-Stefan, Simanowitz, Amnesty International. Reacting to the decision, Kristinn Hrafnsson the editor-in-chief of Wikileaks told me that: “the decision is an insult to the UK courts and to Julian Assange and to justice. New Delhi: Amnesty International on Tuesday said it is halting all its activities in India due to freezing of its accounts and claimed that it is being subjected to an 'incessant witch-hunt' over unfounded and motivated allegations. Inside the Old Bailey, the courtroom has turned into a circus. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. This image, however, is misleading. The American prosecutors claim he conspired with whistleblowers (army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning) to obtain classified information. This website uses cookies in order to improve your browsing experience. Because I believe in justice and I believe in peace,” he tells me. For publication of Global Research articles in print or other forms including commercial internet sites, contact: [email protected]. These technological difficulties were not restricted to the overflow room. In court, some witnesses trying to “call into” the court room last week, were not able to get in. Our research and vigorous campaigning led to the enactment of the U.S. Tribal Law and Order Act to stop the epidemic of sexual assault of American Indian and Alaska Native women. At any given time, we are campaigning for hundreds of people. Amnesty presents itself as unbiased, and independent of governments and their interests, and its statements are widely accepted because the media and diplomats consider the NGO as upholding the universal principles of human rights. This doesn’t always make us popular – Idi Amin, Ayatollah Khomeni and the Chinese Communist Party have all criticised our work. Global Research However, the government has said that Amnesty has been receiving foreign funds illegally. The US government is behaving as if they have jurisdiction all over the world to pursue any person who receives and publishes information of government wrongdoing. They said they had been given insufficient time to examine the new allegations, especially since they had only “limited access” to the imprisoned Assange. We garnered the public support necessary for the adoption of the … “I’m here today for the same reason I was in Iraq. A record of winning concrete protections for human rights. Yet the publisher who exposed these potential crimes is the one in the dock. The refusal of the judge to not to give any “special provision” to expert fair trial monitors is very disturbing. Through its refusal, the court has failed to recognize a key component of open justice: namely how international trial observers monitor a hearing for its compliance with domestic and international law.  Free Books! Earlier this month, the street outside the Old Bailey criminal court in London, where Julian Assange’s extradition hearing has been taking place, was transformed into a carnival. Amnesty International c… The judge wrote back expressing her “regret” at her decision and saying: “I fully recognise that justice should be administered in public”. The Wikileaks founder was in court for the resumption of proceedings that will ultimately decide on the Trump administration’s request for his extradition to the US. Find out more about what we do Skip To Main Content Comment on Global Research Articles on our Facebook page, Disclaimer: The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). Amnesty … The independent organisation Forensic Architecture has reconstructed the events and gathered evidence showing that the Iuventa crew were saving lives. The US Justice Department is not only charging a publisher who has a non-disclosure obligation but a publisher who is not a US citizen and not in America. © 2017 - 2020 Rozana Spokesman | Developed & Maintained By Daksham, Amnesty International halts India operations, Amnesty International on Tuesday said it is halting all its activities in India due to freezing of its accounts and claimed that it is being, Not Aditya Narayan but Neha Kakkar is set to marry this Punjabi singer at the month-end, BJP leader shot dead in West Bengal; party calls for bandh, Covid-19: Tally went past 66-lakh mark in India; death toll above 1.02 lakh, CSK beat KXIP by 10 wickets to register their second win in IPL 2020, Full Scorecard KXI vs CHE Match 18, Chennai Super Kings win by 10 wickets DREAM11 IPL 2020, T-20 Match. For our observer to be denied access profoundly undermines open justice. We're independent Amnesty International is completely independent. The iuventa10 have been in a limbo for two and half years, their lives on hold due to the pending criminal trial. etc. In 2018, the Enforcement Directorate had carried out searches at the headquarters of Amnesty International in Bangalore. Outside the court, I bumped into Eric Levy, aged 92. In the afternoon session, the lawyers requested an adjournment until next year to give his lawyers time to respond to the US prosecutor’s new indictment. Throughout our history, we have helped secure freedom for thousands of people who were … Research 28 September 2020 Amnesty International’s policy on abortion: questions & answers Research Kyrgyzstan 28 September 2020 Kyrgyzstan: End discrimination and tackle impunity – Human Rights Council adopts Universal Periodic Review outcome on Kyrgyzstan Research Philippines 25 … Amnesty … By continuing to use this site you agree to the use of cookies. GlobalResearch Center for Research on Globalization. Amnesty International highlighted the fact that the Mexican government has been keeping a detailed registry of health worker deaths, with disaggregated data on … Research