Group 48 Newsletter - November 2015

Amnesty International USA Group 48

Newsletter11.15

1 Amnesty International USA Calls for Reforms to Lethal Force Laws Following Decision in Kajieme Powell Shooting

2 Burundi: Urge Justice for Pierre Claver Mbonimpa

3 CHINA: Urgent Action - Two Missing And Teenager Under House Arrest

4 Woodfox Must Be Released Immediately

5 Write 4 Rights and Save a Life Amnesty International USA Calls for Reforms to

Lethal Force Laws Following Decision in Kajieme Powell ShootingNovember 3, 2015

Following the announcement that the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office will not press charges against the officers who killed Kajieme Powell in August 2014, Amnesty International USA repeated calls for nationwide reforms to laws guiding the use of deadly force by police.

Powell was shot by officers a few seconds after they arrived in response to an emergency call that Powell was displaying agitated behavior and had a knife. The St. Louis Police Department claimed in a press conference shortly thereafter that Powell presented a threat to the officers, a claim called into ques-tion after the release of cell phone video

of the incident which showed him some distance away with his arms at his sides when he was shot nine times.

Amnesty International USA sent a letter to the Chief of Police at the time calling for a full, impartial and independent investigation of the incident, which oc-curred almost two weeks after Michael Brown was killed by a police officer in nearby Ferguson.

“International law requires that lethal force only be used in self defense in the face of imminent death or serious injury,” said Steven W. Hawkins, execu-tive director of Amnesty International USA. “Shamefully, not one U.S. state

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has laws that comply with international standards. “We urge the Missouri Legislature, and the legislatures in all states, to bring their laws in line with international standards by limit-ing the use of lethal force solely to those instances in which it is necessary to protect life. We also call on the Department of Justice to gather federal statistics on police shootings – which

currently do not exist – and to create a national commission to recommend guidelines on policing issues and accountabil-ity mechanisms.”

Amnesty International USA issued a report on lethal force laws in the U.S. earlier this year.

Burundi: Urge Justice for Pierre Claver Mbonimpa defender in Burundi. However, those responsible for the at-tempt on his life still have not been brought to justice.

Action Please write Ambassador Ndabashinze and President Nku-runziza, asking that an inquiry be launched into the attempt on Pierre Claver Mbonimpa’s life and those responsible be brought to justice.

Appeals To President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza Office of the President Boulevard de l’Uprona BP 1870 Bujumbura, Burundi

H.E. Ernest Ndabashinze Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi Embassy of the Republic of Burundi 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 408 Washington, DC 20007

Recent News and Video Message from Pierre: https://www.defenddefenders.org/2015/11/voices-that-cannot-be-silenced-pierre-claver-mbonimpa-speaks-out-on-burundi/ Amnesty International Press Release: https://www.amnesty.org/press-releases/2015/08/burundi-shooting-of-human-rights-activist-increases-climate-of-fear

Pierre Claver Mbonimpa is President of the Association for the Protection of Human Rights and Detained Persons (APRODH), an organiza-tion which provides vital assistance to detainees and victims of human rights vio-lations, including torture and sexual violence. His defense of Burundi’s most vulnerable has led to his work receiving much international acclaim.

On August 3, 2015, Mbonimpa was shot in the face and neck as he returned home in his car from the office. The shooting came a day after the assassination of Adolphe Nshimirimana, a top military general who was a close ally of President Pierre Nkurunziza. Nshimirimana was killed in a drive-by shooting early Sunday in Burundi.

Mbonimpa survived the attack and is currently living abroad.

A police officer before he was a human rights defender, Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa was wrongfully imprisoned from 1994 to 1996 for illegal possession of a firearm. His time in prison prompted him to establish APRODH upon his release. The organization was setup to defend the rights of prison-ers, but has grown and works on a number of justice-related issues. Pierre-Claver Mbonimpa has since received interna-tional recognition for his human rights work, including the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders in 2007 and the Henry Dunant Prize in 2011.

On October 27, 2015, Mbonimpa received the Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network’s 2015 East Africa Shield Award, recognizing his outstanding work as a human rights

Within the United States $0.35 - Postcards $0.49 - Letters and Cards up to 1 oz.

To all international destinations $1.20 - Postcards $1.20 - Airmail Letters and Cards up to 1 oz.

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Pierre Claver Mbonimpa


CHINA: Urgent Action - Two Missing And Teenager Under House ArrestBao Zhuoxuan (m), Tang Zhishun (m), Xing Qingxian (m), Wang Yu (f), Bao Longjun (m)

A 16-year-old whose parents are detained as part of a crack-down on legal activists in China has been placed under house arrest. He had crossed the border into Myanmar along with two activists, and all three were taken away by a group of uni-formed officials on 6 October. The teenager was returned to China where he remains under house arrest. There has been no information about the whereabouts of the two activists.

