicts and users.Large quantities of Afghan opium are consumed in Iran the worlds largest market for opium as well as other illegaldrugs. It is also an important transit country for trafficking elsewhere, particularly towards Europe and, increasingly,Africa. In a new development, ever greater amounts of synthetic drugs such as metamphetamine (crystal meth) arebeing manufactured in Iran and trafficked abroad, mostly to Asian countries.

    Irans immense drug problem cannot be solved by a widespread application of the death penalty. There is no clearevidence that the death penalty has any identifiable effect in alleviating drug trafficking and abuse and even someofficials doubt its efficacy. Despite the authorities addiction to death as a cure-all solution for social ills, Irans drugproblem is continuing to grow.

    iranskillingspreedrug offenders in iran are being

    secreTlY eXecuTed in largenumbers. The auThoriTies claimThis draconian punishmenT willend The drugs epidemic in ThecounTrY. buT TheY are wrong,saYs inTerim depuTY programmedirecTor ann harrison

    acT nowC ll o I s S p m L d to comm t ll d th s t c s,i cl di g thos p ss d o d g d g- l t d o c s; o d th

    vi w th a ti-n cotics l w to mov th m d to d thp lt o d gs o c s; d s th t o o st d o

    ll g d d gs o c s is to t d o oth wis ill-t t d dth t ll t i ls co d ct d cco di g to i t tio l i t i lst d ds. all d d ts m st giv v oppo t it tod d th ms lv s d th ight to pp l th i co victio d

    th i s t c . yo c lso ct o li twww. m st .o g/50/c mp ig s/d th-p lt /i

    Pl s w it to:L d o th Isl mic r p lic o Ia toll h S d ali Kh m iTh O c o th S p m L dIsl mic r p lic St t e d o Sh hid K shv Do st St t,T h , Isl mic r p lic o I

    em il: i o_l d @l d .i

    S l t tio : yo exc ll c

    12wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    abolish The deaTh penalTY

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    th w r h word of troy Davi , whowa x cu d i h UsA i s p mb r.roseann rife , H ad of sp cial Proj c aAm y I r a io al, b li v h l acyof h campai o av troy could h lpo h r o d a h row.

    p

    working for abolition of the death penalty ishard. It is an issue dealing in the mostfundamental way with life, death and justice.

    The numerous people who devote timeto this effort often make strong and emotionalconnections with death row inmates and theirfamilies. After the execution of Troy Davis inGeorgia, USA, on 21 September, activistsgrieved alongside his family and friends. Itis difficult not to be discouraged when somuch effort is still not enough to stop a statefrom killing.

    Many of us have been asked since then how

    we feel about our failure to stop Troys executionafter years of campaigning. It is important torealize that, despite the tragic outcome, our effortson his behalf had a huge impact.

    Our members around the world participated inover 300 events or vigils that were held in theweek preceding the execution. Troy made globalheadlines and exposed the cruellest deficiency of the death penalty the fact that it is irrevocable.The enormous attention enabled abolition activiststo re-engage with the media, governments andthe public.

    Many of our members have told us that peoplein their countries are questioning the deathpenalty because of the intense focus on thisexecution. This is a signi ficant step forwardtowards abolition.

    worldwide impacTThe doubts raised about Troys conviction alsogripped the attention of many people in Taiwan. It

    allowed activists to draw parallels with the case of Chiou Ho-shun. Like Troy, Chiou Ho-shun has

    spent over two decades on death row and thereare doubts about the case against him.

    Chiou Ho-shun and his co-defendants say theywere prevented from communicating with anyonefor the first four months of their detention and weretortured into confessing to murder and kidnapping,which they later retracted. In 1994, after an officialinvestigation, two public prosecutors and 10 policeofficers handling the case were convicted of extracting confessions through torture.

