This document is the June/July 2010 issue of Wire, a publication by Amnesty International. It discusses several ongoing human rights campaigns and cases that Amnesty is involved with. In particular, it profiles 11 human rights defenders from around the world who are facing challenges in their work, including Amina Janjua advocating against enforced disappearances in Pakistan, Claudia Lema working to reduce maternal mortality in Peru, and Dhondup Wangchen, a Tibetan filmmaker imprisoned in China. The issue encourages readers to support these defenders by taking action on their cases. It also provides updates on Amnesty's Demand Dignity campaign and calls for international justice.

1. for activists and international members
june / july 2010 VOluMe 40 ISSue 003
World cup 2010
pass the ball
for human rights

2. it’s been a year since…
Amnesty International launched the Demand Dignity Campaign, calling
for an end to human rights violations that keep people poor. In its first
year, the campaign has focused on four key areas: maternal mortality of
women and girls in poverty, the rights of people living in slums, human
rights abuses by corporations, and the legal enforcement of economic,
social and cultural rights.
So how have we been doing?
In September 2009, we launched our campaign to reduce maternal
mortality in Sierra leone. On 27 April 2010, the government of Sierra
leone announced a free-care policy for pregnant and lactating women,
and for children under the age of five.
In june 2009, our report, Kenya: the unseen majority, called for an end
to forced evictions and other human rights violations in nairobi’s slums.
In September 2009, the Kenyan government reiterated its commitment to
draft national eviction guidelines that will incorporate safeguards and
due process.
These are just two examples of how the Demand Dignity Campaign has
been effecting real change. your letters, postcards, petitions, and online
activism are doing the job.
We still have so much more to do. Go to demanddignity.org to get
up-to-date information and take action.
this is
your Wire
first published in 2010 by
amnesty international publications getting Wire
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3. this Wire
inside 11 reasons
stand up united
As the World Cup gets underway
in South Africa, WIRE introduces to be a
you to Stand Up United: our team World
of 11 human rights defenders from
around the world. Read their stories
champion
and support their work. page 2
contents
World cup Q&a
activism toolkit Salil Shetty, Amnesty International’s
Put together your own team of human rights new Secretary General, talks to WIRE
champions and organize football-themed events. about his work for the UN Millennium
There are some ideas on how to do this on page 12. Campaign and his thoughts on his
Everything else you need is in the insert. new role. page 13
pursuing Justice:
for all rights, for all people
With the launch of the Amnesty International Report
2010: the state of the world’s human rights,
Claudio Cordone, interim Secretary General of
Amnesty International, examines the key challenges
in the effort to guarantee accountability and justice
for human rights violations. page 15
campaign for
international Justice
Join Amnesty International’s call for
an effective international justice system.
page 19
World refugee day
European governments continue to
forcibly return people to Iraq despite
the ongoing violence in the country.
Call on them to stop. page 20
act noW
WorldWide
appeals
Wire [ June/July 10 ]
read,
distribute,
act
see our insert
1

4. 11 reasons
As football teams compete at the 2010 World Cup,
another team is also rising to the challenge,
determined to succeed. This team is not playing in
to be a
South Africa – its members are scattered all over the
world. And unlike a football team, every one of them
is a defender. A human rights defender.
World These 11 ordinary – yet extraordinary – people are
standing up for their rights, and for yours. Many
of them have been intimidated or threatened, and
stand up united
champion sometimes even risk their lives to defend rights.
But they are able to continue their work because
they have supporters all around the globe.
Be a world champion; support the human rights team
Stand up united by taking action now. you can sign
and send emails, or print out full versions of the
action letters at www.amnesty.org/worldcup2010
Join the defenders
amina the Pakistani security forces
© Amnesty International
apprehended both men and that the
JanJua Inter-Services Intelligence, Pakistan’s
intelligence agency, has been holding
Urge the Pakistani Prime Minister
to end enforced disappearances
enforced them in secret without charge or trial.
The agency has repeatedly denied any
and illegal detention in Pakistan,
which deny individuals their
disappearances
knowledge of their whereabouts fundamental right to due process,
despite eyewitness testimony of their and to investigate and make
in pakistan detention.
“Since that day I have not rested.
