Cavafy Walls

WALLS

They did not seek my permission
to brick me in, to entomb me
before they built these massive walls around me.

I brood forlornly, without hope
contemplating my ignominious fate.

I had plans, such ambitious plans.
While I crouched here intensely plotting
they were building brick on brick
and stone on stone around me.

I never heard a thing, was unaware
how quickly and how stealthily they sealed me.

...in a dark closed tunnel

Free Jafar Pahani

Jafar Panahi was due to take his place on the Cannes jury this year. Instead, he is incarcerated in Tehrans notorious Evin prison, after he was arrested for unspecified crimes. The festival has left an empty chair on the jury panel. Stephen Frears, in Cannes for the premiere of Tamara Drewe, added his voice to the protests today, saying reports of the hunger strike were terrible news.

The director has made several films critical of the Iranian regime. All are banned in his own country. Last year, the government imposed a travel ban after he appeared wearing green the colour worn by opposition Green Movement supporters at the Montreal Film Festival.

Binoche is in Cannes to promote Certified Copy, a film directed be another Iranian film-maker, Abbas Kiarostami.

She sobbed as reports filtered through that Panahi had begun a hunger strike. Sitting beside her, Kiarostami called for his release.

The fact that a film-maker has been imprisoned is itself intolerable, he said. If the Iranian government continues to refuse to release Jafar, then we need explanations.

Jafar Panahi was inclined to make his films under clandestine, illegal circumstances, but thats not his responsibility alone. The responsibility is that of the authorities who prevent him from carrying out his profession.

When a film-maker, an artist, is imprisoned it is art as a whole that is attacked, and it is against this that we should react.

Panahi, who won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film festival in 2000 for Dayereh, was arrested in March by plain clothes police who burst into his home.

Tehran has denied that his incarceration is because he is an artist or for political reasons, but opponents of the government believe he was arrested over plans to make a new film criticising the government.

Martin Scorsese, Oliver Stone and Steven Spielberg are among the high-profile directors petitioning for Panahis release.

 

sοurse 

see also FREE JAFAR PAHANI PETITION

and       Free Jafar Pahani

Please help Hussein Karimyon (Benjamin)

Benjamin was known to many Calais Migrant Solidarity activists when he was in Calais last September / October. Benjamin was interviewed by the BBC last September.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8274508.stm

Hussein Karimyon, known as Benjamin to his friends was detained on Tuesday 2nd March 2010 whilst reporting at the Home Office in Glasgow. He was given removal directions to Greece for this coming Wednesday, 10th March.

His flight details are, 08:00 on British Airways flight BA640.

Hussein is a 37-year old man from Iran who has been in the UK since October 2009. He fled his home country after being imprisoned and tortured for 1 ½ years for being a member of the Gaben – Mali (International Front Party). Hussein could be again in serious danger if returned to Iran.

Hussein was tortured not only in Iran but also in Greece, where he was imprisoned in 2 different places for 3 months. During this time he was beaten and denied essential medication. HE HAS STATED THAT HE WOULD RATHER DIE THAN BE SENT BACK TO GREECE, WHICH IS WHERE THE HOME OFFICE ARE PLANNING TO REMOVE HIM TO ON WEDNESDAY. Hussein suffers from many health problems due to his mistreatment and is reliant on heart medication (which was previously confiscated during his time in Greece). Since being in Glasgow he has been to hospital 3 times, for treatment of spinal problems, loss of eye sight and fainting.

Hussein is challenging the removal under rule 39 of the ECtHR Rules of the Court . Recently, there has been an increase in the number of cases in which the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has, under its Rule 39, instructed State governments not to carry out Dublin transfers (1.). Greece is one of the countries to which numerous Dublin transfers have been halted by the ECtHR. Numerous concerns have been raised about the situation for asylum seekers in Greece. In December 2009, the UNCHR stated that they had ‘no choice but to continue to recommend against transfers to Greece under the Dublin II Regulation or otherwise’ until reforms were made to procedures (2.) A report by Human Rights Watch also raised concerns about the asylum procedure, and the potential human rights abuses faced by people transferred under the Dublin Regulations, concluding that ‘Greece has taken the approach of using noxious detention conditions, procedural obstacles to lodging claims, and illegal summary removals and abusive police and Coast Guard conduct to deter asylum seekers from entering Greece or, if they do succeed in entering, to dissuade them from staying or from seeking asylum there’ (3.). The report also highlighted the risk of return to countries of origin through indirect refoulement (4.).

In February 2009, a report by Human Rights Commissioner Hammarberg carried considerable weight with the Court, who made a judgment against Greece in for unlawful detention of a Turkish asylum applicant. It ruled that Greece had violated article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights through arbitrary detention and lack of legal remedy, and article 3 in that the conditions of detention amounted to degrading treatment. (5.). Sending Hussein to Greece would mean a very real threat of human rights abuses, and of removal to Iran.

In a case heard in the House of Commons on 2nd March 2010 Mr Ivan Lewis stated that “Iranian authorities continue to suppress legitimate protest, restrict civil liberties and threaten violence, even execution, to silence dissent, but the Iranian people continue to demand their fundamental rights. We urge the authorities to respect the right of their citizens to be heard… Amnesty International says that it is the worst human rights situation for 20 years" (6.). To send Hussein back to Iran is a death sentence.

