Own all US news!

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations on Thursday, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the country, after warnings from police and judiciary that anti-government protests will not be tolerated.

The call comes amid a wave of arrests, unfair trials and executions of those involved in earlier protests against the government concerning the disputed presidential election of June 2009 and the authorities’ violent response.

Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two of the unsuccessful presidential candidates in June’s poll, have called on people to take to the streets and peacefully voice their opinions.

"It is the Iranian authorities’ responsibility to safeguard the public and maintain order," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. "However, this does not justify the suppression of peaceful protests, as has happened repeatedly over recent months, nor violence by state forces against peaceful demonstrators."

Amnesty International also urged the Iranian authorities to ensure that all policing is conducted in accordance with international standards by appropriately-trained personnel.

"Policing should not be conducted by the politically-partisan volunteer Basij militia, which has a record of committing serious human rights violations and is neither trained nor equipped for proper police work," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Mass demonstrations against the government are expected to go ahead on Thursday, despite recent "show trials" of people accused of links to various opposition groups and of organizing protests. These trials have resulted in two executions in January, other death sentences and long prison terms.

Amnesty International expressed concern that the Iranian authorities appear to be coercing detainees to falsely "confess" to links to particular political groups or organizations alleged to be fomenting the demonstrations, in order to scapegoat them for the continuing anti-government protests and ongoing human rights abuses.

The two men executed in January, while arrested before last June’s disputed presidential elections, were convicted of having links to the opposition group Anjoman-e Padshahi Iran (API – Kingdom Assembly of Iran) and of attempting to make explosives.

Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani were represented by court appointed lawyers and their own lawyers were denied access to their trials. They are said to have made coerced "confessions" dictated to them by their interrogators.

"These trials and executions have been used by Iranian authorities to support their contention that the mass protests of recent months have not been an expression of popular discontent about the disputed outcome of the presidential election and the authorities’ brutal repression of protestors but, rather, were fomented by foreign powers and exiled opposition groups intent on achieving regime change in Iran," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Demonstrations against the government since the disputed presidential election of June 2009 have been met with harsh repression.

According to Iranian officials, over 40 people have died in demonstrations since the election, which were violently repressed by the security forces. Amnesty International said it believes the number to be at least 80 and possibly many more. More than 5,000 people have been arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

More than 100 people are believed to have been sentenced to prison terms, flogging or to be executed after unfair "show trials". At least nine people are believed to be at risk of execution.

Several others among a group of 16 defendants whose "show trial" is currently underway and who face the charge of moharebeh (enmity against God), which can carry the death penalty, may also be at risk.

The most recent mass protests took place at the time of the Tasoa and Ashoura religious festivals on 26 and 27 December 2009, when more than a thousand people were detained. Since then more than 200 others are said to have been arrested at their homes or workplaces and detained.

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to allow peaceful demonstrations on Thursday, the 31st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in the country, after warnings from police and judiciary that anti-government protests will not be tolerated.

The call comes amid a wave of arrests, unfair trials and executions of those involved in earlier protests against the government concerning the disputed presidential election of June 2009 and the authorities’ violent response.

Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, two of the unsuccessful presidential candidates in June’s poll, have called on people to take to the streets and peacefully voice their opinions.

"It is the Iranian authorities’ responsibility to safeguard the public and maintain order," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. "However, this does not justify the suppression of peaceful protests, as has happened repeatedly over recent months, nor violence by state forces against peaceful demonstrators."

Amnesty International also urged the Iranian authorities to ensure that all policing is conducted in accordance with international standards by appropriately-trained personnel.

"Policing should not be conducted by the politically-partisan volunteer Basij militia, which has a record of committing serious human rights violations and is neither trained nor equipped for proper police work," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Mass demonstrations against the government are expected to go ahead on Thursday, despite recent "show trials" of people accused of links to various opposition groups and of organizing protests. These trials have resulted in two executions in January, other death sentences and long prison terms.

Amnesty International expressed concern that the Iranian authorities appear to be coercing detainees to falsely "confess" to links to particular political groups or organizations alleged to be fomenting the demonstrations, in order to scapegoat them for the continuing anti-government protests and ongoing human rights abuses.

The two men executed in January, while arrested before last June’s disputed presidential elections, were convicted of having links to the opposition group Anjoman-e Padshahi Iran (API – Kingdom Assembly of Iran) and of attempting to make explosives.

Arash Rahmanipour and Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani were represented by court appointed lawyers and their own lawyers were denied access to their trials. They are said to have made coerced "confessions" dictated to them by their interrogators.

"These trials and executions have been used by Iranian authorities to support their contention that the mass protests of recent months have not been an expression of popular discontent about the disputed outcome of the presidential election and the authorities’ brutal repression of protestors but, rather, were fomented by foreign powers and exiled opposition groups intent on achieving regime change in Iran," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Demonstrations against the government since the disputed presidential election of June 2009 have been met with harsh repression.

According to Iranian officials, over 40 people have died in demonstrations since the election, which were violently repressed by the security forces. Amnesty International said it believes the number to be at least 80 and possibly many more. More than 5,000 people have been arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

More than 100 people are believed to have been sentenced to prison terms, flogging or to be executed after unfair "show trials". At least nine people are believed to be at risk of execution.

Several others among a group of 16 defendants whose "show trial" is currently underway and who face the charge of moharebeh (enmity against God), which can carry the death penalty, may also be at risk.

The most recent mass protests took place at the time of the Tasoa and Ashoura religious festivals on 26 and 27 December 2009, when more than a thousand people were detained. Since then more than 200 others are said to have been arrested at their homes or workplaces and detained.

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities not to execute nine people sentenced to death who were arrested in relation to the protests that followed last year’s disputed presidential election.

The organization said it fears the Iranian authorities are planning to execute some or all of the nine in public before 11 February, the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, when further protests are expected.

According to Iranian media reports, Deputy Judiciary Head Ebrahim Raisi said on Monday that, after the execution of two men last week, the nine others will be executed "soon".

"Those sentenced did not have had a fair trial," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director. "They were denied access to a lawyer in the initial stages of their detention, and some or all appear to have been coerced into giving confessions.. It is also not clear whether those condemned have been able to exercise their right to appeal."

Iran’s judiciary is reported to be under political pressure to execute more opposition supporters to end the continuing protests.

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were hanged in public last Thursday after being convicted in unfair trials of "enmity against God" and being members of Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API), a banned group which advocates the restoration of an Iranian monarchy.

They were the first executions known to be related to the post-election violence that erupted across Iran in June and has continued since.

"Executing people in public further adds to the already cruel, inhuman and degrading nature of the death penalty," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. "It can only have a dehumanizing effect on the person sentenced to death and a brutalizing effect on those who witness the execution, including the relatives."

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were convicted by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court in October.  Iran executed at least 14 people in public in 2009.

At least two of the nine others on death row, Naser Abdolhasani and Reza Kazemi, were sentenced to death in similar post-election "show trials". The identity of the other seven is unknown.

According to Iranian officials, over 40 people have died in demonstrations since the election, which were violently repressed by the security forces. Amnesty International believes the number to be much higher. More than 5,000 people have been arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

Scores have been sentenced to prison terms, and in some cases flogging, after unfair trials, and at least 12 have been sentenced to death.  One man – Hamed Rouhinejad – had his death sentence commuted to a 10-year prison term on appeal in January 2010.

Amnesty International has condemned the execution of two men arrested during protests that followed Iran’s disputed presidential election last year.

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were hanged on Thursday after being convicted in unfair trials of “enmity against God” and being members of Anjoman-e Padeshahi-e Iran (API), a banned group which advocates the restoration of an Iranian monarchy.

They are the first executions known to be related to the post-election violence that erupted across Iran in June and has continued since.

"These shocking executions show that the Iranian authorities will stop at nothing to stamp out the peaceful protests that persist since the election," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director.