It has been my conviction and my
available any information regarding
the fate and whereabouts of all
individuals who have been subjected
“I was not aware of enforced dedication that I will find my husband to enforced disappearance.
disappearance in my country until and bring back the father of my three
my husband, Masood Janjua, was innocent children”, says Amina. “I will Please also call for those state
abducted in 2005”, says Amina make him a symbol for all those who officials who are suspected of being
Janjua. “Since then [I have felt] parliament and stage rallies around have disappeared, for the love of all responsible for ordering or carrying
unbearable grief but, at the same the country. the wives, for the love of all the out enforced disappearances to be
time, a determination that I should not “We were doing this because mothers who are now suffering held accountable.
give up – I should not accept this – we were ourselves the victims of because their loved one was taken
that any loved one, the friend I had, enforced disappearance – somebody away by force. We are a hundred Please write to:
could be taken away from me just like was missing from our families. So all times more dedicated because we Prime Minister Gilani
that.” of the victims’ families held each are hurt ourselves, so that is the Pakistan Secretariat
For the last five years Amina others’ hands and then we started this reason that we do not stop and we do Constitution Avenue
Wire [ June/ July 10 ]
Janjua has been campaigning to end network to find answers and clues not rest.” Islamabad
enforced disappearances. She has about our loved ones and now we Pakistan
brought together many families whose have registered 788 cases.” Fax: +92 51 9213780 /
relatives have disappeared in Pakistan Amina Janjua’s husband +92 51 9210189
to create a network of activists, disappeared on 30 July 2005 with his
called Defence of Human Rights, friend Faisal Faraz. She has had no Salutation: Dear Prime Minister
2
who regularly protest outside the news of him since. It is believed that

5. Join the defenders
claudia insufficient information about their
© Salud Sin Límites
health in their first language.
lema Hundreds of pregnant women die
from preventable causes as a result of
Urge the Peruvian government to
ensure that their existing initiatives
fighting this lack of access to health care.
Claudia Lema campaigns to raise
to reduce maternal mortality are
adequately funded, implemented
maternal awareness of maternal health issues
among Indigenous communities and
and monitored in order to reduce
the number of preventable deaths
mortality lobby the authorities on the right to
health for women. She says: “Human
of women in Peru, prioritizing the
poorest regions with highest
in peru rights are not something distant, like
a treaty or a law. Human rights affect
our daily lives. Particularly the right to
maternal mortality ratios.
Please write to:
stand up united
“In the rural communities where we health, it directly affects the quality Dr Óscar Ugarte
work, all of the women know of a of life of many people. Maternal Ministerio de Salud
relative or school friend that has Claudia Lema’s NGO works with mortality is a serious issue and it can (Minister of Health)
died or has [suffered] serious Indigenous women living in remote be prevented [if we] inform ourselves Av. Salaverry 801, Jesús Maria
consequences from pregnancy or areas of Peru who have limited access and put pressure, through petitions, Lima
giving birth”, says Claudia Lema, to antenatal, postnatal and other on the Peruvian government and Peru
director of the Peruvian NGO Salud maternal health services more readily governments in similar situations to
Sin Límites (Health Unlimited). “This available in cities. Many of these give more resources to this area.” Email: ougarteu@minsa.gob.pe
is not something that happens, in my women must endure difficult journeys Fax: +511 431 0182
experience, in city life and I am sure on foot to the nearest health centre or
that it does not happen to other pay for transport that they cannot
women in more developed countries. afford. Many health professionals
It seems to me that this is very unjust speak primarily Spanish and
and preventable.” Indigenous women often receive
Wilter never gave them an alternative place Urge the authorities to ensure that
© Amnesty International
to stay. We are happy the road is there is adequate consultation with
nyabate being constructed, but the problem is
that our people were thrown out like
the affected communities. Call on
them to ensure that all those who
stop forced that.”
As a member of the community-
have to be evicted are offered
appropriate and affordable
evictions based Soweto Forum, Wilter Nyabate
is there to remind the government of
alternative accommodation and
remedy.