Impact ... Have your say in our work and help us be there for people at risk – become a member today. Reacting to the decision, Kristinn Hrafnsson the editor-in-chief of Wikileaks told me that: “the decision is an insult to the UK courts and to Julian Assange and to justice. Our monitor initially did get permission to access the technology to monitor remotely, but the morning the hearing started he received an email informing us that the Judge had revoked Amnesty International’s remote access. He was in Baghdad during the American “shock and awe” bombardment in 2003 having travelled to Iraq as part of the Human Shield Movement aiming to stop the war and – failing that – to protect the Iraqi population. If Amnesty International and other observers wanted to attend the hearing, they would have to queue for one of the four seats available in a public gallery. The first day of the hearing, which started on Monday 7 September, drew more than two hundred people to gather outside the court. The independent organisation Forensic Architecture has reconstructed the events and gathered evidence showing that the Iuventa crew were saving lives. People in fancy dress mingled with camera crews, journalists and a pack of hungry photographers who would disappear regularly to give chase to any white security van heading towards the court, pressing their long lenses against the darkened windows. Amnesty International had requested access to the court for a trial monitor to observe the hearings, but the court denied us a designated seat in court. From petitions to protests, we had been campaigning for Teodora to be freed since 2015. These basic technical difficulties have hampered the ability of those in the courtroom to follow the proceedings. If the outside was a carnival, the inside of the court soon became a circus. We challenge human rights abuses wherever they happen, regardless of which government or group is responsible. Amnesty International India said it stands in full compliance with all applicable Indian and international laws. And yet the publisher who exposed their crimes is the one in the dock facing a lifetime in jail. The Judge denied this. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible for any inaccurate or incorrect statement in this article. ... Just a few incredible achievements that wouldn’t have been possible without the tireless campaigning of Amnesty International supporters. Across all of our work, Amnesty International exposes individual cases of human rights abuses – and fights for freedom. The iuventa10 have been in a limbo for two and half years, their lives on hold due to the pending criminal trial. ... We expose and help end torture and other human rights violations. “Julian Assange is not really wanted for espionage. Forward this article to your email lists. All for doing something news editors do the world over – publishing information provided by sources, that is in the interest of the wider public. Indeed, this most recent hearing was the first time in more than six months that Julian Assange had been able to meet with his lawyers. His interest in Assange’s case is personal. Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization with its headquarters in the United Kingdom focused on human rights.The organization says it has more than eight million members and supporters around the world. 1. In its Statute, Amnesty International fosters an image that “impartiality and independence” are core tenets of its agenda. For our observer to be denied access profoundly undermines open justice. Amnesty International have monitored trials from Guantanamo Bay to Bahrain, Ecuador to Turkey. copyright owner. Despite her regret and her recognition that scrutiny is a vital component of open justice, the judge did not change her mind. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than "fair use" you must request permission from the There have been multiple technical difficulties, a COVID-19 scare which temporarily halted proceedings and numerous procedural irregularities including the decision by the presiding judge to withdraw permission for Amnesty International’s fair trial observer to have access to the courtroom. Become Member of We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of "fair use" in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, economic and social issues. In February, Teodora del Carmen Vasquez was finally freed from jail in El Salvador, when a court reduced her outrageous 30-year sentence. 'This is latest in the incessant witch-hunt of human rights organizations by the Government of India over unfounded and motivated allegations,' Amnesty International India said. We submitted a third application to gain direct access to the overflow room at the court where some media view the livestream, but this has also been denied. Amnesty International India demanded a probe in August into the allegations of human rights violations by the police during the Delhi riots. Learn more about the Campaigns, Issues, Cases, and Countries we’re currently focused on. Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Amnesty InternationalThe organisation claimed that the attacks on Amnesty International India and other outspoken human rights organisations, activists and human rights defenders are only an extension of the various 'repressive policies and sustained assault by the government on those who speak truth to power'. For the court to deny the request to adjourn is denying Assange his rights.”