Clipmarks | Amnesty Clips

Rights Group Suing AT&T for Spying Will Sue Government Too

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 22:54:47 GMT

clipped by: Kelika
clipper's remarks: "Cohn admits the government has many sovereign immunity defenses that can protect it from lawsuits, but says they aren't insurmountable and that the program clearly violates the Fourth Amendment.

As for the unexpectedly long-lived suit against AT&T, the government and the EFF are discussing when and how the government will attempt to have the case dismissed using the amnesty provision. The EFF wants to challenge the legality of the amnesty before it is actually applied, while the government prefers to have the case dismissed first -- then have the EFF fight the dismissal.

Lawyers for both sides will meet with the judge in the case in early September, setting a likely date for the next court appearance in December."

Clip Source: blog.wired.com

A civil liberties group suing AT&T for helping the government warrantlessly spy on Americans isn't abandoning its lawsuit after Congress voted to give retroactive immunity to the nation's telcoms.

The full extent of the government's warrantless spying has yet to be revealed, but it is reported to involve massive data-mining of Americans' phone records, and broad wiretapping of communicationst that enter or leave the U.S. border .

After the portion that targeted Americans' international communications was submitted to the nation's acquiesent secret spying court for blanket approval in January 2007, the program was quickly found to be illegal.

That prompted the Bush Administration to scare Congress into giving it wide, but temporary powers to turn American internet and phone companies into de facto extensions of the nation's spooks.

Though the EFF didn't want to sue the government originally, the amnesty issue forced their hand, according to Cohn.

Tags: at&t, government, spying

amnesty!

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:54:25 GMT

clipped by: rvnurse2b

Clip Source: www.aclj.org

I want you to take a few minutes to watch a special video preview that my team has prepared for you, live from the United Kingdom (UK).

Religious persecution worldwide is an increasingly urgent matter to which we are not immune here in the United States.

You will meet a young couple who converted from Islam to Christianity and are now facing deportation to Syria. This will be a death sentence for them. They sought political asylum in the UK because of the danger they would face back in Syria. Under Sharia law, changing one’s religion from Islam to Christianity is apostasy and is punishable by death.

And we must keep our eyes open to the threats at the United Nations, poised by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).

Tags: human rights, civil rights, religion, freedom. law, christian

Glitter 'returns to UK next week' part 1

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:42:33 GMT

clipped by: tujthevux
clipper's remarks: Glitter 'returns to UK next week'

Clip Source: newsvote.bbc.co.uk

Glitter 'returns to UK next week'

Gary Glitter will be deported to Britain on Tuesday after serving 27 months in prison in Vietnam for child molestation, his lawyer has said.

Le Thanh Kinh told news agencies that the disgraced rock star, real name Paul Gadd, would be free to go wherever he wanted after returning to the UK.

Glitter, 63, was convicted in 2006 for molesting two girls aged 11 and 12.

The Home Office said anyone convicted of sex offences overseas would be met by police on arrival and interviewed.

Former glam rocker Glitter has been held since November 2005. His three-year sentence was cut last year under a national amnesty.

His lawyer told Reuters news agency: "My client will have to board a flight to London, his ticket has been bought by the authorities here.

"After he lands in London, he's free to go wherever he wants."

US secretly holds 4,000 to 5,000 detainees

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:29:14 GMT

clipped by: masbury
clipper's remarks: Only 1500 thought connected to Al Qaeda

Clip Source: www.alternet.org

There are about 4,000 to 5,000 detainees in U.S. custody

"These detainees are distributed between Copper prison which is near the Baghdad Airport and Boca prison in Basra," Al Jouburi said.

Al Jouburi confirmed all detainees were Sunni Arabs and that their fate remains unknown because of U.S. refusal to provide any information or abide by the amnesty law issued by the Iraqi government a few months ago.

Samir Al Raqi, who served as a senior official to Saddam Hussain's security services, told Gulf News that he believes out of the 4,000 to 5,000 detainees, only 1,500 were actually linked with Al Qaeda.

