Human Rights Action Update Dec. 24-31

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Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

We wish you all a Happy New Year and a better year for human rights in 2015.

EMBASSY FINDER Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.


INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

This week we focus on  the Wichi people of Argentina and Bolivia. Please open the link, read about what is going on with these people and take a few steps on their behalf. The suggestion on the Web page is to write to your local Argentinean and Bolivian ambassador to urge the national government to pressure the Salta provincial authorities to fulfil their promises to the Wichí, and to ensure that Wichí land rights are recognised, in accordance with international law and both the national and provincial constitutions.

GOOD NEWS FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Abortion has been decriminalized in the Dominican Republic by an act of Congress promulgated by the President.  Thanks to all of you for taking action. While we will monitor the upcoming discussion regarding the legislation for the regulation of the exceptions to abortion, no more action is requested at the moment from the network.
Solidarity and congratulation messages can still be sent to Dominican women’s human rights groups’ network: Colectiva Mujer y Salud (ciudadaniaactivadelasmujeres@gmail.com)

ECUADOR  

A leader of the indigenous communities of Ecuador was assassinated on his way to the UN Climate Change Conference in the Peruvian capital, Lima, to present his concerns about the construction of the Mirador mining project in his community. His entire community now feels at risk and their fear is justified.  Please act to demand an investigation into the murder of  José Isidro Tendetza Antún and protection for his people.

PERU 

Labor union rights and leaders are under attack. Please join the protest.

Luis Isarra

Human Rights Action Update Dec. 17-24

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

EMBASSY FINDER
Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

Nukak man hunting with a blow-pipe. © ICBF

This week we focus on  the Nukak tribe of Colombia. Please open the link, read about what is going on with these people and take a few steps on their behalf. At the bottom there is a link to a prepared letter to the President of Colombia.  Please help.

UKRAINE SERGEI DOLGOV: ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCE?

Ukraine’s Security Services have now told Amnesty International that the authorities have no record of Sergei Dolgov’s detention. This implies that he has been subjected to enforced disappearance. Please write on his behalf.

CAMBODIA OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS FACING TRIAL 

Ten youth activists and one official from Cambodia’s main opposition party have been summoned for trial on 25 December under politically motivated charges relating to a protest on 15 July 2014. If convicted, they face up to 30 years’ imprisonment. Please raise your voice in protest.

NEWS FROM ERIC LEE ON THE LABOR FRONT 

Eric has summed up the year with some success stories. Please open and then consider joining one of the campaigns.

Human Rights Action Update Dec. 10-17

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

We wish all our Jewish readers a Happy Hannuka.

EMBASSY FINDER Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

When the loggers invaded our land, the uncontacted people disappeared from the forest. Now we have expelled the loggers and the Indians are returning. The oil company will force them to flee once again….’

This week we focus on  the Matses people of Peru. Please open the link, read about what is going on with these people and take a few steps on their behalf. At the bottom there are two action links. In 2012, Canadian oil company Pacific Rubiales began to explore for oil on land inhabited by the Matsés and neighboring uncontacted Indians. You can click to send this  corporation an email. The other is a letter to the President of Peru. Please help.

TURKEY  

Conscientious objector imprisoned: Haluk Selam Tufanlı has been imprisoned in North Cyprus for objecting to military service. Conscientious objection is a basic human right. Please act.

INDIA 

URGENT ACTION ADIVASI VILLAGERS ALLEGEDLY BEATEN BY POLICE 

Adivasi villagers in Chhattisgarh, central India, fear further repercussions by the authorities after allegations by 25 people that they were beaten by police while protesting the arrests of other villagers on 26 November. Several people have been hospitalized with serious injuries, and the police have refused to register an official complaint. Since 2005, a number of social and political activists and human rights defenders in central India have faced false charges and imprisonment for highlighting the human rights situation in the region. This has gone on for too long. Please raise your voice in protest.

