Taliban Stone Afghan Couple to Death for Adultery
THE GUARDIAN: Amnesty International condemns first confirmed stoning in Afghanistan since fall of the Taliban in 2001

Taliban forces have stoned a couple to death for adultery in a public execution.

With Nato and UN officials in Kabul poring over the latest Taliban proposal to establish a joint commission to investigate civilian casualties, officials in the north of the country were detailing a killing that Amnesty International described as the first confirmed stoning in the country since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001.

Militants ordered the stoning after a married man and a single woman in Dasht-e-Archi district, Kunduz province, were accused of eloping.

Amnesty International called the stoning a "heinous crime" that showed the Taliban and other insurgent groups "are growing increasingly brutal in their abuses against Afghans".

"Amnesty International has warned that the Afghan government should not sacrifice human rights, particularly the rights of women and minorities, in the name of reconciliation with the Taliban and other insurgent groups," said a spokesman for the group. >>> Associated Press | Monday, August 16, 2010

’Help Us Save Our Mother’: Pleas from the Children of ‘Adulterous’ Iranian Woman Who Faces Death by Stoning
MAIL ONLINE: An Iranian mother-of-two faces death by stoning after being convicted of adultery.

Amnesty International today urged the Iranian authorities to halt the execution of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani.

The human rights organisation describes stoning as a ‘grotesque and unacceptable penalty which Iran should abolish immediately’.

Ashtiani’s children joined in with a heart-breaking appeal to the international community to help spare their mother’s life.

‘Please help end this nightmare and do not let it turn into a reality,’ begged her daughter, Farideh, 16, and her son, Sajad, 20.

‘Explaining the minutes and seconds of our lives is very difficult. Words lose their meaning in these agonising moments. Help us save our mother.’

Ashtiani, 43, was convicted of having an ‘illicit relationship’ with two men in May 2006 and received 99 lashes as her sentence.

Despite this, she was later convicted of ‘adultery while being married’ and was sentenced to death by stoning. >>> Michael Theodoulou | Thursday, July 01, 2010

Amnesty: Libya Rights Reform Stalling, Migrants in Fear
BBC: African migrants in Libya are "living in constant fear", a report by UK-based Amnesty International says.

The campaign group said the North African country's record on human rights falls well short of efforts to repair its image in the world.

It documents indefinite detentions, flogging for adultery, the continued disappearance of dissidents, and the security forces' immunity from justice.

The report is partially based on a week-long visit to Libya in May 2009.

It was the first trip of its kind in five years, facilitated by the Gaddafi Foundation - run by one of the Libyan leader's sons, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.

Analysts say he is keen to to liberalise the country, once a pariah state accused of promoting terrorism to threaten Western interests but now seen as a vital source of oil and gas resources and investment opportunities.

"If Libya is to have any international credibility, the authorities must ensure that no-one is above the law and that everyone, including the most vulnerable and marginalised, is protected by the law," Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa deputy director said in a statement.

"The repression of dissent must end," she said.

"Libya's international partners cannot ignore Libya's dire human rights record at the expense of their national interests." >>> | Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Suisse – Détention difficile : Amnesty très inquiète pour Max Göldi
20MINUTES.ch: La «dégradation drastique» des conditions de détention de Max Göldi préoccupe Amnesty International.

L'organisation appelle les autorités libyennes à améliorer immédiatement la situation, a-t-elle indiqué mardi dans une brève prise de position.

L'employé d'ABB emprisonné près de Tripoli a été transféré le week-end passé dans une cellule sans fenêtres ni eau chaude, selon son avocat Salah Zahaf. La pièce est très humide et sent mauvais, a ajouté Amnesty International. Et l'organisation de préciser que M. Göldi a été privé de promenade lundi. >>> ats | Mardi 30 Mars 2010

Iran : «La purge se poursuit dans les universités»
LE TEMPS: Six mois après les manifestations post-électorales qui ont divisé le pays, Amnesty International publie un rapport sur la situation des droits humains, la pire qu’ait connue la République islamique depuis vingt ans

