Amnesty International Press Release Feed

South Korea: Use of force against beef protestors should be investigated thoroughly

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:11:30 +0100

South Korean police used excessive force against peaceful protesters demonstrating against the government’s trade policies, Amnesty International said today as it provided preliminary findings of its investigation into human rights violations during the protests against US beef imports that took place in central Seoul between 25 May and 10 July.

“The government should demonstrate its commitment to the rule of law by ensuring accountability for any police officers who used excessive force and providing due process for protesters who face criminal charges,” said Norma Kang Muico, Amnesty International Researcher.

“Generally, both the protesters and the police showed remarkable organization and constraint. These protests, and the response to them, generally show the strength of South Korea’s civil society as well as its legal institutions, but we have documented several instances of human rights violations.”

Since early May, tens of thousands of protesters have demonstrated against the renewal of US beef imports over fears of BSE or mad cow disease. The protests, often involving crowds as large as 10,000, were largely peaceful, but there were incidents of violence as riot police sought to control surging crowds and some protesters attacked and vandalized police vehicles.

During candlelight vigils held on 31 May and 1 June, police used fire extinguishers and water cannons fired at close range against largely peaceful demonstrators, causing serious injuries such as blindness, broken bones and concussions.

Amnesty International’s investigation indicated that:

In some instances, police used excessive force and abused non-lethal riot control devices such as water cannons and fire extinguishers;
Police engaged in arbitrary arrests of protesters and onlookers;
Some detainees were subjected to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, including a lack of adequate medical care;
The Korean government has not yet carried out adequate investigations of these claims.

In one case a 24-year-old female office worker fell down after the riot police suddenly charged into the crowd. She was surrounded by at least five police officers who hit her with batons and kicked her repeatedly on her head. To protect herself, she covered her face with her arms. As a result, she suffered a broken arm, her head was severely swollen, and she had cuts and bruises on her upper body. She has not been able to return to work and has been hospitalised since 30 June.

Another case involved a 14-year-old boy who participated in the vigils with his mother, fellow classmates and teachers. When the police surged into the crowd, they ran onto the pavement for safety. A police officer hit the boy with a shield in the back of his head while the boy was running away. He fainted and his head was bleeding heavily. He was taken to the Yonsei Severance Hospital where doctors stitched his cut.

"These protests involved citizens making their point strongly but in large part peacefully. What they were met with, however, was excessive force by their own government, and that deserves a more thorough investigation," said Norma Kang Muico.

Liberia: President must veto death penalty bill

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:34:01 +0100

Following the confirmation by the Liberian Senate of a bill re-proposing the death penalty for certain crimes, Amnesty International called on President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to veto the bill.

“The surest way to address crime is to strengthen the criminal justice system and the capacity of law enforcement agencies – not to carry out state killings, which have never been shown to be a deterrent,” said Amnesty International.

The bill, passed by the House of Representatives on 7 May and the Senate on 16 July, makes armed robbery, terrorism and hijacking capital offenses.

The move came despite the fact that in September 2005, Liberia acceded to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which obliges Liberia to take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty.

“The Liberian government must fulfil its obligation under international law to abolish the death penalty,” said Amnesty International. “Rather than introducing legislation such as this bill, the Liberian government should introduce a constitutional provision abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.”

“This legislation is in bad faith, and entirely inconsistent with the object and purpose of the protocol to which the Liberian government acceded, which aims to abolish the death penalty.”

Amnesty International urged the Liberian government to carry out a survey of current legislation with a view to abolishing the death penalty for all crimes, including in military penal codes.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a violation of the right to life and as the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Notes to editors:

According to Article 31 (1) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a treaty is to be interpreted in good faith in accordance with the ordinary meaning to be given to the terms of the treaty in their context and in the light of its object and purpose. The presumption of good faith justifies the conclusion that states parties intend treaties to be effective.

Since the accession to the Second Optional Protocol of the ICCPR by Liberia was a voluntary undertaking, the government's behaviour must produce the effects it has openly sought, and the government is effectively bound, in accordance with its declarations.

As of today, 137 states in the world have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. In recognition of this trend the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in December 2007, resolution 62/149 calling on all retentionist countries to establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty, and on states that have abolished the death penalty not to reintroduce it.

