Thanks to everyone involved in the preparation of these updates, your efforts are appreciated. If you prefer, you can read these updates as a PDF.

At a time when fundamental rights are under threat across the globe, join Amnesty International, get involved with our local AI Group and play your part in helping to promote and defend vital human rights across the world.

We warmly invite both newcomers and familiar faces alike to attend the next meeting of the Amnesty International Glasgow West Group.

This email includes:

• Details of our forthcoming October 2025 meeting;

• Links to current AIUK activities;

• The minutes from our local Group's Septeber 2025 meeting; and

• A note of our local Group's monthly meeting dates for the year ahead.

October 2025 Glasgow West AI Group Meeting

Thursday 9th October, Woodlands International Methodist Church, 7:30pm – 9pm

The next Glasgow West Amnesty meeting takes place on Thursday 9th October 2025 at 7.30pm – 9pm in Woodlands International Church, Woodlands Road, Glasgow, G3 6LW.

For all lapsed members, new members and those who are just curious about Amnesty, we would love to see you there!

(If you've not been in a while, remember you are always welcome back, no apologies/excuses needed!)

Our next meeting will include:

• An external speaker, Motez Amer, who is AIUK's Country Co-ordinator for Yemen & Saudi Arabia;
• Undertaking letter writing on recent Urgent Action alerts from AIUK;
• Updates on events relating to 2025 being the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International in Glasgow; and
• Updates from our local group co-ordinators on their activities.

JCB event protest in Glasgow

In September, a small group of activists took part in an Amnesty campaign protesting the use of JCB equipment to demolish houses and other key community buildings in Palestine and Kashmir. The protest coincided with a ‘JCB Explore' event taking place in the Hydro event space.

The campaign seeks to force JCB to review its business practices, as it is currently on a UN register of companies that are deemed to be complicit in the crimes happening in Palestine.

Further information can be found in the JCB campaign pack.

Photo – Activists from the Glasgow West Group part in an action protesting JCB's role

Celebrating Fifty Years of Amnesty in Glasgow

Amnesty International has been active in Glasgow since 1975. To celebrate fifty years of campaigning, fund-raising and awareness-raising for Human Rights, the AI Groups in Glasgow are undertaking a series of events.

A centrepiece of this is the invitation from the Lord Provost of Glasgow City Council to host a Civic Reception in the City Chambers to mark this occasion. The event will take place in the early evening of Tuesday 28th October 2025.

We are currently putting together an invitation list and we are keen to hear from current and past Amnesty members and activists from any of the AI Groups in Glasgow who would like to attend the event. To register your interest or for further information, please email mail@glasgowwestamnesty.org.uk.

Amnesty UK Local Updates

Below is a selection of some of the issues featured in the latest monthly update for Local Groups from Amnesty UK.

Full details of the latest AIUK monthly Local Groups Update can be viewed via this local archive link.

Prevent

WRITE TO YOUR MP: GET PREVENT OUT OF OUR CLASSROOMS

The UK government's definition of ‘terrorism' has never been shakier. Peaceful protest and political ideas are increasingly branded as extremist threats, and the government's ‘Prevent' duty is one of the first places this dangerous logic took root.

The ‘Prevent' strategy introduced to ‘stop people becoming terrorists' created what we termed ‘the Thought Police' – and seriously interferes with the lives and freedoms of all of us – including thousands of innocent children swept into the arms of counter-terrorism police every year. Not because of they've committed violence or any crime, but because of what they say, believe, or how they behave. The result?

• Children as young as nine are being referred to counter-terrorism programmes
• Muslim and neurodiverse children are disproportionately targeted
• Trust between students and teachers is eroded
• Families face unnecessary and lasting trauma

The facts:

• 11-15-year-olds are the most reported group under the ‘Prevent' duty
• Hundreds of children under 10 are being referred every year
• 93% of referrals lead nowhere but the damage is already done.

This is profiling, not protection. Stigma, not safeguarding.