According to eyewitness reports, Bao Zhuoxuan, the son of Chinese lawyer Wang Yu, and Chinese activists Tang Zhishun and Xing Qingxian were taken away from a guesthouse in Mong La, a town in Myanmar close to the Chinese border, by uniformed officials and plain-clothed individuals on October 6th. After several days during which there was no informa-tion about their whereabouts, Bao Zhuoxuan was returned to his grandparents’ home in Ulanhot, Inner Mongolia Autono-mous Region, in northern China, where he is being held under house arrest. State media in China have denounced the actions of the two men travelling with him, and activists who are advocating for their release believe they are being held by Chinese authorities.

Both men have long-term health conditions which require medications; Tang Zhishun has hyperthyroidism and Xing Qingxian suffers from asthma and respiratory diseases. Their families fear that they fear they will not get the medical care they need.

Wang Yu is a prominent human rights lawyer who has not been seen since she was taken away from her home on July 9th, which proved to be the start of a wider crackdown on

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lawyers and activists in the country. She and her husband Bao Longjun have been held under “residential surveillance” at an unknown location on suspicion of “inciting subversion of state power” since early July. Bao Zhuoxuan had been inter-rogated and briefly detained by Chinese police in early July during his father’s detention, and was prevented from travel-ling to Australia where he had been accepted to study at a high school. He has been under tight surveillance and faced frequent harassment by police in Ulanhot.

Action Please write immediately in English, Chinese or your own language:

◌ Calling on the Chinese authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts and legal status of Tang Zhishun and Xing Qingxian;

◌ Urging them to ensure that they are protected from torture or other ill-treatment, and have prompt access to any medical treatment on request or as needed, and to their lawyers and family;

◌ Demanding that they lift all restrictions on Bao Zhuoxuan’s movement.

Appeals To Please send appeals before November 24th, 2015 TO:

Minister of Public Security Guo Shengkun No.14, Donchang’anjie, Dongchengqu, Beijing 100741

People’s Republic of China Email: [email protected] Salutation: Your Excellency

Director of Ulanhot City Public Security Bureau Liu Yanping Wuyibeilu, Ulanhot City, Xing’an Meng, Inner Mongolia, 137400 People’s Republic of China Email: [email protected] Salutation: Dear Director»


Copies To Ambassador Cui Tiankai Embassy of the People’s Republic of China 3505 International Place NW Washington DC 20008 Fax: 1 202 495 2138 Email: [email protected]

Additional Information Over 200 human rights lawyers and activists have been detained, missing, or brought in for questioning as part of an unprecedented nationwide crackdown which began in July. Twenty-eight people are still in detention or are unaccounted for. At least ten people are being held on suspicion of “incit-ing subversion of state power”, which carries a prison sen-tence of up to 15 years. The crackdown was accompanied by a smear campaign in state media, with lawyers and activists

accused of being part of a criminal operation to “undermine social stability”. For the latest information on those targets, https://www.amnesty.org/en/press-releases/2015/08/china-list-of-lawyers-and-activists-targeted/.

Xing Qingxian, an activist from Chengdu, used to be a techni-cian with China Railway before he lodged a labour dispute lawsuit against the company. He was imprisoned for two years after reporting on a protest outside Chengdu Intermedi-ate People’s Court in March 2009. After being released from prison in 2011, he has been helping petitioners to draft legal documents and providing assistance to other detained activ-ists.

Tang Zhishun, a Beijing activist, used to work at a company in Beijing which produced biological products. His activism has included protesting against forced evictions and providing assistance to detained activists.

Woodfox Must Be Released ImmediatelyJune 12, 2015

"At this point, the Louisiana authorities must ensure Albert Woodfox's freedom-not only from incarceration, but from the deeply flawed legal process that has consumed him for more than four decades."

Since 2013 alone, Amnesty International USA has generated more than 100,000 actions on Woodfox's behalf, including the delivery of a petition to Governor Jindal with more than 50,000 signatures calling for Albert Woodfox's release. Over the course of the last five years, Amnesty's global movement has generated more than 500,000 actions on behalf of the Angola 3. UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Mendez U.N. decried the indefinite solitary confinement imposed on Woodfox, saying that it "clearly amounts to torture and it should be lifted immediately."

On June 11, in the wake of Judge Brady's ruling, 18 members of the Louisiana House of Representatives voted for a resolu-tion (H.R. 208) urging Attorney General Caldwell to stop standing in the way of justice, withdraw his appeals, and let Judge Brady's unconditional writ and release ruling stand.