"These men were first unfairly convicted and now they have been unjustly killed – it is not even clear they had links to this group as their ‘confessions’ appear to have been made under duress."

According to the Iranian authorities, at least nine other people are currently on death row in Iran after being sentenced to death in similar post-election ’show trials’.  

"Our fear is that these executions are just the beginning of a wave of executions of those tried on similar vaguely worded charges," said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani and Arash Rahmanipour were convicted of “enmity against God” by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court in October. They were also convicted of "propaganda against the system", "insulting the holy sanctities" and "gathering and colluding with intent to harm national internal security".

Mohammad Reza Ali-Zamani was accused of illegally visiting Iraq where he was alleged to have met US military officials.  

Arash Rahmanipour’s lawyer says he played no role in the election protests and was forced to confess in a “show trial” after members of his family were threatened.

The two men’s lawyers were not informed of their clients’ executions, as is required by Iranian law.

"These executions highlight how the justice system is used as an instrument of repression by the authorities. They are sending a warning to those who may wish to exercise their right to peacefully demonstrate against the government, not to go out in the street,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

Further anti-government demonstrations are widely expected to take place on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution on 11 February.

According to Iranian officials, over 40 people have died in demonstrations since the election, which were violently repressed by the security forces. Amnesty International believes the number to be much higher. More than 5,000 people have been arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated.

Scores have been sentenced to prison terms, and in some cases flogging, after unfair trials, and at least 11 have been sentenced to death.  One man – Hamed Rouhinejad – has had his death sentence commuted on appeal in January 2010.

Amnesty International deplores the execution in Baghdad of ‘Ali Hassan al-Majeed, also known as Chemical Ali, for his involvement in one of the worst atrocities committed under the government of Saddam Hussain.

‘Ali Hassan al-Majeed had been sentenced to death for a fourth time on 17 January for ordering a poison gas attack on the town of Halabja in 1988, which killed more than 5,600 members of Iraq’s Kurdish minority, many of them children and women.

He was executed by hanging on Monday following his conviction by the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal (SICT), which was set up to deal with crimes committed by the former government of Saddam Hussain.

Amnesty International has repeatedly expressed concerns about trial proceedings at the SICT, which have been undermined by political interference and fall far short of international standards for fair trial.

"Despite the enormity of the crimes of which Al Hassan al-Majid was convicted, we deplore his execution and consider it a step backwards," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Director.
 
"In fact, it is only the latest of a mounting number of executions, some of whom did not receive fair trials, in gross violation of human rights."

The execution of al-Majeed comes at a time when the Iraqi authorities are making increased use of the death penalty. Currently, more than 900 prisoners are reported to be on death row, many of whom could be executed in the near future. Many were sentenced to death by the Central Criminal Court of Iraq after trials that failed to conform to international standards of fair trial.  

Al-Majid had been sentenced to death for genocide and crimes against humanity in three previous trials before the SICT.  

"The execution of Al Hassan al-Majid was long expected and, no doubt, many people who suffered because of the crimes of which he was found guilty will see it as bringing to a close a very sad, a very bad, chapter in Iraq’s history," said Malcolm Smart.

"However, all executions brutalize society and in Iraq, where killing has become the order of the day, the time has come to say ‘Enough!’"

The Iranian authorities must not execute a Kurdish man on death row whose transfer to solitary confinement last week raises fears that his execution could be imminent, said Amnesty International.br /
br /
Habibollah Latifi was sentenced to death in July 2008 after he was convicted of emmoharebeh/em (enmity against God) in connection with his membership of and activities on behalf of the Kurdish Independent Life Party (PJAK), a banned armed group.br /
br /
He was transferred to solitary confinement at Sanandaj prison, Kordestan province, north-western Iran on 16 January.br /
br /
Another man, Sherko Moarefi, was arrested in October 2008 and subsequently sentenced to death and remains on death row in Saqqez prison.br /
br /
At least 18 other Kurds – 16 men and two women – are believed to be on death row in connection with their links to banned Kurdish organizations. nbsp;br /
br /
In October, fears were raised that Habibollah Latifi, Sherko Moarefi and Ehsan Fattahian were at imminent risk of execution after a judge in Sanandaj, the provincial capital, received orders to carry our their executions. Ehsan Fattahian was executed on 11 November 2009.br /
br /
Habibollah Latifi was arrested on 23 October 2007 in Sanandaj. His trial was held behind closed doors and neither his family, nor his lawyer, were allowed to attend. His death sentence was upheld by the Appeal Court in Sanandaj on 18 February 2009.br /
br /
His lawyer is not known to have been notified of a scheduled execution as is required by law, although in some cases ndash; such as that of fellow Kurd Fasih Yasmini, who was executed for emmoharebeh/em on 6 January 2010 – executions have taken place without this notification being issued. His family has not been notified that he will be executed but fear that he is at imminent risk of execution.br /
br /
The scope of capital crimes in Iran is broad, and includes moharebeh, which is often imposed for armed opposition to the state, but can include other national security offences such as espionage.br /
br /
Amnesty International has called on the Iranian authorities to commute the death sentences of Habibollah Latifi and Sherko Moarefi and any others imposed for political offences.br /
br /
One of Iran’s many minority groups, Kurds experience religious, economic and cultural discrimination. For many years, several Kurdish organizations conducted armed opposition against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Formed in 2004, PJAK continues to carry out armed attacks against Iranian security forces.br /
br /
No group has claimed responsibility for the spate of assassinations and attempted assassinations in Kordestan, which targeted mainly religious figures and judges between 9 and 19 September 2009.br /
br /
The authorities have variously blamed PJAK and quot;hard-line Sunni fundamentalistsquot; linked to foreign intelligence services. According to Iranian media on 28 September 2009, several of those believed to have been responsible for the attacks were arrested at the scene of another attack in which two others were killed.br /
br /
On 18 January 2010, Vali Haji Gholizadeh, the prosecutor in the north-western city of Khoy, was shot dead. Four suspects were arrested. The Iranian authorities blamed PJAK for the killing although PJAK later denied responsibility.br /
br /
Amnesty International condemned without reservation attacks on civilians, which include judges, clerics and locally or nationally elected officials, as attacking civilians violates fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.br /
br /
The organization said that these principles prohibit absolutely attacks on civilians as well as indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks. Such attacks cannot be justified under any circumstances.

Amnesty International has called on the Iraqi authorities to halt the mounting number of death sentences being handed out in the run-up to delayed national elections in March. br /
br /
Last week, 11 men were sentenced to death for allegedly committing terrorist acts including truck bombings, and on Sunday Ali Hassan al-Majid ndash; a former senior official under Saddam Hussain known widely as ldquo;Chemical Alirdquo; – was sentenced to death for the fourth time.br /
br /
ldquo;The Iraqi authorities have been using the death penalty increasingly in response to the grave security situation that continues to prevail in the country and which has seen numerous murderous attacks on civilians,rdquo; said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s director for the Middle East and North Africa. br /
br /
ldquo;However, this is not the answer. This is further brutalising Iraqi society and the fact that many attacks are carried out by suicide bombers indicates that it is certainly not an effective deterrent.rdquo;br /
br /
Little information about the trial of the 11 is available but in other cases it is known that trials before the Iraqi Central Criminal Court (ICCC) have been woefully inadequate, with defendants being convicted on the basis of confessions that they made allegedly under torture while held incommunicado in pre-trial detention. Many defendants did not even have lawyers of their choice to defend them.br /
br /
quot;Trials before the ICCC consistently fall short of international fair trial standards, according to evidence we have previously gathered,quot; said Malcolm Smart.br /
br /
In some cases, alleged quot;confessionsrdquo; made by defendants have been broadcast on Iraqi state television. br /
br /
In the wake of the 19 August 2009 Baghdad attack, an Iraqi TV channel showed a video of one of the defendants, Wissam lsquo;Ali Kadhem Ibrahim, confessing to planning one of the two truck bombings ndash; but there was no indication whether this ldquo;confessionrdquo; was freely given or obtained under duress.br /
br /
Another court, the Supreme Iraqi Criminal Tribunal, sentenced Saddam Hussainrsquo;s cousin, Ali Hassan al-Majid ndash; or ldquo;Chemical Alirdquo; ndash; to death for the fourth time. He was sentenced after being convicted of ordering a gas attack on the town of Halabja, which killed more than 5,600 members of Iraqrsquo;s Kurdish minority in 1988.br /
br /
ldquo;The Halabja killings were one of the very gravest crimes committed under Saddam Hussainrsquo;s government,rdquo; said Malcolm Smart. ldquo;We have called since 1988 for those responsible to be held to account. At the same time, we oppose the death penalty in all cases, even those involving the most heinous crimes.rdquo;br /