Hussein's life will be in serious danger, as will the life of his family, if he is returned to Iran.

Myself and many other activists know Hussein from his time spent sleeping rough in Calais. While in Calais, Hussein instigated a hunger strike against the level of repression he faced, and to highlight the life-threatening situation he was in. The hunger strike was violently stopped by the French riot police and Hussein was put into a detention center in Calais.

Hussein has many friends in the UK and has begun a life in Glasgow, where he is attending English classes, is a regular member of a church, and is an active member of the community. He has traveled for many years to reach the UK, being persecuted along the way, and we ask that he is given the opportunity to make his asylum claim in the UK. He came to the UK through Calais and is known well to people from the Unity Centre, the Migrant English Project and Calais Migrant Solidarity. His solicitor has been unable to visit him as he has been moved from the detention centre in Glasgow to Manchester, and is due to be moved to London today. His representatives have had little time to prepare a case.


Please help by contacting the Home Secretary asking that Hussein’s flight be stopped and that he be released from detention immediately.

What can you do?
1) Contact British Airways to stop the flight. Please quote flight number BA640 to Athens , Greece, on Wednesday 10th March 08.00.

Email/Phone Willie Walsh, Chief Executive Officer British Airways and urge him not to carry out deportation flights, including the forced removal of Hussein Karimyon.
Please do not remove Hussein Karimyon Ref K1307066/2, due to be forcibly removed from the UK on Wednesday 8 March 2010 @ 08:00 on British Airways flight BA640.
Email: willie.walsh@ba.com

Customer Relations phone: 0844 493 0 787 Monday-Friday 08:00-18:30 (hold line till operator answers)
2) Contact Alan Johnson, Home Secretary, asking him to exercise his discretionary powers to stop the flight, to release Hussein Karimyon from detention and to grant him protection in the UK. A letter is attached If you are writing your own letter or email, please include Home Office Reference number: K1307066/2
Phone: +44 (0)20 7035 4848 or 0870 606 7766
Fax: + 44 (0)20 7219 5856 and (0)20 8760 3132
By Email : johnsona@parliament.uk
Or: public.enquiries@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
Privateoffice.external@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk
UKBApublicenquiries@UKBA.gsi.gov.uk


References:
1. ECtHR Interim Measures (Rule 39) to stop Dublin transfers 19 Jun 2009 http://cmr.jur.ru.nl/cmr/docs/ecre.rule39.pdf
2. UNCHR ‘Observations on Greece as a country of asylum’ December 2009 http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/refworld/rwmain?docid=4b4b3fc82&page=search.
3. Stuck in a Revolving Door, Human Rights Watch, November 2008 http://www.hrw.org/en/node/76211/section/1
4. Stuck in a Revolving Door, Human Rights Watch, November 2008 http://www.hrw.org/en/node/76211/section/14
5. http://www.ecre.org/files/ECRE_Weekly_Bulletin_19_June_2009.pdf
6.http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmhansrd/cm100302/debtext/100302-0002.htm#10030263000022

Greece: Initial steps to improve refugee policy, police conduct and minority rights, says Commisioner for Human Rights

Strasbourg, 11.02.2010 – The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, concluded yesterday a three-day visit to Greece during which he held discussions with a number of authorities including the Vice-President of the Government, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Citizen Protection. He also met with national, international and non-governmental organizations.

The Commissioner welcomed the willingness of the Greek government to tackle long-standing, structural problems in the field of asylum and police misconduct. “If implemented rigorously, systematically and in conformity with international standards, the planned changes have the potential of coping successfully with serious human rights challenges in Greece”, Commissioner Hammarberg said.

The Commissioner noted with deep concern that asylum seekers in Greece continue to face enormous difficulties trying to gain access to the asylum procedure, and do not always enjoy basic safeguards such as interpretation and legal aid. He welcomed the current plans to proceed with an overhaul of the system and move towards a fair, accessible and swift asylum procedure. This includes in particular the establishment of an independent asylum agency and screening centers at entry points. During the visit, the Commissioner stressed that asylum and immigration are issues that can only be tackled effectively by a concerted effort at European level and that solidarity by other EU countries must therefore be increased.

The Commissioner was pleased to note the ongoing reform of nationality legislation, which aims to facilitate acquisition of Greek citizenship, inter alia, by children born in Greece to non-Greek parents. The reform will also grant long term residents the right to vote in local elections. “In this way, Greece will move towards greater compliance with European standards, and benefit from enhanced participation of people of migrant background to society”, Commissioner Hammarberg stated.

As regards police misconduct, the Commissioner welcomed current plans to establish an office to deal with police complaints. He appreciated the openness of the Minister of Citizen Protection to draw on the expertise of other European countries and the guidance of the Commissioner himself, reflected notably in his Opinion concerning determination of complaints against the police.

Finally, as concerns the protection of the human rights of minorities, Commissioner Hammarberg stressed that the Greek authorities need “to show greater receptiveness to diversity in their society and to take further measures that would allow minority groups to express their identity on the basis of self identification”. To this end, full and effective implementation of the relevant judgments of the European Court of Human Rights and the ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities are particularly important measures.

Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
Communication Unit
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 35 38
Fax:+33 (0)3 90 21 50 53

Council of Europe Anti-Torture Committee holds talks in Greece

Strasbourg, 21.01.2010 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has just returned from two days of talks in Athens, Greece (18-19 January 2010).