    In Japan, international attention has also helpedto further public debate. Hakamada Iwao wasconvicted for the murder of four people after an

    unfair trial and confessed after 20 days of interrogation by police without a lawyer present.He later retracted his confession and testifiedduring his trial that police had beaten andthreatened him. Hakamada Iwao is suffering frommental illness after almost 30 years in solitaryconfinement, and is at daily risk of being executed.

    During this 50th anniversary year of AmnestyInternational, our members are also focusing ontwo cases of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia,where foreign nationals are particularly vulnerableand frequently receive unfair trials. SuliamonOlyfemi, a Nigerian national, was sentenced todeath for murder in 2004 after a trial conducted inArabic, which he does not speak, and withoutaccess to a translator or a lawyer. Siti Zainab BintiDuhri Rupa reportedly confessed to the murder of her employer in 1999 while mentally ill and did nothave any legal representation.

    The fighT conTinuesActivists often campaign for respect forinternational standards on the use of the death

    penalty but it is the individual cases, the namesand faces of those on death row, that grab thepublics attention.

    In countries with vigilant media andtransparent legal systems, we are able to followcases fairly closely and plan strategies. In theUSA, India and Taiwan, we have worked withand for individual death row inmates for years,

    even decades.But the unknown executed need to be

    remembered and counted as well. Many deathpenalty cases in North Korea, for example, neverget reported in the news, do not have lawyersworking on appeals and the executed are listed inour reports simply by numbers.

    Amnesty International opposes the deathpenalty for all crimes, in all cases, and in allcountries. We continue to fight in the name of allindividuals facing execution, even when we dontknow their names.

    Troy Davis knew this. Shortly before his death,he said The struggle for justice doesnt end withme. This struggle is for al l the Troy Davises whocame before me and all the ones who will comeafter me.

    All those people around the world who workfor abolition should not only feel angry and grievewhen a person is executed; they should alsorecognize that their efforts are having results. The

    global trend is demonstrably toward abolition andtogether we are powerful and we will prevail.

    The sTruggle for JusTicedoesnT endwiTh me

    13wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    Amnesty International activists from France withTroy Davis posters protest against the death penaltyin the USA, July 2008.

    Laurent HINI

    norTh korea

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    a t t 50,000 , t y Y t n t k . m t t t t t t . w y? b t y t t z t t t

    s t k . T y y t s t k Tv t t s t k . T y y

    t t . o t y y t t y t .

    o Y , t y t , t z t t t t t y y y. s

    Y , t t . o y t t t t .

    living in hell14wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    Background: A satellite image of the Yodok PoliticalPrison Camp 15 (PPC15) in central North Korea,taken on 07 April 2011. The image wascommissioned by Amnesty International in order tolobby the North Korean government to close Yodokand other camps like it.Left: Shin Sook-ja, with daughters Oh Hyewon and

    Oh Gyuwon. According to former inmates, this photowas taken at Yodok then sent to Shin Sook-jashusband Oh Kil-nam in 1991. Read his testimony onthe next page.

    P

    r i v a

    t e

    norTh korea

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    T t .o y, t t , g t y! Y . s , i y .i t i t . T y t t .

    T i t t Y .

    fo m p iso , 1994-97

    i t x t .T x t t t . a t t t t. T y t t t t

    t t t x t .Kim, o m p iso , 1997-2000

    2 0 1 1 D i g i t a l G l o b e ,

    I n c

    15wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    i y y , t t t t y t y. att t , t t y t i t t t .f t , i t t . i t , i t

    t t y t t .

    L , who w s to t d o l vi g no th Ko witho t p missio d s t to yodok om 1997-2000

    n t y y i [ t] y t t i t t y y n t k .T y t y t

    tt .i t t t y , t tt , t t . it y t t t y

    t t t .w t t t ; t t t t t t t t t yt t t y t t.i y , t y t y t t.g t t t , t t t t t , t t t .Kim d L , o m p iso s, 1997-2000

    [T] ty t x t t t [ ] t t y y

    .ah , o m p iso , 1980-82

    T y t t t t 200 y. b t t t , t t . T t t

    t .a t t y , t y .T t t t

    y j . h , t t t .