Amnesty International on Thursday condemned the execution of six men accused of murdering 13 policemen during clashes over a forced eviction in Khartoum, Sudan in 2005. br /
br /
The organization said it has grave concerns that the defendants may have been forced to confess to the murders under torture, after the Supreme Court ignored repeated complaints by defence lawyers that the men were tortured and instead twice confirmed the death sentences. br /
br /
quot;Six men have lost their lives due to the Courts’ blatant failure to ensure their right to a fair trial. These tragic deaths highlight the growing number of executions taking place in Sudan, many of which are being carried out after unfair trials. More needs to be done to protect defendants against torture and unfair trials,quot; said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Africa programme. br /
br /
Seven men were originally sentenced to death on 23 November 2006 for the killing of 13 policemen who died in violent clashes as they attempted to forcibly evict residents from the Soba Aradi squatter settlement in Khartoum in May 2005.nbsp; nbsp;br /
br /
Six of the defendants, Paul John Kaw, Abdelrahim Ali Al Rahama Mohamed, Idris Adam Elias, Naser El Din Mohamed Ali Kadaka, Suleiman Juma’a Awad Kambal and Badawi Hassan Ibrahim, were granted a stay of execution in early December, which expired on 6 January. br /
br /
The seventh defendant, Fathi Adam Mohamed Ahmed Dahab, had his sentence reduced to a five-year prison term. br /
br /
Between five and 30 residents of the settlement are also believed to have died in the clashes, no independent investigation has so far been launched to determine whether the security forces used excessive force during the evictions.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/mongolia-elbegdorj-100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
Amnesty International has welcomed the announcement made by the government of Mongolia on Thursday declaring an official moratorium on executions in the country.br /
br /
The organization said it believes President Tsakhia Elbegdorj has taken a bold move for the protection of human rights in Mongolia and welcomed this important development as a key step toward full abolition of the death penalty.br /
br /
quot;The government of Mongolia has shown that it has a strong commitment to human rights by introducing a moratorium on the death penalty. Amnesty International urges other countries in the region to follow Mongoliarsquo;s example,quot; said Roseann Rife, Amnesty International Asia- br /
Pacific deputy director.br /
br /
Asia continues to execute more individuals than the rest of the world combined. Amnesty International estimates at least 1,838 individuals were executed in 11 countries in Asia in 2008.br /
br /
In China, Mongolia, Vietnam, and North Korea, executions and death penalty proceedings are shrouded in secrecy and a lack of transparency.br /
br /
quot;Mongolia must quickly amend its law on state secrecy to end the lack of transparency in the application of the death penalty. Transparency is an essential element of an open and free society but also an important step towards abolition,quot; said Roseann Rife.br /
br /
The President of Mongolia commuted the death sentences of at least three people in 2009. Executions are carried out in secret in Mongolia and no official statistics on death sentences or executions are made available. Prison conditions for death row inmates are reported to be poor. Families are not notified in advance of the execution and the bodies of those executed are not returned to the family.br /
br /
More than two-thirds of the worldrsquo;s countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. In 2008, 106 countries voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for a moratorium on executions.br /
br /
quot;We look forward to Mongoliarsquo;s support for the UNGA resolution in 2010 and urge other nations in the region to follow suit,quot; said Roseann Rife.br /
br /
In 2010 Mongoliarsquo;s human rights situation will also be reviewed under the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.br /
br /
The UN General Assembly will consider a third resolution calling for a moratorium on executions in 2010. Mongolia voted against the UNGA resolutions adopted in 2007 and 2008, as has China, India, Indonesia, North Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan. In 2008, 106 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 46 voted against and 34 abstained.br /
br /
Amnesty International said it believes the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and opposes the death penalty in all cases.br /
br /
The organization said that the death penalty is discriminatory, used disproportionately against the poor, minorities and members of racial, ethnic and religious communities and it the ultimate act of state violence. There is no evidence that it is any more effective in reducing crime than other harsh punishments.
/p

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ECA/mongolia-elbegdorj-100.jpg alt= title= /br/p
Amnesty International has welcomed the announcement made by the government of Mongolia on Thursday declaring an official moratorium on executions in the country.br /
br /
The organization said it believes President Tsakhia Elbegdorj has taken a bold move for the protection of human rights in Mongolia and welcomed this important development as a key step toward full abolition of the death penalty.br /
br /
quot;The government of Mongolia has shown that it has a strong commitment to human rights by introducing a moratorium on the death penalty. Amnesty International urges other countries in the region to follow Mongoliarsquo;s example,quot; said Roseann Rife, Amnesty International Asia- br /
Pacific deputy director.br /
br /
Asia continues to execute more individuals than the rest of the world combined. Amnesty International estimates at least 1,838 individuals were executed in 11 countries in Asia in 2008.br /
br /
In China, Mongolia, Vietnam, and North Korea, executions and death penalty proceedings are shrouded in secrecy and a lack of transparency.br /
br /
quot;Mongolia must quickly amend its law on state secrecy to end the lack of transparency in the application of the death penalty. Transparency is an essential element of an open and free society but also an important step towards abolition,quot; said Roseann Rife.br /
br /
The President of Mongolia commuted the death sentences of at least three people in 2009. Executions are carried out in secret in Mongolia and no official statistics on death sentences or executions are made available. Prison conditions for death row inmates are reported to be poor. Families are not notified in advance of the execution and the bodies of those executed are not returned to the family.br /
br /
More than two-thirds of the worldrsquo;s countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. In 2008, 106 countries voted in favour of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for a moratorium on executions.br /
br /
quot;We look forward to Mongoliarsquo;s support for the UNGA resolution in 2010 and urge other nations in the region to follow suit,quot; said Roseann Rife.br /
br /
In 2010 Mongoliarsquo;s human rights situation will also be reviewed under the United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.br /
br /
The UN General Assembly will consider a third resolution calling for a moratorium on executions in 2010. Mongolia voted against the UNGA resolutions adopted in 2007 and 2008, as has China, India, Indonesia, North Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Japan. In 2008, 106 countries voted in favour of the resolution, 46 voted against and 34 abstained.br /
br /
Amnesty International said it believes the death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and opposes the death penalty in all cases.br /
br /
The organization said that the death penalty is discriminatory, used disproportionately against the poor, minorities and members of racial, ethnic and religious communities and it the ultimate act of state violence. There is no evidence that it is any more effective in reducing crime than other harsh punishments.
/p

