Newsletter

Amnesty International USA Group 48

4.15
JTuhtan Stock.Xchng

1 Utah move on firing squads

latest attempt to fix the
unfixable

2 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF CONGO: Urgent Action
- Human Rights Defender
Risks 20 Year Jail Term
3 CHINA: Urgent Action Health Fears For Detained
Women Activists
4 INDONESIA: Urgent Action
- Four Students In Danger
After Police Torture
6 DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
OF CONGO: Urgent Action
- Human Rights Activists
Held Incommunicado
AIUSA-Group 48
http://aipdx.org
503-227-1878
Next Meeting:
Friday April 10th
First Unitarian Church
1011 SW 12th Ave
7:00pm informal gathering
7:30pm meeting starts

NewsLetter Designed
By Michelle Whitlock
MichelleWhitlock.com

Utah move on firing squads latest attempt to fix

the unfixable
March 24, 2015

Utahs decision to turn to the firing

squad if it is unable to secure drugs for

lethal injection is the latest attempt by a
US state to keep alive a punishment that
should have long ago been consigned to
the history books, said Amnesty International today.

Whether by shooting, lethal injection,

hanging, asphyxiation or electrocution,
the death penalty is a cruel, brutalizing and outdated punishment that is
a symptom of violence, not a solution
to it. The Utah legislature should be
expending its energies on abolishing
the death penalty, not trying to fix the
unfixable, Rob Freer, USA researcher
Amnesty International.
On Monday, March 23rd, Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a law allowing

the use of firing squads when the drugs

needed to administer the lethal injection was not available.
This move clearly goes against the
global and national trend towards abolition of the death penalty. Since 2007
six US states have abolished the death
penalty for all crimes and the governors
of Oregon, Washington and, in 2015,
Pennsylvania have established moratoriums on executions in their states.
The USA is the only country in the
Americas currently executing prisoners
and is one of the only nine countries
in the world to have carried out executions every year between 2009 and 2013.
The other countries were Bangladesh,
China, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Saudi
Arabia, Sudan and Yemen.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 2

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Urgent Action - Human Rights Defender

Risks 20 Year Jail Term
Christopher Ngoyi Mutamba(m)
stephan fleet Stock.Xchng

Human rights defender Christopher Ngoyi Mutamba could

face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty after participating

in protests against government.

Christopher Ngoyi Mutamba was arrested on January 21st at

around 8:30 pm, in Kalamu, a neighbourhood in Kinshasa,
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after taking part in
protests against the government. He was held in incommunicado detention for 20 days. On February 10th he was presented to the Minister of Interior and his case was transferred
to the General Prosecutors office. He has been detained at
Makala prison in Kinshasa since February 12th. Christopher
Ngoyi Mutamba is due to appear in court on March 18th.
Congolese authorities allege that Christopher Ngoyi Mutamba was one of the organizers of the protests held in Kinshasa
between January 19th and 21st against proposed amendments
to the electoral code law. Christopher Ngoyi Mutamba is
charged with false rumors, propaganda, and incitement to
racial hatred, civil disobedience and pillage.
Christopher Ngoyi Mutambas prosecution could be politically motivated due to his activism against the constitutional
amendments that would have allowed the extension of President Kabilas term in office. His earlier incommunicado detention calls into question whether he will receive a fair trial.
Action

Please write immediately in French or your own language to:

Urging the Congolese authorities to ensure that Christopher Ngoyi Mutambas right to a fair trial is respected in
accordance with international standards;

Calling on the Congolese authorities to uphold the rights

to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and not to
unlawfully restrict those rights.
Appeals To

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE APRIL 28th, 2015:

Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Alexis Tambwe Mwamba
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
P.O Box 3137
Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC
Fax : +243 8805521
E-mail : min-droitshumains@yahoo.fr
Salutation: Dear Minister
Attorney General
Flory Kabange Numbi
P.O Box 7016
Kinshasa1
Kinshasa, DRC
Email: pgr_rdc@yahoo.fr
Salutation: Dear Attorney General
Copies To

