Doctors at risk in Sri Lanka

ASA 37/018/2009

(I could not find the document on the AI servers yet, but this is the right UA, it has the same text as the word file I was sent.)

There is fear for the well being of five doctors who spoke out against the Sri Lankan government's methods of warfare during the recent war with the LTTE. They are now being held, and recently a press conference was held in which they recanted their previous accusations. Sri Lanka has a history of torture and ill treatment of prisoners.

AI writes:

Before their capture the doctors had provided eyewitness reports to the media and the international community from hospitals and makeshift medical centres in the conflict zone. Contrary to information from the government, their reports detailed the suffering of ordinary civilians, many of whom died from war-related injuries. Their reports also highlighted shelling of areas with large concentrations of non-combatants.

Please send appeals, before 23/09/09, to:
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 23 September 2009:

• His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Presidential Secretariat, Colombo 1, Sri Lanka, Fax: +94 11 2446657 (Salutation: Your Excellency)
• Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Minister of Defence, Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law and Order, 15/5, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 03, Sri Lanka, Fax: +94 11 245 1529 (Salutation: Dear Minister). NB: I was unsuccessful in getting a fax through to this number.

Send copies to your local Sri Lankan diplomatic mission. In Australia:

• His Excellency Mr Senaka C.B. WALGAMPAYA PC, High Commissioner, High Commission of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, 35 Empire Circuit, Forrest ACT 2603, Fax: (02) 6239 6166, Email : admin@slhcaust.org (Salutation: Your Excellency)

My letter is below.

His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 11 2446657

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia, Tuesday, 18 August 2009


Your Excellency,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident and a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

I write to express my grave concern for doctors Veerakkathipillai Shanmugarajah, Thurairaja Varatharaja, Thangamuttu Sathyamoorthy, Kathirvel Ilancheliyan Vallavan and S. Sivapalanm, who have not been charged since their detention on 15 May 2009.

I call on you to release the doctors immediately, unless they are charged with recognisably criminal offences.

I futhermore call on the Sri Lankan government to repeal or revise emergency regulations and other special security legislation so as to bring them into line with international human rights law and standards.

I also note that I regard with suspicion the retractions of earlier statements which were given by the doctors on the press conference on July the 8th. I call on you to do ensure that the doctors are treated well while in custody, and to ensure, in particular, that they are not subjected to torture or other ill treatment.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

This letter has been made public here: http://aiua-sent.blogspot.com/

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

White Flag Shootings in Gaza?

Here is a report in the Guardian, on allegations of killings of civilians carrying white flags, during Israel's offensive in Gaza this year.

Death in Custody: Justice for Mr Ward

I found this truly shocking. Mr Ward, an indigenous elder, was being transported by authorities when he died. AI writes:

Inside the metal pod, the temperature reached up to 50.4°C and the metal floor peaked at up to 56.6°C. Mr Ward died of heatstroke and suffered a serious burn from his skin touching the metal surface. His body temperature was 41.7°C when he reached Kalgoorlie Hospital. Despite the efforts of hospital staff, they were unable to revive him.

Please follow this link to write to the Attorney-General to protest. My letter is below.

Dear Attorney-General,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a PhD student at the Australian National University. I am writing to express my utter disgust at the appalling death of Mr Ward, and to express my grave concern that the history of Indigenous deaths in custody in Australia is, evidently, still not receiving adequate attention by the Australian Government.

I call on the Commonwealth to uphold its responsibility to honour Australia's human rights obligations.

The treatment of Mr Ward breached Australia's human rights obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which states that no-one shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and that all persons deprived of their liberty shall be treated with humanity and dignity; and the Convention Against Torture which obliges States to ensure that effective legislative, administrative, judicial or other measures to prevent acts of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment are in place, and that all violations are punished.

I also call on the Commonwealth to uphold its responsibility to ensure that the recommendations from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody have been implemented. These include:

- addressing the economic and social factors that underpin the extreme over-representation of Indigenous people in custody;
- improving standards of continuous monitoring to ensure the health and well-being of Indigenous prisoners;
- limiting the unnecessary transportation of accused persons over long distances;
- not placing Indigenous prisoners in institutions far from their families and allowing appeal against transfer decisions; and
- ensuring that all deaths in custody are investigated on the basis that they may be homicides.

I trust that you will do all that is within your power to ensure that the human rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders is upheld and that all necessary actions are taken to prevent a recurrence of this tragedy.

Sincerely yours

Ole Koksvik

Iran: Execution by Stoning

Today's second letter regards the threat of execution by stoning, in Iran. AI writes:

Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi is at risk of execution by stoning in Tabriz Prison, western Iran. She was convicted in 2006 or 2007 of “adultery while being married”. She was previously flogged for “having an illicit relationship”.

Further details: MDE 13/082/2009

Write to Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, Office of the Head of the Judiciary. Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir (In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi).

Send copies to:

• Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei, The Office of the Supreme Leader. Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter
• The local diplomatic contacts for Iran (click through to the right country, then click "contact us" on the left). In Australia: His Excellency Mr Mahmoud MOVAHHEDI, Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. PO Box 705 , Mawson ACT 2607, Fax : (02) 6290 2825

My letter is below:

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA


Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737,
Islamic Republic of Iran


Your Excellency,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University and a member of Amnesty International.

It has come to my attention that Sakineh Mohammadi is at risk of being stoned, having been convicted for “adultery while being married".

I am writing to urge you to ensure that Sakineh Mohammadi is not executed. Execution is the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment; it is a punishment which is never justified, and certainly not in the case at hand.

I further call on you to ensure that an immediate and effective moratorium is imposed on executions by stoning and the use of other forms of execution and cruel and inhuman punishments, including flogging.


Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and to consider my concerns.


