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TRANSCRIPT
Amnesty International Salisbury Group
Minutes of the Monthly Meeting on Thursday 13th December 2018
7.30 pm 4 Victoria Road
1 Chairman’s WelcomePresent: Andrew, Fiona, Eddie, Tony, Michael S, Peter and LesleyApologies: Ria and Farha
AH
2 Minutes of previous Meeting – These were agreed. LC
3 Treasurer’s Report – None was received.
£22.00 had been donated by the audience at Daniel Trilling’s Human Rights Day Talk. The bill for the hiring of the room (£66.00) had been forwarded to the Treasurer for payment. Daniel had requested and received £20.00 to cover his travelling expenses.
MP
4 Campaign Reports
Death Penalty ReportPlease see the Salisbury Group Website for the full international update covering the USA, India, Egypt, Guyana, UK/Pakistan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Viet Nam and South Sudan.
To mark the 70th Anniversary of the UDHR there is also a report from the 20th EU-NGO Forum on the links between the Death Penalty and Torture.
Of particular note:
The Death Penalty Information Centre’s data base provides a list of 164 defendants in the US who have been convicted of crimes and sentenced to death, and who since 1973 have subsequently either been acquitted of all the charges, had the charges dismissed, or been granted a complete pardon based on evidence of innocence - The Innocence List .
Two executions have taken place in Texas, and one in Tennessee. In Pennsylvania the Supreme Court is considering blocking the use of the death penalty prior to an overhaul of the way it is imposed as, since 1972, 6 prisoners on death row have been exonerated.
The Foreign Office in the UK has been accused of allowing Government policy to be dictated by a Pakistan mob after it was confirmed that it had urged the Home Office not to grant
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Asia Bibi political asylum due to fears for the safety of its consular staff.
In Saudi Arabia the Public Prosecutor is seeking the death penalty for 5 out of the 11 suspects charged in the murder of the Journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which took place in the Saudi Arabian Consulate in Istanbul on 2nd October.
Amnesty International have raised concerns that children are among those being executed in South Sudan in an ‘extremely disturbing’ escalation of the State’s use of the death penalty. This year, seven people, including one child were hanged, the highest number since the country gained independence in 2011, according to evidence presented to Amnesty. In 2017, two of the four people executed were children at the time of their conviction.
Urgent Actions
Saudi Arabia – UA 182/17 (2nd Update). The families of 12 Saudi Arabian men, sentenced to death after a grossly unfair mass trial, fear that their relatives could be executed immediately as their cases were transferred from the Specialised Criminal Court to the Presidency of State Security. (Circulated to DPLWG 13.11.18.)
Egypt – UA193/18 – The Court of Cassation has upheld the death sentence of Sheikh Abdel Rehim Abdel Halim Gabreel, an 80-year-old Quran tutor, in one of Egypt’s largest mass trials since 2011. He is one of 20 convicted of the killing of 13 policemen in the ‘Kerdasa Massacre’. He did not participate in the criminal acts and was put on trial after 6 months of investigations without a lawyer. (Circulated to DPLWG 13.11.18.)
Saudi Arabia – A request was received from Reprieve asking for messages of support to be sent to Ali al-Nimr for his birthday on 21st December. Ali, arrested as a child for participating in peaceful pro-democracy protests, has now been on death row for five years, and remains at constant risk of execution. (Circulated to DPLWG 6.12.18.) This month’s Group Urgent Action.
Campaigning
No additional actions were planned for this month. Atena Daemi, jailed for speaking out against the death penalty, is, however, one of the Group’s four prisoners of conscience selected for this year’s Write for Rights campaign.North Korea
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TM expressed concerns that the Group’s campaigning over the past six years on NK’s human rights issues had not led to any significant expansion of the group, nor to any improvement in human rights in the Country. He was uncertain whether the Group should continue with this campaign. He had also raised these issues with Kenny Latunde Dada.
In discussion it was noted that Group events highlighting North Korea (talks, films and the video) had drawn comparatively large audiences in relation to other events. It was agreed that it was difficult for the Group’s activities to impinge on NK Government policy but, in addition to our efforts, recent TV programmes had done much to bring the situation in the Country to people’s attention.
It was agreed that the possibility of an event to show the documentary ‘Little Pyongyang: North Koreans in the UK’ would be explored.
The possibility of providing support for Connect North Korea and the New Malden community was raised, but this would need to be as individuals rather than through Amnesty.
Refugees
A meeting had been held at Marrakesh of the Global Compact for Migration. 164 out of 193 countries had signed – 20 refused or abstained. The aim of the Compact is to provide a platform for ‘humane, sensible, mutually beneficial action’ resting on two ideas – ‘migration should be managed and safe’, and ‘national policies are more likely to succeed with international co-operation’. Signing is not legally binding, but provides ‘a framework for international co-operation rooted in an inter-governmental process of negotiation in good faith’.
The UK had taken only 20 unaccompanied child refugees out of the 2,000 promised by the UK Government in 2016.
Confirmation of the dates of the Refugee Photographic Exhibition, to be held at the Salisbury Methodist Church, is awaited. AH will follow this up. The Amnesty Christmas tree will be on display.
The Refugee Vigil will be held in the Spring – date to be confirmed at the January meeting. FD will order placards. and copies of the Petition will be available for any who might wish to sign.
A Group event will be planned for Refugee Week – 17th-23rd June 2019.
AH
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5 Social Media Report
Web and other media statistics, November 2018 A quieter month again after the record month in September. Facebook has bounced back with a lot of interest having been quiet for a month or two.
Web siteThe figures are: May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov198 216 207 305 486 193 177
ViewsAll time: 12,278 Followers: 370, a small increase of 2
Top four country views:October
UK 61
USA 56Italy/China/Hong Kong/India
=5
Top posts: 1. Refugee talk by Daniel Trilling2. Group letter to the Journal3. Yemen and Saudi Arabia
A quieter month following the record number of impressions in September. Impressions:
May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov1420 3543 4493 2824 17k 1310 1624
The top tweet was the announcement of the Trilling talk in December. We have 145 followers. We have the same number of followers.
FacebookFacebook came in strongly this month after several months of declining figures. We had 288 engagements which is roughly three times the previous levels. Top item was the refugee talk.
Tumbler
An increase in the Tumblr statistics and we now have 9 followers. This is the first time we have seen any activity on this platform for
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some months. 17 are following
YouTube & Flickr
Total views of the North Korea video stands at 2021. Views on Flickr have reached 5060 and 992 views of the video image. [these were the wrong way round last month]
Group Web site: www.salisburyai.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/salisburyai
Facebook: www.facebook.com/salisburyai
Tumblr: www.salisburyai.tumblr.com
Content always welcome!
6 The Trilling Talk
It was agreed that Daniel gave a very good talk, which was well received.
Attendance was extremely disappointing – and this was despite listings, posters and press releases.
There was a problem with the microphone – in future this facility should be requested when booking the room. A roving mike for the Q&A session should also be requested.
In future, December should be avoided, and a smaller room booked.
A fuller account of the meeting can be read here.
All
7 Monthly Action
The Yemen Conflict - Groups are asked to take part in a Yemen online action calling on the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liam Fox, to stop the UK supplying deadly weapons to Saudi Arabia.
Write for Rights – See below for details of the Group’s card signing event.
The Great Amnesty Quiz Night 2019 – Groups wishing to participate are invited to register.
National Conference & AGM 2019 – This will take place from 13th to 14th April at the East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham. Booking is open and closes on 8th March. The resolution submission deadline is 18th March.
Four roles are up for election to the Board of Amnesty. The
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deadline is 1st February 2019.
Please note there will be no January Local Group monthly update.
8 Amnesty Christmas Tree
The Group were happy with the tree they had erected for this year’s Festival at St Thomas’s, which had taken as its theme the 70th Anniversary of the UDHR. Over 15,000 people had visited the Church for the Festival.
All
9 Citizenship Day Talk
An initial meeting had been held to review this year’s presentation, when it was agreed that it should be updated. A further meeting will be held in the New Year. No responses have been received from the additional Schools and Colleges contacted. Follow up will take place once the new presentation has been agreed. Godolphin, St Mary’s (Shaftesbury) and Sarum Academy will also be contacted.
FDAHEBRW
10 Carol Singing
This will take place on the evening of Tuesday 18th December. There will be one Choir, kindly provided by the Farrant Singers. Four collectors will be required – to arrive at Victoria Road by 6.30 pm.
JPPCLCEBRW
11 Cathedral Evensong
AH will contact Tom Clammer regarding a possible date. Possible speakers will be discussed at the January meeting.
AHAll
12 AOB
For information – an event is to take place at 7.00 for 7.30 pm at Salisbury Methodist Church. Dr Isabel King, a retired GP, will speak of working with those seeking refuge in Sierra Leone and writing reports for Freedom from Torture. This event forms part of the Reaching Out programme.
All
1 Forthcoming Events
● Carol Singing – 18th December
● Exhibition of Refugee Photographs – January 2019 – TBC
● Refugee Vigil – to be re-arranged in the New Year
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● Cathedral Evensong – date TBC
● Arts Centre Film – 8th March 2019
● Market Stall – 8th June 2019
● Refugee Week – 17th-23rd June 2018
Next Meeting: Thursday 10th January 2019 Time: 7.30 pm Venue: 4 Victoria Road
www.salisburyai.com www.twitter.com/salisburyaiCampaign box: - AH, P&LC, FD
Should you wish no longer to receive Minutes of meetings, or other communications from the Group, please let us know by emailing our Group Secretary at [email protected]
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