Venezuela: Political will and resources needed to make law reality

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:58:21 +0100

(Caracas) In a new report published today, Amnesty International urged the Venezuelan authorities to show the political will and provide the resources needed to ensure the new law on violence against women will not just exist on paper.

“The 2007 Venezuelan law to protect women from violence is an example for the rest of the region but it will be useless for women unless it’s fully implemented,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme.

“Implementation of the law means more shelters, special tribunals and training for those who have to deal with these crimes.”

Amnesty International’s report looks at the reality of domestic violence for women in Venezuela.
Thousands of women in Venezuela suffer beatings, verbal abuse and rape at home. In 2007 alone, 4,484 women called a helpline set up by INAMUJER (National Institute of Women’s Affairs) to report abuse. Local organizations, however, estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

Many of the women who talked to Amnesty International in Venezuela said that lack of financial independence, information, insufficient shelters – only two in a country of over 27 million inhabitants -- and a poorly resourced police and judicial infrastructure, make it hard for them to feel safe.

“Thousands of women in Venezuela live in a constant state of fear of violence from their partners, fear for their lives and the safety of their children. When a safety net is not provided, many women feel that they have no choice but to stay with their abuser or to be homeless and unable to support themselves or their children,” said Guadalupe Marengo.

In March 2007, the government passed a law that defines violence against women as a human rights violation and reaffirms the responsibility of the state and its officials to eradicate it. The law replaced one passed in 1999 that, although positive, failed to be fully implemented.

It sets out measures to prevent violence against women, to protect women at risk and to punish those responsible. It also requires the authorities to implement a far reaching programme to raise awareness and challenge public attitudes which condone or conceal this under-reported crime.

“Venezuela’s government needs to step up to the challenge set by the 2007 law.”

A copy of the report “‘The law is there, let’s use it – ending domestic violence in Venezuela’”, will be available from Wednesday 16 July 2008 at 22:00 GMT on http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR53/001/2008/en

END/

Venezuela: Ending domestic violence – Facts and figures

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:02:22 +0100

Venezuela: Ending domestic violence – Facts and figures

In 2005, 36,777 women reported abuse by partners or former partners to NGOs – an average of one woman every 15 minutes. (Violencia contra las Mujeres 2005, Noviembre del 2006, AVESA / Centro de Estudios de la Mujer de la UCV / FUNDAMUJER.)

Local organizations estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

In the first six months of 2007, 490 investigations were opened into reports of violence against women. (Division of Research and Protection in the field of Child, Youth, Women and the Family of the Scientific, Penal and Criminal Investigations Unit)

Between January and December 2007 the majority of cases of violence against women were perpetrated by their current husband or partner (31.95% and 36.57%, respectively) and to a lesser extent by their ex-partners or other family members.” (INAMUJER)

In 1999 INAMUJER set up a national confidential emergency hotline – 0800Mujeres – which gives free advice to women experiencing gender-based violence. Between 1999 and December 2007 the hotline received 29,168 calls throughout the country, 4, 484 of those were received in 2007 alone.

Venezuela – a country of over 27 million inhabitants – has only two shelters for women victims of violence.

USA: Omar Khadr must be immediately repatriated to Canada

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:40:55 +0100

Reacting to today’s release of a video publicly showing Canadian citizen Omar Khadr being questioned at the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Amnesty International called for Khadr to be repatriated to Canada immediately.

The video is the first of a detainee being questioned in Guantanamo and shows Khadr being interrogated by Canadian officials in 2003 when he was just sixteen years old.

While he is not shown being directly ill-treated, he is shown crying, calling out for help repeatedly and showing his wounds to the officials. He is also shown as being without legal representation.

“The treatment of Omar Khadr throughout his detention violates the USA’s obligations under international law, which requires that in all actions concerning children the best interests of the child must be a primary consideration,” said Amnesty International.

“The US has violated international standards by refusing to recognize Omar Khadr’s status as a minor and treating him accordingly.”

On 19 June, Omar Khadr appeared at a military commission pre-trial hearing in Guantanamo. A trial date in his case was set for 8 October 2008.

“No one who was a child at the time of their alleged crime should be tried by military commissions, which have no juvenile justice provisions whatsoever,” said Amnesty International. “Omar Khadr should either be repatriated and tried in Canada by an ordinary court or released.”

Amnesty International said that the entire military commission system is fundamentally flawed and the tribunals must be abandoned in all cases.