The main objective of the talks was to gauge the commitment of the Greek authorities to combating impunity within the police, to improving the conditions of detention of irregular migrants and to addressing long-standing problems in the prison system. In this context, the delegation was keen to learn about the measures already taken or being considered by the new Government to tackle the problems found by the CPT in the course of its visits in recent years. The talks were carried out in a spirit of openness and all parties expressed their desire to improve cooperation.

In the course of the visit, the delegation had meetings with the Minister of Citizen’s Protection, Mihalis Chrysochoidis, the Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dimitrios Droutsas, the Deputy Minister of Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, Aspostolos Katsifaras, and the Deputy Minister of Citizen’s Protection, Spyros Vougias. Further, it met the Secretary Generals of the Ministries of Citizen’s Protection, Foreign Affairs and Justice, Transparency and Human Rights, as well as the Special Secretary for Correctional Policy and the Chief of Police, and other senior officials. The delegation also met the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Ioannis Tentes and the Ombudsman, Yorgos Kaminis.

The CPT’s delegation was composed of Mauro Palma, President of the CPT, Mario Felice, the Head of the delegation which carried out the CPT’s 2009 visit, and Hugh Chetwynd, Head of Division in the CPT's Secretariat.

More information on the CPT

December 18th

A year ago today, tens of thousands demanded the release of Israel's youngest prisoners of conscience, the Shministim.

These 12th graders courageously chose prison time over serving in the occupying Israeli army, and became heroes to us and the entire world.

Last Chanukah, just one day after Tamar Katz was released from solitary confinement, the young Shministim gathered to celebrate and to decide how to thank the 20,000 (and counting) Jewish Voice for Peace members who wrote letters, attended rallies, and wrote articles on their behalf.

This is the message they carefully wrote together. One year later, as Shministit Or Ben-David sits in prison in Israel, and as Jews around the world prepare to celebrate the last night of Chanukah, it seems appropriate to share it with you again. We can't imagine a more important message during this festival of lights.

Dear friends and supporters,

During Chanukah the festive of lights, we, the Shministim, would like to take a moment to thank you for all you've done for us and for our struggle.

While we sit down with our families and light the first candle of the holiday, symbolizing the rebellion against an occupying army, some of us are still behind bars, denied the freedom to celebrate the holiday with their loved ones, denied the right to freedom of thought and political consciousness.

During this dark period of consecutive jail terms, military trials and attempts to break our beliefs, you were our light.

Each and every one of you who helped with the campaign, who sent a supporting letter, who sent the link of the website to a friend. You've let our struggle be heard around the world, the letters, the postcards and posters, the demonstrations, all of those actions fulfilled our wildest dreams.

We would like to thank you once again and wish you all a happy and free holiday.

in solidarity,
The Shministim

The struggle for freedom continues.

Palestinian human rights activists like Abdallah Abu Rahmah and Mohammad Othman now sit in Israeli prisons with you as their most important global advocates. 

P.S. A new class of Shministim are now courageously saying no to the occupation. They need your support.

Human Rights Council adopts resolution on migration and children

1 October 2009

 

In a resolution on Human rights of migrants: migration and the human rights of the child (A/HRC/12/L.16), adopted without a vote as orally revised, the Council calls upon States to promote and protect effectively the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all migrants, especially those of children, regardless of their status, in conformity with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the international instruments to which they are party, and therefore: calls upon States to establish or strengthen policies and programmes aimed at addressing the situation of children in the context of migration that have a human rights-based approach and are based on general principles, such as the best interests of the child, non-discrimination, participation and survival and development; also calls upon States of origin to take appropriate measures to promote and protect effectively the rights of children who are left behind in their country of origin by migrating family members; further calls upon States to protect the human rights of children in the context of migration, and therefore: calls upon States parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the supplementing protocols thereto, namely, the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air and the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, to implement them fully, and calls upon States that have not yet ratified or acceded to them to consider doing so as a matter of priority; requests all States to take concrete measures to prevent the violation of the human rights of migrant children while in transit, and to train public officials to detect and treat them respectfully, in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner and in accordance with their international obligations; calls upon States to ensure that migrant children, especially those who are unaccompanied and those who are victims of violence, exploitation, persecution and conflict, receive special protection and assistance, in accordance with their international obligations; calls upon States of destination to protect effectively the human rights of children in the context of migration, without discrimination of any kind; and also requests the Office of the High Commissioner to prepare a study on challenges and best practices in the implementation of the international framework for the protection of the rights of the child in the context of migration, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, including States, regional organizations, civil society organizations and national human rights institutions, and requests that the study be available on the website of the Office prior to the fifteenth session of the Council, and to disseminate it to all relevant international forums.

Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Greece

Strasbourg, 05.10.2009 - A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out a visit to Greece from 17 to 29 September 2009. It was the Committee’s fifth periodic visit to Greece.

The visit provided the opportunity to assess progress made since the previous periodic visit in September 2005 and the ad hoc visits of February 2007 and September 2008. In the course of the visit, the CPT’s delegation examined the treatment and conditions of detention of persons held in a number of prisons and in aliens detention centers, including in the eastern Aegean and the Evros region.

The delegation also visited police and border guard establishments with a view to examining the conditions of detention and the safeguards in place, both in relation to persons suspected of a criminal offense and those held under Aliens legislation.