Alors que la planète célèbre ce jeudi la Journée des droits de l’homme, Amnesty International dénonce, dans un rapport, les violations commises en Iran ces six derniers mois. En cause, l’élection présidentielle de juin dernier, qui a reconduit au pouvoir l’ultraconservateur Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, et a aussitôt été contestée par l’opposition et une partie de la population. Des manifestations monstres ont été organisées dans les rues de Téhéran, pour dénoncer les fraudes et réclamer la tenue d’un nouveau scrutin. Les autorités ont alors confié aux bassidji (miliciens islamistes volontaires) et aux pasdaran (les «gardiens de la révolution») le soin de mâter la rébellion. Quelque 4000 personnes ont été arrêtées, 36 officiellement tuées, 200 environ croupissent encore en prison. Le point avec Manon Schick, porte-parole de la section suisse d’Amnesty International. >>> Caroline Stevan | Jeudi 10 Décembre 2009

Muslim Model Says She Deserves to Be Caned
THE TELEGRAPH: A Muslim model has asked human rights group Amnesty International to stop asking the Malaysian authorities not to cane her, saying she is ready to face the penalty for drinking beer.

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was arrested after a poice raid at a hotel lounge. Photo: The Telegraph
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old mother of two, insisted she is willing to be lashed six times with a rattan cane next week for breaching the country's Shariah law, which forbids Muslims to consume alcohol.

"I want to respect the law," Kartika said from her northern home state of Perak. "Who am I to question the Islamic authorities' laws? That is beyond me.

"I never cried when I was sentenced by the judge. I told myself, alright then, let's get on with it."

Kartika is to become the first Malaysian woman to be caned in prison after she was arrested in a raid for drinking beer at a hotel lounge last year and sentenced by a Shariah court in July in what was considered a warning to other Muslims to abide by religious laws.

Amnesty International earlier urged authorities to "immediately revoke the sentence to cane her and abolish the practice of caning altogether."

"Caning is a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and is prohibited under international human rights law," it said in a statement.

Government lawyer Saiful Idham Sahimi said earlier this week the penalty was appropriate because drinking was a serious offence for Muslims.

Islamic authorities insist that the purpose of the caning is to educate rather than punish. They say the rattan cane to be used on Kartika will be smaller and lighter than the one used for men and that she will remain clothed. The prison official who canes her is also supposed to use very little force.

Men convicted of civil crimes such as rape and bribery in Malaysia are caned on their bare buttocks, breaking the skin and leaving permanent scars. >>> | Friday, August 21, 2009

Jailed Iran Reformists 'Tortured to Confess Foreign Plot'
THE GUARDIAN: Amnesty reports apparent attempt to implicate defeated presidential candidate in conspiracy to overthrow regime

Jailed Iranian reformists are believed to have been tortured in an attempt to force them into TV "confessions" of a foreign-led plot against the Islamic regime.

According to Iranian websites, the "confessions" are aimed at implicating Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, the defeated reformist candidates in this month's presidential poll, in an alleged conspiracy.

Mostafa Tajzadeh, Abdollah Ramezanzadeh and Mohsen Aminzadeh, all Mousavi supporters, are reported to have undergone "intensive interrogation" sessions in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since being arrested in a mass round-up of opposition figures following Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election.

The three, who all served in the government of the former reformist president, Mohammad Khatami, are among several hundred activists, academics, journalists and students detained in a crackdown coinciding with the brutal suppression of street protesters who believe the election was stolen.

Fellow prisoners are reported to have heard screams of pain from Tajzadeh, a former deputy interior minister, and Ramezanzadeh, who was Khatami's government spokesman, during interrogations at Evin's section 209, which is reserved for political prisoners and run by the hardline intelligence ministry. >>> Robert Tait | Friday, June 26, 2009

Human Rights Briefing: President Obama in Saudi Arabia and Egypt
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL (UK): Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:

'As well as delivering his speech to the Muslim world and trying to kick-start the stalled Middle East peace process, President Obama should use this trip to deliver a few home truths to his hosts in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. His message should be unambiguous: both Saudi Arabia and Egypt's human rights records are atrocious and urgent reforms are long overdue.'

SAUDI ARABIA
Unfair trials and detention
Thousands of people are detained without trial as terrorism suspects, and human rights activists and peaceful critics of the government are frequently detained and imprisoned. When trials occur in Saudi Arabia they are shrouded in secrecy and are generally poor in quality and unfair. Even in capital trials, defendants are rarely allowed legal assistance and can be convicted solely on the basis of confessions obtained under torture or by deception.

