Disclaimer

It should be unnecessary to say, but I think it is not.

The views expressed on this blog are those of the authors of the letters alone. In the case of posts other than responses to Amnesty's requests for urgent actions, they usually reflect the views of Ole Koksvik, and not necessarily of the other authors.

In particular, the views are not those of the Australian National University, nor has the university condoned or in any other way supported the contents. In the cases where the university is mentioned in the letters, this is just because it is a convenient way for the authors to receive mail.

The views expressed in this blog are also not those of Amnesty International Australia, nor of any other chapter of that organisation.

Any questions or complaints should be directed to Ole Koksvik, whose contact details are here.

Young Man Facing Execution in Singapore

ASA 36/004/2009 (Html here, .rtf file here.)

Yong Vui Kong was sentenced to death for drug trafficking in January 2009. He had exhausted his appeals by October, and can now escape execution only if the president grants clemency.

Read more by clicking one of the links above.

Please send appeals immediately,

• Urging the president to grant clemency to Yong Vui Kong and commute his death sentence;
• Expressing concern that because the death penalty is mandatory for drug-trafficking cases, the court had no discretion to sentence Yong Vui Kong to an alternative punishment;
• Calling on the president to introduce a moratorium on executions, with a view to complete abolition of the death penalty.

Please send appeals immediately, and before December 15, to:

His Excellency SR Nathan
Office of the President
Istana, Orchard Road
Singapore 0922
Fax: +65 6735 3135 (My fax went through on the first attempt.) Email: s_r_nathan@istana.gov.sg
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Please send copies to:

Editor-in-Chief
The Straits Times
1000 Toa Payoh North
News Centre,
Singapore 318994
Fax: +65 6319 8282 (My fax went through on the first attempt.) Email: stonline@sph.com.sg

Please also send a copy to the Singaporean foreign mission closest to you.

My letter below:

His Excellency SR Nathan
Office of the President
Istana, Orchard Road
Singapore 0922
Fax: +65 6735 3135

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 06/11/2009

RE: MR YONG VUI KONG

Your Excellency,

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

It has come to my attention that Mr Yong Vui Kong, who was arrested in 2007 at the age of 19 and who was sentenced to death in January 2009, has now exhausted his appeals, save pardon by the President.

I am writing to urge you to grant clemency to Yong Vui Kong and to commute his death sentence.

I am deeply concerned that because the death penalty is mandatory for drug-trafficking cases, the court had no discretion to sentence Yong Vui Kong to an alternative punishment.

I call on you to introduce a moratorium on executions, with a view to complete abolition of the death penalty.

The death penalty is the ultimate cruel and inhuman punishment, and it is a gross violation of a person's right to life, as embodied in the UDHR.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.


Your sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Female Journalist Under Threat in Sri Lanka

ASA 37/021/2009

Journalist and media rights activist, Dileesha Abeysundera is in danger after a gang of unidentified people threatened her and tried to forcefully gain access to her property in Sri Lanka on 28 September.

Dileesha Abeysundera is an award winning journalist for the newspaper Irundia, known for highly critical coverage of the Sri Lankan government, and the Deputy Secretary of the Free Media Movement and Secretary of the National Forum for Journalists in Sri Lanka. She believes the gang threatened her because of her work campaigning for media rights. She had organised and attended a meeting on 28 September, calling for the abolition of what she has publically stated as the ‘draconian provisions in the Press Council Act.’

In Sri Lanka, at least 14 media workers have been killed since 2006. White vans, which were present in this case, have been used in many abductions and enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka particularly since 2006, when state agents and paramilitary groups allied to the government stepped up attacks on critics of the government.

Please send appeals immediately, calling on the Sri Lankan authorities to:

• ensure the safety of Dileesha Abeysundera;
• investigate the intimidation of Dileesha Abeysundera and attacks on other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers;
• abolish or reform legislations that are being used to suppress the right to freedom of expression and put an end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign, by state agents and paramilitary groups, of intimidation and violence against independent journalists in Sri Lanka

Please send appeals immediately, and before November 18, to:

His Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 11 2446657
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Inspector General of Police
Jayantha Wickramaratne
Sri Lanka Police Headquarters
101/1 Kew Road, Colombo 2
Sri Lanka
Fax: + 94 11 244 6174
(Salutation: Dear Inspector General)

Please send copies to the chapter of Sri Lankan foreign mission closest to you.