. The potential chilling effect on journalists and others who expose official wrongdoing by publishing information disclosed to them by credible sources could have a profound impact on the public’s right to know what their government is up to. Amnesty Norway even took over the airwaves to broadcast a distress signalto raise awareness of her case. More than a week after the proceedings began, these basic technical difficulties have not been properly ironed out and large sections of witness evidence are inaudible. Amnesty India, in a statement, said the organisation has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work. The judge rejected this request. Deadly Force & Police Accountability. -Stefan Simanowitz, Amnesty International, It is ironic that no one responsible for potential war crimes in Iraq & Afghanistan has been punished. In 2016 alone, Amnesty International USA won critical protections for human rights … Amnesty International'The complete freezing of Amnesty International India's bank accounts by the Government of India which it came to know on 10 September 2020, brings all the work being done by the organization to a grinding halt,' it said. www.globalresearch.ca contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. She had already spent a decade behind bars after having a stillbirth, which led to her being accused and convicted for having an abortion - illegal in El Salvador. In the court, the overflow room has experienced ongoing technical problems with sound and video quality. Amnesty International is a global movement of people fighting injustice and promoting human rights. We expose and help stop unlawful killing by police. They are there to evaluate the fairness of a trial by providing an impartial record of what went on in the courtroom and to advance fair trial standards by putting all parties on notice that they are under scrutiny. The Centre of Research on Globalization grants permission to cross-post Global Research articles on community internet sites as long the source and copyright are acknowledged together with a hyperlink to the original Global Research article. If Julian Assange is silenced, others will also be gagged either directly or by the fear of persecution and prosecution which will hang over a global media community already under assault in the US and in many other countries worldwide. Tech giants listened to child labour complaints. We applied again for access to the proceedings on Tuesday 8 September, setting out the importance of monitoring and Amnesty International’s vast experience of observing trials in even some of the most repressive countries. -Stefan Simanowitz, Amnesty International, We requested access to the court for a trial monitor to observe the hearings, but the court denied us a designated seat in court. He is wanted for making America look like war criminals.”. A s of today, Amnesty International will no longer be able to work inside India. We are still hopeful that a way can be found for our legal expert to monitor the hearing because the decision in this case is of huge importance. Indeed, it is ironic that no one responsible for possible war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan has been prosecuted, let alone punished. Amnesty's detailed research, tireless lobbying and determined campaigning helps fight human rights abuses worldwide. For the court to deny the request to adjourn is denying Assange his rights.”. Amnesty India, in a statement, said the organisation has been compelled to let go of staff in India and pause all its ongoing campaign and research work. One of the vans had come from Belmarsh high security prison, Julian Assange’s home for the last 16 months. -Stefan Simanowitz, Amnesty International, Amnesty International have monitored trials from Guantanamo Bay to Bahrain, Ecuador to Turkey. -Stefan Simanowitz, Amnesty International, If Julian Assange is silenced, others will also be gagged either directly or by the fear of persecution and prosecution. Assange’s lawyers began with a request that the alleged evidence in a new indictment handed down in June be excluded from consideration given that it came so late. Contrary to what the NGO implies on its website and in other PR materials, Amnesty International and its local branches do in fact … It goes to the heart of the fundamental tenets of media freedom that underpin the rights to freedom of expression and the public’s right to access information. If the UK extradites Assange, he would face prosecution in the USA on espionage charges that could send him to prison for the rest of his life – possibly in a facility reserved for the highest security detainees and subjected to the strictest of daily regimes, including prolonged solitary confinement. Notre site en Français: mondialisation.ca. In many cases, we work for years to win someone’s freedom, and in some cases we’re the only organization fighting for them. Throughout its history, Amnesty International has won critical protections for individuals and systemic change affecting millions, including: Tens of thousands of people have been freed after we campaigned against their unjust imprisonment for exercising their human rights. The raids were conducted for an alleged violation of the foreign exchange act. Arriving at the court each morning was an assault to the senses with the noise of samba bands, sound systems and chanting crowds and the sight of banners, balloons and billboards at every turn. The US government’s unrelenting pursuit of Julian Assange for having published disclosed documents is nothing short of a full-scale assault on the right to freedom of expression. They want him to stand trial on espionage charges in the US where he would face a prison sentence of up to 175 years. America look like war criminals. ” allegations of human rights violations you must request from. 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