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2 March 2008
Armenia: President declares 20 day state of emergency after thousands protest and eight die over election. About 15,000 people have protested for days in the capital city over alleged fraud in the 15 February presidential election. Protesters are upset about vote buying and intimidation during the election, and further violence may undermine stability in the volatile region.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/03/02/europe/armenia.php
UK: Amnesty organises sleep out to highlight the plight of refused asylum seekers. Tens of thousands of refused asylum seekers are being forced into poverty in the U.K. in fear of returning to their home countries. Wednesday, 5 March, there will be a sleep out on Cornmarket Street in Oxford as a show of solidarity with the asylum seekers and an appeal for more support.
www.stillhuman.org
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24 February 2008
Egypt: Blogger imprisoned for four years. Amnesty International has issued a call for the immediate release of Karim Amer, who has just completed one year of a four year jail sentence for publishing material critical to Islam on a personal blog.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/appeals-for-action/one-year-prison-egyptian-blogger
Iran: Juvenile offender to be executed. Human Rights Watch has issued an appeal to halt the execution of Mohammad Reza Haddidi, who is to be executed for a crime he allegedly committed at the age of 15. HRW condemns all juvenile executions, but also claims the Haddidi trial was flawed and unfair.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/ac24b8ea411e4f363f14ecf23088da9a.htm
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17 February 2008
Malaysia: Prime minister dissolves Parliament.In a move to pave the way for an election campaign within the next two months, the Prime Minister Ahmad Badawi dissolved Parliament. The elections will likely be highly divisive, as ethnic and religious tensions within Malaysia are at a high. Allegations of gerrymandering and widespread legal corruption have hurt the current government.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/13/asia/malay.php
Pakistan: Attorney general recorded stating massive election-rigging plan.Pakistan’s Attorney General Malik Qayyum was recorded stating that there will be massive vote rigging in the upcoming elections. Since November, there have been numerous voting fraud allegations, such as harassment of opposition candidates.
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03 February 2008
US: Amnesty calls for end to illegal US detentions.Amnesty International is accusing the US government of practices prohibited under international law, such as moving terror suspects to foreign torture locations, and indefinite detention. Amnesty encourages supporters to sign a petition to end illegal detentions at teritdown.org.
http://tinyurl.com/2app58------------------------
27 January 2008
London: Amnesty leads demonstration marking Musharraf visit. Packistan’s President Musharraf arrived in the UK for a four-day visit beginning Friday, igniting a demonstration in central London. The activists protested against the recent human rights abuses occurring in Packistan. Over the last few months he has suspended the constitution during a State of Emergency and replaced 12 of the 17 Supreme Court judges with his supporters.
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20 January 2008
Myanmar: Boycotts urged against Burma gems.Human Rights Watch issued an appeal for consumers to boycott jade, rubies, and other gems from Burma until the end of governmental repression. The report claims the purchase of Burmese gems funds the government’s military, which is widely criticized for recent human rights abuses.
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/01/11/burma17730.htm
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13 January 2008
Uzbekistan: Death Penalty Abolished. Uzbekistan became the 135th country to abolish the death penalty on the 1st January 2008. This continues the trend towards the complete worldwide abolition of capital punishment.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/good-news/uzbekistan-abolishe...
USA: World Protests on Sixth Anniversary of Guantánamo Bay. A series of protests around the world took place on the 10th and 11th of January to mark the sixth anniversary of the first transfer of detainees to Guantánamo Bay. The protest, coordinated by Amnesty International, included a petition signed by 1200 parliamentarians from around the world.
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news-and-updates/news/world-marks-sixth-annive...
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18 November 2007
New York: UN General Assembly Committee votes to abolish death penalty. A resolution to end the death penalty passed the human rights committee 99-52, and will likely be approved by the full general assembly in December. Although the resolution will not be legally binding, it will carry significant moral and political weight.
Saudi Arabia: Gang rape victim given harsher sentence after speaking to media. A female rape victim had her sentence drastically increased to 6 months in jail and 200 lashes for an unaccompanied meeting with a former male friend in a car. The pair were abducted and subsequently gang raped. Initially sentenced with only 90 lashes, she spoke out to the media, angering the judge who evaluated her appeal.
11 November 2007
Pakistan: Musharraf suspends constitution and declares state of emergency. Citing a rise in extremism, military chief General Musharraf declared a state of marshal law. Pro-democracy governments condemn the move. The Pakistani Attorney General claims the state of emergency is likely to be lifted in one month.
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4 November 2007
Myanmar: Ahead of UN special envoy, Myanmar expels UN's top diplomat. Charles Petrie was expelled after he issued a statement encouraging economic and humanitarian assistance for Burma's poor, without mentioning the government's violent response to peaceful protests regarding the issue.
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28 October 2007
Myanmar: Despite promises to the UN, Amnesty International reports continued repression.Monks and activists claim raids and arbitrary arrests are ongoing, with an unknown number of peaceful protesters in detention. The Red Cross has documented repeated violations of International Humanitarian Law, and is worried about the fate of the detained. The Myanmar state media claims 3 000 people have been arrested, with 2 500 released, but foreign diplomats say the true number still detained is likely to be much higher.
Rwanda: Death penalty abolished ahead of UN vote to halt executions.The Rwandan government abolished the death penalty this week, preceding a UN vote on a global moratorium on executions. The referendum will be introduced at the United Nations General Assembly in October.
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