p
Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities not to sentence to death protesters arrested during religious commemorations last month.br /
br /
At least five demonstrators arrested during protests on Ashoura, 27 December, have been charged with emmoharebeh/em (enmity against God), which carries the death penalty. Amnesty International fears they could be tried imminently. br /
br /
The authorities have said that ldquo;rioting and arsonrdquo; amounts to emmoharebeh/em, a criminal offence usually used against those who take up arms against the state.br /
br /
On Friday, Tehran Prosecutor General Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi reportedly confirmed the five to be members of the People’s Mojahedin Organization (PMOI), an opposition group based in Iraq.nbsp; br /
br /
The PMOI has confirmed to Amnesty International that five people – who
all have children in the PMOI in Iraq – have been detained since the
Ashoura protests.br /
br /
These are Ali Mehrnia, 70, Parviz Varmazyari, 54, Majid Rezaii, Alireza Nabavi and Ali Massoumi. br /
br /
quot;The offences the protesters are accused of do not amount to the ‘most serious crimes’ for which the death penalty may be applied under international law.nbsp; Even if they have committed such offences, they should not face the death penalty if convicted,quot; said Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Deputy Director Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.br /
br /
quot;The authorities should ensure that anyone suspected of criminal offences related to the demonstrations, including stone throwing or acts of arson, is tried promptly and fairly, in proceedings which meet international fair trial standards, and that no one is sentenced to death.quot;br /
br /
The news comes amid signs that the Iranian authorities may be planning to increase the use of the death penalty as a means to deter demonstrations. br /
br /
On 4 January, a group of 36 MPs proposed a motion to amend the Code of Criminal Procedures so that those convicted of emmoharebeh/em would be executed within five days of their conviction. Such a move would compromise the effective exercise of a defendantrsquo;s right to appeal.br /
br /
The authorities have accused various opposition groups of orchestrating the unrest on Ashoura, notably the Baha’is, an unrecognized religious minority. At least 13 Baha’is have been arrested from their homes since the demonstrations. The Baharsquo;i community denies any such involvement. br /
br /
In December, the lawyers for seven Baha’i leaders detained without trial for more than a year were informed their clients will be tried on Tuesday. They face charges of espionage and could be sentenced to death.nbsp; Amnesty International believes that all 20 are prisoners of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally. br /
br /
quot;Iranians should be free to assemble in peaceful protests to express their opinions, including about the government and human rights violations, and not face excessive use of force, arbitrary arrest and unfair trial, or risk execution,quot; said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.nbsp; br /
br /
ldquo;Instead of allowing demonstrations to take place, the Iranian authorities are locking up anyone of a different viewpoint from theirs and are looking for scapegoats to blame for the unrestrdquo;.br /
/p

p
Amnesty International has called on the Chinese authorities to reveal the whereabouts of 20 ethnic Uighur asylum-seekers who were forcibly deported from Cambodia to China on 19 Decemberbr /
br /
The group, which includes two very young children, may be at risk of torture or even execution since their forcible deportation at the request of the Chinese government. br /
br /
Since 2001, Amnesty International has documented cases in which Uighur asylum seekers or refugees who were forcibly returned to China were detained, reportedly tortured and in some cases sentenced to death and executed. br /
br /
quot;The 20 should either be charged with recognizably criminal offences or released,quot; said Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director Sam Zarifi in a letter to the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi Buzhang. br /
br /
quot;Their trials should meet international fair trial standards, and under no circumstances should the death penalty be imposed. br /
br /
quot;Our concerns are heightened by the fact that the Chinese authorities have already executed nine people and sentenced eight others to death in relation to the July 2009 unrest in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region,quot; said Sam Zarifi.br /
br /
Amnesty International has also urged the Chinese government to provide the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) with immediate access to the 20 individuals to monitor their well-being.
br /
br /
strongUIGHUR ASYLUM-SEEKERS FORCIBLY DEPORTED TO CHINA FROM CAMBODIA ON 19 DECEMBER 2009/strongbr /
br /
1.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abdugheni Abdulkadir and family br /
2.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abulkadir Shahidabr /
3.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abulkadir Bilal br /
4.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abulkadir Maymunabr /
5.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abdugheni Halil br /
6.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Abdullah Kasim br /
7.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Ali Ahmat br /
8.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Ali Nur br /
9.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Amat Eli br /
10.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Ebrayim Mamut br /
11.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Hazirtieli Umar br /
12.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Islam Urayim br /
13.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Kuban Kanwul br /
14.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Mahmut Bilal br /
15.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Mamat Ali br /
16.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Mohammed Musa br /
17.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Mutallip Mamut br /
18.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Omar Mohammed br /
19.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Tuniyazi Aikaebaier Jiang br /
20.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Turik Muhamed
/p

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/iran-mosleh-zmani-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has condemned the execution of an alleged juvenile offender in Iran on Thursday, at least the fifth such execution in 2009.br /
br /
Mosleh Zamani was hanged at Dizel Abad Prison at 4am, along with four other unidentified prisoners.br /
br /
He was sentenced to death in 2006 for allegedly raping his girlfriend when he was 17.br /
br /
quot;Once again, despite domestic and international calls for the Iranian authorities to uphold their international obligations, they have executed someone who was under 18 at the time of his alleged crime,quot; said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Middle East and North Africa Programme. quot;How many more will die before Iran stops this dreadful practice?quot;br /
br /
Mosleh Zamanirsquo;s death brings the number of alleged juvenile offenders executed in Iran since 1990 to at least 46.br /
br /
Amnesty International was told that 200 people demonstrated outside the prison on Wednesday in protest at the executions.br /
br /
The organization has called since 2007 for Mosleh Zamanirsquo;s death sentence to be overturned.br /
br /
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 these prohibit the use of the death penalty against juvenile offenders, people under 18 at the time of the offence of which they have been convicted.br /
br /
Iran is one of very few countries in the world that still execute juvenile offenders. br /
br /
According to Amnesty International’s information, Mosleh Zamani was convicted of abducting a woman several years older than him, with whom he was allegedly having a relationship, and raping her. His death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2007. He may not have had adequate legal representation. br /
br /
Previously held in Sanandaj Prison in Kordestan province, Mosleh Zamani was recently transferred to Dizel Abad Prison in Kermanshah province, where he is believed to have been placed in solitary confinement on 11 December 2009, frequently a signal that execution is imminent. However, his execution was not carried out at that time, apparently for medical reasons.br /
br /
Amnesty International had also learnt that Mosleh Zamani’s alleged victim had asked that his life be spared, stating that they had had consensual sex. The Appeal Court judge refused to take that into consideration, stating instead that Mosleh Zamani should be executed in order to quot;set an examplequot; to other young Iranians.br /
br /
quot;It is all the more important in death penalty cases, where the accused faces an irreversible punishment, that international standards for fair trial are observed,quot; said Philip Luther. quot;Time and again we hear of cases where proceedings do not appear to meet those standards.quot;br /
br /
In many cases, juvenile offenders under sentence of death in Iran are kept in prison until they pass their 18th birthday, after which their executions are scheduled. In this period, some win appeals against their conviction. Others have their sentence overturned on appeal and are freed after a retrial. Some are reprieved by the family of the victim in cases of murder and are asked to pay diyeh (compensation) instead.Some, however, do not benefit from such measures and are consequently executed.