Death penalty
In 2008 at least 102 people (39 of them foreign nationals, typically poor migrant workers) were executed, many for non-violent crimes - including drug offences, 'sodomy', blasphemy and apostasy. Those sentenced to death are often not informed of the progress of the case against them or the date of execution until the morning when they are taken out and beheaded. Most capital trials are unfair and held behind closed doors, while executions are carried out in public. Last week (29 May) a man was publicly beheaded and then crucified (his body displayed in a cruciform position) after being convicted for murder and other crimes, including the 'offence' of Luwat (homosexual intercourse). Another man recently had his 10-year prison sentence for drug smuggling increased to death. At least 38 people are known to have been executed in the Kingdom so far this year.

Torture and cruel punishments
Torture and other ill-treatment are widespread and committed with impunity by police and other officials in Saudi Arabia. Common methods are severe beatings with sticks, electric shocks, suspension from ceilings, sleep deprivation and insults. Flogging is often imposed as an additional punishment to imprisonment, with the number of lashes sometimes running into the 1000s.

Women's rights
Women in Saudi Arabia face severe discrimination in law and practice and are inadequately protected against domestic violence. Women are subordinate to men under family law, are denied equal employment opportunities with men, are banned from driving vehicles or travelling alone, and Saudi women married to non-Saudis are unable to pass on their nationality to their children. Many migrant domestic workers, mostly women, are kept in highly abusive conditions, being made to work up to 18 hours every day, in some cases for little or no pay. Domestic workers have no protection under Saudi labour law.

EGYPT
Unfair trials and detention
Egypt's justice system is riddled with unfairness. The country holds thousands of political prisoners in administrative detention under emergency legislation, many of them for more than a decade. Last year Egypt's Interior Ministry acknowledged that some 1,500 detainees were held administratively, though unofficial sources have put the figure at nearer 10,000. Grossly unfair trials are conducted before military and special courts, and civilians are frequently tried before military courts in breach of international fair trial standards.

Torture
Torture and other ill-treatment are systematic in police stations, prisons and State Security Investigation (SSI) detention centres. Most perpetrators enjoy complete impunity, while police often threaten victims with re-arrest or the arrest of relatives if they lodge complaints.

Clampdown on free expression
Egypt uses repressive laws to clamp down on criticism and dissent. Journalists are frequently prosecuted for defamation and other offences, and books and foreign newspapers are censored. Some internet websites are blocked and recently bloggers critical of the government have been arrested. Last year the director of the Cairo News company was fined approximately £17,000 for broadcasting footage of protesters destroying a poster of President Mubarak during a demonstration in April. In March last year Ibrahim Eissa, the editor of Al-Dustour newspaper, was sentenced to six months in prison (reduced to two months on appeal) for writing an article that questioned the president's health. He was charged under the Penal Code for publishing information considered damaging to the public interest and national stability.

Death penalty
Two people were executed in 2008 and another 87 were sentenced to death.

Slums and poverty
According to official estimates, up to 11 million people in Egypt (about 15% of the population) live in as many as 1,000 slums (ashwaiyyat) that lack adequate basic services.

ENDS

Amnesty International UK media information: 
Neil Durkin: 020 7033 1547, neil.durkin@amnesty.org.uk
Out of hours: 07721 398984, www.amnesty.org.uk
Read the daily media blog: Press release me, let me go
Follow us on Twitter: @NewsFromAmnesty

[Source: Amnesty International (UK)]

Festhalten an Guantánamo-Tribunalen: Obama erntet scharfe Kritik von Menschenrechtlern
WELT ONLINE: Internationale und US-amerikanische Menschenrechtsgruppen sind wütend auf Barack Obama. Mit scharfen Worten verurteilen sie die Entscheidung des US-Präsidenten, die Militärtribunale im Gefangenenlager Guantánamo auf Kuba wieder zuzulassen. Obama rücke auf gefährliche Weise von seinen Reformvorhaben ab, hieß es.

US-Präsident Barack Obama hat mit seiner Entscheidung zum Festhalten an den Militärtribunalen gegen Terrorverdächtige scharfe Kritik von Menschenrechtsorganisationen hervorgerufen. Es handle sich um eine „alarmierende Entwicklung, erklärte am Freitag das Zentrum für Verfassungsrechte in Washington, das sich seit Jahren um eine bessere Rechtsstellung der Gefangenen im US-Lager Guantánamo auf Kuba bemüht. Obama habe vor seiner Wahl die Hoffnung geweckt, mit den „gefährlichen Experimenten“ seines Amtsvorgängers George W. Bush zu brechen.