• 👉 Write to your MP now and demand evidence-based safeguarding that protects children instead of criminalises them.
• 👉 Full link here: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/prevent-out-classrooms
• 👉 Find out more about Amnesty's work on Prevent and read our 2023 report THIS IS THE THOUGHT POLICE HERE

Training: Campaigning Scrap the UK Government's Prevent Duty

Campaign to Scrap the UK Government's Prevent Duty

Tuesday 14 October - 18:00 - 19:30

Prevent is part of the UK government's counter-terrorism strategy, but research by Amnesty and others has proven that the policy is both inherently racist in who is targeted by it, and ineffective in keeping people safe. Come along to this training to learn more about why the Prevent duty is so harmful, and how to campaign for its abolition.

Register here

Social Security in the UK — Day of Poverty

HELP US TELL THE UK GOVERNMENT: POVERTY IS A POLITICAL CHOICE.

SEND US YOUR PHOTO SO WE CAN SPELL IT OUT, LOUD & CLEAR

The UK government is consistently choosing to push more and more people into poverty, instead of providing adequate social security support, that hundreds of thousands of people need.

For International Eradication of Poverty Day on 17 October, we want to make sure that MPs get the message loud and clear.
Join us by emailing us a photograph of yourself with this message (or another of your choosing): Social Security is a Human Right

You can write it on a piece of paper, or your hand… or your t-shirt! And if you'd prefer not to show your face in the picture, that's absolutely fine. We'll use your photos in our work around this time, including on a banner that we'll be taking to Parliament.
Visit HELP US TELL THE UK GOVERNMENT: SOCIAL SECURITY IS A HUMAN RIGHT to find out all the information and submit your picture. We want as many photos as possible to make sure the government gets the message!

So take a photo with your message and email it to weekofaction@amnesty.org.uk, and we'll take your message to the UK government.

President Trump's visit to the UK Roundup

Thanks to all who joined the Amnesty bloc at the march and rally organised by the Stop Trump Coalition. While the red carpet was being rolled out for President Trump, thousands took to the street to say: ‘Expect Resistance'.

It was a powerful moment, in which we came together across movements to resist the attacks on the rights of refugees, women, trans people and people of colour across our country and the world, generating media and social media interest, brought new people into our movement, and made a statement to political actors who are silent. We refused to stand by and watch Keir Starmer welcomed Trump with open arms. And we will continue to resist – we will not allow this destructive anti-rights agenda to erode our rights and freedoms.

The US, under Trump's policies, has shown the world how quickly progress can be reversed. We've seen abortion access overturned, peaceful protest criminalised, racial justice dismantled, LGBTI+ and trans rights attacked, state violence against communities of colour, climate commitments abandoned, and the arming and supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza and wider apartheid against Palestinians. This is a warning to the world: our hard won rights can be lost overnight. The UK should be actively opposing this extreme rollback, but instead we're seeing some of the same rights be restricted here: crackdowns on protest, scapegoating of migrants and refugees, and failing to do all in its power to prevent and punish genocide in Gaza.

Our resistance does not end here. We will hold leader to account and defend the values that keep us all free. rights abuses. We demand better - we need political leaders who stand up for human rights at home and abroad, who speak out against injustice and defends rights for all.

Across the United States, students have faced detention and deportation simply for exercising their right to protest. Earlier this year, US immigration authorities wrongfully arrested and detained at least ten students. All are known to have been targeted for using their right to protest. These incidents are part of a broader, deeply troubling crackdown on student activism and dissent. This is a warning to the world: our hard won rights can be lost overnight.
And we refuse to remain silent. The right to protest, organise, speak out must be defended - across borders. Email the US Secretary of Homeland Security to demand US authorities stop the wrongful removal of students' visas and residency status and respect their human rights: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/stop-wrongful-removal-students-visas-speaking-out

Niger Delta

Campaign Updates!

You can now order a resource campaigning pack for our ‘No Clean up, no Justice' campaign. This year is an important year in which we are campaigning across Nigeria and the UK to call on Shell for a clean up of the Niger Delta, and justice for human rights abuses caused by the UK corporate's operations in the region. If you would like to order a pack, please get in touch with Philippa Griesbach.