    Th t m politic l p iso do s otxist i DPrKs [D moc tic P opl sr p lic o Ko ] voc l , dth o th so-c ll d politic l p iso sc mps do ot xist. Th o mi stit tio s, which c ll d p iso s ioth co t i s. Thos who s t c dto th p lt o o m th o gh l o ocommitti g ti-St t c im s o othc im s p sc i d i th C imi l L ws v th i t ms t th o mi stit tio s.

    no th Ko spo s to th uns vi w o th co t sh m ights co d t th H m rights Co cil, D c m 2009

    acT nowW it to th no th Ko tho iti s, c lli g o th m toimm di t l clos yodok d l s ll p iso s oco sci c h ld th . S : http://s .im/2l xx

    Oh Kil- m, who so ght s l m i D m k i 1986 t i g s t to

    G m th no th Ko tho iti s. His wi d two d ght s (pict d l t) w

    i t d t yodok i 1987. Th li v d to i th c mps Tot l Co t ol Zo ,

    wh th m m i o th st o th i liv s. Oh Kil- m ow liv s i S o l. K g Ch ol-hw , o m child p iso , 1977-87

    indigenous righTs

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    16wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    abori i al P opl hav liv d i Au ralia formill ia a d ar h world lo -urvivi co i uou cul ur . B id h irow di i c law a d cu om , h y hav a

    u iqu r la io hip wi h h la d.Alyawarr/A ma y rr ld r Ro ali Ku o h-Mo k

    xplai hi b au ifully:All of h compo of our id i y ha

    o h la d. th r h la d i a circl . th r h la ua from ha la d. I hi r io i h Alyawarr a d A ma y rr la ua . I

    i corpora family li a , family roup . Ii corpora our acr d la d . I i corpora ourlaw. th law i L-A-W a w ll a L-O-R-e. Br aka y o of ho arm a d v r i from h la d,you ar commi i h d a h of a rac ofp opl .

    Au ralia f d ral a d nor h r t rri oryov r m ar ow placi h fu ur ofradi io al hom la d i j opardy. gov r m

    polici hom la d lo i fu di i favour oflar r ow a d b i pu h d o h bo om of

    h priori y li for ial rvic uch ah al h car , duca io , hou i a d i fra ruc urmai a c . thi i forci p opl o l av h ir

    hom la d a d mov o lar r ow o acco ba ic rvic .

    th ov r m ar al o aki d ci ioha aff c commu i i wi hou co ul ih m a d wi hou h ir fr , prior a d i form d

    co . thi r ul i polici ha ff c iv lydi crimi a a ai Abori i al P opl o hba i of h ir cul ur a d wh r h y liv .

    repeaTing pasT misTakesD cad of Au ralia ov r m policy i hla c ury aw Abori i al a d torr s raiI la d r P opl forc d off h ir radi io al la da d i o mi io , ow a d ci i a proc

    r f rr d o a a imila io .

    I h 1960 , mall roup of Abori i al p opl ,u ually famili or o h r clo ly r la d p opl ,b a r loca i back h ir radi io al la d a dwa r a d abli hi commu i i h r . thib cam k ow a h hom la d mov m . today,o hird of Abori i al P opl i h nor h rt rri ory liv o approxima ly 500 hom la d .

    s udi how ha h r ar prov b fio livi o radi io al hom la d . th Alyawarr

    a d A ma y rr P opl of h U opiahom la d ar ba d 260km or h- a of Alic

    The landT a t t y t t y t y

    t t n t T t y, t t a p t t t t t . d t

    t t t ty t t . csarah marland, a ty i t t a t , t .

    my t t y.i t t i t y . my

    t x t y t t y .i y t t

    t t t y, t t t .

