China: Letter to Secretary of Justice

Concerning 15 prominent pro-democracy leaders being prosecuted for “organising and taking part in unauthorised assemblies”. These charges are based on the Public Order Ordinance, the provisions and application of which fail to meet international human rights law and standards on the right to peaceful assembly. The United Nations Human Rights Committee has repeatedly expressed concern that the implementation of the Public Order Ordinance may facilitate excessive restrictions to the right to peaceful assembly and called for its review.

Egypt: Letter to Public Prosecutor, 22nd April 2020

Regarding Human Rights defender Patrick Zaki George, asking that he be released from detention as he has been detained solely due to his human rights work and political opinions that he has expressed on social media. Also asking for an independent investigation into allegations of torture and that he be guarantee access to his lawyer and adequate health care. Especially as he is vulnerable to Covid 19.

Pakistan: Letter sent 22nd April 2020 to chief minister, Punjab.

Expressing concern for prisoners in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, especially in a time of COVID.

Bangldesh: Letter sent to 18th April to Mr. Asaduzzaman Khan, MP, Minister of Home Affairs.

Concerning Shaifqul Islam Kajol, a Bangladeshi newspaper editor and photographer, who has not been seen or heard from since the day police registered a case against him and 31 others, under the highly repressive Digital Security Act. He was last seen leaving his newspaper off ice on the evening of 10 March 2020, and his family has not heard of nor seen him since then. The police have denied having him in custody, and his family fears that he could be a victim of enforced disappearance.

Russia: Letter sent 16^th April 2020 to the Military Prosecutor.

Concerning Server Mustafayev, a human rights defender from Crimea, who is currently standing trial before the Southern Region Military Court and facing up to 25 years in jail if convicted. He and two of his co-defendants, Memet Belyalov and Seyran Saliyev, have recently developed the symptoms of a viral respiratory infection (VRI). Despite this, they were brought to the court and forced to spend there several hours, suffering from their medical condition and without food or water, while their hearing was ongoing. They are being denied adequate medical care.

A group in our congregation is working with Amnesty International’s (AI) “Urgent action campaign”.

An “Urgent action” is initiated when an individual is in immediate danger of human rights violations. A I then mobilises a dedicated group of letter writers to take action in the form of letters, email or fax. The letters ask that officials improve human rights of the situation of the individual.

Amnesty International New Zealand is a part of the Amnesty International network, an international nonprofit organisation working to end human rights abuses. It is one of more than 80 nationally organised sections of the global Amnesty movement.