Prime Minister
His Excellency Augustin Matata Ponyo
Office of the Prime Minister
5, avenue Roi Baudoin
Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC
Email: contact@primature.cd or primaturerdc@yahoo.fr or
cabinet@primature.cd
Background information

Amnesty International is concerned that Congolese authorities have restricted the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful association and assembly during the debate on electoral
legislation in violation of articles 13, 21 and 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and
articles 23, 26 and 37 of the DRC Constitution.
Christopher Ngoyi Mutamba is the president of the human rights NGO Congo Culture and Development Synergy

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 3

(Synergie Congo culture et dveloppement) and coordinator

of the Civil Society of Congo (socit civile du Congo). He
is also a member of the Lets Save Congo (Sauvons le Congo)
network which is a coalition of opposition parties and civil
society organizations opposed to amendment of the constitution or any other laws in a bid to extend the term of President
Kabila beyond December 2016.
January protests, some of which became violent, were held in
Kinshasa by demonstrators opposing the amendment of the
electoral code. They suspected the ruling majority of tying

legislative and presidential elections to a general census which

would extend President Kabilas term beyond December 2016.
On January 23rd, the DRC Senate passed the electoral code
law without the provisions that linked the upcoming presidential and legislative elections to the general census.
Dozens were killed, several others wounded and hundreds
detained by law enforcement authorities during the protests.
Further information at https://www.amnesty.org/en/
documents/AFR62/0001/2015/en/

CHINA: Urgent Action - Health Fears For Detained Women Activists

Wu Rongrong (f), Zheng Churan (f), Li Tingting (f) , Wang Man (f), Wei Tingting (f)
Dariusz Rompa Stock.Xchng

Two of the five women activists who are in detention in

China have been transferred to hospital with serious health

problems. These are thought to have been aggravated by their
continued detention, and they still might not be receiving the
treatment they need.

Wang Mans lawyer first learnt that she had suffered a heart attack when he met her in a hospital run by the Public Security
Bureau on March 20th. He believes this occurred due to the
stress she has experienced as a result of continuous interrogations. Her health is currently stable, but there are concerns
that she may not be receiving all the treatment she needs, and
that her continued detention may cause her health to deteriorate further.
Wu Rongrong has chronic liver problems, which have worsened in detention. She was not provided with the medication
she needs despite requests from her lawyer, and had to sleep
on the floor in the detention center. On March 19th she was
sent to a hospital run by the Public Security Bureau after her
condition deteriorated, but it is not known whether she is

now receiving adequate treatment. Her lawyers have been unable to visit her since she was taken to hospital.
Li Tingting (aka Li Maizi)s lawyer has not been allowed to
meet with her since March 19th on the grounds that she is being interrogated. There are concerns that the five women are
being subjected to prolonged sessions of interrogation.
Wang Man, Wei Tingting, Li Tingting and Zheng Churan
(aka Da Tu) were detained by police on March 6th and Wu
Rongrong the following day. They were planning to hold
events in several cities in China calling for an end to sexual
harassment on public transportation on March 7th. On
March 12th they were criminally detained on suspicion of
picking quarrels and provoking troubles, which can lead to a
sentence of up to five years in prison.
Action

Please write immediately in English, Chinese or your own

language:
Demanding that the authorities immediately and unconditionally release Wu Rongrong, Zheng Churan, Li Tingting,
Wei Tingting and Wang Man;
Urging the authorities to ensure that pending their release,
Wang Man and Wu Rongrong have immediate access to any
medical treatment they require;
Calling on them to ensure that pending their release, all five
women have regular, unrestricted access to their lawyers and
family, to any medical treatment they need, and are protected
from torture and other ill-treatment.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 4

Appeals To

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE MAY 5th 2015 TO:

Head of Haidan Detention Centre

Yin Yanjing
Head of Haidian District Public Security Bureau Sub-branch
Haidian District Public Security Bureau Sub-branch
15 Changchunlu, Haidian District
Beijing 100089
People's Republic of China
Salutation: Dear Director
Minister of Public Security
Guo Shengkun Buzhang
Gonganbu
14 Dongchanganjie
Dongchengqu
Beijingshi 100741
Peoples Republic of China
Tel: 011 86 10 66262114 (Chinese only)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Copies To