Tags: detainees, war on terror

Georgia's actions "to establish peace" says PM

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 07:58:35 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: Georgian radio claims Tskhinvali seized, offer amnesty and reconstruction aid.

Clip Source: en.rian.ru

The Kremlin said Russia's leadership is also holding emergency talks on the conflict, and is considering urgent measures to end the violence.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev "is heading a meeting to discuss a series of urgent measures to stop the violence in South Ossetia, to protect the civilian population and Russian citizens in the conflict zone, considering that Russian peacekeepers have a mandate there, and to safeguard Russian interests in the region," the Kremlin press service said.

A correspondent for Georgia's Imedi radio said Tskhinvali has now been seized by Georgia, but the report has not been confirmed by other sources.

Georgian Prime Minister Vladimir Gurgenidze said

"The goal of Georgia's actions in the conflict zone is to establish peace in the region. And we will not stop until we have attained this goal,"

He said the country would offer an amnesty to South Ossetia's leaders, and provide over $35 million in reconstruction aid for province.

Tags: georgia, south ossetia, russia, former soviet republic

Most Ethical Destinations?

Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:03:01 GMT

clipped by: Rebecca Ruiz
clipper's remarks: Worried about your travel footprint? Want to support tourism in a developing country but don't want to support bad environmental practices or human rights abuses? Check out this list of "most ethical destinations" compiled by ethicaltraveler.org.

Clip Source: www.sfgate.com

In an effort to get travelers off the main tourist grid and support destinations in developing countries, a Bay Area group called Ethical Traveler has published a list of the "10 best ethical destinations."

To create the list, Ethical Traveler looked at environmental protection, social welfare and human rights in the world's developing nations. The honorees on the Ethical Traveler's list, in alphabetical order, are Argentina, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Estonia, Namibia, Nicaragua and South Africa.

The organization used various resources to make the determinations, including data collected by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and Columbia University's Center for International Earth Science Information Network; progress made by countries in reducing infant mortality rates as measured by UNICEF; and reports on civil liberties and human rights from sources like Amnesty International and Freedom House.

For more details, visit www.ethicaltraveler.org.

U.S. Military Frees 10,000 Detainees in Iraq

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:25:19 GMT

clipped by: cptenaud
clipper's remarks: Detainees are sometimes released for political purposes. For instance, the recent amnesty law which released thousands of suspected insurgents in an effort to bring certain Sunni groups back into the government. They are also released when it is determined they held no intelligence value, or posed no threat. In Iraq, the average time of detention is just under one year.

Of those now in detention, 12 are women, more than 300 are juveniles, 200 are third country nationals and about 200 are over the age of 60, the US military statement said.

Clip Source: www.vetvoice.com

by: Chris LeJeune

Mon Aug 04, 2008

The issue of detainee release is still a difficult subject, bot in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. However, unlike Guantanamo Bay where the greater majority of the detainees were not captured by US forces, almost all of the detainees in Iraq were swept up either by US forces, or by Iraqis working in conjunction with the US military. This is one of the main reasons why detainee release is a difficult subject.

The US military said on Saturday it has freed more than 10,000 people from its two detention centres in Iraq so far this year -- more than the 8,900 released the during the whole of 2007.
A military statement said there are currently around 21,000 detainees in the two centres -- Camp Cropper near Baghdad's airport and Camp Bucca near the southern oil city of Basra.

Truth and Consequences Under the Israeli Occupation

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 11:56:49 GMT

clipped by: ng_noah
clipper's remarks: Omer says :'I am proud to call myself a Palestinian and a journalist. The might of the Israeli military will not silence my pen or darken my camera lens."

Clip Source: www.sott.net

Israeli attacks on journalists are not new; nor are they rare. In April, Reuters cameraman Fadel Shana was killed by fire from an Israeli tank. He was in a car, clearly marked as press. According to Amnesty International, "Fadel Shana appears to have been killed deliberately although he was a civilian taking no part in attacks on Israel's forces."