You can read more about the campaign here, and find additional resources to download and print here.

As Amnesty group, we ask you to join in on the campaign. We are in the first stages, where we are building knowledge, educating and mobilising people to join the campaign. Please have a look at your pack on how to do this, and if you are interested in organising an event and inviting speakers, you can speak to the campaigner leading this work – reach out via email to Elaine van der Schaft.

Central America and Mexico

Please take action on behalf of the Hasta Encontrarte Collective

On 8 July Amnesty International published its third report, “Disappearing Again: Violence and Impacts Experienced by Women Searchers in Mexico,” within the framework of the Women Searchers campaign. According to the Mexican National Registry of Missing Persons, the total cases of enforced disappearance have now exceeded 130,000 people, making the statistic in this report already out of date.

The Hasta Encontrarte collective, formed in 2021 in the state of Guanajauato. It comprises 86 families; 99% of their members are women. The collective is dedicated to the tireless work of searching for their loved ones through independent search brigades. On the 10th of July 2020 members of the collective were protesting the appointment of the Head of the Guanajuato State Search Commission, as they did not believe he had the required experience for the position. During the protest, some protestors were beaten by police, and 3 female members of the collective were arrested. The women were released after approx. 4 hours. They were not informed of their rights or that criminal proceedings were being taken against them.

In October 2020 the Public Prosecution's Office sided with the women searchers and declared that no civil offence had been committed during their protest and the police declarations were wrong. However, the state declared the police officers had not abused their authority or provided false statements. Veronica Duran Lara, the activist who was arrested said the following:

“When we were arrested, I felt a sense of helplessness, of courage and fear, but also a great deal of pain, because a policeman took my son's photo and trampled on it. I don't know where it went. But it was really painful, because, well, it wasn't fair. I think we weren't hurting anyone. All we wanted was justice in some way, someone to help us find our relatives”.

Please send the attached appeal to the Mexican Ambassador in London.

Activist-led campaign: Urge the UK government to sign and ratify the Convention for Enforced Disappearance

Despite being involved in its drafting, the UK has still neither signed nor ratified this important Convention. From the responses we have received so far, the government argues that the issue of enforced disappearance is already covered by existing legislation. We do not believe that this is an adequate response.

Please send this new appeal to your MP.

Importantly it also contains an invitation to your MP to attend our “drop-in” in Parliament on 21 October, where they can learn more about the Convention.

You can also access the Online Petition here.

For further information, or if you receive a response from your MP, please contact sheila.royce@amnesty.org.uk

Amnesty in Scotland

AI Scotland's latest bulletin, containing news and updates on the latest activities can be found below:

AI Scotland bulletin

For all updates on planned AIUK training and events for AI activists, Click on this link.

September 2025 Updates

Link to September Minutes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rDjtbB0Btue1FgHiyJgj76JUpPcUbhcj/edit

Amnesty Glasgow West Group Meeting Thurs 11th September 2025

Minutes

Link to September meeting email here.

1. Welcome and apologies

   1. Attendance: Merle, Claire, Aillig, Carol, Kirstie, Paolo

   2. Apologies: Neil, Luca, Ken, Andrew, Cait, Clara

2. Agreement of previous meeting minutes link

3. Team Updates (list of roles here):

   1. Treasurer (Kirstie)

      1. postage from letters: £38.40

      2. donations: £0

      3. current balance: £353.34

   2. Social Media & website (Cait/Clara)

      • On pause till more capacity: Twitter/Bluesky discussion [agreed not urgent until AIUK moves]
      • Claire to ask Clara to do a post calling out for SM volunteers

   3. Local Political Outreach

      • On pause till more capacity: Paolo's HR Bill leaflet (see here) for Feb ‘26 hustings ; confirm info for website
      • Paolo to update website (https://www.glasgowwestamnesty.org.uk/) with AIUK resources & share webpage in Signal chat