Das System der Militärtribunale sei „irreparabel fehlerhaft“, erklärte der Direktor von Human Rights Watch, Kenneth Roth. Indem die falsche Idee der Bush-Regierung wiederbelebt werde, rücke Obama auf gefährliche Weise von seinen eigenen Reformvorhaben ab.

Die American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) erklärte, die Militärtribunale zählten zu der „Politik der Folter, der illegalen Haft und der Verweigerung gerechter Prozesse“, die von der Regierung Bush verfolgt worden sei.

Amnesty International warf Obama vor, eines seiner zentralen Wahlversprechen gebrochen zu haben. Die Tribunale, die Obama selbst als enormen Fehler bezeichnet habe, müssten abgeschafft werden, forderte der Vertreter der Menschenrechtsorganisation, Rob Freer. >>> | Samstag, 16. Mai 2009

Yemeni Woman Faces Execution Following Political Interference in Her Case
Fatima Hussein-Badi. Photo courtesy of Amnesty International
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: A Yemeni woman is facing imminent execution accused of killing her husband. Fatima Hussein-Badi was convicted of murder in 2001 and faces the death penalty despite a court ruling in 2003 that she did not take part in the killing.

There is mounting fear for her life following the execution of another woman for similar charges on Sunday. 'Aisha Ghalib al-Hamzi was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband in October 2003 and her sentence was confirmed on appeal in 2007.

In December 2008, the Supreme Court in Sana’a upheld the death sentence and it was ratified by the President. 'Aisha Ghalib al-Hamzi was executed after relatives of her husband, including her seven children, refused to pardon her.

Under the Shari’a rule of Qisas (retribution in kind), relatives of the victims of certain categories of murder have the power to pardon the offender in exchange for compensation (blood money), grant a pardon freely or request his or her execution.

Amnesty International condemned the execution of 'Aisha Ghalib al-Hamzi and has called on the Yemeni authorities not to execute Fatima Hussein-Badi and to halt all other executions immediately. The organization opposes the death penalty unconditionally in all situations as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. >>> © Amnesty International | Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Iran: Two Christian Women Imprisoned
COMPASS DIRECT NEWS: Held with no legal counsel for over a month, they suffer illness in notorious prison.

LOS ANGELES – Accused of “acting against state security” and “taking part in illegal gatherings,” two Iranian Christian women have been held in a Tehran prison for over a month in a crowded cell with no access to legal representation.

Amnesty International, in an appeal for urgent action last week, reported that authorities have made the accusations known but have imprisoned the women without filing official charges. The organization called on Iranian authorities to release them and expressed concern for their health.

Maryam Rostampour, 27, and Marzieh Amirizadeh Esmaeilabad, 30, who were active in church activities and distributing Bibles according to Amnesty’s appeal, were arrested on March 5. They are being held in the detention center of Evin Prison, a facility that has drawn criticism for its human rights violations and executions in recent years. Amnesty’s appeal included a call to urge Iranian officials to ensure that the women are not being tortured.

Based on a telephone conversation between Esmaeilabad and a third party on March 28, Amnesty reported that Esmaeilabad said both are suffering from infection and high fever and had not received adequate medical care. The women continue to be detained in an overcrowded cell with 27 other women. Amnesty said they “may be prisoners of conscience, detained solely on account of their religious beliefs.”

The women are allowed a one-minute call each day and a weekly visit from family. Authorities have informed their family members that the women are accused of “acting against state security” and “taking part in illegal gatherings,” according to the report, and that they would be released after payment of a $400,000 bail. The families have presented the title deeds of their homes as bail but are still waiting for approval from the judge.

Initially the Ministry of Intelligence summoned one of the women, and then took her to the apartment the two shared. There they were officially arrested, and authorities confiscated computers, books and Bibles. The two women were interrogated and held at different police stations.

On March 18 they appeared before Branch 2 of the Islamic Revolutionary Court in Tehran and subsequently transferred to Evin Prison, said the report.

Even if the women are released on bail, they still have to stand trial. Accusations have not included “apostasy,” or leaving Islam, though investigations are ongoing. It is not known whether the women are converts from Islam.