Reporters Without Borders has condemned the Israeli military's widespread "abusive behavior" of Palestinian journalists. And the Committee to Protect Journalists reports that journalists covering Israeli military actions in the West Bank and Gaza "contend with perennial abuses at the hands of Israeli forces." In 2007 alone, Israeli soldiers shot photographers from Agence France-Presse, Al-Ayyam newspaper and Al-Aqsa TV. The television cameraman, Imad Ghanem, fell to the ground when wounded. Israeli forces then shot him twice more in the legs. Both of his legs have been amputated.

China Using Olympics As ‘Pretext’ For Crackdown: Amnesty

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:35:45 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: “Authorities have used the Olympic Games as a pretext to continue and in some respects, intensify existing policies and practices that have led to serious and widespread violations of human rights,” the report added.

It listed a series of recommendations urging China to:

* release all prisoners of conscience;
* stop police arbitrarily detaining activists and dissenters;
* impose a moratorium on the death penalty;
* allow complete media freedom; and
* account for those killed or detained in Tibet.

“It is very disturbing that Chinese authorities have indulged in such a big crackdown on the activists,” Mark Allison, China researcher for Amnesty, told AFP.

“These are people who represent many many more people in China.”

Officials were also extending the use of punitive administrative detention, notably of activists and petitioners as well as beggars and peddlers, Amnesty said.

In January, Beijing police launched a campaign against “illegal activ

Clip Source: www.commondreams.org

HONG KONG - China is using the Beijing Olympics as a pretext to pursue — and in some cases tighten — a crackdown on human rights, notably ridding the capital of “undesirables,” Amnesty International charged Monday.

Reporting 11 days ahead of the August 8 opening ceremony, the rights group said that despite some minor reforms, authorities had stepped up repression of activists and lawyers to present a picture of stability and harmony.

Amnesty urged the International Olympic Committee and political leaders to do far more to challenge China, warning of even more repressive measures once the spotlight on the Games has faded away.

“Unless the authorities make a swift change of direction, the legacy of the Beijing Olympics will not be positive for human rights in China,” it warned.

“In fact, the crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers has intensified because Beijing is hosting the Olympics.”

many others were being detained, imprisoned or placed under house arrest.

Amnesty International: China bricht Versprechen zu Menschenrechten

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:16:12 GMT

clipped by: Rasmus
clipper's remarks: One World, One Dream.

Clip Source: www.heute.de

Kritische Bilanz kurz vor Olympia-Beginn

Menschenrechtler werden mundtot gemacht, mehr Todesurteile vollstreckt als in der kompletten restlichen Welt und im Internet herrscht Zensur: Amnesty International hat kurz vor Olympia eine kritische Bilanz der Menschenrechtslage in China gezogen.

Mit Verhaftungen, Hausarrest und "Säuberungen" hätten die Behörden viele Menschenrechtler mundtot gemacht und sie von der Bildfläche verschwinden lassen, heißt es darin. Andere säßen weiterhin im Gefängnis. Aus China würden weiterhin Jahr für Jahr mehr Todesurteile bekannt als aus allen anderen Ländern dieser Erde zusammen.

Amnesty begrüßte das Bekenntnis des IOC zu seiner Verantwortung für die Einhaltung der Menschenrechte. "Wir erwarten aber, dass das IOC Klartext spricht, wenn die chinesischen Behörden die olympischen Werte verletzen"

Tags: olympische spiele, china, amnesty international, menschenrechte, meinungsfreiheit

Say No to Olympic Coverage....

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:40:42 GMT

clipped by: NonStatQuo
clipper's remarks: I don't have many friends here at Clipmarks anymore, but I do still have an opinion.

China is like Wal-Mart. Too big to give a damn about other people. They have not improved their human rights or pollution policies.

Empty Promises to all of us and their behavior is making the spirit of the Olympics into one BIG sham

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

China rights 'worsen with Games'

The human rights situation in China has deteriorated, not improved, with its hosting of the Olympic Games this year, campaigners Amnesty International say.

It documents the use of "re-education through labour", the suppression of rights activists and journalists, and the use of arbitrary imprisonment.