   4. Theme focus - US Death Penalty [Cait] - no updates

   5. Not currently active:

      • Regional/Country focus
      • Prisoner of Conscience/Individual At Risk Update

4. Updates from local groups (Daytime / Glasgow Uni):

   1. Perth group: Our Fundraising stall will be here Blueberries – Thomas Thomson Blairgowrie - Wednesday October 15th 1.30 -6.00pm

5. Update re. new Scotland Regional Rep role:

   1. Paolo participated in the August monthly UK Activist Rep Forum. NB there's always one from the Act Rep Forum in the UK AI Board, at the moment is Graham Bisset who is also behind the Amnesty Futures. The key points of the discussion were:

      1. the report by the Global Group on Amnesty's activism model across the world released in October 2024

      2. an in person meeting with all Act Reps in London on the 29th of November on "What is our strategy for activism in UK?"

      3. the need for activism training and the sharing of training resources with the building of a "repository of training resources"

      4. the board has started to investigate the current state of local groups and networks and will ask Act Reps to meet and provide a report

   2. Paolo nominated himself (as per Amnesty process!) for “Activist Rep for Scotland” and got the full endorsement of the Local Activism team as well as our local group:

      “The Glasgow West Group is very happy that Paolo has agreed to step up into the regional activism representative role. Although he has only been involved with the Glasgow West Group for a relatively short time over the past year, Paolo has brought great energy, enthusiasm and passion to our Group. He has also already begun to build strong linkages with colleagues from across the local Groups in Scotland. His naturally collaborative style and his willingness to take on work, will mean he will be a strong asset in this role.

      He will, however, be taking it on in a voluntary capacity whilst also juggling the demands of the Activism Rep role around his family life and work commitments. In order to succeed - and to avoid quick burnout - I suspect anyone taking on this role will need strong, proactive support from the staff within AIUK's Activism Team, from the staff within Amnesty's Scotland office and from the volunteers across the local Groups in Scotland. No doubt, a key challenge will be to focus on making a tangible impact on a relatively small number of important priorities, rather than being spread too thinly across a wide range of activities.

      We wish Paolo all the best in this role and commend him for putting himself forward. He will, of course, be supported by members of our own Glasgow West group.”

   3. Paolo has created a Amnesty Scotland WhatsApp channel to pin our initiatives - you can join here: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb726HL8F2pBQU619W3d

   4. Amnesty Scotland has rescheduled the Webinar: Amnesty Scotland Update for Activists –> Wed, 1 Oct 2025 18:30 - 19:30. Link: via MS Teams

6. Actions/updates from previous meeting:

   1. Amnesty Global Assembly happened in Prague in July. Anyone interested can read updates here: https://email.amnestyuk.org.uk/q/1f1qdJyQqeQofhy3uh5Qqvn/wv

   2. Training: A Guide to Working with Schools:

      1. Good session, lots of resources. Not just Write4Rights, can also lead other sessions. It's not a 1-person job! If anyone is interested in doing this, pls let me know and we can start outreach.

         1. Claire to share the resources with Carol and Carol thinking to contact Rosshall Academy

         2. Ailig to contact Youth Groups coordinator

7. Amnesty Watford group's push for an EGM/Amnesty Futures group

   Our group discussed this when the “Amnesty Futures” group held a meeting about the current state of Amnesty and the concerns re. the Board - see PPT here.

   For transparency for those who were not at the previous meeting, and as we have been asked to share again, here are the key points from that Amnesty Futures meeting (as written by Amnesty Futures group).

   1. Lack of transparency from the Board with regards to decision making and voting. It seems the Board mainly rubber stamps rather than thinks critically about the decisions it passes, and does not appear to inform the membership about them.

   2. Lack of democracy: there is a history of resolutions adopted during AGMs not being implemented by the Board. There also seems to be no accountability for the Board's failure to implement them and respect the will of the membership, therefore questioning the democratic process within Amnesty.