in nairobi’s its obligations. “If you are a human
rights activist and you go and act on Please write to:
slums behalf of the community or the
country, they sometimes listen to you,
so I am advising my fellow Kenyans
Hon. Mwai Kibaki C.G.H., MP
State House
Harambee House
“The government was just evicting and other Africans to join the struggle Harambee Avenue
people in our area. So we built an and bring change.” PO Box 30510-00100
umbrella organization for human In 2008, however, the government Nairobi
rights activism. I started the activism began a project to improve housing. Kenya
from Soweto East in Kibera, the others This is a positive step, but many Join the defenders
came from all over the Nairobi area.” residents fear that the new houses will Email:
Wilter Nyabate lives with her two be unaffordable: “If those houses will Write to Kenya’s President, president@statehousekenya.go.ke
children in Kibera – the largest slum be ours, we will be happy with the Mwai Kibaki, and to Minister of Fax: +254 20 313600, +254 20
in Nairobi, Kenya – which has process, but if it is a way of removing Housing Soita Shitanda and call 210150, +254 20 310948
endured decades of neglect by the the poor people from Nairobi to rural for an end to forced evictions. Wire [ June/July 10 ]
government. areas, then we will not”, Wilter Urge the government to adopt and Hon. Soita Shitanda, MP
Like many of Kibera’s two million Nyabate says. implement guidelines for evictions Ministry of Housing
residents, Wilter Nyabate’s family Her activism is aimed at making which comply with international Ardhi House, Ngong Road
live in poor quality housing with sure that people who are evicted are human rights standards. Until then, PO Box 30119 – 00100
little access to clean water, sanitation, given an alternative place to go. a moratorium should be imposed Nairobi , Kenya
health care, education and other “When they started evicting people to on mass evictions. Tel: +254 20 2718050
3
essential services. construct a road in Soweto East, they Fax: +254 20 2721248

6. Join the defenders
dhondup speak about their suffering.”
In March 2008, his interviews with
Wangchen more than 100 Tibetans were
smuggled out of China. The edited
Write to the Chinese leader calling
on him to release Dhondup
call on china film was shown to foreign journalists
in Beijing just days before the Olympic
Wangchen (Please remember to
include the Chinese characters of
to release Games in August 2008. Chinese
security forces interrupted the
his name:µ± Öª Ïî Ç· ) and to respect
and protect the right of Tibetans to
tibetan screening.
On 26 March 2008, Dhondup
enjoy their own culture, to practise
their religion, and to use their own
film-maker Wangchen was arrested. He escaped language.
© Filming
for Tibet
for one day in July and phoned his
cousin in Switzerland, telling him that Please write to:
stand up united
“In Tibet, the Chinese authorities during interrogation he had been Premier of the People’s
are making Tibetan people suffer; beaten, punched in the head, Republic of China
the Tibetan population is being are saying that they have made so deprived of food and sleep, and tied Wen Jiabao Guojia Zongli
threatened. For these reasons my many improvements in Tibet. But we to a chair. The State Council General Office
father risked his freedom and his life.” don't see any improvement at all”, In June 2009, he was charged 2 Fuyoujie
Eleven-year-old Tenzin Dadon has not says Dhondup Wangchen in his film. with “inciting separatism”. He was Xichengqu
seen her father, Dhondup Wangchen, “Tibetans are forcibly relocated. tried in secret, found guilty and in Beijingshi 100017
for more than two years. He has been Nomads are not allowed to graze their December 2009 sentenced to six People's Republic of China
detained in China since 2008 for cattle in the pastures. Are such tight years in prison. The verdict was
making a film about human rights in controls an improvement? No! upheld on appeal in March 2010. Email: webmaster@mfa.gov.cn
Tibet. “Under the pretext of setting up Amnesty International considers him Fax: +86 10 65961109
Dhondup Wangchen picked up a civilized cities many Tibetans are to be a prisoner of conscience. (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
video camera for the first time in his forced to relocate. Such buildings look or the Chinese Embassy in
life to make the documentary Leaving nice from the outside and outsiders your country)
Fear Behind. “This film is about may think that the Tibetans are treated
the plight of the Tibetan people – very well and that they are happy. But
helpless and frustrated. The Chinese the truth is that Tibetans are not free to
nataša their homes and never seen alive Join the defenders
© Amnesty International
again. Many were killed. Although the
kandić majority of the bodies have been
exhumed from mass graves and
Call on Serbia’s Minister of Interior,
Ivica Dačić to do everything in his
stop the returned to their families, at least
14,000 individuals are still missing. A
power to bring the perpetrators of
enforced disappearances to justice.
obstruction lack of political will, and sometimes
deliberate government obstruction,
Urge him to ensure that former
Serbian military and police and
of Justice in continues to block the investigation
and prosecution of war crimes.