PHILIPPINES 

The Hongkong campaign is now closed, but your attention is called to the fact that in the Philippines, Rolando Pango, a full time organizer with the Partido Manggagawa (PM) was gunned down in Binalbagan town in Negros Occidental on November 29, 2014. Please join the call for an investigation of this murder.

Human Rights Action Update November 27-December 3

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming. This week we focus on  the Innu people of Canada. We add a link to a description of what has been done to them and the results of the policy of the government of Canada. You are requested to write to your local Canadian embassy. Readers in the US and UK are also asked to write to members of Congress and Parliament.

Elder Manishai Nui cuts branches from a tree while clearing an old trail to hunting grounds to the North and West of Natuashish.
© Dominick Tyler

CHINA 

Fears are growing for the welfare of Chinese women’s rights activist Su Changlan, who has been detained in an unknown location without access to a lawyer since 27 October. One of her friends is also now being held after being detained on 25 November along with Su Changlan’s husband. Su Changlan could be facing charges of “endangering national security”. Please act on her behalf and on behalf of her husband and friend.

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

Following national and international mobilization, the President of the Dominican Republic has objected and returned the proposed reform of the Criminal Code which maintained full criminalization of abortion to the Congress, urging legislators to decriminalize abortion in particular cases. Please write as requested to the Presidents of the two houses of Congress asking them to support the President.

USA 

FLORIDA GOVERNOR SIGNS NEW DEATH WARRANT 

Florida’s Governor has signed a death warrant in the case of Shane Kormondy, whose execution has been scheduled for 15 January. His accomplices have received life sentences. Please call upon the governor to commute this death sentence.

Human Rights Action Update Nov. 20-26

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

EMBASSY FINDER 

Survival International provides a useful tool for locating the embassy of any country in your country.

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming. This week we focus on  the various tribes of Brazil. You can learn much about these tribes at this link and find a letter to the President of Brazil here.

Uncontacted Indians in Brazil appear defensive from the air. This photo was taken in 2008.
© G. Miranda/FUNAI/Survival

AFGHANISTAN 

This is not an action call, but an information update. Thanks to all who wrote on behalf of Brishna, the ten year old rape victim. Following the conviction of Brishna’s rapist on 25 October, the Afghan authorities have now committed to ensuring her protection. The 10-year-old girl from Kunduz province is receiving medical and psychological attention. Read more.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO 

Ugandan political activist Sam Mugumya is detained incommunicado by the army in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Ugandan government have accused him of planning a rebellion against them. He is at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. Please act for him.

CAMBODIA 

The Venerable Loun Sovath, a Cambodian Buddhist monk and human rights defender known as the “multimedia monk” faces trial on baseless charges of incitement. If convicted he could be sentenced to up to two years’ imprisonment and a heavy fine. If imprisoned, he would be considered a prisoner of conscience. Please act to protect him.

ISRAEL/OCCUPIED TERRITORIES 

The Israeli government has ordered the demolition of the family homes of at least seven Palestinians who carried out attacks which killed Israelis. Israel claim they have to do this to deter future attacks. This punishment of innocent people is illegal and immoral. Please act.

SOUTH KOREA 

A union activist has been fired by McDonald's for speaking out about workplace issues such as unsafe workplace practices. Please join the worldwide campaign to get her back her job.

Gahyun Lee

Human Rights Action Update November 12-19

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming. This week we focus on  the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode tribe in Paraguay. A prepared letter is available.

Ayoreo-Totobiegosode woman
© Luke Holland/Survival

FRANCE 

We return to the issue of the Roma families who were evicted from their informal settlement  near Bobigny, on the outskirts of Paris. The action left about 180 people homeless. Sixty are temporarily living in two social care centres in Paris after having slept several days in a gymnasium. The others were not given any temporary shelter. This is unconscionable, especially in an EU country such as France. Please join the appeal and protest.

ECUADOR 

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) rights defender Ms Diane Marie Rodríguez Zambrano is currently in hiding in a safe-house as a result of recent death threats against her. Diane Marie Rodríguez Zambrano is the founder and president of the Asociación Silueta X, a grassroots organisation working for the rights of LGBTI people in Ecuador, in particular young transgender and intersex persons, as well as HIV AIDS prevention. Please join  the call for her.

