Death Penalty Demo in Zürich

On 13th October – in glorious sunshine in the Hirschenplatz – we held our demonstration against the Death Penalty, in the course of which we collected signatures for the abolition of the Death penalty in Japan, and also in support of the forthcoming UN resolution on Burma.

The action was a great success, and we were able to send off 210 and 170 signatures respectively.

Passers-by were also very intrigued by our Info-Game, in which we told people about various cases of individuals on Death Row as well as some who had already been executed. People were then invited to decide which countries these had happened in. Many were surprised at just how many countries still retained
the Death Penalty, and for which crimes.

The Cup-Cakes we handed out were delicious and also very successful (Grateful thanks to Melanie and Rebecca!). We hope to be able to hold a similar demonstration next year. Many thanks to all who supported us and took part on the day.

Event: the future of human rights in Egypt

The event will be in German, that's why this post is in German as well :-)

Die Zukunft der Menschenrechte in Aegypten

Die englischsprachige Gruppe von Amnesty International Zürich plant eine Veranstaltung zu der Zukunft der Menschenrechte im Arabischen Raum am Beispiel von Aegypten.

Dazu haben wir die Amnesty Expertin für Aegypten eingeladen, die über die aktuelle Situation der Menschrechte in Aegypten berichten wird. Ausserdem wird sie auch auf das grosse Problem der sexuellen Belästigung eingehen.

Bitte anmelden bei: Chrispieh(at)msn.com

Sprache: Deutsch

Wann: 19.11.2012, 19:00

Wo: Volkhaus, Zimmer 23
Stauffacherstrasse 60
8004 Zürich

Falls mehr Personen erscheinen als geplant, findet die Veranstaltung im Volkshaus statt, darüber wird rechtzeitig informiert werden.

Action to world day against death penalty

When: Saturday October 13th
Where: Hirschenplatz, Zürich
What time: 10:00 until 17:00


Together with the China group, we are organizing an action against death penalty.
Visit our booth at Hirschenplatz to sign a petition against death penalty, to eat a yellow cupcake, to be informed on death penalty, to play our anti-death-penalty game, to pick up a yellow Amnesty balloon or just to say hello :-)

The Death Penalty in the USA

Amnesty campaigns tirelessly for the abolition of the Death Penalty, which denies those most basic of Human Rights : the right to life, and not to be tortured or suffer degrading treatment. But in the US, alone among the democratic countries of the free West, several states continue to apply the Death Penalty, and it is increasingly apparent that an unacceptable degree of racial discrimination is at work here.

This issue hit the international headlines in September 2011, when Death Row veteran Troy Davis, who had for over twenty years protested his innocence, was executed by lethal injection, despite a million petitioners world-wide urging clemency from the Georgia authorities.

Many studies have shown that the US Death Penalty discriminates against black people. Black defendants are less likely to be well represented by competent lawyers, evidence is sometimes mislaid, and so on. While blacks and whites are murdered in roughly equal numbers, the killers of white people are six times more likely to be executed, with 77% being put to death for killing a white, but only 15% for killing blacks (http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-and-race).

The most recent case Amnesty has campaigned for was that of Linda Carty, a UK citizen by virtue of her birth in St Kitts. She was accused of murder in Texas – and defended by a lawyer who had already seen twenty of his clients doomed to Death Row. Her trial was seriously flawed, and she still faces execution despite this inadequate legal representation. There are now many campaigns for her reprieve, led strongly by Amnesty International.

This is just one case among many that AI urges you to support. Later this year the Zurich Amnesty group hopes to stage an anti-Death Penalty Action.We’ll let you know. Meanwhile there are petitions on the Amnesty website that would welcome your response (http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/siteapps/advocacy/ActionItem.aspx?c=6oJCLQPAJiJUG&b=6645049&aid=14230)

The Death Penalty has no place in any civilised society. The contribution of your signature will make a real difference.

Janice Davis, Vilters.