Amnesty International has urged the Ukrainian authorities to comply with a European Court of Human Rights ruling calling for the release of Belarusian opposition activist and musician Igor Koktysh.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh has been detained in Ukraine since June 2007, when Belarus requested his extradition over an accusation that he committed murder in Belarus in January 2001. br /
br /
Amnesty International believes that the charges were fabricated due to his social and political activism. The organization considers Igor Koktysh to be a prisoner of conscience.br /
br /
In October 2007, Igor Koktysh filed a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights to challenge his threatened extradition to Belarus and his detention in Ukraine, pending extradition.br /
br /
In its judgment on 10 December, the Court ruled in his favour on both counts.br /
br /
The judgment stated that the extradition of Igor Koktysh to Belarus would violate the prohibition of torture as he would be at serious risk of torture or ill-treatment if extradited to Belarus.br /
br /
The Court said that he could also face capital punishment together with the prospect of an unfair trial in Belarus.br /
br /
According to the Court, the detention of Igor Koktysh constitutes a violation of the right to liberty in several regards. The Court stated that there is no legal basis for Igor Koktysh’s detention in Ukraine and that he has been denied the possibility to challenge the lawfulness of his detention.br /
nbsp;br /
The prison conditions in which Igor Koktysh has been – and still is – detained were found to amount to ill-treatment in the opinion of the European Court of Human Rights.br /
br /
In line with the judgment by the European Court of Human Rights, Amnesty International has called on the Ukrainian authorities to release Igor Koktysh immediately and unconditionally and to ensure that he receives full compensation in accordance with the Courtrsquo;s judgment. br /
nbsp;br /
The organization also called on the authorities to ensure that Igor Koktysh is provided with effective and durable protection against return to any country, including Belarus, where he would be at risk of the death penalty, torture or other grave human rights violations.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh is charged with the quot;premeditated, aggravated murderquot; of a close friend’s relative, under Article 139 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which carries the death penalty.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh was held in detention in Belarus from January 2001 until his trial that December. While in custody he was allegedly tortured and ill-treated. This included being beaten and locked naked in a freezing cell, as well as being deprived of necessary medication for his asthma, in order to force him to confess.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh told Amnesty International that during his detention in Belarus the head investigator of Brest district told him that he knew he was not guilty of the crime, but that he was under pressure from his superiors. The investigator refused to repeat these words in court.br /
br /
Able to prove that he was in another city when the murder took place, he was acquitted and released. This verdict was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Belarus on 1 February 2002.br /
br /
After his release, Igor Koktysh moved to Ukraine where he registered to live and work and met his future wife. In April 2002, the Belarusian Prosecutor General appealed against his acquittal and the case was returned to the lower court for a retrial.br /
br /
Belarus’s request for his extradition followed and Igor Koktysh was detained by the Ukraine authorities on 25 June 2007.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/saudi-arabia-sibat-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has urged the King of Saudi Arabia to halt the executions of two men, sentenced to death on charges relating to quot;sorceryquot;.br /
br /
Lebanese national ‘Ali Hussain Sibat and another unidentified man, could be executed at any time if their sentences are upheld by the appeal and Supreme Courts.br /
br /
The Saudi Arabian authorities have arrested scores of people for quot;sorceryquot; this year.br /
br /
Amnesty International does not have precise details of the charges on which ‘Ali Hussain Sibat was convicted. The organization has received reports that they were based on the accusation that he had engaged in quot;sorceryquot;.br /
br /
‘Ali Hussain Sibat was a presenter on a TV show on the Lebanese satellite station Sheherazade, where he gave advice and predictions about the future. His lawyer in Lebanon believes that he was arrested because members of the Mutawarsquo;een (religious police) had recognized him from the show.br /
br /
According to his lawyer, Interrogators told ‘Ali Hussain Sibat to write down what he did for a living, reassuring him that, if he did so, he would be allowed to go home after a few weeks. This document was presented in court as a quot;confessionquot;, and used to convict.br /
br /
‘Ali Hussain Sibat was arrested by the Mutawa’een in his hotel room in the city of Madina in May 2008. He had travelled to Saudi Arabia to perform a form of Muslim pilgrimage, the ‘umra.br /
br /
He was sentenced to death by a court in Madina on 9 November, after secret court hearings where he had no legal representation or assistance.br /
br /
The other man facing execution was sentenced to death for quot;apostasyquot; on grounds relating to quot;sorceryquot; by a court in the city of Hail in July.br /
br /
His name is unknown but the Saudi Arabian media has dubbed him as quot;the magician of female TV presentersquot; because he included names of TV presenters in graffiti written on the walls of his house.br /
br /
Members of the Mutawa’een raided his home on 22 February and according to the media found it covered in some 100,000 words of graffiti, including distorted verses from the Qur’an.br /
br /
Very little is known about his trial, but according to media reports the court apparently convicted him on ldquo;apostasyrdquo; rather than ldquo;sorceryrdquo; because he was considered quot;a beginner in the work of sorcery.quot; The man has appealed.br /
br /
The crime of quot;sorceryquot; is not defined in Saudi Arabian laws and has been used to punish people for the legitimate exercise of their human rights, including the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion, belief and expression.br /
br /
At least 158 people were executed in Saudi Arabia in 2007 and at least 102 in 2008. Since the beginning of 2009, a further 67 people are known to have been executed.br /
br /
Amnesty International knows of at least 140 people currently on death row, of whom 104 are foreign nationals. The true figures are believed to be much higher.br /
br /
The last known execution for quot;sorceryquot; was that of Egyptian national Mustafa Ibrahim, on 2 November 2007. He had been arrested in May 2007 in the town of Arar, where he worked as a pharmacist, and accused of quot;apostasyquot; for having degraded a copy of the Qur’an.br /
br /
Amnesty International said the authorities should release ‘Ali Hussain Sibat and the other man immediately and unconditionally if they have been convicted solely for the peaceful exercise of their right to freedom of expression.br /
br /
The organization urged the Saudi Arabian authorities to desist from charging and convicting people for quot;apostasyquot;, as it violates the legitimate exercise of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of thought, conscience and religion.

The Iranian authorities must halt Wednesday’s planned execution of a juvenile offender, Amnesty International has urged. br /
br /
Mohammad Reza Haddadi, now aged 21, is due for execution in the city of Shiraz, in southern Iran. He has been sentenced to death for a crime that took place when he was 15 ndash; and which he denies committing.br /
br /
On Sunday, Marsquo;soumeh Tahmasebi, one of Mohammad Reza Haddadirsquo;s lawyers, said that she had not been informed of the scheduled execution, as is required under Iranian law, but that another prisoner had telephoned Mohammad Reza Haddadirsquo;s father to tell him that his son would be executed on Wednesday. nbsp;br /
br /
This is the fourth time Mohammad Reza Haddadirsquo;s execution has been scheduled and postponed and only the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani, can now stop the execution from taking place.br /
br /
ldquo;It is shocking that Iran continues to flout international law by arranging to kill those accused of committing crimes when they were children,rdquo; said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Middle East Deputy Programme Director at Amnesty International. ldquo;Not only did Mohammad Reza Haddadi not receive a fair trial, but the repeated halting and rescheduling of his execution date has also compounded his suffering,rdquo; br /
br /
ldquo;We appeal to the Head of the Judiciary to immediately issue an order to stay this execution and to review his case to ensure that Mohammad Reza Haddadirsquo;s death sentence is overturned once and for all.rdquo;br /
br /
Amnesty International is concerned that the prison authorities may go ahead with the execution without informing his lawyer in advance, as required under Iranian law.nbsp; Two juvenile offenders ndash; Behnam Zarersquo; and Sayed Reza Hejazi – were executed in the same prison in August 2008 without their lawyer being informed beforehand.br /
br /
Since January 2009 Iran has executed at least 4 people for crimes they were alleged to have committed when under the age of 18.nbsp; Most recently, Behnoud Shojaee was executed on 11 October, for allegedly killing another youth when only 17.nbsp; His execution had previously been postponed six times.br /
br /
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), which prohibit the use of the death penalty against people convicted of crimes committed when they were under the age of 18.br /
br /
strongBackground /strongbr /
Mohammad Reza Haddadi was sentenced to death in 2004 for a murder which took place when he was 15. His death sentence was confirmed by the Supreme Court in July 2005.br /
br /
Mohammd Reza Haddadi initially confessed to the murder, but retracted the confession during his trial, saying he had claimed responsibility for the killing only because his two co-defendants had offered to give his family money if he did so. His co-defendants later supported Mohammad Reza Haddadi’s claims of innocence, and withdrew their testimony that had implicated him. They were both over 18 at the time of the crime and received prison sentences.br /
br /
He was first scheduled for execution in October 2008, but it was stayed on the order of the Head of the Judiciary. His execution was then scheduled again on 27 May 2009 and 16 July 2009.