In the course of the visit, the delegation met the Secretary General of the Ministry of Justice, Athanasios ANDREOULAKOS, Head of Penitentiary Policy, Christina PETROU, and the Chief Prosecutor of the Court of Cessation, Ioannis TENTES, as well as senior officials from the Greek Police Force and representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, Interior and Justice. The delegation also met the Ombudsman and Deputy Ombudsman, representatives of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Greek National Commission for Human Rights, and several members of non-governmental organizations.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Mario FELICE, Head of delegation (Maltese),
- Anna GAVRILOVA-ANCHEVA (Bulgarian)
- Emilio GINES SANTIDRIÁN (Spanish)
- Marija DEFINIS-GOJANOVIC (Croatian)
- Stefan WEINBERG-KRAKOWSKI (Swedish)

They were supported by Hugh CHETWYND, Head of Unit, and Marco LEIDEKKER of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by two experts, Martin LOMAS, Team leader at Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons for England and Wales, United Kingdom, and Alan MITCHELL, Former Head of the Scottish Prison Health Care Service, United Kingdom.

The delegation visited the following establishments:

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Interior

Achaea Prefecture
Patras Police Stations (1st, 2nd , 4th and 5th precincts)
Patras Transfer Centre

Athens Prefecture
Omonia Police Station
Petrou Rali Alien holding facility
Holding Areas at Athens Airport
Moschatou Police Station
Piraeus Alien holding facility

Alexandroupolis Prefecture
Alexandroupolis Police Station
Feres Border Guard Station
Soufli Police and Border Guard Station

Chios Prefecture
Chios Town Police Station

Kavala Prefecture
Kavala Police Station
Neo Karvali Border Guard Station

Lesbos Prefecture
Mytilini Police Headquarters
Pagani Special holding facility for illegal immigrants

Orestiada Prefecture
Filakio Special holding facility for illegal immigrants
Neo Himonio Border Guard Station
Orestiada Police Station

Phocis Prefecture
Amfissa Police Transfer Centre

Rodophi Prefecture
Venna Special Holding facility for illegal immigrants

Serres Prefecture
Serres Police Station
Siderokastro Police Station

Thessaloniki Prefecture
Thessaloniki Airport Holding facilities
Dodecanesis Street Police Station
Kordello Border Guard Station
Monasterou Police Station

Xanthi Prefecture
Xanthi Police and Border guard Station

Ministry of Merchant Marine

Chios Port detention facility
Mytilini Port detention facility
Patras Port detention facility

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

Amfissa Prison
Chios Judicial Prison
Korydallos Men’s Prison (for a targeted follow up visit)
Korydallos Women’s Remand Prison (for a targeted follow up visit)
Malandrino Prison
Patras Prison
Thessaloniki Prison
Thiva Women’s Prison

Council of Europe Press release

you can find here the Council of Europe anti-torture Committee recent (30.06.2009) report on Greece after their visit in September 2008.

CIA health professionals’ role in torture worse than previously known

Physicians for Human Rights Press release
August 31, 2009

Cambridge, MA — The extent to which American physicians and psychologists violated human rights and betrayed the ethical standards of their professions by designing, implementing, and legitimizing a worldwide torture program is greater than previously known, according to a report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR).

A team of PHR doctors authored the new white paper, Aiding Torture: Health Professionals' Ethics and Human Rights Violations Demonstrated in the May 2004 Inspector General's Report. The report details how the CIA relied on medical expertise to rationalize and carry out abusive and unlawful interrogations. It also refers to aggregate collection of data on detainees' reaction to interrogation methods. PHR is concerned that this data collection and analysis may amount to human experimentation and calls for more investigation on this point. If confirmed, the development of a research protocol to assess and refine the use of the waterboard or other techniques would likely constitute a new, previously unknown category of ethical violations committed by CIA physicians and psychologists.

"Medical doctors and psychologists colluded with the CIA to keep observational records about waterboarding, which approaches unethical and unlawful human experimentation," says PHR Medical Advisor and lead report author Scott Allen, MD. For example, "Interrogators would place a cloth over a detainee's face to block breathing and induce feelings of fear, helplessness, and a loss of control. A doctor would stand by to monitor and calibrate this physically and psychologically harmful act, which amounts to torture. It is profoundly unsettling to learn of the central role of health professionals in laying a foundation for US government lawyers to rationalize the CIA's illegal torture program."

The Inspector General's report documents some practices — previously unknown or unconfirmed — that were used to bring about excruciating pain, terror, humiliation, and shame for months on end.

These practices included:

- Mock executions;
- Brandishing guns and power drills;
- Threats to sexually assault family members and murder children;
- "Walling" — repeatedly slamming an unresponsive detainee's head against a cell wall; and
- Confinement in a box.

"These unlawful, unethical, and ineffective interrogation tactics cause significant bodily and mental harm," said co-author and PHR Senior Medical Advisor Vincent Iacopino, MD, PhD. "The CIA Inspector General's report confirms that torture escalates in severity and torturers frequently go beyond approved techniques."

"The required presence of health professionals did not make interrogation methods safer, but sanitized their use, escalated abuse, and placed doctors and psychologists in the untenable position of calibrating harm rather than serving as protectors and healers. The fact that psychologists went beyond monitoring, and actually designed and implemented these abuses – while simultaneously serving as 'safety monitors' – reveals the ethical bankruptcy of the entire program," stated co-author Steven Reisner, PhD, PHR's Psychological Ethics Advisor.