The report says that Chinese activists have been locked up, people have been made homeless, journalists have been detained, websites blocked, and the use of labour camps and prison beatings have increased.

We've seen a deterioration in human rights because of the Olympics

Mass Iranian execution: 29 drug traffickers, murderers and rapists hanged in one day

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:36:12 GMT

clipped by: pitim

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Mass Iranian execution: 29 drug traffickers, murderers and rapists hanged in one day

Twenty-nine people convicted of drug trafficking, murder and rape were hanged in Iran today in the country’s biggest mass execution in years.

The hangings were in defiance of growing criticism of human rights in Iran, which Amnesty International says is the world’s most prolific executioner after China.

Hanging is the most common form of execution and the condemned are usually executed inside prison compounds.

But 10 people were hanged publicly earlier this month, despite a moratorium on grisly public executions ordered by the head of Iran’s judiciary, Ayatollah Mahmoud Shahroudi, in January.

And eight women and a man face execution by stoning for adultery.

Hanged: Iranian authorities execute 29 criminals in one day

At least 74 people who were under 18 when they committed their crimes, are also awaiting the gallows

One thing USA has in common with Iran

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:15:17 GMT

clipped by: tommy2balmy
clipper's remarks: State sponsered executions

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Reports from Iran say 29 people have been executed by hanging in Tehran.

Among them were convicts found guilty of murder, rape, armed robbery and drug trafficking, state television IRIB reported on its website.

All the executions took place on Sunday morning in Tehran's Evin prison, the report said.

Amnesty International, the human rights group, said that last year Iran carried out 317 executions, a higher total than any other country apart from China.

The latest hangings were carried out after the death sentences were approved by the country's Supreme Court, IRIB reported.

"Twenty-nine drug smugglers and well-known bandits were hanged in Evin prison on Sunday at dawn," the statement said.

"These criminals had smuggled thousands of kilos of narcotics in the country and outside the country."

Human rights groups have accused Iran of making excessive use of the death penalty but Tehran insists it is an effective deterrent that is used only after a lengthy judicial process.

Tags: us, iran, hangings, executions

No one will keep us from seeing

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:50:35 GMT

clipped by: Bluephoenix4

Clip Source: www.scaryideas.com

Tags: amnesty, international, flags, advertising, campaign

Falun Gong Targeted Ahead Of Beijing Olympics

Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:15:52 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: authorities have instead been using the Olympics as a pretext to escalate persecutions of religious and political dissidents.

Chinese authorities fear that Falun Gong, along with Tibetans, Uighurs, and other dissidents, may use the international media presence during the games to draw attention to their causes.

"It is now imperative that the international community leverage real pressure and stop these deplorable actions, lest the legacy of the 2008 Olympics be hundreds of Beijing residents languishing in labor camps," Zhang said.

The apparent animosity towards Falun Gong on the part of the Beijing Olympics organizer is hardly new. In 2004, the head of the Beijing Olympics Organizing Committee, Liu Qi, was found liable in a U.S. federal court for his role in the torture of Falun Gong practitioners while he was serving as mayor of Beijing.

Clip Source: en.epochtimes.com

The Falun Dafa Information Center reported Monday that more than 200 Falun Gong adherents have been arrested in Beijing alone in the last seven months.

They say most of these Falun Gong practitioners are now being held in detention centers, while 30 have already been sentenced without trial to reeducation-through-labor camps for up to 2.5 years.

Falun Gong, sometimes referred to as Falun Dafa, is an ancient practice of meditation with Buddhist roots and a moral philosophy whose central tenets are 'truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance.' The practice was outlawed in mainland China in 1999 after the number of its adherents exceeded 70 million.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of Falun Gong practitioners have been imprisoned without trial, and thousands have been tortured to death.

Although Beijing authorities promised in 2001 that awarding China the Olympic Games would catalyze improvements to its human rights record, watchdogs such as Amnesty International have reported that Chinese

Tags: olympics, beijing, persecution, falun gong, tibetans, uighurs