MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ST ALBANS GROUP OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
HELD ON WEDNESDAY 11 MAY 2016
www.amnesty.org.uk/stalbans
Present : Penny Williams (Chair), Louise Chick (Secretary), Sue Grieve, Maureen Huckle, Maria Harlan, Amanda Jones (Minutes), Hilary Tyrrell, Philip Nixon, Roisin Jacklin (Speaker)
Apologies: Karla Siswick, Judy Jacques, Irene Austin, Mike Bennett, Jackie Seaton, Peter Smith,
Finance (Penny)
· Fundraising
i. Update from Louise (on Peter’s behalf) regarding the Marshalswick Collection that was held on Saturday May 7th 2016. The collection total was £169 which was down on 2015 (£247) but comparable with 2014 (£160, although that year we had one less collector). There were also other collections going on that day (Churches together in Marshalwick were asking people to buy items for the Vineyard Church foodbank and a Big Issue seller was also there) and these may have impacted our collecting potential. Peter sends his thanks to all our collectors. The next street collection will be on 26th November 2016 in the centre of St Albans.
ii. Update from Penny on the performance of Jez Butterworth’s play Parlour Song at the Abbey Theatre in St Albans on April 21st 2016. We sold all the tickets and a total of £1023 was raised, giving a profit of £923. Many thanks to all who sold tickets and donated raffle prizes.
Guest Speaker on Bahrain & UAE
Roisin Jacklin, the country coordinator for Bahrain and the UAE, came to speak to us about the region. Roisin started by giving a brief overview of both countries including the leadership, political and legal structures and their relationship with the UK. She looked at the political and human rights situation in both countries since the 2011 Arab Spring. She gave detailed accounts of both countries:
· UAE: In March 2011, a petition was sent from 133 people (including judges, academics, lawyers, journalists and engineers) addressed to the President and Federal Supreme Court urging them to begin the process of democratic reform. The response was repressive and the crackdown began in April 2011. Initially a group of five activists were arrested and became known as the UAE5. The activists had called for greater political rights and freedoms and included Ahmed Mansoor and Nasser bin Ghaith. All five were convicted of publically insulting the President, Vice President and Crown Prince but after international pressure were pardoned in Nov 2011.
In July 2015, the UAE 94 trial took place and a total of 94, including Dr Mohamed al Roken, the prominent human rights lawyer and law professor. They were charged with establishing an organisation aimed to bring about the government’s overthrow. All denied the charges but 69 defendants were convicted with prison sentences ranging between 7-15 years. The trial was marred by a series of irregularities including confessions that were said to have been made as a result of torture / ill treatment.
Over the last 5 years, the UAE has seen a high number of arrests and detentions, enforced disappearances, allegations of torture, unfair trials, long prison sentences for government critics and continued harassment of their families. There has also been an increase in the withdrawal of individuals’ UAE citizenship and banning individuals’ foreign travel, oppressive surveillance and smear campaigns against individuals. The UAE has recently introduced new ‘cybercrimes’ legislation (to penalise internet based criticism and dissent), a repressive new anti-terrorism law and increased the scope of the death penalty. These are all part of framed attacks on freedom of expression and association under the pretext of national security threats.
· Bahrain: In Feb 2011, hundreds of thousands protested in the main square of the capital and there was a call for immediate reforms and democracy. The response was lethal force against protestors and suppression of peaceful anti-government and pro- democracy protests. There were thousands of arrests, hundreds of injuries and thirty people were killed. In the aftermath, in response to allegations of human rights violations, the government set up the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (a group of international lawyers and human rights specialists). It concluded in November 2011 that there had been unlawful killings, torture and Bahrain’s courts had not delivered fair trials. It recommended far reaching legal and institutional reforms including the establishment of the Ombudsman of the Ministry of Interior and the Special Investigation Unit.
However, despite assurances to the West that they are committed to human rights, Bahrain authorities have failed to deliver crucial reforms to end repression. The new institutions are neither independent nor impartial enough to effectively investigate human rights violations by the security forces and the new legal reforms to lift restrictions on freedom of expression and assembly have come hand in hand with moves to strengthen other repressive laws. Repression and human rights abuses continue and all public demonstrations in Manama are banned.
Activists and political leaders who have been arrested often face broad national security charges such as ‘inciting hatred against’ or ‘threatening to overthrow’ the government. Roisin highlighted the cases of a number of high profile individuals. These included the recently freed Mahdi Abu Dheeb, the president of the Bahrain Teachers Association who served a five year prison sentence and was jailed solely for exercising his rights of freedom of expression / association / assembly after participating and leading the Feb 2011 anti-government protests. The Al Khawaja family were also highlighted. Both Abdulhadi Al Khawaja and his daughter Zainab (who was taken into custody with her baby on in March 2016) have been arrested for speaking out against human rights violations. Amnesty believes they are held for solely exercising their rights to freedom of expression / association / assembly.
· Finally, Roisin focussed on the case of Sheikh Ali Salman who is Secretary General of the opposition political party Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, the largest opposition party in Bahrain. He was arrested in Dec 2014 and sentenced to 4 years in prison for ‘inciting civil disobedience and hatred’ after interrogation about speeches made as an opposition leader. During these speeches he is reported to have reaffirmed his party’s determination to pursue power in Bahrain though peaceful means, to achieve the reform demands of the 2011 uprising and to hold those responsible for human rights violations to account. Amnesty feel this is a key case for AIUK groups to work on as the opposition have made it very clear that they will not negotiate with the Bahraini government unless Sheikh Ali Salman is released. Until then, there is a political stalemate in Bahrain and this is greatly affecting the human rights situation in the country. Roisin enquired whether the St Albans group would be interested in working on the case of Sheikh Ali Salman as an individual at risk and Amanda agreed that she would be happy to lead this work.