Last September the Iranian Parliament approved review of a new penal code calling for a mandatory death sentence for “apostates.” Under current law death sentences for apostasy have been issued only under judicial interpretations of sharia (Islamic law).

Under the new penal code, male “apostates” would be executed, while females would receive life sentences. The new code was sent to Iran’s most influential body, the Guardian Council, which is expected to rule on it. The council is made up of six conservative theologians appointed by Iran’s Supreme Leader and six jurists nominated by the judiciary and approved by Parliament. This council has the power to veto any bill it deems inconsistent with the constitution and Islamic law.

Converts to Christianity in Iran risk harassment, arrest and attack from authorities even though Article 23 of the Iranian Constitution grants that individual beliefs are private and no one can be “molested or taken to task” for holding them. Iran has also signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

“This right shall include freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice, and freedom, either individually or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching,” the covenant states.

The last Iranian Christian convert from Islam executed by the Iranian government was Hossein Soodmand in 1990. He was accused of working as “an American spy.” Since then at least six Protestant pastors have been assassinated by unknown killers. [Source: Compass Direct News] | Copyright © 2009 Compass Direct News | Monday, April 13, 2009

Iraqi Leaders 'Ignoring Murder of Homosexuals'
THE TELEGRAPH: Iraq's leaders have been accused of ignoring a wave of violence against homosexual men.

In recent weeks, 25 young men and boys have been killed in the country and gay rights groups claim the government has given tacit support to the death squads by staying silent on the crimes.

The lack of action by the authorities has prompted Amnesty International to the Iraqi President, Nouri al-Maliki, demanding "urgent and concerted action" by his government to stop the killings, according to the Independent.

The majority of the deadly attacks have taken place in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, controlled by ultra-conservative Shia militia.

The bodies of four gay men, each bearing a sign with the Arabic word for "pervert" on their chests, were discovered in Sadr City three weeks ago. No arrests have been made.

Amnesty said the murders appeared to have been committed by militiamen and relatives of the victims, who had been incited by religious leaders who condemned 'deviancy'. >>> | Monday, April 13, 2009

THE INDEPENDENT: Iraqi Leaders Attacked over Spate of Homophobic Murders

Dozens of young men and boys killed by death squads in Baghdad

Baghdad, scene of attacks on homosexuals. Ali Hili, a spokesman for gay men in Iraq says: 'It is impossible to be gay and out. It is the most difficult thing to be in the country'. Photo courtesy of The Independent
Iraqi leaders are accused of turning a blind eye to a spate of murders of homosexuals after 25 young men and boys were killed in recent weeks.

Gay groups claim the Iraqi government is giving tacit support to the death squads targeting young homosexuals who venture outdoors.

In an unusual move, Amnesty International will today write to the Iraqi President, Nouri al-Maliki, demanding "urgent and concerted action" by his government to stop the killings. Amnesty said the murders appear to have been carried out by militiamen and relatives of the victims, after being incited by religious leaders. Homosexuality has always been taboo in the country, but a surge of killings followed religious leaders' sermons condemning "deviancy".

The violence came after the improved security situation briefly encouraged some gay men to start meeting discreetly in public. This led to furious condemnation from clerics who have called for homosexuality – which can lead to a prison sentence of seven years – to be eradicated from Iraqi society.

Most of the killings have taken place in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City, controlled by ultra-conservative Shi'ite militia. Murders have also been reported in Basra, Najaf and Karbala.

The bodies of four gay men, each bearing a sign with the Arabic word for "pervert" on their chests, were discovered in Sadr City three weeks ago. Following the discovery of another two corpses six days later, an unnamed official in the city told Reuters: "They were sexual deviants. Their tribes killed them to restore their family honour." >>> By Nigel Morris, Deputy Political Editor | Monday, April 13, 2009

YOUTUBE: Gay Life, Gay Death in Iraq

”Sweden Safe Haven for War Criminals”
STOCKHOLM NEWS: Amnesty International criticises Sweden for a wide range of obstacles to prosecutions and extraditions of such crimes as genocide, crime against humanity, war crime and torture.

In a report with special focus on Sweden Amnesty finds a number of gaps in the national legal framework. Several international crimes are not defined as crimes under Swedish law; principles of criminal responsibility are not defined in accordance with the strictest requirements of international law and criminals who have committed these serious crime [sic] are covered by statutes of limitation.