Photo Wikimiedia

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BELARUS

Amnesty International is deeply concerned that death row prisoner Eduard Lykau is at imminent risk of execution in Belarus.  Please join the appeal for commutation of the death sentence.

Human Rights Action Update Nov. 6-12

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

UZBEKISTAN 

After being abducted in Russia and forcibly returned to Uzbekistan, refugee Mirsobir Khamidkariev faces 15 years in prison on extremism charges. There are credible allegations that he was tortured in detention in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and concerns in relation to the fairness of his trial. He is at risk of being subjected to further torture and other ill-treatment. Please act on his behalf.

UKRAINE 

According to an anonymous source newspaper editor Sergei Dolgov, who has been missing since his abduction by armed men in June, in Mariupol, eastern Ukraine, is held in a military base and suffering from serious health issues. His wife fears for his life. Please call for his release.

UNITED STATES 

Leon Taylor, a 56-year-old African-American man, is scheduled to be executed in Missouri on 19 November. He was convicted in 1995 of a murder committed in 1994. There are serious questions about the role of race in his case. Please call for commutation of the death sentence since it appears to have racist overtones.

TURKEY 

The struggle for union representation at Deva Holdings, the large pharmaceutical company continues.  The Turkish Labor Ministry ordered Deva Holdings to recognize the union and start collective bargaining.  Despite the order,  Deva ignored the government and instead sacked even more workers who were union activists. Please click to join the protest.

Human Rights Action Update Oct. 30-Nov. 5

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

CHINA 

Chinese women’s rights activist Su Changlan has not been heard from since she was taken away by police on 27 October. There are concerns that her detention might be as a result of comments she made online in support of protests in Hong Kong. The authorities have refused to reveal her whereabouts to her husband or lawyer, and she is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. Please act on her behalf.

EGYPT 

Five Palestinian refugees from Syria, with a 14-year-old child among them, and five Syrian refugees, are at risk of being forcibly returned to Syria. Egyptian national security ordered that the group be deported after they were arrested following an attempt to leave Egypt by boat. They are held in Anfoushy refugee detention centre in Alexandria and are at imminent risk of deportation. Please protest.

SERBIA TWENTY FOUR ROMA FAMILIES AT RISK OF  FORCED EVICTION 

Twenty four Roma households at the Belvil settlement in Belgrade are due for resettlement at the end of November. If human rights requirements, including genuine consultation and providing full information are not followed, their removal for resettlement could result in a forced eviction. Please act on their behalf.

Human Rights Action Update Oct.23-29

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE
Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

FRANCE

The forced eviction of an informal settlement near Bobigny, in the outskirts of Paris, has left more than 60 people, including 15 children and infants, homeless. They are currently sleeping in a gymnasium in the centre of Paris but will have to leave imminently and without any alternative housing solution proposed to date. Please join the demand that the French government find a housing solution for these people.

VENEZUELA
Private defense lawyer Omar Ernesto Silva Martínez has made a formal complaint after being repeatedly targeted with threatening calls and surveillance. Guaranteeing the safety of lawyers to perform their functions without intimidation, hindrance or harassment is integral to ensuring that the right to a fair trial is respected. Please protest on his behalf and on behalf of human rights in Venezuela.

EGYPT
Five Palestinian refugees from Syria are at imminent risk of being forcibly returned to either Gaza or Syria by the Egyptian authorities. Their travel documents have been confiscated and they have been confined to a terminal in Cairo airport. Please call for them to be treated properly as refugees.

PAKISTAN
Although no mail connection exists between Israel and Pakistan, we ask readers in other countries to put emphasis on this terrible case. Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi, sentenced to death for blasphemy in 2010, has had her appeal rejected by the Lahore High Court of Appeal. This is outrageous from all standpoints. Please act at once.