Follow Steven W. Hawkins on Twitter: twitter.com/Steven-WHawkins

Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Louisiana announced that they would continue a stay of a U.S. District Judge's decision to release Albert Woodfox. The Court's decision effectively blocks the release of the Louisiana prisoner, pending a ruling on whether or not Albert Woodfox will be tried a third time. This decision follows U.S. District Judge James J. Brady's ruling on Tuesday, which granted unconditional release to the last imprisoned member of the Angola 3, Albert Woodfox. In response, Amnesty Interna-tional USA Executive Director Steven W. Hawkins issued the following statement:

"Given that the overturning of Albert Woodfox's conviction on three separate occasions was not enough, Judge Brady's decision to grant him unconditional release should have cer-tainly ended this 43-year-long nightmare. Instead, he remains behind bars, fighting to prove his innocence as a result of the Louisiana Attorney General's desperate attempt to thwart justice.

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Write 4 Rights and Save a Lifein Nigeria after being featured in last year’s W4R

◌ Report your letters, so that we can share the total number with our cases, their families and government officials

◌ Check out our new Educator’s Guide for High School and College teachers (coming soon!) as well as a special kid’s case sheet for young children

Please note: printed materials will be available at the Regional Conferences, where we will also have sign up stations and W4R workshops

Our goals this year is 55,000 letters and 145,000 email actions. Of course, we particularly hope you, as MENA RAN (Middle

take action on the three cases from the region. Here are the short descriptions of those cases:

Saman Naseem, Iran Saman Naseem was tortured into confessing to shooting a soldier. He was just 17. On the strength of this ‘confession’, and in spite of the fact that Iran has signed on to an interna-tional ban on child executions, Saman was sentenced to death in Iran. Huge efforts secured Saman a retrial, and now global pressure can prevent a repeat. Write a short letter to the head

We are writing with a very special request: please take part in this year’s Write for Rights! Your involvement is pivotal to the success of this initiative. This year, the program is featur-ing three Middle East and North African cases.

Write for Rights is our movement’s largest event and it chang-es lives. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people world-wide—including you--generated a record-breaking 3 million+ letters and email actions. As a result, we helped change the lives of many of our cases, including Moses Akatugba who walked free from death row in Nigeria. With your participa-tion, we can change more lives this year.

Every letter matters. Here’s what you can do.

PLEASE GO TO http://write.amnestyusa.org/?ac=none_r

WHERE YOU CAN ◌ Sign up to host a letter writing party or event, join one, or

write on your own!

◌ Show your participation on the map, and invite others to join us via Facebook, Twitter and email

◌ Meet this year’s 12 cases, including Albert Woodfox in Louisiana

◌ Download materials, including the new Action Guide, case sheets and sample letters

◌ Feel good about the people you’ve helped through W4R, including Moses Akatugba, who was released from death row

Group CoordinatorJoanne [email protected]

TreasurerTena [email protected]

Newsletter EditorDan [email protected]

OR Area Coordinator Marty [email protected]

IndonesiaMax [email protected]

Prisoners’ CasesJane [email protected]

Megan Harringtonmegan.harrington @gmail.com

Concert TablingWill [email protected]

Central Africa/ OR State Death Penalty AbolitionTerrie [email protected]

AIUSA Group 48 Contact Information

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East / North Africa Regional Action Network) activists, will

By Karen Kennedy, MENA RAN Coordinator

mailto:[email protected]







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AIUSA group 48 Newsletter November 2015

fair retrial, where the death penalty and forced confessions play no part. After you’ve written that letter, please also take a moment to write a short solidarity letter or postcard to Saman, letting him know that you are taking action for his human rights.

Waleed Abu Al-Khair, Saudi Arabia Human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair was jailed for 15 years under a cruel terrorism law in Saudi Arabia. He has defended many peaceful activists, including jailed blogger Raif Badawi, and has challenged the widespread crackdown on human rights across the country. Waleed is a Prisoner of Conscience. Write a short letter to the King of Saudi Arabia calling for his immediate and unconditional release. After you’ve written that letter, please also take a moment to write a short solidarity letter or postcard to Waleed, letting him know that you are taking action for his human rights.

Rania Alabbasi & Her Family, Syria In 2013, Syrian government agents came to the home of Rania Alabbasi, a successful dentist and mother of six, and took her and her family away. No reason was given, and none of them has been heard from since. Write a short letter to the President of Syria, urging the immediate and unconditional release of Rania’s children. Rania herself must be released or charged and given a fair trial. After you’ve written that letter, please also take a moment to write a short solidarity letter or postcard to Rania and her family, letting them know that you are taking action for his human rights. We will use these messages to put more pressure on the Syrian authorities to disclose the location of the family.

of the Iranian Judiciary, urging him to ensure Saman gets a

Group 48 Newsletter - November 2015

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