other witnesses disclose full
information on any remaining
serbia Since 1992, Nataša Kandić has
been documenting war crimes
committed by the Serbian authorities
individual or mass graves in Serbia
and Kosovo. He must also co-operate
with the Office of the War Crimes
“We need to stop talking about victims and assisting the victims. She founded Prosecutor in Serbia and the
of war crimes as if they were just the Humanitarian Law Centre and, in investigative authorities in Kosovo.
numbers without names – without This kind of information is 2006, RECOM – a body that works
knowledge of the people, their important to end impunity for war independently to investigate and Please write to:
personal lives and without knowing crimes committed by Serbian publicly disclose the facts about the Ivica Dačić
what happened to them.” authorities. The victims of these wars in the region. Ministar unutrašnjih poslova
Nataša Kandić, a Serbian lawyer crimes and their families have been Not everyone supports Nataša (Minister of Interior)
Wire [ June/ July 10 ]
and human rights activist, is denied access to justice for years. Kandić. She has been repeatedly Republike Srbije
determined to reveal the truth about An estimated 130,000 people attacked and threatened. The Serbian Boulevard Mihaila Pupina 2,
the thousands of people who were were killed in the 1990s across the media have labelled her a traitor; state Beograd, 11 000,
killed, tortured and who were victims former Yugoslavia. Approximately officials and politicians have taken Serbia
of enforced disappearances and 40,000 people were forcibly legal action against her. Nataša Email: kabinet@mup.gov.rs
abductions during the break-up of the disappeared or abducted. In most Kandić, however, remains undeterred.
4
former Yugoslavia in the 1990s. cases, they were taken by force from

7. Join the defenders
p
© Amnesty International
abuse find that poor transport services
can deny them access to life-saving
organizing treatments, including to prevent HIV
infection and other consequences of
Write to Collins Chabane in the
Office of the Presidency. Welcome
practical sexual violence.
High transport costs in poor rural
the reinvigorated government
efforts to combat HIV and AIDS and
support communities also mean that women
living with HIV are frequently unable
ask him to take steps to ensure that
transport officials at national and
for Women to reach comprehensive health care
facilities to start and maintain their
provincial level improve the
regularity and accessibility of safe
in poor, treatment.
“Not only is the transport
rural transport to enable rural
women to access critical services;
rural areas expensive but there’s a long distance and that transport plans addressing
stand up united
to walk before you can access that these needs are included as part of
of south economic opportunities. They also
transport”, P says. “What you find is
people using wheelbarrows or some
the co-ordinated government
response to the HIV epidemic.
africa face persistent domestic abuse and
sexual violence, which places them at
increased risk of HIV infection.
mode of getting a sick person to the
nearest point where they can connect
with transport”.
Please write to:
Mr Collins Chabane
P is a community activist, working P organizes community workshops P prefers to remain anonymous. Minister of Performance,
with women in a neglected rural area to encourage discussion on women’s She sometimes faces hostility, and Monitoring & Evaluation as well
of South Africa. rights to equality and dignity. She is other women volunteers have been as Administration
Women in South Africa are concerned that “some don’t even beaten by their husbands or other Office of the Presidency
disproportionately affected by the recognize the abuse that they are family members to stop them working Pretoria, South Africa, 0001
country’s HIV epidemic. One out of going through. They don’t understand with her. By remaining anonymous, P Email: mphile@po.gov.za
every three women attending that they don’t have to go through this also hopes to highlight that she is only Fax: +27 12 321 8870
antenatal clinics is HIV positive. In the type of thing.” one of thousands of women doing this
communities where P works, women When they urgently need medical vital work.
have little access to educational and care, women who have experienced
shadi of the most brutal punishments. The including by stoning, or cruel
© Jorn van Eck / Amnesty International
law states that the stones used should punishments such as flogging for
sadr “not be large enough to kill the person
by one or two strikes” – clearly aiming
having consensual sexual relations.
end eXecution to inflict a slow and painful death.
Since Shadi Sadr and her
Demand an immediate moratorium
on executions by stoning until the
by stoning in colleagues began their campaign, at
least 15 individuals have been saved
law is amended. All individuals
currently under sentence of death
iran from stoning. In other cases,
executions have been postponed.
However, three of the individuals were
by stoning in Iran should have their
sentences commuted immediately.
