Amnesty International Salisbury Group

Minutes of the Monthly Meeting on Thursday 12th January 20177.30 pm - 28 Attwood Road

1 Chairman’s WelcomePresent: Fiona, Andrew, Eddie, Peter, LesleyApologies: Tony, Michael S, Michael P

AH

2 Minutes of previous Meeting – These were agreed.

3 Treasurer’s Report - £1,168.45 (Bank Account) £30.68 (Cash)

Approximately £90 will be required for our visiting speaker Jihyun Park’s expenses.

The Group will forward their annual contribution to AIUK following next month’s meeting. The amount required is £75.00 but, given the level of funds, a larger amount could be sent, as in recent years.

MP

4 Campaign Reports

Death Penalty

Please see the Salisbury Group Website www.salisburyai.com or quick link http://wp.me/p4jvwE-13R for the full international update, covering Singapore, Philippines, USA, Jordan, Japan, Belarus and Thailand.

Of particular note:

The Death Penalty information Centre End of Year report shows that capital punishment in the USA fell to a 40 year low in 2016, with only 30 such penalties being imposed. Five States – Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Florida and Missouri carried out 20 executions. The report demonstrates that, not only have executions slowed or even halted in the majority of States, but juries and judges are imposing fewer death sentences. (Source: Death Penalty Information Centre, BBC)

Challenges, counter-challenges and uncertainties regarding the constitutionality and/or legality of the processes involved in the death penalty have continued in a number of US States. A prisoner executed in Alabama took 30 minutes to die.

The response of ASEAN1 Countries to the UN Resolution

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calling on Countries to abstain from using the death penalty was mixed – the Philippines chose to abstain, Cambodia was in favour, and Malaysia and Singapore rejected it. Note: Worldwide, 117 countries favoured the resolution and 40 countries rejected it.

Mr Kiryl Kazachok was sentenced to death in Belarus – the last Country in Europe to have retained the death penalty.

Urgent Actions

Iran – Update on UA 165/15 – Salar Shadizadi was sentenced to death again in November following a retrial. He has been on death row since 2007 for a crime committed at the age of 15. Global public pressure resulted in the halting of his execution in December 2015, but he is now again under sentence of death. (Circulated to DPLWG 19.12.16). This month’s Urgent Action.

Saudi Arabia – 21.12.16 – This was the birthday of Ali al-Nimr – his third on Death Row. The Group have participated in an AI nationally co-ordinated tweet to wish him a Happy Birthday. The Group’s tweet resulted in 2,544 impressions and 68 total engagements.

China – UA 3/17 – Xu Youchen has been sentenced to death for killing a policeman when the authorities were taking him and his wife away for peaceful petitioning. The policeman was stabbed when a struggle broke out as Xu Youchen resisted being forcibly removed from the police van. The couple were then severely beaten. An appeal against the decision is currently under review. (Circulated to DPLWG: 11.1.17)

Philippines – An Email Action was received from AI Australia calling on Congress members to reject the President’s Proposal to bring back the death penalty (Circulated to DPLWG 12.1.17)

Campaigning

Signed cards with Christmas greetings from the Group were sent to Reggie Clemons. Note: The first of Reggie’s re-trials commences on 23rd February.

North Korea

TM

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The details for our visiting speaker Jihyun Park have been confirmed – 7.00 pm on Thursday 16th March at Five Rivers Leisure Centre. The Salisbury Journal will be contacted in advance. The possibility of conducting a short videoed interview with Jihyun Park will be explored.

The response to the NK video to date has been disappointing, with only 49 views. PC will now be producing the second video featuring MEP Clare Moody.

PC will be taking a short course in video production in March.

Refugees

AH is currently liaising with Alex Reuer – Regional Media Support Officer – regarding the possibility of organising a performance of The Asylum Monologues in Salisbury. A group of professional actors could be booked, or local actors sought. The performance is 40 mins in length so an additional attraction would be needed. The suggestion of poetry readings was made – with poems from Write to Life (Freedom from Torture) as a possibility.

A meeting to discuss this, and other possible events and/or actions will be held at the home of AH at 2.00 pm on Wednesday 1st February.

PC

AH

5 Social Media Report

Web and other media statistics, December 2016

A good month for Twitter and the highest ever number of impressions. Facebook continues to make progress. Web site views quieter because of a lower number of posts due to technical issues, but we have enjoyed the highest monthly increase in followers

Web siteAn average month. The figures are: June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec171 184 167 211 201 275 189

ViewsAll time: 6,932

Country views, top 4. We had a view from China and a total of 31 countries in all.USA 72UK 72France 6

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India 4

Top posts: 1. Theresa May’s visit to Bahrain2. Salisbury Journal piece reprinted on our site3. December minutes were popular!

Followers: a good increase this month and we now have 169. This is encouragingly the highest monthly increase.