Rachael's letter below:

Rachael Brown
[personal address omitted]


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

RE: Threats to female journalist, Dileesha Abeysundera

Your Excellency the President,

My name is Rachael Brown. I am an Australian citizen, and a PhD Candidate at the
Australian National University.

I am writing concerning a threat to both the human rights of journalists and the right to
freedom of expression in your country, bought to my attention by Amnesty International. In
particular, I am calling upon you to act to ensure the safety of Dileesha Abeysundera, award
winning journalist for the Sri Lankan newspaper, Irundia (part of The Leader Group).

Ms Abeysundera and other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers have reported being
threatened and intimidated as a consequence of their work promoting freedom of expression,
I urge you to investigate these matters and bring those responsible to justice.

I also call for you to abolish or reform legislations that are being used to suppress the right to freedom of expression and put an end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign, by state agents and paramilitary groups, of intimidation and violence against independent journalists in Sri Lanka.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns, I trust you will act upon them in due
course.

Yours sincerely,

Rachael Brown

A Juvenile Offender Executed in Iran, Another at Risk

MDE 13/105/2009 (html here, text file (.rtf) here)

The Iranian male Behnoud Shojaee, aged 21, was executed in Evin prison, Tehran, on 11 October, for a murder he was found guilty of committing committed when he was 17. He had no legal representation at his initial trial.

Safar Angooti was convicted of murder when he was 17, and he was sentenced to death. The authorities have told his lawyer that he will be executed on 21 October, but he may be executed on 19 October.

Executions of those under 18 at the time of their offence is strictly prohibited under international law.

Please send appeals immediately, and before the 19th of October (possible day of the execution), to:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/81/Default.aspx
First starred box: your given name;
second starred box: your family name;
third: your email address
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Head of Tehran Judiciary
Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue,
Corner of Ally 17, No 152,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir
(Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei)

Director, Human Rights Headquarters of Iran
Mohammad Javad Larijani
Howzeh Riassat-e Ghoveh Ghazaiyeh
Pasteur St, Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhuri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 3390 4986 (please keep trying)
Email: fsharafi@bia-judiciary.ir or int_aff@judiciary.ir (Both these failed permanently for me.)

Also send copies to the Iranian foreign mission closest to you.

My letter below:

Head of Tehran Judiciary
Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue,
Corner of Ally 17, No 152,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir


Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA

RE: The execution of Behnoud Shojaee and the planned execution of Safar Angooti

Dear Mr Avaei,

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

I am writing to condemn the execution of Behnoud Shojaee. His execution is a gross
violation of international law as he was under 18 at the time of the crime he had been
sentenced for.

I would also urge the Iranian authorities to immediately halt the execution of Safar Angooti so that his case can be reviewed urgently with a view to overturning his death sentence.

I would respectfully remind the Iranian authorities that Iran is a state party to the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC), both of which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under 18.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Elderly Couple Facing Jail for Practicing Falun Gong

ASA 17/057/2009 (or download a .rtf file here).

Falun Gong practitioners Yan Dongfei and her husband Qiao Yongfang (60) have been detained since 8 June. On 5 July they were formally arrested, on suspicion of "using a heretical organisation to undermine implementation of the law". It is known that Qiao Yongfang has been tortured. They are both at risk of (further) torture and other ill-treatment while in detention, and risk lengthy prison sentences. Read more by following the links above.

Please send appeals immediately, and before November 20, to:

Huimin District People's Court
Huiminqu Renmin Fayuan
Hai Xi Lu
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Head of the Court )

Huimin District Procuratorate
Huiminqu Renmin Jiancha Yuan
He Fang
Xin Hua Da Jie Xi Jie
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Head of the Procuratorate)

Please send copies to:

Huhehaote Procuratorate
Huhehaote Shi Renmin Jiancha Yuan
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People's Republic of China
(Salutation: Dear Head of the Procuratorate)

As well as to the foreign mission that is closest to you.

