Amnesty International Salisbury Group

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting on Thursday 14th

March 20197.30 pm 28 Attwood Road

1 Chairman’s Welcome Present: Andrew, Fiona, Eddie, Peter and LesleyApologies: Tony, Ria, Michael S

AH

2 Minutes of previous Meeting - These were agreed LC

3 Treasurer’s Report - £810.29 (Bank Account) £30.06 (Cash)

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4 Campaign Reports

Death Penalty

Please see the Salisbury Group Website www.salisburyai.com for the full international update covering the USA, Egypt, The Pope, Belarus, the Global War on Drugs, South Sudan/Cambridge, Iraq and Malaysia/North Korea.

Of particular note:

A study carried out by Harm Reduction International has shown that global efforts to abolish the death penalty are in danger of being undermined by anti-drug Governments that use capital punishment to enforce a zero-tolerance approach. The number of people sentenced to death for drug offences around the world has fallen sharply, with 91 known deaths last year compared with 755 in 2015, but far too many people are still placed on death row for minor drug offences.

On the occasion of the 7th World Congress against the Death Penalty, Why the death penalty continues to be applied in Belarus? was the theme of a side-event organised by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) and the Belarus NGO Viasna.

In Egypt 9 men, accused of killing Hisham Barakat, Egypt’s former public prosecutor, were executed. Hussein Baoumi of Amnesty International stated ‘This trial was a monument to unfair trials in Egypt’. Human Rights campaigners have

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said the 15 people executed in recent weeks were convicted following confessions extracted under torture and unjust court proceedings. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi defended his country’s use of the death penalty by saying that Arab and European States had ‘two different cultures’ and his priority was preserving Arab countries from ‘collapse, destruction and ruin’.

In Iraq President Barham Salih has said foreign ISIS/ISIL fighters tried in the country could face death sentences, according to an interview published by the Abu-Dhabi-based newspaper, The National. Some 280 Iraqi and foreign suspected members were believed to have been handed over last month. He said ‘There are certain cases in which some of these foreign fighters have been implicated in cases of ‘terrorism’ on Iraqi soil or against Iraqi citizens. Here Iraqi law will take precedence.’

Under the leadership of Governor Gavin Newsome, the State of California has issued a moratorium on the death penalty. This reprieves 737 prisoners currently on death row. The Governor described the death penalty as ‘ineffective, irreversible and immoral’, and said "it discriminates based on the color of your skin or how much money you make... It goes against the very values that we stand for."

Malaysia has pulled back on an earlier plan to repeal the death penalty. They have stated that the Government will abolish mandatory capital punishment, but it will leave it to Courts to decide whether a person convicted of a serious crime will hang. Note: In October of last year, Law Minister Liew Vui had said a Cabinet decision had been made to repeal the death penalty.

Urgent Actions

No Death Penalty Urgent Actions were received in the course of the month.

Campaigning

Following the February meeting, an email was sent to James Earley expressing the enthusiasm of the Group regarding his project with the Charity Witness to Innocence and the hope that we could be involved or support him in some way. Mr Earley was due to hold a meeting with his sponsors early in March. To date, no further news has been received.

Following discussions at the February meeting regarding the possibility of the Group’s being able to screen the film

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‘In the Executioner’s Shadow’, an email was sent to the Anti-Death Penalty Project to explore the possibility of their acquiring a copy of the film for showing by Groups around the Country. To date, no reply has been received.

As 2019 marks 50 years since the abolition of the death penalty in the UK, the Group will begin to consider possibilities for marking this important anniversary.

North Korea

There does not appear to be any encouraging news on the Human Rights front. The news mainly concerns the breakdown of the talks between President Trump and Kim. After the meeting, Jim Carter offered to go to Pyongyang to broker an agreement.

NK has reportedly begun rebuilding a launch site for long range rockets that it had pledged to dismantle as part of its move towards nuclear disarmament.

The North’s food production fell to its lowest level in more than a decade last year as natural disasters hit a country already crippled by international sanctions, according to the UN. Kim is urging his people to make more of an effort to help build the economy. According to The Times of 11th March, 3.8 million people are at risk.

Amnesty have urged the DPRK to open up to the international community by providing unimpeded access to outside human rights monitors, including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the DPRK, the Office of the High Commissioner to Human Rights, as well as NGO’s

Amnesty would also like to ask the Special Rapporteur whether he discussed inter-Korean family reunions with the government of the Republic of Korea during his visits.

Amnesty has asked the DPRK to respect the right to freedom of expression, and to allow North Koreans to legally contact their families abroad and the outside world.

Kenny Latunde-Dada has sent a brief but excellent op-ed summary of the latest US-DPRK summit in Hanoi, written by Francisco Bencosme, Advocacy Manager for Asia Pacific at Amnesty USA.

An Urgent Action was received for Hwang Won, a former TV Producer from South Korea, who was not allowed to return home after arriving involuntarily in NK on a hijacked

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plane in 1969. His whereabouts have been unknown for 50 years. This was circulated. (Note: the closing date was 12th

March.)