USA 
It may come as a surprise, but it really should not. The company that owns the ZARA brand, Inditex, is a transnational corporation that wants to be seen as socially responsible.
For example, it signed a global agreement with UNI Global Union committing it to respecting the rights of its workers worldwide. And to be fair, in many countries, workers in Zara and other Inditex brands enjoy rights consistent with the obligations laid down in the global agreement.
But not in the USA. Please join the protest on behalf of workers in the US.

Human Rights Action Update October 15-22

Miriam, Human Rights Defender, 1947-2012

We start by wishing all our Muslim friends and supporters a Happy New Year for AH 1436 which occurs on Saturday October 25. May peace be with all people of good will.

MEXICO

Ángel Colón was arrested and tortured by police in Tijuana, northern Mexico in March 2009.
© Amnesty Internationa

Prisoner of conscience and torture victim Ángel Amílcar Colón Quevedo has been released from prison after five years in pre-trial detention, in a move that is welcome but long overdue, said Amnesty International. All charges against him, which were indeed trumped up with a confession extorted by torture, have been dropped. Ángel Colón is an Afro-descent Garífuna, and Amnesty International believes his torture, detention and prosecution were the result of discrimination: based on his ethnic origin and his status as undocumented migrant. He was abused, humiliated and  and forced to lick clean the shoes of other detainees and perform humiliating acts. He was repeatedly called a “fucking nigger” (“pinche negro”). We hope the perpetrators are prosecuted, but do not bet on it. According to an AI survey, 64% of Mexicans fear torture at the hands of the police.


INDIGENOUS PEOPLE 
Indigenous tribes do not simply die out. They are killed by the actions of so-called civilized nations. Survival International provides a long list of cases in which a letter from you can and will make a difference. Please open this link and write at least one letter. This link will be a permanent feature on our blog and we would be grateful if you gave it a bit of attention each week. We suggest going down the list in the order given. The letters are pre-written for you. All you need to do is send them. It would be nice also if a donation to Survival International could be forthcoming.

TURKEY
Around 100 refugees from Syria are at risk of being returned to the war-torn city of Kobani/Ayn Al-Arab. They are part of a group of over 250 men, women and children from Kobani who have been unlawfully detained by the Turkish authorities in a sports hall since 5 October in the border town of Suruç in Turkey’s south-eastern Şanlıurfa province. Of this group, two sets of returns have taken place on October 14 and 16. Please call upon the Turkish government to stop this practice.

RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Three men have been detained since April and face criminal charges for raising the German flag over an official building in Kaliningrad. If found guilty they could face up to seven years in prison. This is a gross violation of freedom of expression, a basic human right. Please act on their behalf.
FRANCE

More than 200 Roma living at the Bobigny camp are set to be evicted.

© Francine Bajande

More than 200 Roma, including around 50 children, living in an informal settlement near Bobigny in the north eastern suburbs of Paris, are at high risk of being evicted in the next 48 hours (as of Oct.20) despite the High Court in Bobigny declaring in July that there was no urgent need to carry out the eviction  The eviction may have taken place, but nonetheless we must demand that provision for housing of the Roma be provided.

Human Rights Action update Oct.8-15

Miriam, human rights defender

EGYPT 
First some good news. The two Palestinian refugees from Syria that the Egyptian authorities had been preparing to forcibly return to Syria or Gaza have now been resettled in Europe. Thanks to all who wrote on their behalf.

HONG KONG 
Peaceful protesters were detained. At least 26 people, including several poets and artists, have been detained in Beijing for showing support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Thirteen people are known to have been accused of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble", and could face up to five years in prison if formally charged. In one case, a mother and a one year old baby were detained without food or water while trying to obtain information about the detained husband/father. The detained are:
Names:
Activists criminally detained in Beijing on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”:
Han Ying (韩颖) (f), Liu Huizhen (刘惠珍) (f), Li Dongmei (李冬梅) (f), Jiang Liuyong (姜流勇) (m), Guo Zhiying (郭志英) (f), Chen Lianhe (陈连和) (m), Wu Xiaoping (吴小平) (f), Han Suqing (韩淑清) (f), Cui Baodi (崔宝弟) (f), Zhang Zonggang (张宗钢) (m), Wang Chongxi (王崇喜) (m)