TwitterImpressions:

June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec 4510 2111 1784 3050 3045 3633 5101

Top tweet:

By a long way was the tweet about Ali al Nimr who is on death row in Saudi Arabia. This received 2,544 impressions and no less than 68 engagements – the highest ever. Also 17 retweets – also the highest.

We now have 112 followers, an increase of 5, and 177 following, an increase of 2 on last month.

FacebookThe weekly total reach was 1,019 up from 774 in November. The top post was the carol singing (with video). It is very hard to interpret the blizzard of data which is provided but overall, it does seem to attract interest and links through to the Web site.

Tumbler We have 5 followers on Tumbler. No change.

North KoreaThe demonstration outside the Guildhall still chugs along. On Flickr, the still image has had 2,944 views and the video, 594 – both increases. On YouTube it has 1,475 views giving a viewing total of 5,012. The North Korea video involving Fiona Bruce MP has achieved a disappointing 49 views on YouTube.

www.flickr.com www.YouTube.com

The link to Flickr is https://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_curb/23610658620/in/photolist-BYoNe3-q6murP

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Group actionsThere was one group action during this period: the twitter action on Ali al Nimr.Web site: www.salisburyai.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/salisburyai

Facebook: www.facebook.com/salisburyai

As ever, contributions to the sites are welcome. Engaging with the sites also helps build profile. Please try and visit one of the sites at least and click ‘like’ (if you do!).

6 Monthly Action

None was received.

AH had completed the AI Survey and had drawn attention to the Group’s concern at the lack of focus by AIUK on campaigning for the abolition of the death penalty.

FDAH

7 Fire At Sea – Arts Centre - Friday 3rd February at 7.30 pm

The majority of the tickets had now been given out. Posters had been circulated to the Arts Centre, Oxfam Shop and Methodist Church. Group members to be there for 6.30 pm – doors opening at 6.45 pm when the Bar will also be open.

There will be no introduction to the film, but AH will give a brief update at the end of the film. The welcome refugees pledge and cards for signing will be available. FD has contacted John Proctor to ask if he would like the Group to promote any particular issue or materials on his behalf.

There will be a leaving collection for the refugee work of Alabare.

FD

8 War Witch

The Group have been offered the opportunity to show the film ‘War Witch’ in partnership with the Arts Centre in May as part of a double bill. This will be in addition to the Amnesty film later in the year. ‘War Witch’ was one of the films considered for the 2016 Amnesty film. The Arts Centre would like the Group to provide a brief introduction to the film.

FD

9 Stonehenge Freedom Festival – 19th-21st June 2017

The Organiser of the proposed Festival has updated FD regarding

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his plans. Likely Nos. have been reduced to 3,500 and crowd-funding is no longer being sought. 20% of the profits would be offered to Amnesty.AIUK have agreed the Group can participate. It was agreed, however, that further information is needed before any commitment is made. FD will request a meeting with the organiser – FD and AH to attend.

10 NWR Meeting – 5th April 2017

LC is awaiting confirmation from her contact of likely nos. and venue and will bring proposals for the content of the session to the February meeting. It is understood that a different format from that of the Schools Talks will be required, with a focus on discussion, and a single representative from the Group is likely to be sufficient.

LC

11 Write for Rights

A total of 98 cards were signed for the 4 prisoners at the December card signing – a disappointing result. AH and PC helped at the setting up of the Card Signing at the Methodist Church, which ran from 7th to 14th January.

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12 Market Stall

MP will be unable to help with the Stall this year. AH confirmed that this year’s date will be Saturday 27th May.

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13 Magna Carta 2017

As 2017 is the 800th anniversary of the Charter of the Forest, it was agreed the Group might use this as the focus for their event(s). The possibility of organising speakers was discussed. Guy Standing has a particular interest in the Charter and could be approached. PC will suggest this to the Cathedral.

PC

14 AOB FD, LC and PC had attended the Philippe Sands lecture at

Southampton University co-hosted by the Southampton Amnesty Group. The talk was excellent – many thanks to the Southampton Group and University. Please see our Group website for a brief account - Lecture review

PC will from now onwards send brief accounts of the Group’s monthly meetings to the Salisbury Journal.

The Group has sufficient funds to replace the existing banner. PC will check costings with Salisbury Printing.

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15 Forthcoming Events Fire At Sea – 3rd February Talk by Jihyun Park – 16th March NWR Session – 5th April War Witch – May (date TBC) Market Stall – 27th May Magna Carta Event – 15th June Stonehenge Freedom Festival? – 19th-21st June Market Stall – TBC

Next Meeting: Thursday 9th February 2017 Time: 7.30 pm Venue: 4 Victoria Road

www.salisburyai.com www.twitter.com/salisburyai www.facebook.com/salisburyai Campaign box and banner: AH

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