“A hope, a deep hope that the executed by hanging. At least 11 Please write to:
situation can change.” This is what other people are still at risk of stoning. His Excellency
motivates Shadi Sadr, a lawyer, Ali Larijani
journalist, and human rights activist Speaker of Parliament
from Iran. authorities. She currently lives in exile Join the defenders Majles-e Shoura-ye Islami
Shadi Sadr has been and continues her work from abroad. Baharestan Square
campaigning for women’s rights, In 2006, she was involved in Call for an end to the use of stoning Tehran
fighting on their behalf for equality establishing Women’s Field, a group as a method of execution in Iran. Iran
before the law. “I was involved in a lot of women’s rights activists. One of the Wire [ June/July 10 ]
of cases of women who were raped, group’s campaigns – “Stop Stoning Urge the Iranian authorities, as Email: Islamic@parliran.ir
who were killed or sentenced to Forever” – aims to save the life of a State party to the International Fax: +98 21 3355 6408
stoning. Those cases that I defended anyone under sentence of stoning in Covenant on Civil and Political
were my first reasons to get involved Iran and to abolish stoning in law and Rights, to ensure that any
in human rights issues.” Her work has in practice. legislation eventually passed is in
come at great cost. Like other women Under Iranian law, execution by line with Iran’s obligations under
5
activists, Shadi Sadr has been stoning is prescribed for “adultery international law, so that no one in
arrested and harassed by the Iranian while being married”. Stoning is one Iran risks the death penalty,

8. blog
liveWire
chat
stay informed
catch up With amnesty international’s blog
on WWW.amnesty.org/liveWire
roma facing forced eviction A Romani family at Belvil settlement, Belgrade,
© Amnesty International
in serbia Serbia, 28 February 2010. The community is
facing forced eviction, following an
By Sian Jones, announcement by the Deputy Mayor of Belgrade
Amnesty International Researcher on 30 March 2010.
“We’ve just heard that the Belvil Romani
settlement in Baelgrade will be evicted soon. Smiljana, and Boro and Arif and all the other
Four of the families have received eviction families we met in February. They know they
notices, although they don’t know when they will have to move, they know their settlement is
will be evicted. Everyone living there is really on the way of a new road – which is part of a
worried about what is going to happen to them. project to build a bridge across the river Sava.
But if they are going to be evicted, then we’ll
“Just over a year ago the Romani settlement try to make sure it happens in line with all the
next to Belvil – at Blok 67 – was forcibly evicted Gazela Bridge last August. That was supposed relevant international human rights standards,
to build an access road for the Student Games. to be a proper resettlement, not a forced and that their rights are respected. This would
Although the Roma living there knew they eviction, but in less than three hours, almost mean that people are properly resettled, rather
would be evicted, when the day actually came 200 houses were bulldozed to the ground. than forcibly evicted.”
they were given no warning, and their houses
were just bulldozed to the ground. It was the “We need to act fast. The government must Read more at: http://sn.im/wgkhq
same with the Roma evicted from under the stop the city authorities from forcibly evicting
Justice for aleksei sokolov!
© Aleksei Sokolov
“Aleksei Sokolov is head of Pravovaia Osnova
(Legal Basis), an organization which is
By Natalia Prilutskaya, campaigning against torture and other ill-
Amnesty International Researcher treatment in Russian prisons. He became
prominent after he publicized and distributed
“Russian human rights defender Aleksei the film Torture Factory about torture and other
Sokolov has today been sentenced to five years ill-treatment in a temporary holding centre in
in a high security prison colony. The Yekaterinburg, called IK-2. The film received
sentencing took place exactly one year after wide coverage, both in Russia and
Aleksei Sokolov’s arrest by police outside his internationally, and led to the closure of IK-2.”
house in Yekaterinburg, Russia.
Read more at: http://sn.im/wzffb
“Aleksei Sokolov’s lawyers reported that the
court based its verdict solely on the statements
of the co-accused in the case, which often
Wire [ June/ July 10 ]
contradicted each other as well as the
individuals’ earlier “confessions”. One of
Aleksei Sokolov’s lawyers said that while
victims of the crimes had identified the other
defendants in the case as possible perpetrators
of the crime, none of them had identified
6
Human rights defender Aleksei Sokolov. Aleksei Sokolov.

9. father something has to be done.” Urge the authorities to send a
© AI (Ricardo Ramírez Arriola)
Because of his work, Father clear message that abuses against
aleJandro Solalinde has been repeatedly
threatened and intimidated by local
irregular migrants will not be
tolerated in Mexico, and to take all
solalinde gangs and officials: “Many local
authorities, criminal gangs and drug
necessary steps to help migrants
file complaints when they suffer or
protect traffickers want to get rid of human
rights defenders”, he says. “We are
witness abuses. The Authorities
must ensure that all complaints are
undocumented getting in the way of those who want
to make a market out of Central
promptly, impartially and effectively
investigated so that those
migrants American migrants.”