"That health professionals who swear to oaths of healing so abused the sacred trust society places in us by instigating, legitimizing and participating in torture, is an abomination," states co-author Allen Keller, MD, Director of the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture. "Health professionals who aided torture must be held accountable by professional associations, by state licensing boards, and by society. Accountability is essential to maintain trust in our professions and to end torture, which scars bodies and minds, leaving survivors to endure debilitating injuries, humiliating memories and haunting nightmares."

PHR has called for full investigation and remedies, including accountability for war crimes, and reparation, such as compensation, medical care and psycho-social services. PHR also calls for health professionals who have violated ethical standards or the law to be held accountable through criminal prosecution, loss of license and loss of professional society membership where appropriate.

Since 2005, PHR has documented the systematic use of psychological and physical torture by US personnel against detainees held at Guantánamo Bay, Abu Ghraib, Bagram airbase, and elsewhere in its groundbreaking reports, Break Them Down, Leave No Marks, and Broken Laws, Broken Lives.

Council of Europe’s Anti-Racism Commission publishes new reports on the Czech Republic, Greece and Switzerland

Strasbourg, 15.09.2009 – The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) released today three new reports examining racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance in the Czech Republic, Greece and Switzerland. The Chair of ECRI, Eva Smith Asmussen, said the reports note positive developments in all three of these Council of Europe member states, but also detail continuing grounds for concern.

In the Czech Republic, a new criminal code was adopted in 2008, containing more extensive provisions against racism. In recent years the Ombudsman has carried out detailed investigations into cases of possible discrimination against the Roma. Steps have been taken to adjust the education system so as better to meet the needs of socially disadvantaged children.

At the same time, however, there has been a disturbing intensification in the activities of extreme right-wing groups. Most victims of racially motivated offences are reported to be Roma. Little progress has been made towards improving the situation of the Roma, who face segregation in schools and housing and discrimination in employment. The issue of forced sterilisations of Roma women has not been adequately addressed yet.

In Greece, the legislative framework on non-discrimination has been consolidated with the adoption of the 2005 Equal Treatment Act and the 2008 amendment of the Criminal Code making the racist motivation of an offence an aggravating circumstance. In an encouraging development, there have been successful prosecution in recent years against antisemitic and anti-Roma publications.
However, on the whole, the legislation prohibiting incitement to racial hatred is still seldom applied and so far, few racial discrimination complaints have been filed due to insufficient legal assistance and information on available remedies. Roma continue to face problems in the fields of employment, housing and justice and the existing Integrated Action Plan should be better implemented. Issues relating to the freedom of association of persons belonging to some ethnic groups have not yet been solved. Significant improvements are called for in the treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants.

In Switzerland, measures have been taken to foster the integration of immigrants in areas such as employment, housing and health. The federal bodies in charge of racism and migration have continued to raise awareness on racism and racial discrimination. Steps have been taken to combat right-wing extremism.

However, there has been a dangerous growth of racist political discourse against non-citizens, Muslims, Black people and other minorities. Legislation is insufficiently developed to deal with direct racial discrimination, which targets in particular Muslims and persons from the Balkans, Turkey and Africa. Travellers and Yenish communities with an itinerant life style are still faced with a shortage of stopping sites and prejudice leading to instances of discrimination. Legislation governing asylum seekers has been tightened and hostility towards them has increased.

The reports are part of ECRI´s 4th monitoring round, which focuses on the implementation of its previous recommendations and the evaluation of policies and new developments since its last report. In two years time ECRI will carry out a follow up assesment..

The reports, including government observations, are available at: www.coe.int/ecri

ECRI is an independent human rights body of the Council of Europe which monitors problems of racism and intolerance, prepares reports and issues recommendations to member states.

a protest letter from british academic members regarding the recent attack on refugee camp in Patras Greece

We are concerned about the British media silence regarding the recent attack on a refugee camp in Patras Greece as a reflection of the idea of Fortress Europe.

As trade unionists and academics who research issues of human rights and social inequality we strongly condemn the recent use of violence against migrants in Patras, Greece.

Greece has been repeatedly condemned by international organisations over maltreatment of migrants and asylum seekers. In recent weeks we have witnessed further demonisation and victimisation of migrants and asylum seekers. Punitive police operations are presented as the answer and the authorities fuel the media with xenophobic rhetoric and images. As a result there is a dramatic increase in cases of brutality against migrants. The authorities not only seem to tolerate attacks of fascist groups on individuals and families, but also orchestrated a brutal and unlawful operation against the refugee camp in Patras.

Thousands of migrants have been living in this makeshift camp for over the last eight years without any support and protection from the Greek state. The Greek authorities made it impossible for most of them even to apply for asylum, by not providing access to the necessary services. During this period the migrants were systematically harassed by the police and coast guard and were labeled as “clandestines”. Nevertheless, nothing could prepare the local community of Parts and the groups of citizens who voluntarily support the migrants, for what was about to happen last week.