Campaigns
Herts Welcomes Syrian Refugees (HWSR) (Irene)
Irene was absent from the meeting but Maria updated the group on the one day ‘Training for Befrienders’ course that was run on 30th April by Irene and Judy. There were 28 attendees in total and the aim is that they will become refugee council volunteers. Maria briefly outlined the content of the training which focused on the day to day trials of someone recently arrived in a new country. She reported the volunteers were mainly drawn from the St Albans area and this may provide difficulties when supporting the two families located in Stevenage due to a lack of local knowledge.
It was also felt that the potential to help was quite dependant on the amount of English understood and there is currently a call for more help for the two Stevenage families with language issues. Penny reported on one of the families in Stevenage (who she is aware of through a friend who helps out at the school one of the Syrian children is attending). Her friend felt that there was currently little support for the family who are struggling with language issues.
It was also reported that on 17th May 2016, a Syrian family will arrive in St Albans. Irene is organising something at St Pauls to welcome them. The St Alban’s based family are to be placed in housing association accommodation (the two families in Stevenage are housed in counsel housing).
Philip mentioned a Guardian article he had recently read with a contribution from the Chair of the Stratford
upon Avon Amnesty group. In the article, it was highlighted that despite the fact their district council had responded to pressure from the local community and voted to admit 12 families of Syrian refugees into the district and they were ready to receive them, there seemed little will from the government to actually make this happen. As a result, only 3 Syrian families will arrive in their area this year.
Gulf States (Amanda Jones)
Amanda introduced four Gulf actions with letters for the group to sign:
BAHRAIN:
· Bahraini activist Dr Sa’eed al-Samahiji was sentenced to one year in prison on 7 April, on charges including “insulting a brotherly State” and “calling for participation in illegal demonstrations”. He was on hunger strike between 14 February and 31 March in protest at his ill-treatment in prison. He is a prisoner of conscience. The letter urges Bahraini authorities to quash his conviction and release him unconditionally, that he receives any medical attention required and is protected from other ill treatment and that Bahrain repeal laws that criminalize the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
· Ibrahim Karimi has been sentenced to two years and one month in prison on charges including “publicly insulting the King” which he has denied. He is a prisoner of conscience. He will be at immediate risk of expulsion after he completes his sentence as his nationality was arbitrarily revoked. Ibrahim Karimi does not have another nationality and he has been effectively rendered stateless. The letter urges Bahraini authorities to quash his convictions, to rescind the decision to strip him of his nationality and not proceed with his expulsion and to investigate the allegations of torture.
UAE
· The action focusses on the mass trial of 41 men (before the State Security Chamber at the Federal Supreme Court) ended in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on 27 March with 34 of them receiving sentences ranging between three years and life imprisonment. Three of those sentenced were under the age of 18 at the time of their arrests. Seven others were acquitted. The letter requests the convictions be quashed and a retrial is ordered before an ordinary criminal court in accordance with international fair trial standards and that any confessions gained through torture / ill treatment are not permitted as evidence in the new trial.
· Dr Nasser bin Ghaith was arrested in Aug 2015 and faces charges relating solely to the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression and association. He was taken to an unknown location and no one was informed of the reason for his arrest. He recently appeared briefly at a hearing to refer his case to court in the State Security Chamber of the Federal Court in Abu Dhabi. Nasser bin Ghaith told the court that UAE officials had held him in secret detention and tortured him by both beating and depriving him of sleep. The judge did not order an investigation into his allegations of torture and other ill-treatment. The court session was the first opportunity he had to speak to a lawyer and then not privately. The next hearing will be held on 2 May 2016 before the State Security Chamber of the Federal Supreme Court. While it is a court of first instance, verdicts handed down by the court cannot be appealed.
Israel and the Occupied Territories
Hilary and Philip introduced a number of actions:
· The first was a letter to Anne Main focusing on the demolitions in Hadidiya village in the Jordan Valley. The letter highlights that Hadidya suffered repeated demolitions just before the coldest parts of last winter and continues to remain under threat of further demolitions. It requests that Mrs Main raise concerns about the treatment of the inhabitants of Hadidya to the attention of the FCO and request that staff of the Consulate General in Jerusalem make a visit of solidarity to the communities of Hadidiya and Hamsa. Amanda suggested that she send a similar letter to Peter Lilley MP.
· The second action was to highlight the case of Tair Kaminer, a 19 year old Israeli woman who is refusing to do military service because she is not willing to help enforce the Occupation. She has stated ‘An entire year I volunteered in Sderot, working with children living in a war zone, and it was there that I decided to refuse service in the Israeli military. My refusal comes from my will to make a contribution to the society of which I am a part and make this a better place to live, from my commitment to the struggle for peace and equality.’ Refuseniks are sentenced to 25-30 days in prison, released and then called up again. Tair has just started her 5th sentence and will have spent over 125 day in gaol. A request was made to send messages to support and . The previously circulated email address does not seem to be receiving messages.
· The case of Mohammad Faisal Abu Sakha, the young Palestinian circus performer and special needs teacher, who remains on administrative detention was raised again. A letter to the Military Judge Advocate was prepared and signed. Mohammad is now held in Ketziot prison in Israel, a further breach of International law. The letter requests that Mohammad be transferred to a prison within the West Bank and ensure he has regular access to family and lawyers. It also requests that he is charged with a recognisable criminal offence and tried in an early, transparent judicial process or is released.