Background information
Omar Khadr was detained by the US military in Afghanistan in 2002, when he was 15 years old. He has been held in Guantanamo Bay since he was 16. He is now 21.

Successive Canadian governments have repeatedly stressed that they sought and received assurances from US authorities that Omar Khadr was being treated humanely in detention at Guantánamo Bay. However, documents released on 10 July 2008 (following a December 2007 Supreme Court of Canada decision that Omar Khadr should be granted access to some of the records of his interrogation by Canadian officials in 2003 and 2004) revealed that the Canadian government was aware that he was being subjected to so-called “stress and duress” techniques. Yet, Canadian officials still proceeded with their interrogations of Omar Khadr.

To see further information about the case of Omar Khadr, please see:

USA: In whose best interests? Omar Khadr, child ‘enemy combatant’ facing military commission, 16 April 2008, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/028/2008/en

Other relevant materials:

http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/066/2008/en
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR51/065/2008/en
http://www.amnesty.ca/resource_centre/news/view.php?load=arcview&article=4373&c=Resource+Centre+News

Indonesia and Timor-Leste: An historic opportunity missed to provide justice

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:46:16 +0100

The governments of Indonesia and Timor-Leste have missed an historic opportunity to provide justice for more than 1,000 people killed during Timor-Leste’s vote for independence in 1999, Amnesty International said today.

The Indonesian and Timorese governments have accepted a report released today by the Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) in Bali, which accuses the Indonesian security forces of gross human rights violations during the 1999 Timor-Leste independence ballot. The report lays the majority of the blame for the violence and deaths on the Indonesian security forces.

However, the Indonesian government refused to issue an apology, to commit to bringing those individuals responsible for the violence to justice, to investigate and reform institutions which were involved in the violence, or to provide reparations for victims.

“There must be no impunity for those responsible for the violations, including unlawful killings, rape, torture and arbitrary detention,”said Donna Guest, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Deputy Director.

Very few people were prosecuted in Indonesia for alleged violations and all have been cleared of wrong-doing and released. Many of those suspected of human rights violations in Timor Leste still hold senior positions within the government and armed forces of Indonesia.

“There can be no justice for the victims of the violence nor assurance that such atrocities will not be repeated, without those responsible being held accountable,” said Donna Guest.

Italy: A long-awaited verdict

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:03:05 +0100

Amnesty International welcomes the fact that the Italian magistrates have held individuals accountable for the brutalities that occurred in the Bolzaneto detention facility in Genoa, Italy.

"This is a good first step towards accountability for the human rights abuses that occurred during the G8 summit in Genoa, but more needs to be done to ensure that the whole truth emerges and that those responsible are held fully accountable for their actions" Amnesty International said.

On 14 July 2008, 15 people were found guilty of, amongst other things, ill-treating protestors detained in the Bolzaneto detention facility during the G8 summit in Genoa in July 2001, and of abuse of office. The sentences handed down by an Italian court ranged from five months to five years. Those sentenced included police officers, prison guards and doctors. They are expected to appeal against the guilty verdicts. It is unlikely that any of those sentenced will actually serve time in prison because criminal liability for their offences will have expired under Italy's statute of limitations by the time the appeal process is completed. Another 30 defendants were cleared of charges, including assault.

Amnesty International is concerned, however, that torture is not criminalized in the Italian Criminal Code. This means that no one could be prosecuted for torture in connection with the events even if the ill-treatment the protestors suffered may have amounted to torture.

Since the events in Genoa in 2001, Amnesty International has received several reports of police ill-treatment and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials in Italy. The organization, along with several UN bodies, including the UN Committee Against Torture, has repeatedly called on the Italian government to put into place effective mechanisms of accountability for reported human rights abuses by law enforcement officials.

"Accountability for human rights abuses committed by state officials, including law enforcement officials, must be the norm. The Italian authorities must implement the recommendations of the relevant international bodies and organizations to this effect in order to prevent such events happening further," Amnesty International said.

Background
On 20-22 July 2001, the Italian city of Genoa hosted a G8 summit. It is estimated that over 200,000 people participated in anti-globalization demonstrations on the streets of Genoa. By the end of the summit, one protester, Carlo Giuliani, had been shot dead and hundreds of people had been injured during clashes with law enforcement officers.

