Hi,

It’s been so hectic here that I forgot to send you more details on the upcoming week of action on Omar Khadr Oct 5-11 (just before our election on Oct 14).

Over the past two months, a new coalition has grown up around the case that has helped get people out into the streets. I’m part of the steering group.

The details of the demos/events planned is here: http://www.bringomarhome.ca/en/events.htm. There are AI speakers at all events, and members will also be there with big banners and other materials (of course).

I’m happy to say that the action section of the “Bring Omar Home” website links directly to my security blog and AI Canada’s on-line action (it’s become the central on-line action for the coalition).

I would like to encourage other people to link to our on-line action (or highlights their own action of they have one) during that week. We’d like to have some extra pressure on our Prime Minister.

We’ve also created orange wristbands that say:
“Justice for Omar Khadr/Rapatriez Omar Khadr” (with the AI candle logo in between the phrases) and “Close Guantánamo/Bring Omar Khadr Home” (with the AI candle logo in between the phrases). I’ll send you some

Cheers,
Hilary, from Canada

Tens of humans are fenced in, under spotlights. They are separated into opposite ends of the cage, in different uniforms; half in orange, half in black.

An official enters, shouts. The scene is tense. He stands between the sides, counts up who’s there. Then blows his kazoo [Ed. Kazoo, are you sure? NS: CORRECT] and the battle begins.

The oranges, that’s Amnesty International UK sporting Close Guantánamo t-shirts, are well-organised and play up to the attention of their watching WAGS [Ed. Wives and girlfriends, really? Not colleagues? WHATEVER]. The blacks, that’s AI International Secretariat in their cumbersome Counter Terror With Justice tops, are a little lost outside the rigid command work structure they’re used to but threaten the CG’s goal several times. It’s end-to-end, high-octane stuff but the ref’s kazoo sounds for a goal-less half-time score.

CTWG’s “Manager” Ghias pulls a few people off at half-time and the team is punished when CG’s forward (Steve?) gets between ‘keeper Javier and defender Mustafa and heads the Control Arms-emblazoned football [Ed. This is AI campaigning going over the top. WHATEVER] into the net. CG tick-off the first milestone of their campaign.

CTWJ press on, come close with a long-range Katyusha from Marek and then have a strong call for a penalty rejected. The ref punctuates CTWJ’s waves forward and CG’s counter-attacks with “last 10 minutes” and “5 minutes to go”.

Entering Crisis mode, CTWJ persuade Ghias to drop his controversial rotation system and put on the strongest side. “2 minutes”, “1 minute”… and then the ball is played diagonally into CG’s penalty area into the path of Neil, who shoots the Control Arms ball into CG’s net and dedicates the goal to imprisoned, rendered German of Syrian origin Muhammad Zammar [Ed. Nice touch].

CTWJ jump up and down like school-kids and Javier runs the length of the field with love in his eyes. The kazoo warbles again; it was the last kick of the game.

And we all went to the pub.

- - Neil Sammonds

 Second day at the European Social Forum in Malm twoo (Sweden) and we are thinking of moving some of our stalls to a different place. Till now, Amnesty International main stalls have been at the Baltiska hall, one of the four venues where activities as part of this forum are taking place. Unfortunately, the Baltiska hall is far away from the city centre and no many people are passing by.

Some of our volunteers left this morning to the other venues and central locations in the city to gather support for the actions that we are promoting. Primarily, these days we are collecting signatures against discrimination against Roma in Slovakia and Italy, as well a petition to French President Sarkozy to end rendition and secret detention.

Meanwhile, we have decided to move to a different venue, together with some of the organizations at the Baltiska hall. We will update the blog with more news from the forum as soon as we get a chance…

The local Amnesty International group of Norwich marked the up-coming birthday of Binyam Mohammed, who has now spent one fifth of his life in Guantanamo. Marking growing concern about Binyam’s physical and mental health, and the fact that the trial process is getting under-way in Guantanamo, (more…)

In light of the very first interrogation tapes ever to be released from Guantanamo of Omar Khadr, Amnesty International reitterates that Khadr must be repatriated to Canada. The military commissions at Guantanamo Bay are flawed and not in line with international human rights and international law.