Amnesty International has condemned an execution in Saudi Arabia that saw a 22-year-old man beheaded and then crucified. br /
br /
Muhammad Basheer bin Sarsquo;oud al-Ramaly al-Shammari was convicted of kidnapping and raping four people in February 2009. He was beheaded in the Saudi Arabian city of Hail on Monday. br /
br /
His severed head was then sewn back on to his body, which was later hung from a pole in a public place, an act known in Saudi Arabia as a crucifixion.br /
br /
ldquo;Amnesty International opposes all executions, as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment,rdquo; said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Middle East and North Africa Programme. ldquo;In this case, the crucifixion of the condemned manrsquo;s body after his beheading adds to the sense of degradation and is repugnant.rdquo;br /
br /
Very little is known about Muhammad al-Shammarirsquo;s trial. Death sentences in Saudi Arabia are invariably imposed and carried out after secret unfair trials. br /
br /
An appeal court upheld his death sentence and crucifixion in November, as did the Supreme Court subsequently. br /
br /
Muhammad al-Shammari did not have access to a lawyer during his trial and there were reports that he may have suffered from a psychological disorder. br /
br /
If this was the case, his execution would have violated the UN Commission on Human Rights, which urges states still using the death penalty ldquo;not to impose the death penalty on a person suffering from any form of mental disorder or to execute any such personrdquo;. br /
br /
Crucifixions of death penalty victims in Saudi Arabia are rare but this is the second such case this year, following the execution of Ahmed bin lsquo;Adhaib bin lsquo;Askar al-Shamlani al-lsquo;Anzi in Riyadh on 29 May.nbsp; br /
br /
Crucifixions take place after the beheading. The body, with the separated head sewn back on, is hung from or against a pole in public to act as a deterrent. The pole is sometimes shaped in the form of a cross, hence the use of the term ldquo;crucifixionrdquo;.br /
br /
At least 158 people were executed by the Saudi Arabian authorities in 2007 and at least 102 people were executed in 2008. Since the beginning of 2009, a further 67 people are known to have been executed. br /
br /
Amnesty International is aware of at least 140 people currently on death row. The true figures are believed to be much higher.br /
br /
ldquo;We urge the Saudi Arabian authorities to come into line with the wider international community and order an immediate moratorium on executions,rdquo; said Malcolm Smart.br /

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/iraq-noose-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/The Iraqi authorities must immediately stop the executions of more than 900 people on death row who have exhausted their legal appeals and could be put to death at any time, Amnesty International said.br /
br /
The prisoners, who include 17 women, are said to have had their death sentences ratified by the Presidential Council, the final step before executions are carried out.br /
br /
At least 120 people are known to have been executed in Iraq so far this year.br /
br /
quot;In a country which already has one of the highest rates of execution in the world, the prospect that this statistic may rise significantly is disturbing indeed,quot; said Philip Luther, Deputy Director of Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Middle East and North Africa Programme.br /
br /
Many of the condemned prisoners have been convicted of offences such as murder and kidnapping. Some are likely to have been sentenced after unfair trials.br /
br /
The government is reportedly trying to present itself as being tough on crime and capable of overcoming the difficult security situation in the country, before the national elections in 2010.br /
br /
Opposition politicians have expressed concern that executions may be carried out to allow the ruling al-Darsquo;wa party to gain political advantage ahead of the elections. They have called on the government to temporarily suspend all executions.br /
br /
One of those women facing execution is Samar Sarsquo;ad lsquo;Abdullah, who was sentenced to death on 15 August 2005. She had been found guilty of the murder of her uncle, his wife and one of their children in Baghdad.br /
br /
Samar Sarsquo;ad lsquo;Abdullah was reported to have blamed the killings on her fianceacute;, who, she said, had carried them out in order to rob her uncle.br /
br /
At her trial, Samar Sarsquo;ad lsquo;Abdullah alleged that, after her arrest, police in Hay al-Khadhra, Baghdad, had beaten her with a cable, beaten the soles of her feet (falaqa) and subjected her to electric shocks to make her ldquo;confessrdquo;.br /
br /
The judge failed to order an investigation into her allegations, and sentenced her to death.br /
br /
Her father, Sarsquo;ad lsquo;Abdel- Majid lsquo;Abd al-Karim, told Amnesty International the trial was concluded in less than two days, that he was not permitted entry to the court, and that Amal lsquo;Abdel-Amir al-Zubaidi, one of Samarrsquo;s lawyers, was ordered out of the court by the trial judge.br /
br /
Samar Sarsquo;ad lsquo;Abdullah’s death sentence was confirmed by the Court of Cassation on 26 February 2007.br /
br /
Since the reintroduction of the death penalty in August 2004, at least 1,000 people have been sentenced to death and scores have been executed. There are no official figures for the number of prisoners facing execution.br /
br /
After all avenues of appeal have been exhausted, death sentences are referred to the Presidential Council, composed of the President and the two Vice-Presidents, for ratification, after which they are carried out.br /
br /
The President, Jalal Talabani, opposes the death penalty and delegates his ratification powers to the two Vice-Presidents, who do not oppose its use.br /
br /
Amnesty International has repeatedly urged the Iraqi authorities to establish an immediate moratorium on executions.br /
br /
quot;The Iraqi government must heed international demands to stop executions,quot; said Philip Luther.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/ASA/china-urumqi-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/Chinarsquo;s supreme court must carefully review reported death sentences imposed today on five individuals by a court in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of northwest China, Amnesty International said on Thursday.br /
br /
Thirteen people were sentenced by the court in the city of Urumqi, in connection with deadly violence that erupted after a police crackdown on Uighur protesters on 5 July.br /
br /
Five of these were sentenced to death, and another two were sentenced to life imprisonment.br /
br /
Tomorrow another five cases are due to be tried in connection with the unrest.br /
br /
quot;We urge the Court to ensure that the defendants who are to be tried tomorrow receive a fair trial, legal counsel of their choice and are not subject to the death penalty,quot; said Roseann Rife, Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Deputy Asia Pacific Director.br /
br /
According to Chinese official reports, almost 200 people were killed during the disturbances in July.br /
br /
The demonstrators were protesting the authorities’ failure to take action following the deaths of at least two, but possibly several dozen, Uighur migrant workers during a riot at a toy factory in the city of Shaoguan, in the southern province of Guangdong.br /
br /
Nine people were executed last month in connection with the unrest.br /
br /
Amnesty International has raised concerns about the lack of openness and transparency of the trials and believes defendants have been denied the right to choose their legal representation.br /
br /
Judicial authorities in Beijing put pressure on human rights lawyers not to take up the cases of the accused.br /
br /
Since the July unrest in the XUAR the authorities have detained thousands of people, brought dozens to trial, and threatened those involved in the unrest with harsh sentences.br /
br /
quot;Last monthrsquo;s executions followed fast on the heels of the sentences from the Intermediate Court, calling into question the care with which the Supreme Court reviewed these cases,quot; said Rife.nbsp; quot;Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases, but the lack of transparency and fair trials in these cases is outrageous.quot;br /
br /
Chinese authorities have refused to allow any independent inquiry into the violence.br /
br /
Internet connections, international telephone links, and other forms of communication in the XUAR that were shut down on the evening of the 5 July, remain blocked, making information regarding the events of July and after extremely difficult to obtain.br /
br /
According to Chinese law, all death sentences must be reviewed by the Chinese Supreme People’s Court.nbsp;nbsp;

