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BE SURE TO CHECK THE 'SEND BY' DATE BEFORE WRITING YOUR EMAIL OR LETTER.
If you’d like to check out cases from 30/4/24, click here
If you'd like to check out cases from 23/4/24, click here
If you'd like to check out cases from 16/4/24, click here
Second UA 14/24 Saudi Arabia: MANAHEL AL-OTAIBI BEATEN IN DETENTION
On 14 April 2024, five months after Saudi authorities forcibly disappeared 29-year-old Manahel al-Otaibi, she contacted her family for the first time and told them she was being held in solitary confinement in al-Malaz Prison with a broken leg after being brutally beaten in detention, and without access to medical care. Manahel al-Otaibi was arrested on 16 November 2022 and charged with violating the Anti-Cyber Crime Law due to her tweets in support of women’s rights as well as posting photos of herself at the mall without an abaya (a traditional loose-fitting long-sleeved robe) on Snapchat. Her case has been referred to the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), which is notorious for carrying out grossly unfair trials and handing out harsh sentences, including the death penalty, for individuals peacefully expressing themselves online. Australia Post offers express airmail (6-9 business days delivery) and economy airmail (20+ business days delivery) to Saudi Arabia. |
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First UA 34/24 Iraq: FREE JOURNALIST QAHRAMAN SHUKRI
Security forces in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KR-I) arrested journalist Qahraman Shukri on 27 January 2021. On 23 June 2021, the Duhok Criminal Court sentenced him to seven years in prison following a grossly unfair, secret trial. Before his arrest, Qahraman Shukri’s journalism work was critical of Kurdish authorities’ handling of Turkish air strikes in the KR-I. The Court of Cassation upheld the seven-year sentence in October 2023. Qahraman Shukri’s arrest is in the context of a wider crackdown by Kurdish authorities on the right to freedom of expression. He must be immediately and unconditionally released. Australia Post offers only economy (25+ business days delivery) airmail services to Iraq. |
First UA 36/24 Ecuador: DETAINEES AT IMMINENT RISK
Detainees in at least five of the major prisons in Ecuador are at imminent risk of facing hunger and health issues, as prison authorities have halted the provision of food and medication since 24 April. Amnesty International calls on the National Service for Integral Attention of People Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) to immediately restore access to food and medication and to guarantee the rights to health, food, and physical integrity of all detainees in Ecuador. Australia Post offers express (8-15 business days delivery) and economy (25+ business days delivery) airmail services to Ecuador. |
First UA 37/24 China: CHINESE DIRECTOR ARRESTED FOR PROTEST FILM
Chen Pinlin is the director of the documentary ‘Urumqi Middle Road’ (乌鲁木齐中路), which captures scenes from the nationwide “White Paper Movement,” a series of peaceful protests against three years of rolling lockdowns under China’s zero-COVID policy and the harsh environment of censorship and surveillance in China. Chen uploaded the documentary to the Internet around the one-year anniversary of the White Paper Movement. He was arrested on 5 January 2024 and is being held in the Baoshan Detention Centre in Shanghai on charges of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” Chen may face five years in prison if convicted. Australia Post offers express (3-6 business days delivery) and economy air (20+ business days delivery) mail services to China. |
[2nd APPEAL DEADLINE EXTENSION] FIRST UA 119/23 ISRAEL / OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS FORCIBLY DISAPPEARED [First sent out 26/12/2023]
Nidal al-Waheidi and Haitham Abdelwahed are journalists from the occupied Gaza Strip. Both were detained by Israeli forces on 7 October while they were reporting the Hamas-led attack and are held in conditions constituting enforced disappearance. Since then, Israeli authorities have refused to disclose their whereabouts or the legal grounds and reasons for their arrest. Two and a half months since their disappearance, and no information has been shared about their whereabouts, not even confirmation that they are still alive. Israeli authorities must immediately disclose their whereabouts and the legal grounds for their arrest, grant them access to legal representation and ensure their humane treatment. Unless charged with an internationally recognized criminal offence, they must be immediately released. Dear friends, Thank you to everyone who has so far supported this urgent action for the Palestinian journalists Nidal al-Waheidi and Haitham Abdelwahed. It is crucial that activists continue their activism, as there have been no updates to this urgent situation. Therefore, we are extending the deadline for this urgent action to 21 June 2024. Nidal al-Waheidi and Haitham Abdelwahed, both from the occupied Gaza Strip, were detained by Israeli forces on 7 October while they were reporting the Hamas-led attack. They are still held in conditions constituting enforced disappearance. Since then, Israeli authorities have refused to disclose their whereabouts or the legal grounds and reasons for their arrest. The situation of the Israeli authorities’ enforced disappearance of people, including Palestinians detained from the Gaza Strip, is still equally urgent. There are rising reports of torture, ill-treatment, and dehumanization of Palestinians within Israeli prisons and military detention centres. The Israeli authorities still refuse to disclose information on those detained from the occupied Gaza Strip. We are continuing to call for the Israeli authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of Nidal al-Waheidi and Haitham Abdelwahed, and the legal grounds for their arrest. Authorities must also grant access to legal representation and ensure their humane treatment. Unless charged with an internationally recognized criminal offence, they must be immediately released. Find attached and online this First UA 119/23 with the new extended appeal deadline. Further information about this Urgent Action, including social media guidance with suggested messaging, can still be found on the IAR Platform. Thank you so much in advance for your continued actions. Kind regards, Individuals at Risk Team |
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[APPEAL DEADLINE EXTENSION] FIRST UA 17/24 Mexico: JOURNALIST AT RISK [First sent out 8/3/2024]
Mexican journalist Alberto Amaro has experienced several very serious attacks in the last five years due to his work. In January 2024, he was chased by an unknown person in a vehicle who attempted to crash into Alberto’s vehicle. Despite this, officials from Mexico’s Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists have questioned his claims and even attempted to withdraw Amaro’s protective measures. We urge the Ministry of the Interior to grant protective measures to Alberto that adequately respond to the level of risk he is facing. Australia Post offers express (8-14 business days delivery) and economy (25+ business days delivery) airmail services to Mexico. |
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THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK
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