In the early hours of Sunday 12/7/2009 and without any previous warning, hundreds of fully armed riot police engaged in an inhuman and appalling operation. As the UNHCR, International Human Rights Organsations and local support groups highlight, major streets were blocked and access to the area was banned. The state authorities, arrested hundreds of migrants, demolished and burned down the makeshift accommodation, including personal belongings, travel documents and the camp mosque. The migrants who had travel documents were temporarily directed to a local hotel. The rest of them were arrested and there seems to be no further information concerning their whereabouts. It is highly likely that a number of unaccompanied minors were among the group, as the decision on who was minor solely lied upon the “judgment” of riot police during this inhuman operation. We also express our concern about the possibility of forcible repatriation of the migrants to Afghanistan.

For the lucky ones who escaped arrest things are not any better. Without any facilities to offer protection and support, hundreds of migrants live dispersed and terrorized in the city centre without being able to meet their very basic human needs.

We demand answers to the following questions:

• The operation lacked any legal, ethical and moral basis. Who decided it?
• Why did the operation take place without any previous warning and most importantly without ensuring that access to other reception facilities would be available?
• How many migrants were arrested and where exactly are they being detained?
• How did they ensure that unaccompanied minors were not maltreated and abused?
• Why migrants were not offered an opportunity to apply for asylum?
• Are there plans to forcibly repatriate them without any prior access to the asylum process?
• Will Greece keep tolerating the racist and xenophobic attacks against migrants and their families?

In the absence of an official answer we reserve our right to visit the area and make use of any means at our disposal to ensure that the authorities and individuals involved will be held accountable of their actions.

Prof. Alex Callinicos, Kings College London

Dr. Karen Evans, University of Liverpool

Dr. Iain Ferguson, University of Stirling

Prof. Emer. Chris Jones, University of Liverpool

Dr. Vasilios Ioakimidis, Liverpool Hope University

Dr. Michael Lavalette, Liverpool Hope University

Mr. Peter Marsden Blackpool Local Government Unison (personal capacity)

Mrs. Julia Orry, Blackpool Branch Secretary (personal capacity).

Mrs. Laura Penkenth, University of Manchester

France: UNHCR draws road map to help asylum seekers in Calais

CALAIS, France, July 17 (UNHCR) – Locals call it, "The Jungle" – a squalid warren of shanties made out of cardboard, plywood and bits of plastic that has mushroomed among the sand dunes and brambles outside Calais. Hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers, including children, live there or in derelict buildings closer to the center of this port city in northern France.

They come from far away: Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia and even Vietnam. Some have been on the move for months, crossing mountain ranges and deserts. They are reluctant to talk to outsiders.

The last hurdle in their dream of a new life in the United Kingdom is the 34-kilometer stretch of sea that separates Calais from the white cliffs of Dover, clearly visible from here on a clear day.

Their motives for making such an arduous journey and for roughing it in Calais vary. Some have relatives in the UK. Others have heard that it is easy to get a good job there. Some want to study. Yet others have been forced to flee their countries because of political, religious or ethnic persecution, and may be entitled to refugee status if they are given the opportunity to apply for asylum.

"There is no general situation, each individual case is different," explained UNHCR's Marie-Ange Lescure. Since early June, the UN refugee agency and its local partner, France Terre d'Asile, have been present in Calais, informing and counseling hundreds of people about asylum systems and procedures to apply for asylum in France and the UK.

Last week, the two organizations presented the French authorities with a road map aimed at helping to resolve some of the problems posed by the complex situation in Calais and other towns in northern France, and to assist those who may have a legitimate fear of persecution in their countries of origin.

The road map gives details of UNHCR's mission and activities in Calais and makes a series of proposals on how to deal with cases falling under the Dublin II regulation, under which asylum claims are normally handled by the country where the applicant first entered the EU. It also makes concrete suggestions on how to install mechanisms to protect children and minors.

Meanwhile, finding accurate information and impartial advice for each individual case is not easy. Migrants and potential asylum-seekers can easily lose their way in a tangle of rumours, wilful misinformation and bureaucratic regulations which can be as bewildering and intimidating as a real jungle.

For those who may have a need for international protection, the local authorities have taken important steps to facilitate the procedure to apply for asylum. Since last April, the municipal authorities have made it possible for asylum claims to be lodged in Calais. Before, prospective asylum seekers had to go to Lille, 100 kilometers away.

Since then, more than 120 people have come forward to the special counter set up at the sub-prefecture in Calais. But, despite the cooperation from the local authorities, potential asylum-seekers still face considerable administrative and bureaucratic obstacles.

For example, the Dublin II rules about where asylum claims should be processed affects many of the people living rough in Calais. Most entered Europe through Greece, a country where asylum-seekers continue to face serious difficulties in accessing an effective asylum procedure.

To avoid being sent back to Greece or elsewhere, some migrants and asylum-seekers have gone to the extreme of burning their fingertips with red-hot nails or sulphuric acid so that they cannot be identified .

People smugglers, who make money by helping migrants and asylum-seekers reach their destination, often feed false information to their clients. Some asylum-seekers have said that they have been threatened by smugglers after making an application and have had to leave the "jungle."

"The jungles are controlled by smugglers," said a local humanitarian aid volunteer, who has been working in Calais for years. "They control access to the trucks and trains. A week ago a young man was stabbed in the hip for trying to climb onto a truck without paying the smuggler his fee."

Another issue of particular concern to UNHCR is the situation of children, some as young as three, who have arrived here with a parent or relative or, in some cases, on their own. They are extremely vulnerable and need special protection.