Activists from Songzhuang art community in Beijing criminally detained on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble”:
Zhang Miao (张淼) (f), Wang Zang (王藏) (m)

Activists from Songzhuang art community in Beijing:
Cui Guangxia (崔广厦) (m), Zhu Yanguang (朱雁光) (m), Fei Xiaosheng (费小胜) (m), Ren Chongyuan (任重远) (m), Ding Ding (丁酊) (m), Wang Lin (王琳) (f), Zhui Hun (追魂) (m), Lü Shang (吕上) (m),

Other activists detained in Beijing:
Guo Hongwei (郭宏伟) (m), Wang Su'e (王素娥) (f), Ran Chongbi (冉崇碧) (f), Li Yufeng (李玉凤) (f), Li Xuehui (李学惠) (f)


Please open the link, protest and include the above names in your letter.

EL SALVADOR 
End The Ban On Abortion In El Salvador! The ban is killing women and girls. Women who suffer a miscarriage are treated like criminals; accused of 'aggravated homicide', they face up to 50 years in prison. Girls who have been raped cannot seek a termination.

Illegal abortions are common - and dangerous. More than half of all deaths of pregnant teens are due to suicide. Ask the President to end the ban. Please open and join the protest, just a click is needed.

AFGHANISTAN 
This is beyond belief. Brishna, a 10-year old girl from Kunduz province in Afghanistan was raped by a local mullah in May 2014. She is at risk of an “honour” killing by family and community members. The women’s rights defender who assists her is facing death threats. Please open and send a mighty rant!

UNITED NATIONS 
A UN agency is about to fire a union activist because he is a "troublemaker." A campaign a year ago, calling on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to respect workers rights, was successful. Please raise your voice in protest in this case.

Human Rights Action Update Oct. 2-7

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

We are a big early this week because of the Succot holiday. We wish all a happy holiday.

THAILAND
Community-based human rights defenders at risk of violence and eviction by local law enforcement and paramilitary.

Peasants' demonstration

 Please act by clicking the action tab at the bottom of the post.

MEXICO

Masked students blocked a main highway Sunday in the area where authorities said they discovered a mass grave. There are fears the grave may contain the bodies of students missing since violent clashes between protesters and police last week. (Alejandrino Gonzalez/Associated Press)

On 26 September, students were intercepted by Mexican police patrols firing shots and then later attacked by unknown individuals in Iguala, Guerrero state. At least six people were killed, 20 were injured and the whereabouts of 38 remain unknown. They may be the bodies found in the mass grave near Iguala. Please act.

PAKISTAN GUARD SHOOTS MENTALLY ILL PRISONER
Blasphemy prisoner Mohammad Asghar has been shot and wounded by a prison guard in Pakistan. He is recovering in hospital, but his lawyers fear he is still in danger of being killed. Please protest on his behalf.

   
HONG KONG 
Support the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions strike for democracy! Please click and send.

Human Rights Action Update Sept. 25-Oct. 2

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

We wish all our Jewish readers a good inscription (chatima tova) in the Book of Life as Yom Kippur looms up. We also wish our Muslim readers Eid ul Adha Mubarak.
 

 
MOROCCO
Last week we apparently messed up the link connections for this action. We are, therefore, posting it again.Seven Sahrawi men were severely beaten on 17 September in Laayoune Local Prison, Western Sahara. They have gone on hunger strike in protest. Please join the protests.

VENEZUELA
Venezuelan police have raided Beatriz Adriana Guzmán Barrios’ house and arrested her husband. The Barrios family have received further threats even though they should be protected in accordance with an Inter-American Court ruling. Ten members of their family have been murdered since 1998 in circumstances that suggest police involvement with almost total impunity. The Barrios family believe that the threats and intimidation are due to their continuous demands for justice, effective protection measures, and reparations for the grave human rights violations they have suffered. Please act on their behalf.

