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Amnesty Urgent Actions
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06

Teachers Union leader get death threats
On 27 February, the National Union of Higher Education Teachers (SINPES) in Angola started a strike demanding better working conditions and fulfilment of the promises made by the government. Since the beginning of the strike, union leaders - including general secretary Eduardo Peres Alberto- and their relatives have been the target of death threats. On 25 April, Eduardo Peres Alberto’s daughter was attacked on the street by unidentified men who used a toxic chemical. The Angolan authorities must promptly, thoroughly, impartially, independently, transparently, and effectively investigate both the attack and death threats and ensure the Union leaders’ right to unionize and strike is protected.
Release the Kempir-Abad defendants
A group of individuals have been arrested on charges related to their participation in peaceful protests in Kempir-Abad against a controversial new border agreement with Uzbekistan. A number are under house arrest and others remain in pretrial detention in poor conditions. Some of them have been charged with «attempting to violently overthrow the government», which carries a sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Bill threatens Indigenous rights
Bill 2903/2023 is set to be voted in coming days by the Senate. The bill - approved on May 30 by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies - seeks to make profound changes in the demarcation process of indigenous lands, and legitimize the «Temporal Landmark thesis», whereby Indigenous peoples would only have the right to claim territories that were in their possession when the Federal Constitution was adopted in 1988. The content of this bill impacts the rights of Indigenous peoples, particularly regarding the right to self-determination and traditional territory and reinforces the systemic human rights violations suffered by Indigenous peoples in Brazil who for centuries have been expelled from their territories. Amnesty International calls on the Senate to immediately reject this bill.
José Daniel Ferrer held incommunicado for months
José Daniel Ferrer García, leader of the «Patriotic Union of Cuba», was detained on July 11, 2021, in the context of widespread protests throughout the island. According to his family, he has been held in solitary confinement since August 14, 2021. Since March 17, 2023, he has remained incommunicado, and prior to this date, he was reported to have been in poor health. He is a prisoner of conscience and should be released immediately and unconditionally.
Abused Egyptian activist unjustly detained
Egyptian activist Moaz Al-Sharqawy is at risk of prolonged unjust imprisonment solely due to the peaceful exercise of his human rights. On 11 May, security forces arrested him from his Cairo home and subjected him to an enforced disappearance for 23 days, during which period he was beaten while blindfolded and interrogated without a lawyer present. On 3 June, he appeared before prosecutors who ordered his detention pending investigations into bogus charges of joining and funding a terrorist group. He is held at the notorious Badr 3 prison – where conditions violate the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment – and is denied regular access to their families and lawyers.
16 Baha’is forcibly disappeared in Yemen
On 25 May 2023, armed Huthi forces stormed a peaceful gathering of Baha’is in Sana’a, Yemen. They detained and forcibly disappeared 17 individuals, among them five women. One individual has since been released but the other 16 remain in Huthi custody and their fate and whereabouts remain unknown. The Baha’is are a religious minority in Yemen that have faced ongoing persecution in violation of their right to freedom of religion and belief at the hands of the Huthi de facto authorities. The 16 forcibly disappeared Baha’is are at risk of further violations at the hands of Huthi authorities, including torture and other ill-treatment. They must be immediately and unconditionally released.
Release Yoruba prisoners of conscience
Hundreds of Cubans remain imprisoned for participating in island-wide protests on 11 July 2021. The Cuban judiciary, which is not independent of the government, routinely rubberstamps politically motivated accusations without regard for fair trial guarantees. Among those unjustly convicted are Black activists, and leaders of the Yoruba religion, Loreto Hernández García and Donaida Pérez Paseiro, who are prisoners of conscience detained only because of their political beliefs, and who should be immediately and unconditionally released.
Youtuber and TV anchor forcibly disappeared
On 11 May 2023, Imran Riaz Khan, a Pakistani YouTuber and TV anchor, was detained and arrested by the Sialkot police, at the Sialkot International Airport. It was only after his detention that a detention order was issued alleging Imran incited violence. Authorities allege he was released on 12 May however he has not been seen or heard from since the day he was arrested. Authorities must immediately and impartially investigate the fate and whereabouts of Imran Riaz Khan, and if he is in state custody, he must be immediately released or, if there is sufficient evidence of wrongdoing, promptly charged with an internationally recognizable crime and brought before a civilian court.
Environmental rights defender must be released
On 24 March 2023, environmental activist Heri Budiawan, known as Budi Pego, was jailed for the second time in Banyuwangi, East Java, Indonesia, for «crimes against state security» after the Supreme Court rejected his appeal and decided to increase his punishment from ten months to four years in prison. His case was the first conviction under the article banning a communist ideology since the downfall of Soeharto in 1998. Budi Pego is being targeted for his work as a human rights defender and must be immediately and unconditionally released.
Man at risk of protest-related execution
Mojahed (Abbas) Kourkouri is at grave risk of execution in relation to nationwide protests. In early April 2023, Iran’s judiciary announced that a Revolutionary Court in Ahvaz sentenced Mojahed (Abbas) Kourkouri to death for «enmity against God» (moharebeh), «corruption on earth» (efsad-e fel arz) and «armed rebellion against the state» (baghi). His grossly unfair sham trial was marred by torture-tainted «confessions» obtained while he was subjected to enforced disappearance.
Raid on human rights NGO puts defenders at risk
Amparo Carvajal is a 84-year-old human rights defender and president of the Permanent Assembly on Human Rights in Bolivia (APDHB). On 2 June, dozens of people raided the APDHB’s office in La Paz and forced staff to abandon the premises. Since then, Amparo and colleagues have been sleeping on the street outside the offices as a form of protest, and to attend to victims who seek support. The APDHB offices remain occupied, and dozens of police are blocking the entrance. We demand authorities allow Amparo and members of the APDH to enter the offices to carry out their work, as well as guarantee their health, physical integrity, and safety.