"Children are usually accompanied by a smuggler who claims to be an older brother or uncle. They use the children as bargaining chips to get more money from their families," said Jean-François Roger from France Terre d'Asile.

UNHCR hopes that by working closely with the British, French and EU authorities as well as other relevant organizations and civil society, a solution can be found for at least some of those currently living in unsanitary and dangerous conditions in Calais.

By William Spindler in Calais, France UNHCR News Stories

Christina: PLEASE ACT NOW!

Christina Kyrimopoulou entered prison when she was 14. her sins were huge: she was dependent from substances, had an active mental disorder and is of Roma origins.
her career in prison was marked by a number of desperate cries for help: continuous attempts of committing suicide marked her body - her soul was already marked!
thus grew Christina in prison…
European Network of Women and the Initiative for the Rights of Detainees supported Christina as soon as her lawyer Chrisa Petsimeri called for help in the media (http://www.tvxs.gr/v8664) working along with the commissary of minors in which Christina 's case has been assigned.
in June 2009 Christina Kyrimopoulou aged 20 was ready to be released.
the last court hearing of her case, was very positive: the judge for minors decided to give her a chance.
and while a team of organizations and persons were struggling to prepared the ground for her smooth rehabilitation (no peace of cake), we had to deal with a big surprise: a phantom(!) sentence in 4 months imprisonment for theft in 2004 - when she was a minor - from an adults court. she was judged and sentenced while absent as an adult, while she was already imprisoned, but no one let her know of the trial, so that she would attend it!
so, someone remembered the sentence when she was ready to be released!
that Saturday Christina made yet an other attempt to commit suicide: she cut her veins for the hundredth time!
also she resisted when the warders tried to help.
on Friday 3/7/2009 unfortunately we were informed that the Prison Council denied her the right for parole and additionally imposed on her a disciplinary sentence (possibly for 6 months) for the suicide attempt.

on Tuesday 7/7/2009 unfortunately the Prison Council decided also to transfer her in another prison far away from the only support system she ever knew.

those who have the minimum legal knowledge, they know that there is no greek law that imposes any sentence on prisoners with suicidal tendencies.
the Prison Council, thought, claimed that Christina threatened the warders. what she actually did was to warn them to keep away, since she was bleeding. she is an hepatitis carrier you see!

THEY CONSIDERED THAT A THREAT!

and for this reason they punish her!

she eventually apologized, crying, she begged them to allow her to remain there.
unfortunately her pleas were in vain.

we unite our voice with those that protest for this decision and we call you to countersign the protest of the Initiative for the Rights of detainees found here: http://www.keli.gr (in greek)
please copy and paste the text (there will be an english text available soon) and send it to christina_kyrimopoulou@yahoo.gr including your name, occupation and your country

at the same time academic member Aphrodite Koukoutsaki is collecting signatures from academic members and researchers here: christinakyrimopoulou@gmail.com


dear friend please ACT NOW for this young woman:

• speak to your friends and your family about her


• post this information on your blog, facebook, or twitter profile or any other social networking service


• sign the protest of the Initiative on the Rights of Detainees at http://www.keli.gr including your name, occupation and your country


• sign the protest of academic members and researchers on Aphrodite Koukoutsaki blog if you are an academic member or researcher including your name, university and your country


• if you represent a human rights NGO contact us at giraffeforhumanrights@gmail.com


you can also be informed from the followings (in greek):
http://crimevssocialcontrol.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_1914.html
http://crimevssocialcontrol.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_03.html
http://crimevssocialcontrol.blogspot.com/2009/06/blog-post_3475.html
http://giraffeforhumanrigts.blogspot.com/
http://soupbonesoup.blogspot.com/
http://www.keli.gr
http://www.enet.gr/?i=news.el.ellada&id=60826

End incommunicado detention in Spain

UNITED MEDIA RELEASE 18/06/09: INTERNATIONAL REFUGEE DAY - 20 JUNE 2009

13.250 MIGRANT DEATHS DOCUMENTED BY UNITED

'The amounts needed to rescue people are less than what is needed to rescue banks'.
Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner

'The best town for living is one in which a foreigner feels at home'.
Italo Calvino, Italian writer born in Cuba

- At least 13.250 persons have died in their desperate attempt to find a safe shelter in Europe since 1993

- Their names and their stories have been compiled by the UNITED secretariat under the so-called 'List of Deaths'

- The experts say it is impossible to know the real number and it is likely to be three times higher

- Hundreds of organizations from Turkey to Finland speak out against this intolerable human cost of building 'Fortress Europe' to celebrate the International Refugee Day

- On the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Convention in 2001, the United Nations declared June 20th the International Refugee Day.

Adam Osman Mohammed was 38 years old when he was shot in Darfur after accepting voluntary repatriation when his asylum claim was refused in Great Britain; he died in his home in front of his wife and his four-year-old son. Chulun Liua, a 51-year-old Chinese woman, was left in coma after jumping out of a window to avoid a police raid in Paris. Afrim Magastena, a 24-year-old Albanian man from Kosovo, hanged himself in a detention center in Prenzlau, Germany, in fear of deportation.

13.250 sad stories like these ones are documented in the 'List of Deaths' whereby the UNITED for Intercultural Action secretariat has been monitoring the deadly results of 'Fortress Europe' since 1993. The current 'List of Deaths' already includes 13.250 deaths of asylum seekers and migrants who have lost their lives in an attempt to find a safe shelter in Europe.

