This post is being made for the World Day Against the Death Penalty, and is a slightly edited (rearranged, dead links removed, URLs shown, internal matters removed) version of an email Amnesty International Australia sent out on this.
I also wish to provide some links on a couple of related topics:
So-called “honour” killings of women
LGBTIQ+ people
- https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Capital_punishment_for_homosexuality&oldid=979266644
- https://www.humandignitytrust.org/lgbt-the-law/map-of-criminalisation/?type_filter=death_pen_applies
- All Out: https://allout.org/en
World Day Against the Death Penalty - 10th October 2020
The World Day Against the Death Penalty is an important moment to shine a light on the continuing injustice of the death penalty. When Amnesty International started campaigning against the death penalty in 1977, only 16 countries had abolished it. Today, 106 countries have abolished the death penalty in law for all crimes and 142 countries have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Together we have had an impact and we will continue to challenge this injustice until it is abolished for everyone, everywhere.
For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Day_Against_the_Death_Penalty.
Why does Amnesty International oppose the death penalty?
The death penalty violates the most fundamental human right – the right to life. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
The death penalty is discriminatory. It is often used against the most vulnerable in society, including the poor, ethnic and religious minorities, and people with mental disabilities. Some governments use it to silence their opponents. Where justice systems are flawed and unfair trials rife, the risk of executing an innocent person is ever present.
When the death penalty is carried out, it is final. Mistakes that are made cannot be unmade. An innocent person may be released from prison for a crime they did not commit, but an execution can never be reversed.
Read more here: https://www.amnesty.org.au/campaigns/end-the-death-penalty/
What do we want to achieve with our activities?
- Educate people about the ongoing injustice of the death penalty
- Inspire people to challenge this injustice by taking action
- Garner media attention at a local, regional and national level
- Inject human rights messages into social media conversations
- Put global pressure on the authorities to act
Example Case 1: Yemen - Four journalists in Yemen face the death penalty, simply for telling the world the truth about suffering in Yemen.
Akram, Abdelkhaleq, Hareth and Tawfiq were just doing their job when they were detained and charged with "spying" and “creating several websites on the internet and social media.”
The first court session took place on 9th December 2019; lawyers were allowed to attend that session; but were subsequently barred from attending all the other court sessions, including the last one on 11th April 2020 when the Sana’a based Specialised Criminal Court sentenced the four journalists to death. Without access to effective legal representation during arrest, detention, trial and post-trial, due process cannot be guaranteed.
They have now been detained, alongside six other journalists, for five years. Abdelkhaleq’s family say that other detainees have heard him screaming as he was being tortured.
Every day, journalists around the world face intimidation, imprisonment and violence, for reporting on human right violations. No-one should ever be sentenced to death, let alone for just for doing their job.
The Huthi de facto authorities recently pardoned Hamid Haydara, a prisoner of conscience also sentenced to death. If we pressure the authorities, the same can happen for Akram, Abdelkhaleq, Hareth and Tawfiq.
We want to ramp up the pressure on the Huthi de facto authorities to immediately quash their death sentences, and release all ten journalists.
See the relevant Urgent Action at https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde31/2139/2020/en/
Background on Yemen
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/countries/middle-east-and-north-africa/yemen/
- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2015/09/yemen-the-forgotten-war/
Example Case 2: Iran - Stop The Execution Of Protesters In Iran
In an alarming rise in the use of the death penalty against protesters, dissidents and members of minority groups in Iran, three protesters face execution after grossly unfair trials.
Amirhossein Moradi, Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi were sentenced to death in connection with the nationwide protests that took place in November 2019. Iran’s judiciary spokesperson accused them of being “riot leaders”.
Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi have said they were kicked, hung upside down and repeatedly beaten. Amirhossein Moradi has said that interrogators tortured him through beatings, electric shocks and standing on his chest. He also reported painful kidney problems as a result of the torture. Despite this, he has been denied medical care. His “confessions”, which he has said were given under torture, were used as evidence by the court to convict all three.
These death sentences form part of a wider trend of arrests and the use of the death penalty against dissenting voices in Iran.
The death sentences of Amirhossein Moradi, Mohammad Rajabi and Saeed Tamjidi has sparked domestic and international condemnation against the use of the death penalty. With enough support, we can pressure the Iranian authorities to quash the death sentences of these protesters.
A useful video: https://www.facebook.com/amnesty/videos/286525059224062/
See the relevant Urgent Action at https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde13/1888/2020/en/
For those in Australia, communication could also be sent to:
His Excellency Mr Fereidoun Haghbin,
Ambassador of Iran,
Ambassador of Iran,
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
PO Box 705,
Mawson, ACT 2607
Email: amb.office@iranembassy.org.au
Background on Iran
What can you do?
Amnesty has some suggestions on what people can do - see below.
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Mobilise the media to raise awareness on the issue of the death penalty. With the World Day Against the Death Penalty being a key date as well as the individuals at risk being journalists, think about how you can work with your local media to bring attention to this issue. ● Letters to the Editor ● A profile showing you writing letters for this case ● Radio interview ● Ask journalists to upload a video of solidarity to their social media with @amnestyoz #nodeathpenalty
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Take Action - coordinate a letter writing campaign and/or ask people who aren’t already aware to sign a petition in support. Remember one of our key goals with our activities is to educate people and move people to action, particularly those not already engaged. Think about how you can reach people not already committed to this issue - e.g., your community networks, hosting a stall or petition blitz (respecting COVID-19 restrictions). |
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Organise an event (virtual or in person). It can take the shape of a panel conversation, virtual action taking session or even a virtual film screening. The 2017 film “Guilty” is now available online via Amazon Prime and iTunes |
Contribute to changing the conversation on social media #nodeathpenalty @amnestyoz |
Sustainable Activism and Self Care
Activists work because they care deeply about people and want to create a world where everybody’s human rights are protected. This can put activists in a place where their deep drive to change the world impacts their mental health. Activist burnout and vicarious trauma can happen and it’s important to keep a look out for the signs in yourself and in activists you campaign alongside.
Check out https://www.amnesty.org.au/self-care-well-being/, which explores how we can take care of ourselves as activists and what you can do to make sure your activism is sustainable.
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