Around 1500 war criminals is [sic] believed to live in Sweden. If the laws are not changed, they could go free from any persecution, Amnesty writes. 



Sweden consistently takes a strong stance against impunity for the most serious crimes in international fora. But the same commitment is not shown at home. >>> David Jonasson | Tuesday, February 3, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – Sweden) >>>

Teen Stoning Death Casts Shadow on Conference
IOL.CO.ZA: A 13-year-old girl begged for mercy moments before a mob buried her up to her shoulders and stoned her to death.



The Somali youngster is said to have pleaded "Don't kill me, don't kill me!" before her horrific execution in front of a 1 000-strong crowd in late October. 



Convicting a girl of 13 years for adultery is illegal under sharia law, but the authorities argued that she lied about her age.



Amnesty International and the United Nations International Children's Fund said the girl, identity known to this publication, was raped while travelling to see a relative in Mogadishu.

Her family is said to have tried to report the crime to the militia who control Kismayu, only for Aisha to be arrested and accused of adultery. None of the men she accused of rape was detained.

The stoning that sent shockwaves around the world in October formed a sombre backdrop to the Sixth African Development Forum (ADF) on gender violence and women's empowerment hosted by the Economic Commission for Africa. >>> By Zarina Geloo and Joyce Chimbi | December 8, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback) – South Africa >>>

Amnesty Condemns ‘Horror’ of Saudi Executions
Photo of a beheading in Saudi Arabia courtesy of Google Images
THE GUARDIAN: Poor foreign workers bear the brunt of "the stark horror" of Saudi Arabia's secretive death penalty system, Amnesty International said today, with a Saudi citizen up to eight times more likely to escape execution through a "blood money" payment than a foreigner.

Foreign nationals, mostly Asians and Africans, who face capital trials in the conservative kingdom are frequently unable to understand court proceedings if they are not Arabic speakers, are often not represented by a lawyer and are routinely held for long periods in harsh conditions and coerced into false confessions.

"Poor foreign workers are literally paying with their lives when accused of capital crimes in Saudi Arabia," said Amnesty International's UK Director Kate Allen. "Frequently bamboozled by secretive and unfair trials conducted in a language they don't even understand, they go to their deaths with little assistance from their home countries and little mercy from a grossly unfair Saudi justice system."

The Saudi authorities do not provide statistics on the use of the death penalty but Amnesty recorded at least 1,695 executions between 1985 and May 2008. Of these, 830 were foreign nationals and 809 Saudis (with the nationality of 56 unknown). Foreigners make up about a quarter of the country's population of 28 million.

Executions are currently carried out at an average of more than two per week, most by beheading and many in public. Two beheadings last Sunday brought to 74 the number carried out this year. Last year a record 153 people were executed, compared with 37 in 2006. The previous record, of 113, was in 2000.

Saudi Arabia is one of the few states in the world with a high rate of executions for women. It is also one of the few to execute people for crimes they committed when they were still under the age of 18. Amnesty Condemns ‘Horror’ of Saudi Executions >>> Ian Black, Middle East Editor | October 14, 2008

GMA News.TV: Saudi Arabia: Filipino and Saudi Man Executed

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Saudi authorities have announced the beheading of a Saudi and a Filipino man.

The Interior Ministry says Finansho Ladion, from the Philippines, was convicted of murdering a Saudi man in the holy city of Mecca by suffocating the man and piercing his neck with a pen.

Saudi national Fahd al-Shadoukhey was convicted of theft and rape while under the influence of alcohol. >>> AP | October 14, 2008

More on the executed Filipino >>> GMANews.TV | October 14, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>

Eurabia Alert! EU Urged to Take In More Iraqi Refugees
YAHOO NEWS! (UK & IRELAND): BERLIN - Rights groups called Tuesday on the European Union to take in more refugees from Iraq, two days ahead of a meeting of EU justice and interior ministers in Brussels.

"Iraqi refugees are in urgent need of protection because in contrast to what Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki says, the security situation is alarming," Amnesty International Germany's Julia Duchrow told a news conference together with fellow rights group Pro Asyl (For Asylum).

"Periods of reflection, interruptions and playing for time with more research on the ground like the EU plans to do is irresponsible in view of the suffering of refugees," Pro Asyl's Europe representative Karl Kopp said.

Millions of Iraqis have fled their homes since the US-led invasion in 2003, with many heading to neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Syria.

