Activism Newsletter, June Edition

Please find below updates on our campaigns and human rights work, opportunities to take direct and immediate action, interesting resources, and more!

Email [email protected] with any questions.

News

Executions soared to their highest number in almost a decade

This month we delivered our annual assessment of the use of the death penalty around the world.

A total of 1,153 executions took place in 2023, which does not include the thousands believed to have been carried out in China, marking an increase of more than 30% from 2022. The five countries with the highest number of executions in 2023 were China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and the USA.

Despite these setbacks, countries that are still carrying out executions are increasingly isolated. As of today, 112 countries are fully abolitionist and 144 in total have abolished the death penalty in law or practice. Our campaigning against this abhorrent punishment works. Read our full report for more.

Activism Opportunities

Host a Picnic Against Apartheid

We're delighted to announce our Wexford Local Group is hosting the first picnic of the season!

Grab a blanket and some snacks and head over to Redmond Park in Wexford this Sunday 23 June from 2.30pm - 5.00pm. There will be special guest performances and speakers.

With our support, you can show solidarity with Palestinians and take up space in parks and public places this summer by hosting or attending a Picnic Against Apartheid! Register your interest today.

Protest with Pride at Dublin Pride Parade

Join us at Dublin Pride on Saturday June 29, to march in Solidarity with members of the LGBTI+ community who face discrimination at home and abroad.

Pride is a celebration, but also a protest.

Event details: Saturday June 29

Meet us at 11:30am outside Amnesty International’s offices on Fleet Street, Temple Bar.

Let us know if you'd like to join us by clicking here!?

What's Been Happening

National Nabka March for Palestine

We were proud to march the streets of Dublin on Saturday 18 May for the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign's national Nakba March for Palestine.

We will not stop campaigning until there is a permanent and lasting ceasefire and an end to Israeli Apartheid.

Campaign Updates

Protect the Protest: Thailand - Make it safe online for women, girls and LGBTI people

Our new ‘Make it Safe Online’ project, highlights how the right to protest is exercised by women, girls and LGBTI people in digital spaces and the challenges faced by them.?

In Thailand, women and LGBTI activists have been subjected to technology-facilitated gender-based violence, such as online harassment and targeted surveillance including Pegasus spyware, by state and non-state actors, in an effort to silence them.?

Thailand ‘prides’ itself as being LGBTI friendly, but our research shows LGBTI activists face additional and specific harms when expressing themselves online. Take action today and protect the protest online.

Protect the Protest - Türkiye: Solidarity With Saturday Mothers 1,000th Vigil: Update

Thank you to everyone who showed solidarity with Saturday Mothers ahead of their 1000th vigil.

We are happy to report Galatasaray Square was opened on the morning of the 1000th vigil. Hundreds of participants filled the square in anticipation of the gathering that has not been allowed without restrictions for the last 300 weeks.

The vigil was incredibly moving with mothers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of the disappeared. However, the metal barriers were erected very shortly after the vigil ended. The authorities have insisted the square will not be opened on an ongoing basis. This is both disappointing and a continuation of the non-implementation of binding Constitutional Court rulings of November 2022 and March 2023.?

We will continue to support Saturday Mothers and ensure they can exercise their right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. You can too.

New Report: Evidence of war crimes committed by the Israeli military

The International Criminal Court should investigate as war crimes three Israeli air strikes that killed 44 Palestinian civilians, including 32 children, in the occupied Gaza Strip last month.

Our findings illustrate a clear pattern of attacks over the past seven months in which the Israeli military has flouted international law, killing Palestinian civilians with total impunity and displaying a callous disregard for human lives. Read the full report.

Good News: Kyrgyzstan: Acquittal in “Kempir-Abad case” is a victory for justice and human rights

We welcomed the acquittal of at least 22 defendants, including Rita Karasartova, in the “Kempir-Abad case” and hope it will set a precedent for the release of all individuals currently facing politically motivated prosecution in Kyrgyzstan.

Rita Karasartova, a human rights defender, was featured as part of our 2023 Write for Rights campaign. She was arrested in October 2022 for opposing a new border agreement that risked Uzbekistan taking control of a freshwater reservoir. This victory showcases the collective power our campaigning and your actions can have together. Thank you to everyone who took action for Rita.

Human Rights at Work

Ever wondered how Amnesty recruits and trains its ambassadors and community of telemarketers and fundraisers who believe in the fight for human rights? Our Recruitment and Training Assistant, Mariana Bergero gives an insight into her role!

What is your role, and what does it involve??

As the Recruitment and Training Assistant, I am responsible for the logistics and organisation of interviews and the recruitment process of our ambassadors, face-to-face and telemarketing fundraising teams. Additionally, I deliver our induction and ongoing training to all new and current acquisition team staff and work in coordination with the fundraising Coach to motivate teams.?

Interested? Read more here.

In solidarity,

Alice Regis, Talha Alali & Rosina Conte

Activism Team

[email protected]