Premier
Li Keqiang Guojia Zongli
The State Council General Office
2 Fuyoujie, Xichengqu
Beijingshi 100017
Peoples Republic of China
Fax: 011 86 10 65961109 (c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
Email: english@mail.gov.cn
Ambassador Cui Tiankai
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 495 2138
Email: chinaembpress_us@mfa.gov.cn
Additional Information

On March 6th, 2015 at 4pm, Wei Tingting and Wang Man

were taken to Haidian Police Station in Beijing. Around
midnight the same day, Li Tingting and Zheng Churan were
taken away from their homes in Beijing and Guangzhou
respectively. Wu Rongrong was detained upon her arrival at
Hangzhou Airport on March 7th at 2pm.

INDONESIA: Urgent Action - Four Students In Danger After Police Torture

Eldi Kogoya (m), Timotius Tabuni (m), Lesman Jigibalom (m), Mies Tabo (m)

names of the people so that Indonesian authorities know we are

paying attention. Put yourself in their position. Name them!
I have successfully sent faxes to the authorities whose contact
information is in the action. Minimally you can write or fax the
Indonesian Ambassador to the US. The AIUSA Urgent Action
Brendan Bonsack Stock.Xchng
Network will appreciate a note saying that you responded. Send
a short email to uan@aiusa.org with UA 72/15 in the subject
Friends as you know from previous actions, West Papua accounts for a disproportionate number of serious Indonesian HR line. Our AIUSA Urgent Action folks are doing a good job. Lets
abuses. This is another, a particularly egregious instance of beat- keep them encouraged.
ing and abuse of four young people, in one case stabbing and
- Max WhiteCountry Specialist, Indonesia and Timor-Lest
nearly killing one person. All this brutality was at the hands of
Amnesty International USA
Brimob, (in my first-hand experience the worst element of Indonesian police).Please write to authorities listed below in the
action. If you cannot do anything else, please send a few lines
our students have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated by
with the names of the four young people to the Indonesian Em- police in Indonesias Papua province. There are concerns for
bassy in Washington DC. At the end of the action is the message their safety. Four students, three of them children, were arbiI sent to each of the Indonesian authorities. Copy at will. The
trarily detained and tortured or otherwise ill-treated by police
most important thing is to send even a brief message with the
on March 18th, 2015, according to their lawyer.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 5

Eldi Kogoya, aged 17, Timotius Tabuni, aged 17 and Lesman

Jigibalom, aged 23, were going home, on their motorcycles,
on the night of March 18th, , when they were followed and
stopped by plainclothes armed members of a special police
unit, the Police Mobile Brigade (Brimob), near the Cigombong market in Jayapura city, Papua province. When they
asked why they were being detained the police accused them
of committing a crime and at least 11 Brimob officers stabbed,
beat, punched and kicked them. A fourth student, Mies Tabo,
aged 14, who was nearby and witnessed the attack, called
out for help but was kicked, slapped and threatened by the
police to stay silent. All four were then dragged along the
road to the nearby Brimob headquarters. They were detained
there briefly before being sent to hospital. All four have been
released without charge.

Polri Jl.
Trunojoyo No. 3
Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia
Fax: +62 21 7280 0947

Salutation: Dear Inspector General Irjen Syafruddin

Director General for Human Rights Aidir Amin Daud
Ministry of Law and Human Rights Jl. H.R.
Rasuna Said Kav No. 4-5 Kuningan,
Jakarta Selatan 12950, Indonesia
Fax: +62 215 253095
Salutation: Dear Aidir Amin Daud
Copies To

Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission

(Komnas HAM) Nur Kholis Jl
Latuharhary No.4 Menteng

All four are suffering from wounds and bruises all over their
Jakarta Pusat 10310, Indonesia
faces and bodies. One of them, Lesman Jigibalom, is in a criti- Fax: +62 213 912026
cal condition in hospital with a stab wound to his right shoulEmail: pengaduan@komnasham.go.id
der which pierced his lung. Eldi Kogoya has a broken rib
while Timotius Tabuni has a gash cut to his head. All of them Indonesian Ambassador to the United States
Honorable Ambassador Budi Bowoleksono
have cuts and bruises on their knees from being dragged
along the road. They and their families have been traumatized. Embassy of The Republic of Indonesia
2020 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Action
Washington, DC 20036
Please write immediately in English or your own language:
Fax: (202) 775-5365
Urging the authorities to take immediate action to ensure
E-mail: komwsh@embassyofindonesia.org
the safety of Eldi Kogoya, Timotius Tabuni, Lesman Jigibalom
Sample Message
and Mies Tabo in accordance with their wishes;
Urging them to ensure that the four students have access to Re: Eldi Kogoya, Timotius Tabuni, Lesman Jigibalom, Mies Tabo
any medical attention they may require, including psychologi- [Date]

cal treatment;

Dear Ambassador,
Calling on them to order, immediately, an effective and
independent investigation into the allegations of torture and
Postage Rates
other ill-treatment, and bring all those responsible for torture
and other ill-treatment to justice, including those with comWithin the United States
mand responsibility.
$0.34 - Postcards
Appeals To

PLEASE SEND APPEALS TO:

Head of the Division on Professionalism & Security
(Propam)
Inspector General Irjen Syafruddin Kadiv Propam Mabes

$0.49 - Letters and Cards up to 1 oz.

To all international destinations
$1.15 - Postcards
$1.15 - Airmail Letters and Cards up to 1 oz.

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 6

I am concerned about the welfare of the young individuals named above. They were abused and injured by Brimob
on March 18 in Jayapura city, Papua yet not charged with a
crime. I urge you to ensure the safety of Eldi Kogoya, Timotius Tabuni, Lesman Jigibalom and Mies Tabo, and please
ensure that the four students have access to any medical attention they may require, including psychological treatment.
Please conduct an independent investigation into the allegations of torture and other ill-treatment of these young people,
and hold accountable those responsible including those with
command responsibility. Respectfully, Max White
Copies to: Irjen Syafruddin, Inspector General, Director
General for Human Rights; Nur Kholis, Chairperson of the
National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM)
Background

The Indonesian security forces have a track record of committing human rights violations in the Papua region with
near impunity. Amnesty International has received credible
reports of unlawful killings and unnecessary and excessive
use of force and firearms as well as torture and other ill-treat-

ment by both police and military personnel.Although the

authorities have made some attempts to hold the perpetrators
to account using internal disciplinary mechanisms, criminal
investigations into human rights violations by the security
forces are all too rare, leaving many victims without access to
justice and reparation and perpetrators with little or nothing
to deter them from committing further violations. Indonesia has yet to amend its Criminal Code to fully incorporate
a definition of torture. The lack of sufficient legal provisions
on acts of torture creates a loophole which has devastating
consequences. It provides no legal deterrent to state agents
who commit these acts and does not provide a sufficient legal
basis on which state agents who have committed torture can
be brought to justice. International human rights observers,
non-governmental organizations and journalists are severely
restricted in their work in the Papua region. The denial of free
and unimpeded access to these provinces limits independent
monitoring and reporting of the human rights situation there.
During his presidential campaign in 2014, President Joko
Widodo promised to open up access to Papua to international
observers but has so far done nothing about this since coming to office.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Urgent Action - Human Rights Activists

Held Incommunicado
Undisclosed (m)
ianick Stock.Xchng

Several Congolese human rights activists are still being held

incommunicado, eight days after a press conference held at

Eloko Makasi youth center in Masina, Kinshasa, was broken
up by security officials.

were arrested at the time, including activists from Congolese

youth organization Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA), the
Senegalese movement Yen a Marre, the Burkinab group Balai Citoyen, as well as an American diplomat and journalists
present at the press conference. The press conference followed
a workshop on youth civic engagement in political processes
in the run up to the countrys elections, and was organized by
local NGOs la Jeunesse pour une Nouvelle Socit (JNS), le
Forum National de la Jeunesse pour lExcellence (FNJE) and
Lutte pour le Changement (LUCHA).