   3. Punitive use of the Code of Conduct: there are worries that the activists' Code of Conduct is used as a punitive measure to silence voices. In particular, the Chair approving of placing individual members of the Building a Powerful Movement (BPM) subcommittee under investigation for alleged breaches shows this. At least one BPM member has left AIUK altogether because of the undue stress they suffered from the investigation. Other good and well-known activists have also gone through Code of Conduct investigations and were left severely traumatised by the experience, which led some of them to leave AIUK.

   4. Lack of governance and Financial Mismanagement: there is little knowledge about staff productivity despite on-going concerns, also difficulties in accessing financial information (even for Board members), and the current financial decisions made by senior staff members in today's volatile market are concerning.

      We are holding the Chair of the Board responsible for these concerns and failures, and will be focusing our efforts on ensuring that the democratic process within Amnesty is upheld. This is why we are calling on all Amnesty UK members and groups to sign an EGM Resolution seeking a vote of no confidence in the AIUK Board, and the replacement of its Chair.

   → EGM resolution (see EGM text here): We are asking for as much support for the EGM Resolution as possible. We require the support of 5 local groups and 100 individuals. We currently have the support of 5 local groups (although more local groups supporting the EGM Resolution can only strengthen it), and we need 10 more signatures from individuals. Individual signatures are our priority at this moment, so we encourage you to collect individual signatures rather than focusing on local group support. If you want to sign up to the EGM Resolution, or know someone who would like to sign, you can email the Watford group: watfordamnestygroup@gmail.com with the following details:

   First and last name ; Local group name ; AIUK Membership number (you can find it on your direct debit information) ; How long you have been an Amnesty member (a rough estimate is enough).

   • Nothing happened at the AIUK AGM in July. The 100 signatures had not been reached and any presentation to the AGM was not possible. As we stand, the HQ in London (The Human Rights Centre) has not been sold - yet, but AIUK has moved out and is now located within the IS Offices also in London. The Board is still intent on selling the HRC whereas a better option would now be to rent it and benefit from a substantial rental income. The current thinking is that if 100 signatures are obtained, the Board will wish to avoid actually calling the EGM, and be either willing to negotiate, or resign. In either case, this would open the door for a new way forward to tackle the huge financial problems which exist, amongst other issues.

   Amnesty Futures Initiative

   If you wish to join the Amnesty Futures Initiative, or want to know more about it:

   • local groups can sign up to the Amnesty Futures Objectives document by emailing Graham at gmfbisset@blueyonder.co.uk.

   • Individuals can also sign up to the Amnesty Futures Objectives, as well as, or instead of the local group - full name, group name and any group position held (e.g chair/sec/treasurer).

8. Urgent Appeals - Merle

   № of letters written during meeting: [tbc] (to beat: 15)

   & Ban Settlement Goods: Letters to MPs

   Import of goods from Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory - Early Day Motions - even if your MP has signed it, still email them!

9. 2025 Glasgow West AI group's 50th anniversary! - see Ideas doc here, inc.

   1. Civic Reception Tuesday 28th October 6pm-7.30pm:

      1. Speakers: Lord Provost; Amnesty spokesperson from each of the current three Glasgow AI Groups; an AIUK Board member has been invited to provide a keynote speech. AI Scotland has also been invited.

      2. Take along key archive items for a small display

      3. Invitees: Eventbrite link - all to share: Eventbrite link

         1. Andrew to email AI office with email to go to all AI members

         2. Merle/Christine reviewed list of previous members; Daytime group has sent email addresses for their members. Emma in Glw Univ Group has been asked to forward invitations to her Group members.

         3. Rob will send invitations directly for our mailing list (c.100)

   2. Meal:

      1. Could do meal and W4R combined so people do letter writing and meal at same time - Sat/Sun in early Dec (agreed best time = weekend PM)

         1. Agreed to ask for Saturday 6.12.25

         2. Paolo to check £200 for the larger room at Community Centre

         3. Kirstie to ask Write for Rights Hillpark Library Sunday 7.12.25

         4. Talk, discussion, meal ; writing W4R cards

      2. Invite MPs / Councillors / MSPs?

      3. Apartheid free meal?

      4. Pay What You Can tickets to cover costs

      5. Paolo to ask friends ; ? Council can suggest a community hall to do it

   3. Tree planting: Nov in Kelvingrove ; Andrew in contact with Council re logistics

   4. Group's archive materials - Andrew liaising with Starthclyde University about potential use of materials in students' dissertations, etc.