Justice and interior ministers from the 27-nation EU were due to discuss on Thursday and Friday the issue at a meeting in Brussels.

In April the EU's Slovenian presidency rejected German proposals to give priority to refugees from Iraq's Christian minority, saying that asylum should be provided without consideration of religion.

After a meeting with Maliki in July German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed support for Iraqi government plans to see refugees return home rather than have some of them stay in Europe. [Source: YAHOO! NEWS (UK & IRELAND) AFP | September 23, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (UK) >>>
Eurabia

Amnesty Urges Bosnia to Protect Gay Festival
REUTERS: SARAJEVO - Amnesty International on Thursday urged authorities to safeguard Bosnia's first gay festival from possible violence from Muslims who see it as an affront to their religious feelings.

The festival, due to take place in Sarajevo next week during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, has been branded by some Islamic media and officials as a "festival of homosexuality", which is regarded as a sin and disease in Islam.

The human rights watchdog said in a statement some media had mounted a homophobic campaign which had encouraged prejudice and could lead to violence. Amnesty Urges Bosnia to Protect Gay Festival >>> | September 18, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Italy Condemned for Wave of Racism
BBC: Human rights group Amnesty International has said it is extremely alarmed by what it calls a "climate of discrimination" in Italy.

The Italian section of the rights body said recent tough new immigration measures were a worrying trend.

It added that politicians from both sides of the spectrum were legitimising the use of racist language.

Last week, Italy's new centre-right government introduced a series of measures aimed at improving security.

Illegal immigration will become punishable by up to four years in prison, it will be easier to expel illegal immigrants and there will be a three-year prison sentence for using minors to beg for money. Italy Condemned for 'Racism Wave' >>> | May 28, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – Italy)

Amnesty Urges Release of Saudi Facing Flogging
KHALEEJ TIMES: RIYADH - Amnesty International has urged Saudi authorities to release a Saudi university professor who is facing flogging and imprisonment for meeting a woman to whom he is not related for coffee in the conservative Islamic kingdom.

Muhammad Ali Abu Raziza, a psychology lecturer at the university of Mecca, has been sentenced to 150 lashes and eight months in jail after the religious police caught him with a woman in a coffee shop, the rights group said in a statement.

Justice ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

Saudi Arabia applies an austere form of Islam which bans women from mixing with men to whom they are not related, voting and driving, and punishes men and women found guilty of illegal encounters, known as khilwa offences.

The statement did not say what happened to the woman who was meeting Abu Raziza.

‘Saudi Arabia should stop needlessly persecuting people like this -- we want to see a complete end to people in the kingdom being punished for 'khilwa' offences,’ Amnesty said.

The religious police, known as the Commission for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, have wide powers to search for alcohol, drugs and prostitution, ensure shops are closed during prayers in addition to maintaining a strict system of sexual segregation.

Criticism of the force has re-emerged after its members were involved in a series of incidents, which led to the deaths of six people in car chases. [Source: Amnesty Urges Release of Saudi Facing Flogging] (Reuters)

Hat tip: Dhimmi Watch

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback – USA)
The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Hardcover – USA)

Amnesty Demands Iran Ends ‘Grotesque’ Stoning Executions
THE GUARDIAN: Iran was urged today to abolish immediately executions by stoning, described by Amnesty International as a "grotesque and horrific" form of punishment.

The head of Iran's judiciary imposed a moratorium on such executions in 2002, but two people were stoned to death in 2006 and one last year, Amnesty said. Nine women and two men are currently under sentence of death by stoning.

Amnesty said in a new report that article 204 of Iran's penal code "dictates that the stones are large enough to cause pain, but not so large as to kill the victim immediately."

The rules prescribe that men should be buried up to their waists and women up to their breasts for the purposes of death by stoning. Victims typically take 20 minutes to die.

Last week the Iranian human rights group led by Nobel Prize winner Shirin Ibadi protested against the amputation of hands and feet for offences against public security. The UN and other bodies have often protested against torture and flogging in Iran.

Iran has one of the highest rates of execution in the world. In 2006, 177 people were put to death, mostly by hanging. That number was expected to be exceeded in 2007, with 124 people executed in the first seven months of the year. Amnesty demands Iran ends 'grotesque' stoning executions >>> By Ian Black, Middle East editor

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