Sincerely yours

Ole Koksvik

Two men hanged; others in grave danger

Two urgent actions letters today:

The first relates to the hanging of two men, and the immediate risk of the execution of three further men, in Japan.

Further details: ASA 22/012/2009

Write, in the first instance, to MORI Eisuke, the Minister of Justice, fax: +81 3 5511 7200.

Send copies to:

• ASO Taro, Prime Minister, fax: +81 3 3581 3883, Email: (via website) http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/forms/comment.html
• Newspaper Asahi Shimbun, fax: +81 3 3545 0285.
• The local Japanese diplomatic contacts. In Australia: His Excellency Mr Takaaki KOJIMA, Ambassador. Fax: (02) 6273 1848

I believe that sending a fax strikes the best balance between speed of delivery and delivering a product that will be taken somewhat seriously, and I think email comes second. However, if you prefer sending an ordinary letter, click here to obtain postal addresses.

My letter is below.

MORI Eisuke
Minister of Justice
1-1-1 Kasumigaseki
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-897
JAPAN
Fax: +81 3 5511 7200
E-mail: webmaster@moj.go.jp


Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA Friday, 14 August 2009

Dear Minister,

My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University and a member of Amnesty International.

I write to express my concern at the your decision to proceed with the executions of Maeue Hiroshi and Yamaji Yukio.

I strongly urge you not to execute Shinozawa Kazuo, Zoda Hiroshi and Ogata Hidek. I also call on you to order an immediate moratorium on the death penalty, with a view to eventual abolition, and to commute the sentences of all those now on death row.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

128 People Facing Imminent Execution in Iraq

MDE 14/009/2009

Amnesty has been informed by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council informed that Iraq’s Presidential Council has ratified the death sentences of 128 people, all of whom now face imminent execution. No details are known about the identities of these people.

You can write to President Jalal Talabani; Vice-Presidents Tariq al-Hashimi and ‘Adil ‘Abdul Mahdi, with copies to Prime Minister Nuri Kamil al-Maliki; the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hoshyar Zebari, the Minister of Human Rights; Wajdan Mikhail Salam and the Ambassador, His Excellency Mr Ghanim Taha A AL-SHIBLI. Send all letters care of the embassy, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq, 48 Culgoa Circuit, O'Malley ACT 2606, and ask them to forward them to their addressees with urgency.

My letter is below:

His Excellency Mr Ghanim Taha A AL-SHIBLI                    

Ambassador                                                                              

Embassy of the Republic of Iraq                                                                                                  

48 Culgoa Circuit                                                                                                                              

O’Malley  ACT  2606                                                         

Ole Koksvik

Philosophy, RSSS

The Australian National University

Canberra ACT 2600

AUSTRALIA

Monday, 16 March 2009

Your Excellency,

RE: FEAR OF IMMINENT EXECUTION

I am a student at the Australian National University, an Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, and a member of Amnesty International. I am writing to express my concern that 128 people are facing imminent execution in your country, the death sentences of which were ratified by Iraq’s Presidential Council earlier this month. 

I strongly urge the authorities in your country to commute these 128 death sentences along with all the death sentences pending in Iraq.

I also call on Iraqi authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on executions in your country.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and hear my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Detainees at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre, the Bahamas

It has been a long time since my last post, I really wish that was different. Hopefully I'll manage to post more regularly from now on.

AMR 14/001/2009

Amnesty International fears for the safety of detainees at a detention centre in Nassau, the Bahamas. The Carmichael Road Detention Centre houses foreign nationals alleged by the authorities to have breached immigration laws, including asylum-seekers, some of whom are believed to be children.

A number of recent reports indicate that detainees are severely beaten and otherwise mistreated. Read the full brief from AI.

Please write to

• Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable Brent Symonette via fax Fax: +1 242 356-5990, 328-8212 or 326-2123 
  
• Minister of National Security, The Honourable Tommy Turnquest, via Fax: Fax: +1 242 356 6087 or 356 7444
• Minister of State for Immigration, The Honourable Branville McCartney, via Fax: Fax: +1 242 326 0977
• Send copies to: The Tribune Newspaper, via Fax: + 1 242 328 2398.

(Follow the link above to obtain mail addresses.)

My letter is below.

The Honourable Brent Symonette

Ministry of Foregin Affairs

Goodman’s Bay Corporate Centre

West Bay Street

P.O. Box N 3746

Nassau, The Bahamas

FAX: +1 242 356 5990, 328-8212, 326-2123

Ole Koksvik

Philosophy, RSSS

The Australian National University

Canberra, ACT 2600

AUSTRALIA 16/03/2009

DETAINEES AT THE CARMICHAEL ROAD DETENTION CENTRE

Dear Deputy Prime Minister,

My name is Ole Koksvik, I am a Norwegian citizen, a permanent resident of Australia, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. I am a member of Amnesty International.

I am writing to express my grave concern at reports that people being held at the Carmichael Road Detention Centre have been beaten and ill-treated.

I call on you to ensure that the detainees who have been ill-treated are given immediate medical treatment.

I request that you initiate an immediate, thorough and independent investigation into the allegation of ill-treatment, and that you ensure that those found responsible are brought to justice.

I call on you, furthermore, to ensure that independent monitors are allowed access to the detention facility, including that of human rights organisations.

I urge that you unsure that no asylum-seeker be returned without access to a fair and effective refugee determination procedure, which should include the right to appeal to an independent tribunal, and which should include, also, access to effective legal assistance, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and access to interpreters.

Finally, I urge you to use the detention of irregular migrants and asylum-seekers only as a measure of last resort. Please ensure that alternatives to detention are available and accessible, both in law and in practice, and without discrimination.

Thank you for considering these concerns.

Sincerely,

Ole Koksvik