AZERBAIJAN
Azerbaijani human rights defender Leyla Yunus was beaten in the Kurdakhany detention facility by the administration staff on 23 September. Conditions in her cell remain dire, which aggravates her already weakened health. Leyla Yunus is the President of the Azerbaijani NGO - the Institute for Peace and Democracy. She was arrested on 30 July 2014 on the charges of treason (purportedly spying for Armenia), tax evasion, forgery, fraud, and illegal business in relation to a grant received by her NGO which she had been prevented by the authorities from registering. Her husband, Arif Yunus, had been placed under travel restrictions until he too was arrested on 5 August. Arif Yunus is also facing criminal charges of treason, tax evasion and fraud in connection with his involvement in the activities of the Institute for Peace and Democracy.

On 23 September, Leyla Yunus was nominated for the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.  Please protest for her.

TURKEY A message on union busting in Turkey from Eric Lee: IndustriALL Global Union's Turkish affiliate union Petrol-Is is fighting against union busting by pharmaceutical manufacturer Deva Holding.

The count of the dismissed workers has reached 24, sacked simply for signing up with the union.

This is illegal, it is wrong, and it is time for Deva to stop.

Please help us with our latest ActNOW campaign -


  







Learn more and sign up to send your message of protest.    Forward this email to your friends, family and fellow union members -- encourage them to support the campaign too.

Thank you very much.

Human Rights Action Update Sept. 17-24

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

We wish all our Jewish readers a Shana Tova, a Happy New Year, in which human rights will be respected and peace will reign.

BAHRAIN 
The human rights defender Maryam Al-Khawaja was released on bail on 18 September. Her trial before the High Criminal Court has been scheduled for 1 October on a charge of “assaulting police officers”. The charges are trumped up and she is being persecuted for her human rights activity. Please act on her behalf.
 
MOROCCO 
Seven Sahrawi men were severely beaten on 17 September in Laayoune Local Prison, Western Sahara. They have gone on hunger strike in protest. Please join the protests.

MYANMAR FURTHER SENTENCES FOR PROTESTOR
Community leader U Sein Than has received four further sentences for participating in a series of peaceful protests in Myanmar. He now faces two years’ imprisonment merely for the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. His daughter and four others are also facing charges of protesting without permission. Please call for his release the dropping of charges against him, his daughter and their associates.
 
RUSSIA
Human rights defender under intimidation--please protest.

Human Rights Action Update, Sept. 11-18

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

MEXICO
Indigenous activist Mario Luna Romero is at risk of unfair trial after being arrested in Sonora State, northwest Mexico. There are concerns that the case against him may be politically motivated due to his leading role in protests against an aqueduct which affects the Yaqui Indigenous community’s access to water. Please act on his behalf.

GAMBIA
STOP GAMBIA’S HOMOPHOBIC BILL
The Gambian President is currently reviewing a proposed amendment to the Criminal Code which will further discriminate against and punish Gambians merely on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation.  There are other antidemocratic features in the Criminal Code that require opposition. Please raise your voice.

EL SALVADOR
Ongoing Smear Campaign And Threats Targeting Human Rights Defenders: Since 10 August 2014, several human rights defenders have been threatened and targeted by media groups in El Salvador. It is connected to the public debate on abortion. Please join the protest.
LABOR ISSUES COLOMBIA AND USA 
At IKEA in the USA, workers are demanding that the company play fair.  In Colombia, Ruben Montoya waits for justice. Please join the campaigns. Also good news from our protest in Swaziland. Read the details in the post.