Take action by sending a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper urging him to bring Khadr back to Canada for a fair trial or release.

Sign the petition to end illegal US detention and close Guantanamo, one pixel at a time.

Click here to learn more about Omar Khadr, who was only 15 years old when he was detained by US soldiers in Afghanistan in 2002.

To mark the International Day of Victims of Torture, on 26 June, Amnesty International in India organized street performances at various sites in Delhi. The play Bandhi! (Prisoner) is about how prisoners are treated in jails and the oppression, in the form of torture, both physical and mental, they have to go through.

Bandhi! picks up the issue of the state’s response to political prisoners, peaceful protesters in the name of national security. It also touches upon the critical issue of racial profiling in India where minorities face the brunt of their religious affiliations and are often labeled as “terrorists”. The play refers to various instances of torture in India and around- Dr. Binayak Sen, Guantanamo Bay prison, China’s Human rights violations, Bhopal Gas Tragedy survivors’ protests, death penalty and the state of detention centres. The play also takes a satirical stand on the role of media in sensationalizing news.

In addition to street performances, activists in India organized the conference ‘Counter Terror with Justice: No torture. Policy implications for India’. The meeting was well attended by people from diverse backgrounds - security/intelligence personnels, politicians, academicians, diplomats, activists, lawyers etc.

The demonstration took place on the evening of 26 June, in Kabalagala, Kampala. 80-100 people attended, representing several East African countries.

The focus was on torture and sending refugees back to torture. 5 people were asking members of the public to sign a letter addressed to Eritrean authorities regarding over 800 Eritreans recently returned from Egypt. 150 signatures were collected which were faxed to Isaayas Afewerki, Fawzia Hashim and Eritrea’s commissioner for police, as well as Uganda’s minister for Foreign affairs.

The assembly chanted, sang and held a candle-lit vigil.

Watch more pictures of the action and actions in other countries

On 26th June AI-Luxembourg held a public action at the main square of the city centre.

Amnesty activists performed a street theatre in co-operation with Dana Rufolo of the Theatre Research Institute of Europe. The play was performed in French, Luxembourgish and English and illustrated how torture is used to silence people all around the world. There was also one person dressed up as a Guantanamo detainee in an orange jumpsuit, black hood and handcuffs. He had a sign around his neck, describing the case of Ahmed Agiza, who was handed over to CIA agents by the Swedish authorities and taken to Egypt where he was allegedly tortured and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

We had very good media coverage with articles published in five different newspapers, the action was shown on the news of RTL-Luxembourg television and interviews with the chair of AI-Luxembourg were broadcasted on the local radio as a headline of their news. Members of Amnesty International were also invited to a live radio show on Thursday evening at a local radio station to talk about the action, the street theatre performance and the work of Amnesty International in general.

AI-members have been collecting signatures for the postcard action targeting the French presidency of the European Union at four different public actions around the country throughout the month of June and as a result up to 900 persons have signed the postcards.

Amnesty International Denmark successfully lobbied Danish authorities to prevent the deportation of two Tunisian suspected terrorists, emphasizing that diplomatic assurances are simply not enough to protect them once they return to Tunisia.

With the official launch of the Tunisian report with Human Rights defender Samir Ben Amor on June 23, Amnesty International Denmark successfully mobilized pressure on Danish authorities to currently hold off deporting the terror suspects. This story has received tremendous coverage in the local media, and the Minister of Integration has assured that these suspects will be dealt with in accordance to international human law.

On June 26, Amnesty International Ireland hosted a poetry event at Buswells Hotel, Dublin with reading from Poems from Guantanamo.

Poems from Guantanamo is a collection of short poems written by Guantanamo Bay detainees while in custody at the US detention facility, some who are still there.

Poetry recitations were conducted by well-known Irish actors Sean McGinley, George Seremba, Denis Conway and Shadaan Felfeli, and all attendees were given a copy of Poems from Guantanamo by a generous Amnesty International donor. (more…)