Juvenile Offender Faces Execution in Iran

Hossein Haghi is facing imminent execution for a murder committed when he was a 16-year-old boy. Read more here:

UA: 234/09 Index: MDE 13/095/2009

Please send appeals immediately, and before October 15:

• Leader of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei; The Office of the Supreme Leader; Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street; Tehran; Islamic Republic of Iran; Send email via website. (Salutation: Your Excellency)
• 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, Send email via website. (First starred box: your given name; second starred box: your family name; third: your email address), (Salutation: Your Excellency)

Please send copies to:

• 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 at bia-judiciary.ir or int_aff at judiciary.ir (In the subject line: FAO Mohammad Javad Larijani)
• Your local diplomatic mission.

My letter is below.

Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street
Tehran
Islamic Republic of Iran

Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA Friday, 11 September 2009


RE: Death sentence of Hossein Haghi

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. It has come to my attention that Hossein Haghi’s death sentence was approved by Branch 27 of the Supreme Court during the last week of August 2009.

I write to express my concern at this development and I call on you and the authorities in your country to commute this death sentence of Hossein Haghi.

I respectfully remind you 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

Stop Violence against Evicted Community

The inhabitants of San Antonio Ebulá in Mexico were forcibly evicted, and some were beaten, on 13 August by private security guards aided by police. Although the village was levelled, the inhabitants are planning to return. It is feared that violence may be used by police and private security guards to prevent their return.

Read more here: UA 235-09 (pdf file)

Please send appeals, before October 15, to:

• Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez; Gobernador del Estado de Campeche; Palacio de Gobierno; Calle 8 entre 61 y Circuito Baluartes S/N; San Fco. de Campeche 24009; MEXICO. Fax: +52 98 1811 4004 (Salutation: Dear Governor), and
• Lic. Carlos Miguel Aysa González; Secretario de Seguridad Pública; Av. López Portillo por Av. Lázaro Cárdenas S/N; Col. Laureles, San Fco. de Campeche; C. P. 24085; MEXICO. Fax: +52 98 1 811 9110 (ask: "me puede dar tono de fax por favor") (Salutation: Dear Governor)

Send copies to:

• And your local diplomatic mission
• Equipo Indignación: informativo at indignacion.org.mx

My letter is below.

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


Jorge Carlos Hurtado Valdez
Gobernador del Estado de Campeche
Palacio de Gobierno, Calle
8 entre 61 y Circuito Baluartes S/N,
San Fco. De Campeche 24009.
MEXICO
Fax: +52 1811 4004

RE: San Antonio Ebulá

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

After receiving information regards this matter from Amnesty International, I write to express
my concern about the current situation of the inhabitants of San Antonio Ebulá.

As I understand it, they have been forcibly and violently evicted from their village without
warning or a legal warrant and were not provided with an adequate alternative. I strongly urge, you and your fellow authorities to investigate the allegations of beating and damages against private property and dwellings.

I also ask that you provide the inhabitats of San Antonio Ebulá with protection from further forced eviction of abuses by private security guards or police, should they wish to return to their village pending the outcome of legal proceedings in relationship to the ownership and use of the land. Please make every attempt to promptly resolve the ownership of the land and engage in genuine consultation with the community, including provision of adequate alternative housing with security of tenure and compensation, should this be necessary.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,

Ole Koksvik

Legal Aid Worker at Risk of Torture

Three letters today! (I am a member of a small group who help each other write letters. The letters on this page is the result of our joint effort.)

The first is from China.

Zhuang Lu works for a legal aid and research organisation called the Open Constitution Initiative in Beijing. She has been missing since 22 August, and may be in police custody and is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Read more here: ASA 17/051/2009

Please write before October 13 2009 to:

• Director of the Beijing Public Security Bureau; MA Zhenchuan Juzhang; Beijingshi Gong'anju; 9 Qianmen Dongdajie; Dongchengqu Beijingshi 100740; People's Republic of China; Fax: +86 10 85222320 (Salutation: Dear Director)
• Minister of Public Security of the People's Republic of China; MENG Jianzhu Buzhang; Gong’anbu; 14 Dongchang’anjie; Dongchengqu; Beijingshi 100741; People's Republic of China (Salutation: Your Excellency) Fax: +86 10 63099216

Remember to send a copy to China's diplomatic mission in your local area.