The Group discussed the possibility of inviting speakers on North Korea and/or showing the film ‘Little Pyongyang’. It was suggested that we should re-invite the Speaker from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (who was unable to attend last year’s Evensong at the Cathedral) to come for this year’s event, but this will need to be discussed with the Cathedral. (See later.)

Note: Follow the link for the Amnesty International website in respect of North Korea.

Refugees

The Vigil will take place outside the Guildhall from 10.00 – 12.00 mid-day on Monday, 25th March. PC will update the Factsheet. Members to bring posters, tabards and life-jackets as appropriate.

Information has been received from AIHQ with advice regarding the planning and organising of Refugee Week (17th-23rd June.)

AH

5 Social Media Report

Web and other media statistics, February 2019

A quiet month due mainly to lack of content. Web siteThe figures are: Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb305 486 193 177 166 132 135

ViewsAll time: 12,677Followers: 375, the same as last month.

Top 3 country views:February

UK 50

USA 25Germany 10Pakistan 8

Top posts:

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1. Talk at Bemerton by Rob Key2. Human rights under threat post Brexit

Twitter

A quieter month following the record number of impressions in September. Impressions:

Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb2824 17k 1310 1624 1593 1401 1550

The top tweet:

- Brexit threat to human rights

FacebookBit busier this month with a reach of 160.

- The relief at the withdrawal of the death penalty against a woman in Saudi Arabia

Tumbler

We have 9 followers and 17 following – no change Tumblr took down the monthly report on the death penalty. We are appealing this decision.

YouTube & Flickr

The NK video (YouTube and Flickr) has had 3,106 views. The still image has received 5,131 views

Group Web site: www.salisburyai.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/salisburyai

Facebook: www.facebook.com/salisburyai

Tumblr: www.salisburyai.tumblr.com

Content always welcome!

6 Monthly Action

Refugee Week – The theme for 2019 is ‘you, me and those who came before’, focusing on the story of generations. The suggestion is made of incorporating the ‘I Welcome’ and ‘Football Welcomes’ campaigns into local group events. Ideas can be found at simple acts.

Football welcomes – This takes place on the weekend of 27th-28th April. Materials can be ordered by emailing the Community Organising Unit at activism@amnesty.org.uk

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An enquiry has been received from the Co-ordinator of the local Syrian Refugee Group as to whether the Salisbury Amnesty Group is active in the campaign. FD will provide information to the Salisbury Football Club via the Co-ordinator of the Syrian Refugee Welcome Group.

7 Write for Rights

There is no further news regarding a change of venue for this year’s event. AH is in the process of investigating possibilities at the Cathedral.

AH

8 Citizenship Day

PC has met the Group regarding the incorporation of visuals and work is continuing. It was agreed that the updated presentation would in due course be showed to the Group.

FDAHRW

9 AGM 2019 – 13th-14th April

RW will attend and report back to the Group.

RW

10 Paul Mason’s Talk

It is hoped that this will now take place on 24th June (Salisbury Methodist Church – 7.30 pm). It was agreed that it should be a free event, with a passing collection. It is planned that copies of his new book ‘Clear Bright Future : A Radical Defence of the Human Being’ will be available. PC is preparing a publicity plan.

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11 Coffee Morning

It is understood that the Group are likely to be offered a date by St Thomas’s, possibly for next year.

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12 St Thomas’s – Prisoner of Conscience

Information regarding the Prisoner of Conscience is now on display at St Thomas’s. Thanks are due to the Rector, Revd. Kelvin Inglis, and to TM.

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13 Market Stall

An application has been made for the date of 8th June

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14 Evensong AH

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AH has written to the Dean. The new Precentor will be taking up her post in May, and this might be the right time to pursue this further.

15 Ice and Fire

It was agreed that AH should contact the Group to ascertain what they might offer that would be of interest to schools, and will suggest to AE at Bishops that the Salisbury Amnesty Group might contribute to the cost.

AH

16 Amnesty Films

Thanks were expressed to FD for her work in organising and introducing the film ‘The Breadwinner’ at the Arts Centre. The film had been well received and 35 people signed the Refugee Families petition.

A decision will be made shortly regarding the choice of film for the November event.

FD

17 Human Rights Act

The Group discussed the information provided, via Rights Info, regarding the concerns expressed by the UK Parliament Human Rights Committee over whether the Government will ensure Human Rights standards are applied in treaties after Brexit. See the Website article on this topic.

Please follow the link to the Amnesty petition to save the Human Rights Act.

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I8 Future Events

Refugee Vigil – 25th March Cathedral Evensong – date TBC Market Stall – date TBC (provisionally 8th June) Refugee Week – 17th-23rd June Paul Mason’s Talk – provisionally 24th June Arts Centre Film – November – film and date TBC

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Next Meeting: Thursday 11th April Time: 7.30 pm Venue: 4 Victoria Road

www.salisburyai.com www.twitter.com/salisburyaiCampaign box and banner: AH/P&LCRefugee Photographs: AH/FD/P&LC

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