10. JCB event protest: JCB Action Group are putting together an activist led campaign on behalf of Amnesty to bring attention to the fact that JCB is selling equipment to use in Palestine and Kashmir which is being used to destroy homes.

    1. JCB campaign pack - a local campaigning guide, 2 template letters to local authorities asking them to not give contracts to JCB; a template letter to local councils lobbying MPs to force JCB to improve its business practices as it is on a register held by the UN of companies who are complicit in the crimes happening in Palestine; a template local press release, legal opinion. More info: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/jcb

    2. holding protests outside of JCB events one of which is happening in Glasgow 19-21.09.25 Glasgow OVO Hydro - JCB Explore

       1. JCB flyer June 2025 - updated Sep 202_

       2. Can anyone bring a table there?

       3. “The advice given is that you do not need any permission if you have a stall on 'common land'. I'm not 100% sure but think that might be an England and Wales legal term rather than Scots Law but I don't see it being a particularly significant issue. Could always contact someone at the council and double check?”

       4. Could get toy diggers?

       5. Claire has emailed SPSC to see if they could collab (https://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/who-we-are/find-a-branch/glasgow/)

          1. Only Claire available to do event; people could send letters

11. 18.10.25: National Day of Solidarity to End Immigration Detention

    co-organised by Right to Remain and No To Hassockfield, calling for an end to the inhumane and expanding system of immigration detention in the UK. Read the full write up here.

    Next steps: Online Rally, 16 September 2025 (7:00–8:30 pm): You'll hear from people with lived experience, meet fellow supporters, and get inspired to take part in the October actions. Register here.

    Ways to get involved:

    1. Join the main demonstration at Derwentside (Hassockfield) detention centre in Durham. Right to Remain and No To Hassockfield are organising coaches from Manchester, Liverpool, Durham, Newcastle and Sunderland. Book here. SYMAAG are organising coaches from Sheffield.

    2. Organise a local solidarity event in your community: vigils, banner drops, creative actions, etc. If you have an idea for an action in your region, fill in this Google Form to connect with others who may be close to you.

    3. Advocate with your MP to oppose detention expansion and the Hostile Environment.

    4. Donate to support grassroots organisers and those most affected.

    5. Spread the word online using hashtags like #TheseWallsMustFall, #EndDetention, #NoOneIsIllegal, #SetHerFree. Open source graphics available, free to use and share & info flyers - here.

12. AOB

    • Event at the Stand in aid of Medical Aid for Palestinians, 15.10.25: The UK, Gaza and the Media: In conversation with Peter Oborne - The Stand Comedy Club

    • Template email for MPs to support 40 young people in Gaza who currently have a place at UK universities: https://newscord.org/action/gaza-students - Currently, the UK gvt won't let them come as they need biometric ID stuff for their visa. As they can't do that in Gaza the letter is asking for them to be allowed to come to the UK and do the biometric stuff here.

    • Stop Trump Protests: AIUK - London 17.09.25; travel expenses can be covered

      • STC Scotland - Edinburgh, Thursday 18.09.25, 6pm, meeting near the Meadows cafe.