My letter is below.

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


MA Zhenchuan Juzhang
Beijingshi Gong'anju
9 Qianmen Dongdajie
Dongchengqu
Beijingshi 100740
People's Republic of China 11/09/2009
Fax: +86 10 85222320


Dear Director,

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 Zhuang Lu, who is the Finance Secretary of the Open Constitution Initiative (Gongmeng) was detained by police on 29 July and, despite statements from the police that she has been released on August 22, her whereabouts are still unknown. She has not been hear from since 26 August.

I call on you to release Zhuang Lu immediately and unconditionally unless she is charged with an internationally recognizable offence.

I urge you to guarantee that she is not tortured or ill-treated while she remains in custody, and to immediately provide information on her whereabouts, and the reasons and legal basis for her continued detention.

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


Sincerely yours,
Ole Koksvik

On Faxing

I want to encourage all readers to use fax as much as possible when writing letters on behalf of Amnesty International. It is harder to dismiss a piece of paper than it is to dismiss an email; thus letters and faxes are better than emails, I think. But it is also important that the action reach quickly, and so faxes are the better choice of those two.

You may not be aware that you can fax without having a fax machine. There are many providers that let you send an email, with what you want faxed in an attachment, and they will send the fax for you. We use Ozefax, and this has proved a reliable and cheap service so far.

So, please consider sending faxes!

Travis Bishop, soldier imprisoned as conscientious objector in USA

AMR 51/093/2009

Sargent Travis Bishop is serving a one-year prison sentence over his refusal to serve in Afghanistan, a refusal caused by his religious beliefs. AI considers him a prisoner of conscience. Click above for full details.

Please write to:
Commanding Officer of Travis Bishop's Unit

• Lieutenant General Rick Lynch; Commanding General; III Corps HQ; 1001 761st Tank Battalion Ave.; Bldg. 1001, Room W105; Fort Hood, TX 76544-5005; USA (Salutation: Dear Commanding General), and
• Military Commander Colonel James H. Jenkins III; Headquarters, 69th Air Defense Artillery Brigade; Building 10053, Battalion Avenue; Fort Hood, TX 76544-5068; USA

before 05 October.

Send copies to your local diplomatic mission for the US, as well as to Travis's lawyer
Travis Bishop’s lawyer

• James M. Branum; 3334 W. Main St., PMB #412; Norman, OK 73072; USA

My letter is below.

Lieutenant General Rick Lynch
Ole Koksvik
Philosophy, RSSS
The Australian National University
Canberra ACT 2600
AUSTRALIA

Commanding General
III Corps HQ
1001 761st Tank Battalion Ave.
Bldg. 1001, Room W105
Fort Hood, TX 76544-5005
USA


Dear Commanding General,

RE: Travis Bishop

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

I wish to draw your attention to the fact that Amnesty International considers Travis Bishop to be a prisoner of conscience, imprisoned solely for his conscientious objection to participate in war.

I understand that Bishop went absent without leave, however he did so to complete an application for conscientious objector status and seek legal advice, thereafter returning to his unit to submit the application.

I strongly urge the authorities to release Travis Bishop immediately and unconditionally.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns.

Yours sincerely,


Ole Koksvik

Police Killings in Venezuela: 900 a Year!

From the Guardian again:

Human rights group estimate that during the past decade there has been an average of 900 killings a year. "Extra-judicial executions are extremely widespread. It's a habitual practice," said Pablo Fernandez, of the Support Network for Justice and Peace, an advocacy group that tracks human rights abuses.

Read the whole article here.

Doctors Participated in Torture, Committed Illegal Research

First of all, I'm tired of the BS of calling what CIA did "harsh techniques", or "rough interrogation" or similar euphemisms. What the CIA (and others) have done is torture, pure and simple. Waterboarding is torture. Slamming someone's head against the wall is torture. Keeping someone awake for prolonged periods of time is torture. The list goes on. So, this is an allegation by a watchdog that doctors participated in torture.

From the Guardian:

Doctors and psychologists the CIA employed to monitor its "enhanced interrogation" of terror suspects came close to, and may even have committed, unlawful human experimentation, a medical ethics watchdog has alleged. ...

PHR [Physicians for Human Rights] says health professionals participated at every stage in the development, implementation and legal justification of what it calls the CIA's secret "torture programme".

Read on here.