Amnesty International has been
responsible are brought to justice
and victims receive reparations.
in meXico campaigning for Father Solalinde’s
stand up united
safety and he has a message to the Please write to:
organization’s members: “The Minister of the Interior
“Migrants are human beings, and Some migrants disappear without support, the letters, the cards, bring Lic. Fernando Francisco Gómez-
they are very brave”, says Father trace, abducted and killed, or robbed, strength to migrants in this situation Mont Urueta
Alejandro Solalinde, a Mexican assaulted and thrown off speeding who believe that they don’t have any Secretario de Gobernación
Catholic priest who has dedicated his trains. Far too often, officials provide rights and that they don’t have the Secretaría de Gobernación
life to providing a place of safety for criminal gangs with cover or simply fail right to talk. A lot can be done with Bucareli 99, 1er. piso
irregular migrants who suffer abuses to intervene. campaigns and public outcries to give Col. Juárez, Del. Cuauhtémoc
in Mexico. Father Solalinde has made the migrants the strength to carry on.” México DF
Every year, tens of thousands of journey himself. He says that it was CP 06600
people travel through Mexico to the the only way of finding out about the MEXICO
US border without legal permission. horrors migrants have to face: Join the defenders
Their journey is dangerous. Criminal “I saw huge injustices and frequent Email: secretario@segob.gob.mx
gangs target the main routes used corruption. Nobody takes any Write to Mexico’s Minister of
by irregular migrants. Kidnapping, notice of migrants here: there was Interior, Fernando Francisco
extortion, ill-treatment and sexual tremendous impunity, even by daylight Gómez-Mont Urueta:
violence by the gangs are widespread. they were hit, kidnapped; so I said
Join the defenders
haJ sami bullets by the occupation forces in
© Private
1971 when I was 16 years old.” He
sadeQ lost the use of his legs as a
result. His international human
Urge the Israeli authorities to
rescind all demolition orders
end rights campaigning and unfaltering
determination enabled Haj Sami
against unlicensed buildings in
‘Aqaba and the rest of Area C of the
demolitions Sadeq and ‘Aqaba villagers to save
their homes and rebuild those that
West Bank. Call on them to transfer
responsibility for planning and
in the were demolished. They also built new
buildings, encouraging the return of
building policies and regulations in
‘Aqaba and in the rest of Area C
occupied families who had left because of the
army’s threats.
from the Israeli army to the local
Palestinian communities.
palestinian “This village is a model in the
West Bank and Gaza because it works Please write to:
territories army has issued 48 demolition orders
targeting nearly 95 per cent of ‘Aqaba
for peace and in respect of the law.
But it has suffered killings and been
deprived of basic services, especially
Ehud Barak
Minister of Defence
Ministry of Defence
“We want to live in dignity and with village, including homes and other in construction and water, by the 37 Kaplan Street, Hakirya
respect” says Palestinian community buildings such as a kindergarten, Israeli military forces.” Tel Aviv 61909, Israel
activist Haj Sami Sadeq from the clinic, women’s centre and a mosque. Haj Sami Sadeq hopes to bring Email: minister@mod.gov.il Wire [ June/July 10 ]
village of ‘Aqaba in the West Bank. ‘Aqaba, like 60 per cent of the the voices and experiences of the Fax: +972 3691 6940
The village has been under Israeli occupied West Bank, is classified as community in ‘Aqaba village to every
occupation since 1967 along with the “Area C”, meaning that no structure country around the world. “I hope that
rest of the Palestinian Territories. can be built or even repaired in it each individual who wants to defend
“Every day the occupation forces without a permit from the Israeli army. human rights will be patient and
invade our village, desecrate our Permits are almost impossible to obtain. tolerant in defending their rights in
7
mosque and terrorize our children. We Haj Sami Sadeq has felt the order to succeed globally.”
are constantly living in fear.” effects of the occupation at close
Since the late 1990s the Israeli quarters: “I was shot with three

10. mukhmed Gazdiev’s disappearance has been Urge the President to ensure that
© Private
suspended. Ibragim Gazdiev’s relatives are not
gazdiev Mukhmed Gazdiev continues to
seek justice for his son and for his
threatened or intimidated for
seeking justice.
investigate family. He has appealed to various
officials in Ingushetia and in Moscow. Call on him to ensure that all
enforced Most recently, he complained to the
court against the suspension of the
alleged cases of enforced
disappearance are investigated
disappearance investigation.
