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

Report back from the “Birthday” demo outside Downing Street yesterday: really good atmosphere with about 50 people making lots of noise, chanting “Bring Binyam home” and “Stop Guantanamo Bay”.

We were singing happy birthday, eating cake and holding posters and banners. There was a good spread of people, from the women in head scarves to men in suits, kids and elderly. Some were in orange jumpsuits, some in Binyam t-shirts.

Passers-by were asked to sign petition to return Binyam to UK, as well as writing a note for him on a birthday card to be sent.

Check more pictures on Flickr

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…)

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.

On 10 June 2008, the Daily Show featured Amnesty International on TV. John Oliver visited the replica cell in Philadelphia and spoke to Larry Cox, the director of Amnesty International in the USA.

Footage includes a comedic renovation of the Guantánamo replica cell now travelling to various locations across the USA.

Op 30 april daverde de Antwerpse Groenplaats weer op haar grondvesten. De vzw Recht tegen Onrecht organiseerde er naar jaarlijkse gewoonte het benefietconcert ten voordele van Amnesty International. Dit jaar zetten onder anderen Tom Helsen, Delavega, Laïs, Neeka, Geena Lisa, Axl Peleman en Nicole & Hugo hun beste beentje voor voor de mensenrechten. Het concert stond dit jaar in het teken van de ‘Stop Terreur met Recht’.
Axl Peleman schreef en zong er een lied geïnspireerd op een gedicht van Osama Abu Kabir, een Jordaanse truckchauffeur die vast zit in Guantánamo. Het gedicht is opgenomen in de bundel ‘Poems from Guantanamo’.

Meer foto’s op
http://s251.photobucket.com/albums/gg304/ninaberghmans/?action=view&current=a4537cfc.pbw

Marking the 60th anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, and six years since the the attacks of 11 September 2001, Amnesty International is bringing a life size replica of a maximum security cell at Guantánamo Bay to several cities across the US.

On 30 May, the cell arrived in Philadelphia where it stayed for two days, until the 1 June. (more…)

Since it’s official release on 22 April 2008, The Stuff of life film has been showcased on some 50 UK theatre screens, and has been viewed on YouTube over 1 million times.

Produced by Amnesty International UK, this 90 second video exposes the horrors of the interrogation technique known as “waterboarding”. This technique was used by the CIA and authorised by US President, George W. Bush.

(more…)

En partenariat avec huit ONGs de defense des Droits Humaines au Maroc, la section marocaine a organise un sit-in le vendredi 11 janvier 08 de 17h a 17h30 devant le siege des Nations Unies a Rabat.

(more…)

La primer acción del día, por la mañana, fue el envío de postales electrónicas sobre el tema, utilizando un poema de uno de los detenidos. Puede consultarse en www.amnistia.cl/postales

El viernes 11 de enero, a las 21 hs. Nos reunimos en Plaza Mori, donde habíamos sido invitados en el marco de la presentación de la obra de teatro Mal Nacidos. (more…)