Human Rights Action Update September 4-11

Miriam, human rights defendeer, 1947-2012

KUWAIT
A mother of an activist is being threatened with deportation. Leyla Mohammad Ali al-Darmalalli, 66, who has been living in Kuwait for the past 40 years, is at risk of being deported to Egypt. Her children are Kuwaiti nationals. She is the mother of Abdullah Fairouz, a human rights activist who was unfairly convicted of having insulted the Amir of Kuwait, and initially sentenced to five years’ imprisonment. It is not clear if two years added later to his sentence are to be served concurrently or sequentially. She is a diabetic and confined to a wheelchair. Please act on her behalf.
CHINA
Prisoner of conscience Liu Ping is being denied access to the medical treatment she
needs in detention, and there are serious concerns for her health. She is also at risk of
torture and other ill-treatment. Please join the outcry.

PHILIPPINES

Bruised and battered: Help Alfreda get the justice she deserves © Amnesty International

Alfreda Disbarro has been arrested and tortured to extract a fake confession on trumped up charges. Amnesty has obtained an investigation. Please join the demand for justice for Alfreda.

PERU

Luis Cardenas, a union leader in Peru, was hospitalized after being beaten in the head with a rock.

A union leader was brutally beaten because of his activities. Please click to join the protest and demand for justice.

Human Rights Action Update, August 29-September 4

Miriam, human rights activist, 1947-2012

HONDURAS
Prominent campesino (peasant farmer) leader Margarita Murillo was shot dead in the community of El Planón, north-western Honduras, on 27 August. The safety of other members of her organization and family could be at risk. Please call for an investigation and for protection for others at risk.

ISRAEL/PALESTINE 
Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire on 26 August, ending their conflict after 50 days. The need for justice for civilian victims on both sides is urgent, as is the need for Israel to lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip. Please protest to both sides.

NIGERIA

Moses before his arrest in 2005, aged 16 years © Private

On 27 November, Moses  Akatugba was arrested by the Nigerian army, who allegedly shot him in the hand and beat him during the arrest. Now he faces death by hanging for stealing three mobile phones eight years ago. He maintains his innocence. Please act to save his life.

THAILAND 








British migrant rights activist Andy Hall faces 7 years imprisonment and \$10 million in damages from lawsuits brought by Thai pineapple company Natural Fruit, part of NatGroup. Hall's research for workers' rights NGO Finnwatch found serious abuses at Natural Fruit’'s pineapple factory including child labour, illegally low wages, confiscation of identity documents and violence. He has been beset by fake lawsuits and accusations. Please act on his behalf.

Human Rights Action Update August 21-27

Miriam, human rights defender.947-2012

Good news to start-  A death row inmate in China was acquitted and released after six years of appeals. It shows how important it is to abolish the death penalty worldwide.

MEXICO 
Three community activists in the central state of Mexico were threatened by members of Antorcha Campesina, a movement with close ties to the ruling political party. The three activists were publicly sharing information that was critical of the movement and the municipal government. Their safety remains at risk. Please call for their protection.

MOZAMBIQUE
The latest draft of the Mozambique Criminal Code was approved by the National Assembly (parliament) on 11 July. The Code is now with the President, who has to sign and promulgate it into law, however concerns still remain about certain provisions. Please call upon the government to improve the provisions protecting minors against sexual abuse.

POLAND
On 25 July 2014, the President of LOT Polish Airlines has dismissed the vice-president of the ITF and ETF affiliated cabin crew union ZZPP, Andrzej Jeżewski. 
 
This is blatant union busting by a government-owned corporation. Please protest--this is an easy click and send.

Human Rights Action update August 15-21

Miriam, human rights defender, 1947-2012

BRAZIL 
Our friend Tilly has called our attention to the plight of native tribes in Brazil. One tribe has been reduced to five members as a result of systematic genocide practiced against them by white settlers. Please send the prepared letter to the Minister of Justice.

AZERBAINJAN
Azerbaijani political activist Faraj Karimov and his brother Siraj Karimov have complained of torture in detention to make them “confess” to drug-related crimes.  Please act on their behalf.

CAMBODIA 
Five youth members and two officials from Cambodia’s main opposition party are facing arbitrary and politically motivated legal action over a protest which ended in violence on 15 July 2014. Please protest the use of the court system for political purposes.