    K thl ng l (pict d ov ), a m t ld d ow dtist, C m l C mp, utopi hom l ds

    Utopia homelands residents Jellalonia Jones, RiannaRoss and Christalin Jones.

    R

    u s t y

    S t e w a r

    t 2 0 0 7

    A

    m n e s

    t y I n t e r n a t

    i o n a l

    / C h l o e

    G e r a g

    h t y

    indigenous righTs

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    17wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    holds us

    spri i h nor h r t rri ory. U opia ihom o rou hly 1,400 p opl livi i 16di p r d commu i i v ral hu dr dkilom r apar . s udi hav how hap opl i U opia ar h al hi r, happi r a dliv lo r.

    th vid c i par icularly ro a drowi i r la io o h al h, howi ha

    Abori i al P opl livi i hom la dcommu i i w r far h al hi r ha ho livii lar ow . Rai i famili o hom la dm a ha p opl mai ai h ir piri ual a d

    co omic co c io o h ir cou ry a d havom m a ur of commu i y co rol a d a cy.

    For h commu i i , curr ov r mpolici may h rald a r ur o h a imila io ra.

    L ar i from h pa , a d iv iobli a io u d r i r a io al law, hAu ralia ov r m hould b coura i ,ra h r ha u d rmi i , radi io al hom la d .

    For hr y ar , Am y I r a io al hab r archi huma ri h viola io by hAu ralia a d nor h r t rri ory ov r ma ai Abori i al commu i i , i cludi br achof h fu dam al ri h of I di ou P opl o

    h ir radi io al la d . I Au u 2011, wpubli h d h r por The land holds us: Aboriginal Peoples right to traditional homelands in the Northern Territory , availabl a www.am y.or .au/ i di ou -ri h /comm /26216

    acT nowS d m ss g o s ppo t to th al w d a m tP opl s o th utopi hom l ds, lli g i ds di g th c d i th i s t. yo s ppo t will l t thgov m t k ow th t p opl om c oss th wo ld

    li v th a st li gov m t sho ld ot do thhom l ds.

    i yt . i t

    , i t y.

    w t tt . w , t

    , t , tt t, x .i t t t ,

    . T tt ?

    jo ci jo s P t , h lth wo k , utopi hom l ds

    i , i : t y t y.

    T , i t t t

    t t , i y t y, t i t y . it y tt

    . T t y, y.

    Moto ik P dd P t , a m t ld d kw t g l m g o his co t , utopi Hom l ds.

    Background: The Red road from Alice Springs toUtopia Homelands, Northern Territory, Australia.Above: Womens camp at Rocket Range, NorthernTerritory.

    A

    m n e s

    t y I n t e r n a t

    i o n a

    l / A p r i

    l P y l e

    L

    u c a s

    J o r d a n

    / A m n e s

    t y I n t e r n a t

    i o n a l

    S

    a r a

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    l a n

    d / A m n e s t y

    I n t e r n a t

    i o n a

    l

    human righTs Talk

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    18wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    in the south-east of the country, nearlyeveryone is a victim of the LRA [LordsResistance Army], says Lewis-AlexisMbolinani (pictured top left wearing tie). Whenthey attack, they set fire to houses and granaries.They kill and abduct people. All kinds of humiliations are going on. People are experiencingenormous violence.

    The human rights situation in Central AfricanRepublic (CAR) is dire. Ravaged by a conflictinvolving a myriad of groups, it is a volatile andunstable country. Innumerable human rightsabuses continue to be committed by the variousparties in the conflict-ridden country. The civilianpopulation bears the brunt of the abuses. Tens of

    thousands of Central Africans have been forced to

    flee toneighbouringcountries, andseveral hundredthousand civilians areinternally displaced in theCAR.

    The LRA has caused the mostdistress in eastern CAR since early2008. The group has launchedincursions into eastern CAR, mostlyfrom neighbouring DemocraticRepublic of Congo (DRC) andsometimes from South Sudan. The LRA has noclear agenda. A rebel force normally has specific

    objectives and seeks to secure power, says

    Lewis-Alexis. What are the LRAsobjectives? They say that they are aliberation army sent by God; but who is this Godthat just kills? Its a whole phenomenon of destruction, of the extermination of peoples.