      • Lots of fun placards to print - if anyone wants a pdf, pls ask me/Paolo

    • AIUK Local Group Updates – August: link

    • Next meeting - Thurs 9th October 2025

    • October Guest Speaker: Motaz, Yemen & Saudi Arabia AIUK Country Coordinator

13. As before: Ban Israeli Settlement Goods Campaign Pack - here, general info here, launch presentation here - calling on the UK Government to end its trade and business complicity in illegal Israeli settlements, and to hold Israel accountable for its violations of international law in Gaza and the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    • Does anyone want to take a lead on this? Getting us:

      • engaged with MPs ; form coalitions with local Palestine Solidarity Campaign branch ; Organise community Apartheid-Free Meal

      • Resource - forward any replies from MPs to Amika (Amika.George@amnesty.org.uk)

    • 2 template letters to MPs

    • the template Press Release for an Apartheid-Free Meal

    • local procurement ask to councillors here are the materials

14. As before: Potential Speakers:

    1. Refugee Action? - Daytime group is organising for an online evening event. Also an online event with AI Scotland. We will circulate info and links from the Daytime Group to our members once dates are agreed.

    2. Clara: journalist from Somalia - Clara to check his availability and if needs transport/accommodation

    3. Paulo: law professor re. UK supreme court ruling that affects trans rights.

    4. AIUK Equality Network speaker - Ailig to look into - how to have conversations w family and friends

    5. Ebba: Palestinian researcher: https://sgsahblog.com/2025/01/27/activist-ethnography-in-palestine

    6. [Amicus: after find out about Death Penalty network - admin@amicus-alj.org - Allan]

15. As before: Local Group Updates

    • Groups Planning Pack 2025 from central AIUK, Calendars with key events/trainings.

    • Petition: Last year was the deadliest year for journalists. Add your voice to defend press freedom.

2025 Meeting Dates

New Members very welcome!

The Group meets every second Thursday of each month at 7.30pm - 9pm.

The meetings take place at Woodlands Methodist Church, 229 Woodlands Road, G3 6LW

For further information contact mail@glasgowwestamnesty.org.uk

• Thursday 9th January 2025

• Thursday 13th February 2025

• Thursday 13th March 2025

• Thursday 10th April 2025

• Thursday 8th May 2025

• Thursday 12th June 2025

• Thursday 10th July 2025

• Thursday 14th August 2025

• Thursday 11th September 2025

• Thursday 9th October 2025

• Thursday 13th November 2025

• Thursday 11th December 2025

BETTER TO LIGHT A CANDLE THAN CURSE THE DARKNESS

Many thanks to MDS for these updates. If you prefer to read them as a PDF, you can do so here.

Welcome & Introductions

New Amnesty Activism Representative for Scotland

The group welcomed Amnesty's new Activism Representative for Scotland, Danielle McCall.

Danielle will be taking on this volunteering role, along aside existing Activism Representative, Malcolm Dingwall-Smith, to support Amnesty's local groups across Scotland.

Good news - Prisoners Of Conscience In Honduras Released

All the eight Guapinol defenders were unconditionally released in February 2022.

On 24 February 2022, the sentencing court of Trujillo ordered the release of the six Guapinol defenders (José Daniel Márquez, Kelvin Alejandro Romero, José Abelino Cedillo, Porfirio Sorto Cedillo, Ewer Alexander Cedillo and Orbin Nahún Hernández) that remained in prison following a favourable resolution of the Supreme Court of Justice on 10 February 2022.

Arnol Javier Alemán and Jeremías Martínez Díaz had been acquitted and released immediately on 9 February 2022.

Campaign updates

2022 Overview

Topics AIUK will be campaigning on this year include:

• end Israeli apartheid
• Ukraine crisis response
• justice for Syria
• save the Human Rights Act
• freedom of expression – right to protest
• refugee & migrant rights
• homelessness

More details can be found at: http://email.amnestyuk.org.uk/files/amf_amnesty/project_58/2022_Planned_Campaigns.pdf

Nationality & Borders Bill

Thank you to everyone who has taken a stand against the most harmful aspects of this Bill. This piece of legislative vandalism, which will wreck the UK's asylum system, undermine international law and criminalise people for attempting to reach a place of safety, continues to progress through parliament.

On 22 March, MPs voted to remove all of the amendments added to the Bill by the Peers in the House of Lords - see here for a full list of these amendment and our parliamentary briefing.

One positive to come out of House of Commons debate, was a concession by the government to British nationality rights to Chagos Islanders. This is an issue AIUK has lobbied parliamentarians on throughout the Bill's passage.