Sudan-International Criminal Court: An important step

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:35:29 +0100

Amnesty International said that today’s announcement by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an important step towards ensuring accountability for human rights violations in Sudan. The organization was talking in reaction to the announcement by the ICC Prosecutor to seek an arrest warrant against Sudanese President al Bashir.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called for accountability for crimes under international law committed by parties to the conflict in Darfur.

The organization called on the Government of Sudan to ensure that its reaction does not have an adverse effect on the deployment of the joint United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). The government must guarantee that the civilian population in Darfur continues to receive protection from UNAMID and emergency humanitarian assistance.

ENDS
Public Document
****************************************
For more information please call Amnesty International's press office in
London, UK, on +44 20 7413 5566 or email: press@amnesty.org

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
LINE FOR RESPONSE

Internal document

Sudan: line for response

In reaction to the announcement by the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor to seek an arrest warrant against Sudanese President al-Bashir, Amnesty International said this is an important step towards ensuring accountability for human rights violations.

Amnesty International has repeatedly called for accountability for all parties in the conflict in Darfur.

The organization called on the Government of Sudan to ensure that the moves by the ICC do not have an adverse effect on the deployment of joint UN/African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) troops or on access of humanitarian organizations.

/ENDS
Internal document

Japan: Environmental activists must be treated in accordance with international law

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:13:10 +0100

Amnesty International has expressed its deep concern to the prime minister of Japan about the detention of two Greenpeace activists, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, who have been charged with theft and trespass.

Amnesty International said: “These two must be allowed to challenge their detention before an independent and impartial court in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness.

“It is imperative that their rights to freedom from arbitrary deprivation of their liberty are fully respected, in accordance with international human rights treaties to which Japan is a state party.

“We also ask that an independent, impartial and thorough investigation is begun into their arrests and that the findings of the investigation be made public.”

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki were arrested on 20 June; they were initially detained by Japanese prosecutors for 13 days on suspicion of trespass and theft. Their detention without charge or trial was extended by ten days. On 11 July, as the maximum period for their continued pre-charge detention was due to expire, they were charged with theft and trespass.

Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki are cooperating fully with the police and prosecution. They have provided written depositions to the public prosecutor, and voluntarily and proactively submitted relevant evidence. They acted with a view to raising public awareness around the Japanese government-sponsored Southern Ocean whaling programme, rather than for illegitimate personal gain, while working for a well-respected international organization.

“We are also concerned that their detention, the charges against them, and the police raids on Greenpeace’s office and the homes of five of its staff are aimed at intimidating both activists and non-governmental organizations.

“We ask the Japanese prime minister to make a clear statement assuring human rights defenders, including environmental activists such as Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki and organizations such as Greenpeace, that their right to engage in peaceful activities without intimidation or harassment will be respected by the state, including the justice system.”

Thousands worldwide call for positive Beijing Olympics legacy in human aerial art events

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:53:15 +0100

On the eve of the anniversary of Beijing being granted the 2008 Olympics, Thousands of Amnesty International supporters in over 25 locations across the globe teamed up today with Circle Up Now to create visual representations of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), as a reminder to the Chinese authorities of their human rights promises.

From New Delhi to London, the coast of the Netherlands and Istanbul, artists and activists joined to create aerial images of words such as “Freedom”, “Dignity” and “Justice” to represent the principles of the UDHR.

“In order for the Beijing Olympics to have a long-lasting positive legacy, the Chinese authorities must deliver on their human rights promises now. Today's events show that there is global support for human rights improvements throughout China,” said Amnesty International.

“This global day of action has united, inspired and motivated individuals on every continent to celebrate basic human rights for all, as well as commit themselves to stand up in solidarity with those in China and elsewhere whose rights are consistently being denied,” said Circle Up Now.

High resolution photos of the aerial art images created across the world are now available on: http://circleupnow.smugmug.com/gallery/5344545_ENFZm/1/326785690_pjbHE (password: dayofaction)

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:

Amnesty International – Josefina Salomon, P: +44 207 413 5562, M: +44 7778 472 116, jsalomon@amnesty.org

Circle Up Now – Nicole Hamze P: +1 888 461 8881, press@circleupnow.org

Note to editors
The UDHR was adopted by UN member states on 10 December 1948. This aerial art event is one of a series of activities that Amnesty International is organizing in the run-up to the 60th anniversary to celebrate the UDHR and focus on what must be done to make human rights a reality.