His attempts to find his son
effectively and independently and
perpetrators are brought to justice.
in north have resulted in intimidation and
harassment against him. In May 2008,
Urge the Russian government to
sign and ratify the International
caucasus Federal Security Services searched Convention for the Protection of All
XXX up united
his family home using a warrant Persons from Enforced
issued for a neighbour’s house. Disappearance and enact effective
“You must not stay silent when to his son, Ibragim Gazdiev, who was Since 2002, at least 179 people implementation of the treaty.
somebody next to you, your friend, seized by armed men in camouflage (of a population of 500,000) have
your fellow earth-dweller suffers. They on 8 August 2007 at 12:54pm. He forcibly disappeared in Ingushetia. Please write to:
stand
are being killed, and you say nothing. has not been seen since. Dmitry Anatolievich Medvedev
Tomorrow those who killed will come Ibragim Gazdiev, a university President of the Russian Federation
for you, and this time you will stay graduate who worked as a shop Join the defenders ul. Ilyinka, 23
silent for ever. I appeal to everyone manager, was 29 years old at the time 103132 Moscow
who can hear me: Do not stay silent! of his disappearance. The men who Call on Russian President, Dmitry Russian Federation
Act!” abducted him are believed to be law Medvedev, to ensure that the Fax: +7 495 9102134
Mukhmed Gazdiev is a retired enforcement officials, members of the investigation into the enforced
history teacher from Karabulak, in the Russian Federal Security Service. disappearance of Ibragim Gazdiev You can also email the Russian
Russian North Caucasus republic of Mukhmed Gazdiev believes that his is re-opened urgently and carried Ministry of the Foreign Affairs:
Ingushetia. He is disabled and in poor son was, or still is, held in state out in a thorough, impartial and ministry@mid.ru
health. In the last three years, he has custody, but the authorities deny this. effective manner.
been trying to find out what happened The criminal investigation into Ibragim
Joel nana says Joel Nana. A number of other men and transgender people across
© Amnesty International
African countries are also considering the continent.”
defending legislation that makes the “promotion
of homosexuality” a new, ill-defined Join the defenders
the rights of offence. Such legislation can be easily
used to target activists. Write a message of solidarity
lesbian, gay, “I had friends who were gay, like
me, who started getting arrested or
(max 75 words) to activists
defending the right of lesbian,
biseXual and started getting sick”, says Joel Nana.
“It took me a while to understand that
gay, bisexual and transgender
people in Africa and email it to
transgender everything that was happening to
them was because of their sexual
WC2010Solidarity@amnesty.org
Amnesty International will pass
people in orientation. I noticed that the problem
wasn’t just in the capital, Yaounde, it
your message on.
africa across Africa. Many African countries
criminalize consensual sex between
was the whole of Cameroon. As I kept
travelling I realized that it wasn’t just
Cameroon. It was Nigeria also, it was
“My message is simple: we are all individuals of the same sex. Further Senegal, it was South Africa and it was
human and we are all equal. The pressure comes from family, Kenya – it was the whole of Africa.
Universal Declaration of Human neighbours and religious leaders. That is why I decided to re-orientate
Wire [ June/ July 10 ]
Rights is meant for all human beings Activists daring to defend their my career to make this work not only
regardless of race, regardless of rights are often harassed and my passion but also my profession.
cultural background, regardless of intimidated. “I now work for AMSHeR
sexual orientation.” “Activists in Uganda are currently (www.amsher.net), a coalition of
Joel Nana is a Cameroonian fighting a bill so drastic that it will human rights organizations from 15
activist, based in South Africa, sentence people who engage in same African countries working for greater
8
campaigning for the rights of lesbian, sex practices to life in prison and, to access to HIV prevention and care
gay, bisexual and transgender people some extent, to the death sentence”, services for men who have sex with

11. Welcome 2010
to your World cup
activism toolkit
Inside these pages you will find
everything you need to inspire and
inform your family, friends and local
community about human rights
by playing, watching and talking
about… football.
11 defenders
11 actions
1 goal