Although the experts say it is impossible to know the real number, which is likely to be three times higher, the UNITED 'List of Deaths' has been made with a rigorous method of comparing sources, from news to NGOs' media releases.

Where, when and under which circumstances the refugees died is data compiled exclusively from officially documented deaths.

With these facts UNITED spreads a powerful lobby and awareness-raising tool possible to use in campaign actions all over Europe.

20th of June: International Refugee Day

On the 50th anniversary of the Geneva Convention in 2001, the United Nations declared the 20th of June the International Refugee Day.

Every year on the 20th of June, UNITED for Intercultural Action -the largest pan European network against racism, fascism, nationalism and in support of refugees and migrants- celebrates the International Refugee Day.

Around this day, hundreds of organizations from Turkey to Finland speak out against this intolerable human cost of building 'Fortress Europe' to celebrate the International Refugee Day. Under the common slogan 'Fortress Europe. Weakness Humanity' hundreds of activities and events take place all over the continent in order to highlight this issue and promote refugees' rights.

The main point of these acts is raising awareness about the human side of the refugee issue and preserving their dignity.

Building a safe Fortress

Hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers all over Europe are fleeing from war, persecution or poverty. In the last years the number of migrants seeking refuge has grown considerably, due to several ongoing wars, the increasing intolerance toward minorities in many countries and the global economical crisis.

This week the UN High Commissioner, Antonio Guterres, has launched the UNHCR's annual '2008 Global Trends' report which shows the number of people forcibly uprooted by conflict and persecution worldwide stood at 42 million at the end of last year.

Nevertheless, while the need for protection is increasing, the open attitude of those countries where migrants seek refuge is decreasing.

In fact the European public debate tendency links crime rates with migration. The economical situation creates an atmosphere, which drives people to look for scapegoats.

In Greece, for example, the Government has recently promised the deportation of 100 migrants and asylum seekers per day.

UNITED is convinced that this attitude cannot be accepted. This kind of Government decisions is dangerous because it legitimizes racist and discriminatory attitudes. Many examples can prove the inhuman consequences of these policies, such as the migrants' detention centers, prisons for undocumented people without any legal supervision. Also, the use of deportation as a tool to control 'illegal' migration is often beyond the limits of Europe's democratic and humanitarian legacy. The increasing externalization of Europe's borders as a practice of territorial protection is also beyond human and political legitimization. Indeed the new European borders are now outside its territory. Libya, Morocco and Mauritania, countries that haven't signed some of the most basic international agreements on human rights, have built new detention centers, which examine migrant-candidates. By externalizing deportation Europe cannot guarantee that the rights contemplated by the Geneva Convention are respected. Therefore, Europe violates the most important international agreement on human rights.

UNITED for Intercultural Action European network against nationalism, racism, fascism and in support of migrants and refugees Postbus 413 - NL 1000 AK Amsterdam - phone +31-20-6834778 - fax +31-20-6834582 - 20june@unitedagainstracism.org -www.unitedagainstracism.org

Economic crisis reveals deeper human rights problems

Amnesty International Press release
28 May 2009

More than six decades of human rights failures by governments have been exacerbated by the world economic crisis, which brought the problems of poverty and inequality to the fore, according to Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

"It’s not just the economy, it’s a human rights crisis: the world is sitting on a social, political and economic time bomb," said Irene Kahn as she launched Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of the world’s human rights.

Billions of people are suffering from insecurity, injustice and indignity around the world. In many cases, the economic crisis made matters worse, with millions more sliding into poverty.

Increased poverty and deprivation have led to denial of economic and social rights – including food shortages and the use of food as a political weapon; forced evictions; abuse of rights of indigenous peoples. Yet human rights problems have been relegated to the backseat as political and business leaders grapple with the economic crisis.

2008 saw massive rises in the price of the most basic of necessities – food – which had the effect of making the poorest people in the world even poorer. People took to the streets across the world and, in many countries, were faced with violent repression.

In Zimbabwe, more than five million people were in need of food aid by the end of 2008, according to the UN. The government has used food as a weapon against its political opponents. Across the country, political opponents, human rights activists and trade union representatives were attacked, abducted, arrested and killed with impunity.

Hundreds of activists protesting against economic decline and social conditions were arrested and detained without charge.

Across Africa, people demonstrated against desperate social and economic situations and sharp rises in living costs. In a taste of what could lie ahead, some demonstrations turned violent; the authorities often repressed protests with excessive force.

Social tensions and economic disparities led to thousands of protests throughout China. In the Americas, social protest at economic conditions increased in Peru; in Chile there were demonstrations throughout 2008 on Indigenous People’s rights and rising living costs.

In the Middle East and North Africa, the economic and social insecurity was highlighted by strikes and protests in several countries, including Egypt. In Tunisia, strikes and protests were put down with force, causing two deaths, many injuries and more than 2,000 prosecutions of alleged organizers, some culminating in long prison sentences.

"The events we’ve seen in 2008, with the world economic crisis at the top, demand a new kind of leadership from world leaders," said Irene Khan. "They must take real action, centred on human rights, to tackle growing poverty around the world, and they must invest in human rights as purposefully as they invest in economic growth."

TRUETUBE: HUMAN RIGHTS - FREEDOM OF LIFE