Amnesty International is appealing to the authorities in the state of Ohio not to resume executions, following their adoption of a new lethal injection protocol.br /
br /
Ohio’s decision to introduce the new lethal injection procedures followed the state’s failed attempt to execute Romell Broom on 15 September.br /
br /
Over two hours, the execution team repeatedly tried and failed to find a useable vein in which to insert the lethal injection needle. They finally gave up.br /
br /
Ohio is seeking to execute Kenneth Biros on 8 December. Six other death row inmates are scheduled for execution in Ohio in the six months after that.br /
br /
Ohio’s Attorney General revealed on 13 November that the state had decided to alter its lethal injection procedures, arguing that the changes should end all claims raised in the litigation about how Ohio state authorities carries out executions.br /
br /
The state authorities have decided to change from a three-drug process to a procedure that uses a large dose of one chemical, thiopental sodium, an anaesthetic.br /
br /
Secondly, the state has developed a quot;back-up procedurequot; for cases when a suitable vein could not be found in a condemned inmate for his or her execution.br /
br /
This procedure would involve injecting a combination of two chemicals, midazolam and hydromorphone, into a large muscle of the prisoner such as the thigh.br /
br /
Ohio would be the first state to change to this method. Jonathan Groner MD, Professor of Clinical Surgery at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, has described Ohiorsquo;s proposal to Amnesty International as ldquo;an experimentrdquo;. br /
br /
The Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction has said that the changes would become effective by 30 November 2009, quot;in sufficient time to conduct the execution of Kenneth Birosquot;.br /
br /
On 13 November, the District Court judge overseeing the litigation rejected the state’s bid for an expedited schedule so that it could execute Kenneth Biros with its new method on 8 December.br /
br /
The state has appealed to the US Court of Appeals to have the current stay of execution, previously imposed by the District Court, lifted.br /
br /
On 17 November, the Ohio parole board recommended against clemency. br /
br /
The six other Ohio inmates currently scheduled for execution are: Abdullah Sharif Kaazim Mahdi (7 January 2010); Mark Brown (4 February); Lawrence Reynolds (9 March); Darryl Durr (20 April); Michael Beuke (15 May); and Richard Nields (10 June).br /
br /
Amnesty International considers that the death penalty can never be rendered humane, regardless of the method of execution.br /
br /
The organization is reminding the Ohio authorities that a clear majority of countries have abandoned executions and that the death penalty is not an option even in international tribunals considering the crimes of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.br /
br /
It is calling for a moratorium on executions in the State of Ohio, pending abolition of the death penalty.br /
nbsp;

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Thematic/death-penalty/deathpenalty-argentina-100x.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has welcomed a decision by Russia’s Constitutional Court that brings the country a step closer to full abolition of the death penalty. br /
br /
The Court decided on Thursday to extend the current moratorium on executions, which was due to expire in January, and recommended abolishing the death penalty completely.br /
br /
ldquo;By taking this decision, the court frees the people of Russia from the fear of being put to death by their government. As long as Russia remains execution free, the inherent dangers of the wrongful use of the death penalty are removed,rdquo; said Nicola Duckworth, Europe and Central Asia Director at Amnesty International.br /
br /
A moratorium has been in place since 1999 and was due to expire when all regions of the Russian Federation had introduced jury trials. This is set to happen on 1 January 2010 when jury trials are introduced in Chechnya. br /
br /
The Court has now extended that moratorium, stating that: ldquo;The path towards the full abolition of the death penalty is irreversible.quot;br /
br /
Amnesty International has now called on the Russian authorities to remove the death penalty from law and ratify Protocol 6 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.br /
br /
ldquo;Russia has long been a supporter of abolition in the international arena and it is high time the country undertakes the last step and removes the death penalty in law,quot; said Nicola Duckworth.br /
br /
When Russia joined the Council of Europe in 1996, it promised to abolish the death penalty by 1999. The country stopped imposing the death penalty in 1998 and the Constitutional Court ordered a moratorium in 1999.

The Iranian authorities must halt the imminent execution of Sherko Moarefi, a Kurdish man convicted of ldquo;enmity against Godrdquo; over his alleged membership of a proscribed Kurdish organization, Amnesty International said on Friday. br /
br /
Sherko Moarefi was transferred to solitary confinement in the death row section of Saqez prison on Thursday.nbsp; It is feared this is a prelude to his execution, which could take place as early as tomorrow. br /
Another Iranian Kurdish man, Habibollah Latifi, is also feared to be at imminent risk of execution. br /
br /
On Wednesday, Ehsan Fattahian was executed in Sanandaj by the Iranian authorities after being convicted on similar charges. br /
br /
The executions appear to have been scheduled in reprisal for a spate of assassinations and attempted assassinations of officials in Kordestan province which took place between 9 and 19 September and were widely reported in Iran. Amnesty International has condemned the attacks, which targeted civilian officials.br /
br /
At least 10 other Kurdish men and one woman are believed to be on death row in Iran in connection with their membership of and activities in support of proscribed Kurdish organizations.br /
br /
Amnesty International continues to urge the Iranian authorities to impose an immediate and comprehensive moratorium on executions, as a first step towards ending the use of this punishment.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/AMR/usa-obama-100×100.jpg alt= title= /br/President Obama must use his first official visit to China to urge the authorities to reverse the sharp rise in human rights violations in the country, Amnesty International said on Friday. br /
br /
The organisation reminded President Obama in an open letter that he has a responsibility to publicly push for an improvement in Chinarsquo;s poor human rights record during his scheduled visit to China next week. br /
br /
Thousands of Chinese activists and human rights lawyers continue to face arbitrary detention, harassment and imprisonment following unfair trials while the authorities continue to execute more people than the rest of the world combined. br /
br /
ldquo;The Chinese government has stepped up efforts to silence any internal criticism or challenge, despite the countryrsquo;s massive economic growth. President Obama must take this opportunity to show that the US views human rights as a central plank of its relationship with China,rdquo; said Sam Zarifi,Amnesty Internationalrsquo;s Asia Pacific Director. br /
br /
Amnesty International continues to monitor the cases of many individuals who are being held in administrative detention, including the ldquo;re-education through labourrdquo; detention system, where detainees can be locked up for up to four years without trial. br /
br /
Torture by law enforcement personnel is endemic, resulting in many prisonersrsquo; deaths while in custody. br /
br /
Human rights lawyers are harassed, intimidated, assaulted, abducted, forcibly disappeared, placed under surveillance and house arrest and faced criminal charges for protecting the rights of others. br /
br /
In the first half of 2009 alone, Amnesty International documented the cases of at least four human rights lawyers who were threatened with violence; at least 10 who were prevented from meeting with or representing their clients in courts, and at least five who were briefly detained, one for one month, because of their human rights work. br /
br /
The announcement this week that authorities had executed eight Uighurs and one Han Chinese for their alleged role in the July riots are further proof of the urgent need for the US administration to push China for an independent, impartial, and transparent investigation of the events surrounding the July riots. br /
br /
Uighurs and other ethnic minority and religious groups such as Tibetans and Falun Gong practitioners continue to be ill treated and face persecution for their beliefs. br /
br /
ldquo;Despite China adopting a human rights action plan after hosting the Olympic Games last year its government needs to show the world that it is serious about meetings its obligations under international human rights law,rdquo; saidnbsp; Sam Zarifi. br /
br /
Amnesty International calls on China to show its commitment to human rights by immediately meeting the following benchmarks: br /
br /
bull; Abolition of the ldquo;Re-Education through Labourrdquo; detention system. There is a strong domestic call in China for the reform of the system. In the run-up to the Beijing Olympics, an open letter calling for its abolition solicited 15,000 signatures. br /
br /
bull; A public and independent investigation of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown against pro-democracy demonstrators. Human rights defenders and activists face police harassment and surveillance when they press the authorities to take responsibility for the crackdown in 1989. br /
br /
bull; A lifting of all restrictions and obstacles to freedom of worship. Thousands are detained for their religious activities. br /
br /
bull; Cessation of the repression of Tibetans and Uighurs and respect for their ethnic, cultural and religious identity. Tibetans and Uighurs has been the target of systematic and extensive human rights violations. These include arbitrary detention, torture, severe restrictions on freedom of religion and employment discrimination. br /
br /
It also calls on President Obama to urge China to: br /
br /
bull; Release Shi Tao, a journalist who was sentenced to ten years imprisonment on charges of ldquo;illegally providing state secrets to foreign entitiesrdquo; due to an email he sent to a US-based website. Court records show that one of the evidence was Shi Taorsquo;s account holder information provided to the police by Internet company Yahoo! Inc. br /
br /
bull; Release immediately and unconditionally those detained solely for engaging in peaceful protest, including support for the Dalai Lama, the independence of Tibet, or greater autonomy for Tibet. br /
br /
bull; Release prisoner of conscience Ablikim Abdiriyim, son of Uighur activist Reibya Kadeer. He is serving a nine-year sentence in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region (XUAR) on charges of ldquo;instigating and engaging in secessionist activities.rdquo; br /
br /
There are serious concerns that he may have confessed under torture. Ablikim Abdiriyim was detained with his siblings and several family members in May 2006. Their detention prevented them from meeting with a United States Congressional delegation on a scheduled visit. His brother Alim Abdiriyim is also in prison on charges of tax evasion, which may be politically motivated. br /
br /
bull; Ensure lawyersrsquo; rights to carry out their legal work without harassment, intimidation, violence or fear of criminal prosecution.