Amnesty International has received information that some

of those arrested were ill-treated during the operation by
security officials. An eyewitness told Amnesty International
that people were harassed and man-handled by security ofSecurity officials stormed a press conference held on March
ficials before being taken to unknown places. The American
15th at Eloko Makasi youth center in Masina, Kinshasa, Dem- diplomat and foreign journalists were released the same day,
ocratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Approximately 30 people
and the Senegalese and Burkinab activists were subsequently

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 7

deported. Other Congolese human rights activists are still de- Office of the Prime Minister
tained incommunicado at unknown locations. Those detained 5 Avenue Roi Baudoin
are at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.
Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC
Email: contact@primature.cd or cabinet@primature.cd
Amnesty International is concerned about these attacks on
the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful Ambassador Faida Mitifu
Embassy of the Democratic Republic of Congo
assembly.
1726 M St, NW, Suite 601
Action
Washington, DC 20036
Please write immediately in French, English or your own
Fax: 202 234 2609
language:
Email: ambassade@ambardcusa.org
Urging the Congolese authorities to immediately reveal
where the human rights activists and others arrested are being
held;
Calling on the Congolese authorities to either charge them
with a recognizable criminal offense or immediately and
unconditionally release them;
Urging the Congolese authorities to ensure that they are
not subjected to any torture or other ill-treatment and to
guarantee them access to lawyers and visits from their family
members while in detention.
Appeals To

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE MAY 4th 2015:

Minister of Justice and Human Rights
Alexis Tambwe Mwamba
Ministry of Justice and Human Rights
P.O Box 3137
Kinshasa/Gombe, DRC
Fax: 011 243 8805521
Email: matipamumba@yahoo.fr
Salutation: Dear Minister
Attorney General
Flory Kabange Numbi
P.O.Box 7016
Kinshasa1
Kinshasa, DRC
Email: pgr_rdc@yahoo.fr
Salutation: Dear Attorney General
Copies To

Prime Minister
His Excellency Augustin Matata Ponyo

Please let us know if you took action so that we can track our
impact! Send a short email to uan@aiusa.org with UA 67/15
in the subject line, and include in the body of the email the
number of letters and/or emails you sent. Thank you for taking action!
Additional Information

The workshop and press conference were organized by local

NGOs, JNS, FNJE and LUCHA and brought together activists from Yen a Marre, a civil society group from Senegal,
and Burkina Fasos Balai Citoyen, a civil society group which
contributed to the ousting of President Blaise Compaor in
Burkina Faso in October 2014. Some Yen a Marre members
are well known in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
They played an important role in the popular mobilization of
AIUSA Group 48 Contact Information
Group Coordinator
Joanne Lau
jlau@aipdx.org

Prisoners Cases
Jane Kristof
kristofj@pdx.edu

Treasurer
Tena Hoke
tena.hoke@gmail.com

Megan Harrington
megan.harrington
@gmail.com

Newsletter Editor
Dan Webb
write_to_dan@yahoo.com

Concert Tabling
Will Ware
ww_ware@yahoo.com

Darfur (Sudan)
Marty Fromer
martyfromer@gmail.com

Central Africa/
OR State Death
Penalty Abolition
Terrie Rodello
tarodello@igc.org

Indonesia
Max White
maxw33@comcast.net

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015 Pg 8

The US Embassy in Kinshasa has recognized in a short statement that it financed part of this event.
An American diplomat and foreign journalists who were arrested along with these youth activists were released the same
day. On March 18th, the Congolese government spokesperson held a press conference stating that foreign activists
would be deported. The same day in the evening, a Congolese
journalist was released from jail.

Kimberly Vohsen Stock.Xchng

Senegalese citizens against Senegals former Presidents bid to

run for a third term in 2012.

Postage

AIUSA group 48 Newsletter April 2015