Heavy Sentences Against Bahrainian Health Professionals "ludicrous"

At a seven-minute court session , the names of 20 defendants were read, the guilty verdicts announced, and prison sentences of up to 15 years handed out.
These defendants, all doctors and other health professionals, were tried in a military court for supposedly trying to overthrow the Bahrainian Government during the protests earlier this year.
"These are simply ludicrous charges against civilian professionals who were working to save lives amid very trying circumstances," said Philip Luther, deputy director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africia Program. "It appears that the real reason for targeting these health workers was the fact that they denounced the government crackdown on protesters in interviews to international media."
The charges against these individuals included inciting hatred against the regime, occupying Manama's Salamaniya Medical Complex (the place they worked) by force, stealing medicines, and stockpiling arms at the hospital.

This is the story of numerous ordinary civilians- including doctors, teachers, and human rights activists- who have been tried in military court for protests against the government. Amnesty International is only one of the Non-Governmental Organizations who have joined ranks with assorted governments to rally behind these civilians in the hopes of-at least- getting them tried by a civilian, not military court.

To join our action, please click here, and for more information on this and other human rights issues, please go to the Amnesty USA homepage.

Unjust Executions Must Be Stopped Worldwide

For the millions of those around the world that protested the execution of Troy Davis on Wednesday evening a state of shock and disbelief continues. How could the US system of justice be so flawed? How could the voices of millions, of a President, Pope, and of pop-stars fall on the deaf ears of the Georgia Board of Paroles, and of the Supreme Court? It still seems unfathomable that such an injustice could have occurred.

But the fight goes on. We here at Amnesty International USA will continue to fight, with renewed and re-doubled efforts, as per Troy Davis’s wishes, to ensure that one day no-one in the USA will be executed.
But the abuse of human rights that is the death penalty is not only perpetrated in the USA. In Iran, Christian Pastor Yousef Nadarkhani has been sentenced to death for apostasy. Such a punishment is against the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is wholly unjust, and reprehensible.

Cases such as these are the kind that Amnesty wishes to abolish around the world. And you too can help us. If you feel strongly about ending the death penalty, make the Not In My Name pledge, and stay updated on Amnesty’s efforts.

If you can, start or renew your membership with Amnesty, and become one of 3 million others around the world that dream of a better future, protect human rights, and Shine a Light on injustice around the world.

Stop Troy Davis’s Execution, Then Stop The Death Penalty

Troy Davis’s execution has been set for September the 21st. This is a travesty of justice in the particular case of Troy Davis, and the fact that death penalty is still used as a form of punishment in the USA is as lamentable as it is anachronistic.

If you are against the death penalty in all circumstances, and support our campaign to save Mr Davis’s life, then Amnesty needs your help. Sign our petition here, and see here for how you can do your part to organize for Troy.

If you do not know the specifics of the Troy Davis case, then this will show you that there are large swathes of doubt over Mr Davis’s guilt. For twenty years, Mr Davis has pleaded his innocence, and now many key witnesses no longer defend their original testimonies, which they say they were forced to sign by police officers.

If you are in favour of the death penalty, or do not know where you stand on the issue, then we hope that these facts will convince you to support Amnesty’s cause.

1. The death penalty is the ultimate sentence. There is no chance of reprieve, so the evidence on which the judgment is made must be unambiguous and water-tight. All too often, however, people like Troy Davis are sentenced to death without incontrovertible evidence against them. Many of these people are innocent of the crimes for which they are convicted. Indeed, since 1973, over 130 people that have been sentenced to death have been released from death row due to wrongful convictions.

2. Unfortunately, there is strong evidence to support the fact that the application of the death penalty is discriminatory. Defendants are more likely to be sentenced to death if they are not white, or if the victim of the crime is white. Although the USA has a strong legal system that guarantees many fundamental legal rights, it is nevertheless the case that prejudice can creep in and significantly affect the judgment and punishment of a case.

3. Although the death penalty is promoted by many as a deterrent, there is reason to believe that it is not effective in this regard. Firstly, murder rates are highest in those states that, on average, execute more people. This alone does not show that the death penalty is not an effective deterrent, but it does hint at the fact that there are far more factors that affect levels of crime than merely the lack of strong deterrents. In addition, it is plausible to believe that the death penalty in fact increases the gravity of many crimes: if one faces life imprisonment for a crime, one will likely attempt to run or hide. If, instead, one is likely to face the death penalty, one may attempt to ensure that this eventuality does not arise by killing all possible witnesses to the original crime.

4. The death penalty is increasingly seen as immoral around the world. More than two-thirds of all countries no longer use the death penalty. In fact, the process of putting someone to death has been described as cruel, inhuman, and unusual punishment. Extradition of US citizens from Europe back to the US, when there is the possibility of the death penalty being faced, has been forbidden by the European Court of Human Rights on the grounds that the circumstances of living on death row are similar to torture, and thus such extradition would violate international law. For full legal proceedings and all due process to be fulfilled, those on death row frequently spend many years in isolated cells, alternating between hope and despair, and facing unimaginable psychological trauma. Even if one argues that the death penalty itself is justified due to the gravity of some crimes, the application of the death penalty is simply immoral.

5. Finally, if the above arguments are not persuasive, perhaps the fact that the death penalty is extremely costly will be so. The cost of putting someone to death exceeds by far the cost of instead seeking and then convicting someone of life imprisonment. Depending on the state, life-imprisonment may be ten or even twenty times cheaper than the death penalty. In an age when money is short, it is only prudent to abolish the death penalty. Not only do many states face budgetary problems, but the use of extra funds to put someone to death diverts those funds that could be better used to prevent crimes in the first place.

For more information, facts, and figures on the death penalty and Amnesty’s work to end it, go to Amnesty’s website.

- Cameron Charles Russell

                Amnesty International USA Midwest Office Intern