The Ukraine authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Belarusian musician and activist Igor Koktysh, detained for over two years for the peaceful expression of his beliefs, said Amnesty International.br /
br /
The organization also urged that Igor Koktysh should not be forcibly returned to Belarus, where he is believed to be at risk of the death penalty on fabricated charges.br /
br /
Amnesty International said it considers Igor Koktysh to be a prisoner of conscience.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh has been detained in Ukraine since 25 June 2007, after Belarus requested his extradition over a baseless accusation that he committed murder in Belarus in January 2001.br /
br /
He is charged with the quot;premeditated, aggravated murderquot; of a close friend’s relative, under Article 139 of the Criminal Code of Belarus, which carries the death penalty.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh was held in detention from January 2001 until his trial that December. While in custody he was allegedly tortured and ill-treated. This included being beaten and locked naked in a freezing cell, as well as being deprived of necessary medication for his asthma, in order to force him to confess.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh told Amnesty International that during his detention the head investigator of Brest district told him that he knew he was not guilty of the crime, but that he was under pressure from his superiors. The investigator refused to repeat these words in court.br /
br /
Able to prove that he was in another city when the murder took place, he was acquitted and released. This verdict was confirmed by the Supreme Court of Belarus on 1 February 2002.br /
br /
After his release, Igor Koktysh moved to Ukraine where he registered to live and work and met his future wife. In April 2002, the Belarusian Prosecutor General appealed against the verdict and the case was returned to the lower court for a retrial.br /
br /
Belarus’s request for his extradition followed and Igor Koktysh was detained by the Ukraine authorities on 25 June 2007.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh filed a complaint to the European Court of Human Rights in October 2007 to challenge his extradition to Belarus and his detention pending extradition. The Court called on the government of Ukraine to not extradite him before the Court has considered the case.br /
br /
In Ukraine, Igor Koktysh continued to actively support the Belarusian opposition candidate, Alyaksandr Milinkevich, during the presidential election campaign in Belarus in 2006. He created videos, website banners and composed songs supporting the candidate.br /
br /
He also created a website for the unregistered Informal Youth Movement which contained opposition leaflets and posters.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh applied for refugee status in Ukraine, but his application was rejected on 23 October 2008. His lawyer is currently appealing against this decision on his behalf.br /
nbsp;br /
A number of international human rights conventions to which Ukraine is a state party prohibit the deportation or extradition of anyone to a country where he or she may face the death penalty, torture or other ill-treatment or other grave human rights violations.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh, a musician in the banned rock group Mlechny Put (Milky Way), was socially and politically active in Belarus.br /
br /
He was a founding member of a youth group financed by the Catholic Church, which aimed to rehabilitate young drug users.br /
br /
Igor Koktysh organized rock festivals to publicize the message quot;No to drugs and violencequot;. At these festivals opposition flags and slogans were displayed.br /
br /
He was also an active member of the youth opposition movement Zubr (since disbanded) and took part in a number of political campaigns.br /
br /
In 2000, Igor Koktysh tried to start an independent youth organization, the Informal Youth Movement, but the authorities refused to register the group.br /
br /
Shortly afterwards, the head of investigations of the local police department came to Igor Koktysh’s house and, in front of witnesses, stated that he would find a reason to arrest him. The police immediately put Igor Koktysh under surveillance and he was subjected to interrogations, searches and criminal charges.

img src=http://www.amnesty.org/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/imagecache/previewsize/sites/impact.amnesty.org/files/PUBLIC/Regions/MENA/iran-fattahian-100.jpg alt= title= /br/Amnesty International has strongly condemned the execution in Iran on Wednesday morning of a Kurdish man sentenced to death for quot;enmity against Godquot; in connection with his alleged membership of an illegal opposition group.br /
br /
According to reports, Ehsan Fattahian was hanged at 4am Central European time at the prison in the city of Sanandaj, the provincial capital of Kordestan. His body is to be returned to his family in the next two days.br /
br /
Amnesty International had previously urged the Iranian authorities to halt the execution and to commute his sentence, along with the death sentences of two other Iranian Kurdish men also feared to be at imminent risk of execution.br /
br /
All three executions appear to have been scheduled in reprisal for a spate of assassinations and attempted assassinations of officials in Kordestan province which took place between 9 and 19 September and were widely reported in Iran.br /
br /
At least 10 other Kurdish men and one woman are believed to be on death row in Iran in connection with their membership of and activities in support of proscribed Kurdish organizations.br /
br /
No group has claimed responsibility for the September attacks, which targeted mainly religious figures and judges. The authorities have variously blamed the Kurdistan Independent Life Party (PJAK), an armed Kurdish opposition group, and quot;hard-line Sunni fundamentalistsquot; linked to foreign intelligence services.br /
br /
Those killed included the head of Sanandaj city council, a Sunni cleric who had supported President Ahmadinejadrsquo;s re-election campaign, and the Kordestan representative to the Assembly of Experts (the body which appoints the Supreme Leader). Two judges were also injured. Amnesty International condemns these attacks on civilians.br /
br /
Ehsan Fattahian was detained on 20 July 2008 and said in a letter that he wrote from prison that he was regularly beaten in detention. He also said that he was a member of Komala, a Marxist Kurdish opposition group.br /
br /
Branch 1 of the Revolutionary Court in Sanandaj sentenced him to 10 years’ imprisonment to be served in internal exile, after a trial in which he was denied access to a lawyer.br /
br /
Both Ehsan Fattahian and the prosecutor appealed against this verdict, and in January 2009 Branch 4 of the Kordestan Appeal Court overturned the initial verdict. nbsp;br /
br /
Instead, he was sentenced to death for ldquo;enmity against Godquot;. This new sentence was never subject to an appeal, as is required by international law.br /
br /
He said the new sentence was passed because he refused to agree to ldquo;confessrdquo; on film and to reject his beliefs. nbsp;br /
br /
Two other men, Habibollah Latifi, arrested in October 2007, and Sherko Moarefi, detained in October 2008, remain on death row in Sanandaj prison.br /
br /
Fears were raised that all three were at imminent risk of execution after a judge in Sanandaj received orders in October to carry out their executions.nbsp; At least another 10 Kurds are on death row in Iran for alleged political offences.br /
br /
On Tuesday, Amnesty International urged the Iranian authorities to commute Ehsan Fattahian’s death sentence along with those of Habibollah Latifi and Sherko Moarefi.br /
nbsp;br /
The organization also expressed concern that Ehsan Fattahian is reported to have been tortured and was sentenced to death after an appeal after an unfair trial.br /
br /
It also called on the authorities to impose an immediate and comprehensive moratorium on executions, as a first step towards ending the use of the deathnbsp; penalty.br /
br /
Kurds, who are one of Iran’s many minority groups, live mainly in the west and north-west of the country, in the province of Kordestan and neighbouring provinces bordering Kurdish areas of Turkey and Iraq. They experience religious, economic and cultural discrimination.br /
br /
For many years, Kurdish organizations such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) and the Marxist group Komala engaged in armed opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran.