Newsletter

Amnesty International USA Group 48

6.15
Jamie Woods Stock.Xchng

1 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF CONGO: Release Fred
Bauma and Yves Makwabala
2 CENTRAL AFRICA:
Gabriel Rufyiri
3 CHINA: Urgent Action Health Fears for Detainee
4 Majid Tavakoli Released
from Rajai Shahr Prison
5 Nebraska: 19th State to
Repeal Death Penalty

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Release Fred

Bauma and Yves Makwabala

by Terrie Rodello, AIUSA Central Africa Activist Network Coordinator

AIUSA-Group 48
http://aipdx.org
503-227-1878
Next Meeting:
Friday June 12th
First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
7:00pm informal gathering
7:30pm meeting starts

NewsLetter Designed
By Michelle Whitlock
MichelleWhitlock.com

The Democratic Republic of Congo

Team at Amnesty International has

requested that we take additional actions on behalf of Fred Bauma and Yves
Makwabala.
Since the arrest of over 30 persons in
Kinshasa during a press conference on
March 15th, most of the people arrested
have been released. However two of the
activists, Fred Bauma and Yves Makwabala are still detained by the authorities. After 50 days for Fred and 40 days
for Yves of secret detention at the ANR
(national intelligence service), they were
transferred to Makala prison. They are
being charged with treason, attempted
coup and attempt to take the life of
the Head of State. Amnesty International has been in close contact with

their lawyers who have told Amnesty

International that their files held by
the prosecutor are empty and that the
decision to keep them in detention is
highly political.Amnesty International
has asked us to step up our activism on
behalf of Fred and Yves by taking the
following two actions:
Action 1

Please take action on the urgent action

that was distributed to the CAFRAN
list on May 25, 2015 and write to the authorities; https://www.amnesty.org/en/
documents/afr62/1702/2015/en/.

Action 2

Take a photo of yourself. First, write

the hashtag FreeFred, FreeYves on your
hands and, take your photo and to post
your picture online to show support.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2015 Pg 2

Please also post the pictures on Twitter and any Facebook

pages to promote the campaign!Check out campaign video:
The DRC Team has produced a campaign video with the
help of the Senegalese and Burkinab activists https://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=e03hkWWG7dU The video links up

to the petition which is running on the website of the Francophone section of Amnesty Belgium. The petition is also running on the website of Flemish section of AI Belgium and on
the website of AI Senegal. We still encourage more signatures
to the petition!

CENTRAL AFRICA: Gabriel Rufyiri

by Terrie Rodello, AIUSA Central Africa Activist Network Coordinator

Daniel Wilson Stock.Xchng

For more than six years now, the Government of Burundi

has not been able to close the murder case of Ernest Manirumva. Ernest Manirumva was a HRD working for Observatoire de Lutte contre les malversationseconomiques OLUCOME, a local organization that focuses on governance and
corruption in Burundi. Despite the help provided by the
Federal Bureau of Investigations for the investigation of this
assassination, the authorities are yet to disclose their findings
or make any significant arrest related to this case. Instead, the
Burundi authorities have accused Gabriel Rufyiri, colleague
of the late Ernest Manirumva, of having ordered the killing
of his own colleague. He has been interrogated at the prosecutors office on several occasions. Activities related to the
campaign that aims to seek justice on this case, Justice pour
Ernest Manirumva have been restricted by the authorities.

The Burundian authorities have also targeted and restricted a

campaign against the high cost of living in Burundi Campagne contre la vie chre. Initiated by OLUCOME in 2011,
this campaign is now made up of a coalition of hundreds of
Burundian NGOs demanding accountability from their government and a stop to the increasingly high cost of living in
Burundi. Human rights defenders engaged in this campaigns
activities are being targeted and harassed, including its leading figure, Gabriel Rufyiri.

Your support through solidarity messages is needed. Please

consider taking as many of the following actions yourself,
in your local group and distribute to your activist networks
who may be interested. Also please distribute to other AIUSA
activists and groups who may take these actions.
Action 1

Please distribute the following tweets

Stand in Solidarity with Gabriel Rufyiri. Check out his profile!
#KomeraTurikumwe #WeStandWithBurundi
#BurundiGov must end threats against human rights defenders. #KomeraTurikumwe #WeStandWithBurundi
#BurundiGov must ensure a favorable space for civil societys
work. #Komeraturikumwe
#WeStandWithBurundi
CC the following Burundi Government Official Accounts:
On Twitter: @BdiPresidence @willynyamitwe
On Facebook: www.facebook.com/PresidenceBurundi
Please add the attached profile on the tweet.

Action 2

Take a picture of yourself and your group members with a

solidarity message. Please send the photo to me at tarodello@
igc.org and I will send them to the IS Team, who will forward
Postage Rates
Within the United States
$0.34 - Postcards
$0.49 - Letters and Cards up to 1 oz.
To all international destinations
$1.15 - Postcards
$1.15 - Airmail Letters and Cards up to 1 oz.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2015 Pg 3

them to Gabriel and post on the IS Africa Online Facebook

page: https://www.facebook.com/amnestyafrica?fref=ts .
Action 3

Please write a letter or email to the President of Burundi

with a copy to the Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi in
Washington DC making the following points:
The Government of Burundi must:
Ensure the security of Mr. Gabriel Rifyiri;
Investigate threats against Mr. Gabriel Rifyiri and prosecute
those responsible;
Make public the report on the assassination of the late
Ernest Manirumva. Six years without a court decision on this
assassination is a miscarriage of justice;
Cease all action of judicial harassment against Mr. Gabriel
Rifyiri.
Appeals To

President of Burundi

Pierre Nkurunziza
Office of the President
Boulevard de lUprona
BP 1870
Bujumbura, Burundi
Fax: 011 257 22 24 89 08
Email: president@burundi.bi
Salutation: Your Excellency
Copies To

His Excellency Ernest NDABASHINZE

Ambassador of the Republic of Burundi
2233 Wisconsin Ave NW, Suite 408
Washington, DC 20007
E-mail: burundiembassy@erols.com
Fax: 1 202 342 2578
Please let me know if there are any questions by emailing me
at tarodello@igc.org

CHINA: Urgent Action - Health Fears for Detainee

Li Xiaobo, m

Maria Herrera Stock.Xchng

There are grave concerns for Falun Gong practitioner Li

Xiaobo, who is detained in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, central China as a result of his beliefs. His lawyers have reported
that his health is deteriorating rapidly and he is also at risk of
torture and other ill-treatment.
Li Xiaobo suffers multiple health problems, many of which
are thought to result from the torture he suffered during
a previous imprisonment. His lawyers visited him at the
Longquanyi District Detention Centre in the first week of
May and said that his condition is clearly worsening and that
he is not receiving the treatment he needs. His teeth have
deteriorated to the point that he has great difficulty eating, he
is blind in one eye and his vision in the other is down to 60
per cent.

Li Xiaobo was first detained in April 2014 while distributing

Falun Gong leaflets with his son, a Canadian citizen who was
initially detained but then deported back to Canada. Prior to
his trial, he was denied family visits and medical attention. Li
Xiaobo was sentenced to eight years in prison by Chengdu
Longquanyi District Peoples Court on April 21st, 2015. He
was charged with using a heretical organization to subvert
the law for his continued activities for and practice of Falun
Gong. His lawyers reported that they and Li Xiaobo were
constantly interrupted during the trial and that the court
refused to allow the Canadian Consul General to observe the
hearings. Li Xiaobo is appealing the verdict.
Li Xiaobo was previously sentenced in 2005 also for using
a heretical organization to subvert the law and served eight
years in prison. He reported being tortured while in detention, including repeated beatings by prison guards and other
inmates on orders from the guards, and being forced to stand
naked with his bare feet in water for hours at a time during
winter.
Action

Please write immediately in Chinese or your own language:

Demanding that the authorities immediately and uncondi-

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2015 Pg 4

tionally release Li Xiaobo, as he has been imprisoned solely

for exercising his right to freedom of belief and expression;
Urging them to ensure that Li Xiaobo is not tortured or
otherwise ill-treated, that he is immediately provided with
any medical treatment he requires, and that the conditions of
his detention adhere to international law and standards;
Calling on them to ensure he has regular access to his family, and lawyers.

Majid Tavakoli Released from Rajai

Shahr Prison - Posted on May 11th 2015,
HRANA News Agency
Majid Tavakoli,
well-known student activist was
released from Rajaei Shahr prison.

Appeals To

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE JUNE 30th, 2015 TO:

Head of Longquanyi DistrictDetention Center
Fang Shengquan Suozhang
Longdou Nanlu Longquanyi Qu
Chengdu, Sichuan 610100
Peoples Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Director

Head of Sichuan Provincial Department of Public Security

Department
Deng Yong Tingzhang
9 Jindunlu Qingyangqu,
Chengdushi, Sichuan 610014
Peoples Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Director
Copies To

Premier
Li Keqiang Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
Peoples Republic of China
Fax: +86 10 65961109 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Ambassador Cui Tiankai
Embassy of the Peoples Republic of China
3505 International Place NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 495 2138
Email: chinaembpress_us@mfa.gov.cn
Additional Information

The spiritual movement Falun Gong was banned in China as

Majid Tavakoli (3rd from

left) celebrates his birthday
at home for the first time
after spending more than
5 years in prison. AIUSA
Group 48 adopted his case
last year and petitioned for
his release.

According to the
report of Human
Rights Activists
News Agency
(HRANA), Majid
Tavakoli, was released from Rajaei
Shahr prison, after
nearly 5 and half
years, on May 10.

This student activist was given a three-dayfurlough on April 20. Despite the reports which
suggested that the furlough would be joint to ultimate freedom, he had to go back to the prison.
Majid Tavakoli is the former member of Central
Council of Islamic Association of Amir Kabir
University of Technology Students, who was arrested after being beaten, on December 9, 2009
after giving a speech among the students.
He was charged with collusion against the regime, propaganda against the regime, insulting
the supreme leader and insulting the president
on branch number 15 of the revolutionary court
and sentenced to 8 years in prison, 5 years deprivation from political activities and five years
deprivation from leaving the country.
He was sentenced to another 6 months in prison during his imprisonment by judge Moghiseh
on charge of propaganda against the regime, for
a letter that he had publicized from inside the
prison for commemoration of students day.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2015 Pg 5

a threat to social and political stability after its practitioners

held a peaceful sit-in on Tiananmen Square in July 1999. The
government established a dedicated office, referred to as the
610 Office, responsible for overseeing the crackdown on the
Falun Gong and other heretical cults, with offices operating from the central level down through provincial and local
party and government organs.
Since then, tens of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners
have been arbitrarily detained where the mission is to transform them by forcing them via coercion into renouncing
their spiritual beliefs, often through the use of torture and
ill-treatment. The vast majority of Falun Gong practitioners

were held in Re-education Through Labour (RTL) facilities

until this form of administrative detention was abolished in
2013. The Chinese authorities are increasingly using alternative channels of arbitrary detention, as well as criminal
prosecutions of individuals who previously may have been
sent to RTL.
Torture and other ill-treatment are endemic in all forms
of detention, although China ratified the UN Convention
Against Torture in 1988. Amnesty International also receives
regular reports of deaths in custody, many of them caused by
torture, in a variety of state institutions, including prisons and
police detention centers.

Nebraska: 19th State to Repeal Death Penalty

by Terrie Rodello, AIUSA Oregon State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator

Dora Pete Stock.Xchng

Today, Nebraska has become the 19th state to repeal their

ordinator for Amnesty International USA. In addition to her

AIUSA role, Christy is a former board member of Nebraskans
for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (NADP) and a current
member of the NADP Action Committee. http://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/victory-nebraska-becomes-the-19th-us-stateto-abolish-the-death-penalty/?utm_source=feature&utm_
medium=homepage&utm_campaign=DP

death penalty. The Nebraska legislature voted to override the

governors promised veto. The vote was 30 for repeal and 19
Can Oregon be the 20th or 21th state to repeal the death penfor retaining their death penalty. There are now 19 states with- alty? That is what we are trying to do. Contact me by email
out a death penalty. Considering that ten more states that still at tarodello@igc.org if you like to help.
have a death penalty, have not had an execution in more than
five year means that the majority of American states are not
AIUSA Group 48 Contact Information
currently in the business of executing convicted inmates.

Having Nebraska join New York, New Jersey, New Mexico,

Illinois, Connecticut and Maryland the states that have
repealed their death penalty laws within the past decade gives
the national movement to abolish the death penalty another
boost.
To read the press release issued today by Amnesty International USA click on this link: http://www.amnestyusa.org/
news/press-releases/nebraska-legislature-overrides-veto-ofdeath-penalty-repeal
For a perspective from a Nebraska resident who has been
working to repeal the death penalty in Nebraska since 1992,
please read this blog written by Christy Hargesheimer, Nebraska resident and Nebraska State Death Penalty Action Co-

Group Coordinator
Joanne Lau
jlau@aipdx.org

Prisoners Cases
Jane Kristof
kristofj@pdx.edu

Treasurer
Tena Hoke
tena.hoke@gmail.com

Megan Harrington
megan.harrington
@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor
Dan Webb
write_to_dan@yahoo.com

Concert Tabling
Will Ware
ww_ware@yahoo.com

Darfur (Sudan)
Marty Fromer
martyfromer@gmail.com

Central Africa/
OR State Death
Penalty Abolition
Terrie Rodello
tarodello@igc.org

Indonesia
Max White
maxw33@comcast.net

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2015 Pg 6

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AIUSA group 48 Newsletter June 2015