The Bill will return to the House of Lords in April.  

Actions

Urgent Actions

US: WOMAN'S EXECUTION WOULD VIOLATE INTERNATIONAL LAW

Melissa Lucio, a 52-year-old Mexican American woman, is scheduled to be executed in Texas on 27 April 2022.

IOPT:PALESTINIAN LAWYER IN ARBITRARY DETENTION

French-Palestinian lawyer Salah Hammouri has been issued a four-month administrative detention order.

SINGAPORE: EXECUTIONS RESUME – MORE MAY FOLLOW

Hangings have resumed in Singapore for drug related offences, after Abdul Kahar bin Othman was executed on 30 March. The previous day, the appeal for Malaysian national Nagaenthran Dharmalingam was rejected, and he is believed to be at risk of having his execution reset imminently.

Ukraine response – Monthly mailing

Please take and share the action

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/actions/UkraineCrisis

Parliamentary briefing and MP letter: https://www.amnesty.org.uk/resources/invasion-ukraine-resources

Link to Crisis Lab monitoring human rights violations: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/03/a-guide-to-how-amnesty-verifies-military-attacks-in-ukraine/

Belarussian – Monthly mailing

Marfa Rabkova, Belarussian human rights defender. Demand she is freed.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/petition/belarus-marfa-rabkova-viasna/

British nationals in Iran – Monthly mailing

While Nazanin and Anoosheh have been reunited with their families, Amnesty continue to campaign for Morad Tahbaz and Mehran Raoof, who are still arbitrarily detained in Iran.

You can contact your local MP to:

1. ask them to raise Morad's and Mehran's cases with the Foreign Secretary, asking for them to not be forgotten and calling for their release
2. ask them to raise their cases publicly and mention Morad and Mehran in Parliament

IOPT – Monthly mailing

In a significant development, the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the OPT published a landmark report concluding that Israel is committing the crime of apartheid. Due to his mandate, he was only able to look at the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories but his findings are similar to Amnesty's.

Here is Amnesty's response.

For International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Amnesty did a film shoot outside the Israeli Embassy where they renamed their street Apartheid Avenue and Palestinian dancers did a Dabke outside.

Here's Amnesty's film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2eydDZDjF8

Here is a new guest blog post from an activist in Gaza.

There is a new activist toolkit with ways to get involved.

Report back from Iftar and discussions of next steps

• Group members attended a successful human rights iftar hosted in partnership by Amnesty, the Muslim Council of Scotland and AMINA.

• The next step for the group could be to host a meeting focussed on some of the human rights issues highlighted at the iftar including the Uyghurs, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Kashmir. This would allow those at the iftar who were interested in getting more involved to join the Glasgow West Amnesty group.

• Post meeting note: While there was discussion of making this the focus of the May meeting, it will now be held at a later date.

Events

• 19 March: UN Anti-Racism Day march, Glasgow

Group members joined this march.

• 16 April: No to Offshore Detention, Glasgow

Group members planned to join this demo.

• 24 May: AIUK Equality, Inclusion & Diversity training, Online

This will be an online session open to Amnesty activists. More details to follow.

• 4 June: Tiananmen Square vigil, Edinburgh

There are plans for Amnesty to hold a vigil outside the Chinese consulate on 4th June to mare the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Other updates & AOB

• State of the World report

The Amnesty International State of the World Review 2021/22 is available at https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/pol10/4870/2022/en/

• Women's Rights Education Resource

Access and share Amnesty's new Women's Rights resources with educators, including sessions on gender stereotyping for Primary and Secondary students, online gender-based violence and women and unpaid care work.

Find the pack here.

• Human Rights online courses

As part of Amnesty's ongoing work to improve access to all the training and education Amnesty UK produces, they have created a new space on the website to find it all in one place. They are still fleshing it out and will of course be adding more training and education as it is developed.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/education/activist-education

Next Meeting: Thursday 12th May 2022

Facebook event: https://fb.me/e/1HWPcWGNi