My letter below:

Huimin District People’s Court
Huiminqu Renmin Fayuan
Hai Xi Lu
Huhehaote Shi 010000
Nei Menggu Zizhiqu
People’s Republic of China


Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 16/09/
2009
ole.koksvik at anu.edu.au

RE: YAN DONGFEI AND QIAO YOUNGFANG

Dear Head of the Court,

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

It has come to my attention that Falun Gong practitioners Yan Dongfei and Qiao Yongfang, aged 60, have been held at the No. 1 Detention Center in the Huhehaote since 8 June. They have been allowed no visits or phone calls from their family since they have been in custody, and have only been allowed one visit from their lawyers. It has also come to my attention that Qiao Yongfang had been tortured, resulting in injuries to his head, and that he appeared disoriented and depressed in that meeting.

I implore you to release Yan Dongfei and Qiao Yongfang immediately and unconditionally, unless they are charged with an internationally recognized crime and tried promptly in proceedings which meet fair trial standards.

I am deeply concerned that they have been detained solely because of their religious beliefs. If that is the case, they are therefore prisoners of conscience.

I call on you to guarantee that they will not be tortured or ill-treated, and I demanding that you give them immediate access to their family, medical care and a lawyer of their choosing.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Your sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Former Australian PM Malcom Fraser Accuses Liberal Party of Risking Lives

Go to ABC News Radio, here, http://www.abc.net.au/newsradio/, and find this audio (at least today, I am guessing) on the left.

Malcom Fraser, former Australian PM for the Liberal party, made some good points in this interview. The Liberal party has been claiming that the increase in people setting sail for Australia to seek asylum can be blamed on Labour's asylum policies. Mr Fraser pointed out that the way Tamils are being treated in Sri Lanka is likely to alone be sufficient to cause more to flee. Anyway, well worth a listen. Thanks, mr Fraser!

Yemeni Journalist Abducted after Criticising Government

MDE 31/011/2009

A male Yemeni journalist, Muhammad al-Maqalih, has been abducted in the capital, Sana’a. Government forces have mounted a series of attacks in Sa’da province, northern Yemen, since mid-August, including bombing raids against villages and towns. Muhammad al-Maqalih published criticism of the army’s killing of civilians on the Yemeni Socialist Party’s website

Muhammad al-Maqalih’s whereabouts are unknown, and his life is at risk. In Yemen, critics of the state are often at risk of arrest, detention, abduction and beatings.

Read more here.

Please send appeals as soon as possible, and before 12 November. Remember to send faxes when you can!

President ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh
Office of the President of the Republic of Yemen
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 274147 (I faxed this number, it went through fine.)
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Major General Ghaleb al-Qamash
Chairman of the Central Organ for Political Security
Central Organ for Political Security
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 443040 (Also works.)
(Salutation: Dear Sir)

Send copies to:

Minister of Human Rights
Houda ‘Ali ‘Abdullatif al-Baan
Ministry for Human Rights
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
Fax: +967 1 444833
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

My letter below:

President ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh
Office of the President of the Republic of Yemen
Sana’a
Republic of Yemen
+967 1 274147

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA 14/10/2009

RE: Detainment of Muhammad al-Maqalih
Your Excellency,
My name is Ole Koksvik. I am a Norwegian citizen, an Australian Permanent Resident, a PhD Candidate at the Australian National University.

I am writing to call on the Yemeni authorities to clarify publicly Muhammad al-Maqalih’s whereabouts and to release him immediately and unconditionally if he is being held solely for his criticism of the government.

I would like to point out that if Muhammad al-Maqalih is being held solely for criticising the Yemeni government, Amnesty International would consider him to be a prisoner of conscience.

If, however, Muhammad al-Maqalih is held on suspicion of a recognizably criminal offence, I would urge the Yemeni authorities to ensure that he is protected from torture and other ill-treatment, and also to allow him prompt and regular access to a lawyer of his choosing, to his family and to any medical treatment that he may require.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik