A protester is gagged during his arrest at a protest in Baku, Azerbaijan. March 12, 2011. (c) IRFS
By Max Tucker, Amnesty International’s Campaigner on South Caucasus and Ukraine,
One year ago, a series of peaceful protests against government repression in Azerbaijan were met with brute force by the authorities. The clampdown that followed resulted in the imprisonment of 17 activists and political figures, 14 of whom are still behind bars today.
Shortly afterwards, on 14 May, Azerbaijan’s entry “Running Scared” won the Eurovision song contest, giving Azerbaijan the right to host the 2012 competition.
This was a doubly ironic event. Continue reading ‘Azerbaijan: Running Scared’
Johan Teterissa dans sa cellule au centre de détention de Waiheru à Amboine, dans la province des Moluques. (c) Amnesty International
Josef Benedict, chargé de campagne sur l’Indonésie, Amnesty International
Appelez le gouvernement indonésien à libérer Johan Teterissa et tous les prisonniers d’opinion à travers le pays.
Cette année, cela fait cinq ans que Johan Teterissa, enseignant aux Moluques, a été arrêté, battu et torturé pour avoir organisé une manifestation pacifique pendant laquelle un drapeau régional interdit a été hissé.
Cet événement a eu lieu le 29 juin 2007, alors que le gouvernement avait organisé une cérémonie à Amboine, la capitale de la province des Moluques, pour célébrer la Journée nationale de la famille. Le président indonésien était présent.
Pendant la cérémonie, Johan Teterissa a entraîné sur le terrain 22 autres militants, pour la plupart des enseignants et des paysans, et ils ont effectué une danse guerrière traditionnelle devant le président. À la fin de la danse, ils ont déployé le « Benang Raja », un drapeau régional interdit.
Continue reading ‘Battu, torturé et emprisonné après avoir hissé un drapeau – Rejoignez notre campagne pour la liberté d’expression’
Johan Teterissa in his cell at the Waiheru detention centre in Ambon, Maluku. (c) Amnesty International
By Josef Benedict, Indonesia Campaigner, Amnesty International,
Call on Indonesia’s government to release Johan Teterissa and all other prisoners of conscience in the country.
This year marks five years since Johan Teterissa, a teacher from Maluku, was arrested, beaten, and tortured for leading a peaceful protest where a banned regional flag was raised.
The protest took place on 29 June 2007. The government had organized a ceremony in the city of Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, to mark National Family Day. Among the audience was the Indonesian President.
During the ceremony, Johan led 22 other activists – most of whom were teachers and farmers – onto the field and performed a traditional war dance in front of the President. At the end of the dance the activists unfurled the “Benang Raja” – a banned regional flag. Continue reading ‘Beaten, tortured, and imprisoned after raising a flag’
Stanislav Dmitrievskii campaigns for the right to freedom of assembly and fair elections © Strategy 31, Nizhnii Novgorod
By Friederike Behr, Russia researcher for Amnesty International
Stanislav Dmitrievskii is a veteran human rights defender and political activist from Nizhnii Novgorod, a town East of Moscow.
During recent months he has actively participated in numerous demonstrations for the right to freedom of assembly and for fair elections. And he has been repeatedly detained.
Continue reading ‘Facing intimidation in the fight for human rights in Russia’
Guatemalan human rights defender Norma Cruz is the director of Fundación Sobrevivientes (c) Amnesty International
By Sauro Scarpelli, Campaign Manager of the Individuals at Risk team, Amnesty International
Norma Cruz is a human rights defender who received 47 death threats via text messages sent to her mobile phone. As the leader of women’s rights organization Survivors’ Foundation (Fundación Sobrevivientes) in Guatemala she receives repeated threats for simply doing her work to support victims of violence against women and for pursuing prosecutions against those responsible for committing the crimes.
At Amnesty International we are celebrating our 50th birthday and since our inception, we have been fighting for freedom of expression. It was our first campaign and unfortunately 50 years later, despite a very different world, those defending human rights continue to be silenced, imprisoned and threatened with violence in new and different forms.
In our 50th year we are continuing our struggle for freedom of expression by campaigning with Norma Cruz. Continue reading ‘Stop the death threats. Join our campaign for freedom of expression.’