    In July 2010, Amnesty internationalresearchers met and interviewed scores of victimsof LRA abuses, including those who have beenabducted and taken to LRA camps. The victimstold of mutilation, cruel treatment, torture,including rape, sexual slavery, pillaging, intentionaldirect attack on civilians and forcibly recruiting

    children to fight as soldiers.

    T l r t a y t z c ta r . it

    , t ,

    t t t .h t lewis-aleXis mbolinani t a ty

    g y by ty tt t t t t .

    resisTing Thereign ofTerror

    human righTs Talk

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    supporTing vicTimsHuman rights defender Lewis-Alexis is Co-ordinator of Youth United for EnvironmentalProtection and Community Development(JUPEDEC). The NGO promotes health andeducation in southeastern CAR and helps villagersbuild health centres, classrooms and bridges andestablish income-generating initiatives.

    JUPEDEC also develops programmes tosupport child solders who return from LRA camps.The children are indoctrinated to go out into theirown villages to carry out massacres, kill their ownparents and kill villagers, Lewis-Alexis explains.They feel guilty. We raise awareness of thepredicament of child soldiers, so that when theyreturn and give themselves up, they will bewelcomed.

    Women, he mentions, also find it hard toreturn home after being abducted by the LRA.Women are raped by LRA members and becomepregnant. When they return, they are completelyrejected. These women and young boys, who havespent months or years with the LRA in the bushcome back traumatized and very probably infectedwith HIV or have AIDS.

    JUPEDEC also helps those who have beeninternally displaced.People have been forced toabandon their villages because of the massacres.In the south-east, we now have at least 28,000displaced people. They are confined to the urbancentres. Where are they going to find food? Lack of access to land to grow crops is a serious problem.The international community distributes food butthe people who have been displaced cannot growanything. JUPEDEC helps them secure seedsand tools to grow their own food.

    a region-wide problem

    Lewis-Alexis believes that civil society can helpdeal with the consequences of LRA violence.Civil society has helped the authorities and theinternational community to understand thesituation better. UNHCR [the UN Refugee agency]works to protect refugees and displaced people.UNICEF is down here too; we have internationalNGOs operating there now and the UNHAS [UNHumanitarian Air Services] humanitarian flights

    are providing a truly remarkable service. There is

    therefore a strong need for civil society capacity-building, especially in relation to conflict

    prevention and the protection of civilians.Protecting civilians, Lewis-Alexissays, is a priority. We call on the

    European Union, the AfricanUnion and governments

    who are listening to helpset up a system, a strongmechanism to

    ensure co-ordinationand safety of the civilians population.

    His public criticism of the CAR governmentfailure to protect civilians has been received withhostility and Lewis-Alexis was arrested inDecember 2009 and accused of being an LRAagent. The case was dropped in September 2010.

    What about the future? Lewish-Alexis believesin a holistic approach to resisting the LRA. TheLRA is a regional problem which can no longer besolved as separate Ugandan, Sudanese, CentralAfrican or Congolese issues, he says. It has tobe addressed in a co-ordinated manner. Whenrepresentatives of civil society get together, weshare our knowledge: what have they been doingin the CAR? What have they been doing in Sudan?What can we do while we wait for the governmentor the international community or the localauthorities to arrive?

    Our prayer today is for the LRA to leave ourcountry. We want peace, simply peace.

    Th po tCentral African Republic: action needed to end decades of abuse is v il l thttp://ti l.com/Car- po t

    19wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    Victims of human rights abuse in Central African Republic.Images Amnesty International

    UNHCR/H. Caux

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    I Octo w c l t d

    th l s o p iso s oco sci c Z g (pict dtop l t), S S nw ( lowl t) d Z w Ht t Ko Ko( ottom l t). Th th w

    mo g t l st 240 politic lp iso s l s d i m ss

    m st i M m .wired s c mp ig d o th

    l s o Z g d S Snw wh th i c s s

    t d s Wo ldwid app lsi 2009 d 2010 sp ctiv l .

