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[AMNESTY-INTL] AI weekly: March 3
This week's issue: Civilian Deaths
To call on the Afghan government to take measures to establish justice for the people of Afghanistan, click here:
Background:
Accountability for Civilian Deaths in Afghanistan
Amnesty International is concerned about President Obama’s decision to deploy more troops in Afghanistan and to urge NATO to do the same, without providing accountability for civilian deaths. “2008 was the most violent year for civilians since the fall of the Taleban and Afghans are increasingly resentful about civilians’ casualties caused by international forces during night raids and other actions of this sort,” stated Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director, Sam Zarifi, “The challenge for the USA and its allies is to ensure that the surge of international troops into the country will provide better security for Afghans, and not put them at greater risk.” A prime example of the lack of accountability of international forces is the killing of two brothers, Abdul Habib and Mohammed Ali, in Kandahar last January. They were unarmed, yet shot at point blank range in the middle of the night. Though no one will take responsibility for these deaths, Amnesty International received information that forces operating out of Firebase Gecko, which houses international troops, Special Forces units, and personnel from intelligence agencies forces, conducted the killings.
[AMNESTY-INTL] AI Weekly: December 15
This Week’s Action: Urge U.S. president-elect Barack Obama to make a commitment to human rights: go here
This Week’s Issues: Taser abuse
Since June 2001 more than 320 individuals have died after having been tasered by police. There have not been sufficient medical studies done to show the results when tasers are used on individuals with medical conditions. Amnesty International is urging police forces to suspend the use of tasers until studies are done to determine what role the use of tasers played in the deaths of those individuals. If police won’t suspend the use of tasers, AI encourages them to restrict the use of tasers to situations in which police would be justified in using firearms.
Conscientious Objectors
The number of U.S. soldiers who are applying for conscientious objector (CO) status is increasing; however, the U.S. government is turning the majority of them down and aggressively pursuing soldiers who have gone AWOL (absent without leave). Amnesty International denounces the government’s actions as denying freedom of thought, conscience, and religion.
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Action for October 2008 - send one e-mail or more…
The letter:
Dear :
Please accept my excuses for writing in English, but I hope my message will reach you.
I am writing to express my deep concern for the safety of William Reyes, who departed Valledupar, Cesar, for Maicao, La Guajira at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 25, and has not arrived or been heard from since.
William Reyes is a pastor of the Truth and Light Church of Maicao and a member of the Fraternidad de Ministros Evangélicos de Maicao -- this organization has received repeated threats from various illegal armed groups since March of this year. For this reason, we fear the worst.
We ask that you take all steps necessary to locate Pastor Reyes and to protect his family and the members of FRAME. We also ask that you ensure rapid and complete investigations of the threats against FRAME. Those responsible should be held accountable for any crimes.
Yours sincerely,
Send to:
Fiscal General (Attorney General)
Mario Iguaran
Fax: 011-571-570-2000 ext. 2017
Email: denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co
Gobernador de La Guajira (Governor of La Guajira)
Jorge Perez Bernier
Fax: 011-575-727-5007 (ask for fax)
Emails can be sent from this page:
http://www.laguajira.gov.co/sitios/ESCRIBENOS.html
Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad - DAS (Administrative
Security Department)
Maria del Pilar Hurtado Afanador
Fax: 011-571-408-8400
Email: quejas@das.gov.co
Comandante del Ejercito Nacional (Commander of the Army)
General Mario Montoya Uribe
Fax: 011-571-297-3107
Background:
Last Thursday, September 25, at 10 AM Pastor William Reyes left Valledupar, Cesar,
for his home in Maicao, La Guajira in northern Colombia; he never
arrived. Reyes ministers in the Light and Truth Church (Interamerican
denomination) of Maicao and is a member of the Pastors' association
(FRAME) – which has received repeated threats from the paramilitary,
the FARC and other illegal armed groups since March of this year.
Pastor Reyes' wife, Idia Miranda, is the FRAME secretary. Pastor Reyes
and Idia have three children, William Reyes Miranda, 19, Luz Mery
Reyes Miranda, 16, and Estefania Reyes Miranda, 9.
Human rights violations of church people, and of the civilian
population at large, are ongoing in Colombia. Last year the Justapaz,
Peace Commission Documentation and Advocacy program registered the
murder of four pastors and 22 additional homicides of lay leaders and
church members.
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