    How v , th l s s so ot o gh. Th

    m [politic l] p iso s l ti th p iso s, i cl di g illp opl d th g d dhospit liz d, s id S Snw . all politic l p iso sd s v to .

    f d com di dctivist Z g s id:

    G tti g ll politic l p iso sl s d is m m o

    p io it .am st I t tio ls

    s ch o M m ,b mi Z w cki, st t d: IM m s tho iti s s io s o t d mo st ti gth i commitm t to o m,this m st o l th i st st ptow ds l s o llpolitic l p iso s s soo spossi l . a p titio o 30,750sig t s om sid ts i

    77 co t i s, c lli g o th l s o ll p iso s o co sci c ,w s d liv d to M m tho iti s am st I t tio l o11 nov m 2011. W co ti to mo ito th sit tio .

    worldwide appealsupdaTes

    mYanmarprisoners released

    Katrin Koenning/Amnesty International

    Susanne Keller

    Reto Andreoli

    Ernest Lee

    20wire [ Jan/feb 2012]

    A

    A P P B

    w

    w w . d

    v b . n o

    A

    m n e s

    t y I n t e r n a t i o n a l

    Switzerland

    South Korea

    Switzerland

    Australia

    WHeTHer In a HIGH PrOfILe

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    WHeTHer In a HIGH-PrOfILeCOnfLICT Or a fOrGOTTenCOrner Of THe GLObe,amnesTY inTernaTionalCaMPaIGnS fOr juSTICe,freeDOM anD DIGnITy fOraLL anD SeeKS TO GaLVanIZePubLIC SuPPOrT TO buILD abeTTer WOrLD

    whaT can You do?

    activists o d th wo ld h v show th t it is possi l tosist th d g o s o c s th t d mi i g h mights. b p t o this mov m t. Com t thos who p ddl

    d h t .

    joi am st I t tio l d com p t o wo ldwid mov m t c mp ig i g o d to h m

    ights viol tio s. H lp s m k di c .

    T t .

    I m i t st d i c ivi g th i o m tio o comi g m m oam st I t tio l

    name

    address

    counTrY

    email

    Pl s t this o m to th am st I t tio l o ci o co t .

    fo ll list o th o c s wo ldwid pl s go to. ty. / / - t

    I th is o o c i o co t , o c com I t tio lM m d oi o I t tio l M m s o li comm it .

    To do this, pl s visit: . ty. / /jwh o will l to cc ss oi i g i o m tio d sig p o lii a ic, e glish, f ch d Sp ish.

    O lt tiv l w it to:O li Comm iti s T m, am st I t tio l,I t tio l S c t i t, P t b so Ho s , 1 e sto St t,Lo do WC1X 0DW, u it d Ki gdom

    To I t tio l M m o d to g to I t tio l M m s Cod o Co d ct. Th Cod is

    v il l i a ic, e glish, f ch d Sp ish t:www. m st .o g/ /cod -o -co d ct

    a m n e s t y

    . o r g

    Thousands of supporters and activistsaround the world took to the streetsduring 2011 in solidarity with thepeople of the Middle East and NorthAfrica calling for political and socialchange in the region. Global Daysof Action for Egypt, Syria and Libyatook place in the UK, Switzerland,Bangladesh, Australia, South Koreaand the USA.To nd out about planned activities for2012 follow @Amnestyonline ontwitter.

    Amnesty International

    Amnesty International

    Amnesty International

    UK

    Bangladesh

    USA

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    we wanT peace.

    simplY peace.human righTs defender lewis-aleXis mbolinani

    of The cenTral african republic (page 18)


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