Amnesty InternationaltJ March 1977 Volume VII Number 3 newsletter 1977

Prisoners of Conscience Year

AI DEEPLY CONCERNED AT DEATHS IN CUSTODY IN UGANDAAI cabled Ugandan President Idi AMIN Dada on 17 February to express seriousdoubts about official explanations for the deaths of Archbishop Dr JananiLUWUM and government ministers Charles OBOTH-OFUMBI and Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson ORYEMA. They were allegedly killed in a car accident on16 February following their public denunciation and arrest on treasoncharges.

AI said that unconvincing officialexplanations had been offered onprevious occasions after detainees andalleged conspirators had been summar-ily killed by Ugandan security forces.

News of the three deaths came one weekafter reports of widespread arrests in Ugandaand two weeks after Al had called on theUnited Nations Human Rights Commissionto launch an urgent international inquiryinto gross violations of human rights inUganda.

Al had sent a submission to the secretariatof the commission and to all member statesasking them to introduce the report duringthe commission's discussions on Uganda atits session which opened on 7 February inGeneva (February Newsletter).

Ars submission detailed the removal ofconstitutional and judicial rights, withmilitary tribunals empowered to imposedeath sentences for a wide range of politicaland economic offences. "Disappearances"or killings of prominent Ugandan civilianshave included the chief justice, formercabinet ministers, doctors, church leaders,soldiers and police as well as journalistsand sportsmen and countless ordinarycitizens. Al has been unable to verifyestimates of total killings since 1971, whichrange between 50,000 and 300,000.

Al's document says that torture is analmost routine practice in certain policeand army detention centers. Many victims arekilled under torture or shot.

The submission also reports on theinadequacy of "commissions of inquiry"carried out by the Ugandan government. Theunsatisfactory findings of recent internalinquiries into the disappearance in 1976 ofBritish-Israeli hijack hostage Dora BLOCHand of a Kenyan girl student EstherCHESIRE, and the alleged killings ofMakerere University students, reveal theneed for an impartial international invest-igation into these and other incidents.

Al cabled President Amin on 25 January,the sixth anniversary of his assumption ofpower, repeating its offer to undertake a fact-finding mission to Uganda.

The AI submission endorsed the recom-

mendation of the Sub-Committee onPrevention of Discrimination and Protectionof Minorities of 25 August 1976, that theUN Commission on Human Rights "makea thorough study of the human rightssituation in Uganda, based on objectiveand reliably attested information and seekthe cooperation of the government ofUganda for this purpose".

INDIA RELAXES RESTRICTIONS BUTMANY DETAINEES ARE STILL HELDPrime Minister Indira GANDHI of Indiaannounced on 20 January that elections tochoose a new Lok Sabha (parliamentarylower house) would be held in March, thatemergency regulations would be relaxedand press censorship withdrawn.

The government issued instructions toall 22 states to release political prisonersheld under the Maintenance of InternalSecurity Act (MISA) and to allow publicmeetings and other political activitiesconnected with the election. But it also saidthat imprisoned members of bannedorganizations would not be released.

Writing to Mrs Gandhi on 27 January,Al welcomed the government's decision torelease political prisoners detained underemergency legislation. AI also asked MrsGandhi if members of banned partieswould be released from detention withouttrial, whether cases of prisoners held underthe Defence of India Rules (DIR) wouldbe reviewed, and if the MISA and DIRlegislation would be revoked in the nearfuture.

Al asked the government to publishthe names of the prisoners released, as wellas the number of prisoners who do notqualify for release under the current program.

Since the government announcement, Al has received confirmation that a substan-tial number of political detainees held underMISA have been released. Many of themwere arrested after the state of nationalemergency was declared in June 1975.

But AI has also received reports thata large number of political party workers

contesting the election remain indetention.

Opposition sources have indicated thatbetween 6,000 and 32,000 political prisonersare still held.

Al is concerned that the Maintenance ofInternal Security Act, under which politicalprisoners can be detained without trial foran indefinite period, and the DIR continue toexist. It has received a few, but significant,reports that some new arrests were madeafter the government announcement thatpolitical prisoners would be released.

Al REJECTS IRANIAN ALLEGATIONSOF POLITICAL BIASOn 2 February, Al rejected Iranian govern-ment claims that its objectivity was calledinto question "in view of its proven recordof political bias against Iran".

At the same time, Al confirmedIraniangovernment reports that its national sectionswere conducting an international campaignand stressed that the campaign was solelyconcerned with drawing attention to humanrights violations in Iran. Al said that suchcampaigns were an integral and valid part ofits work.

The present campaign follows similarones which had publicized recent humanrights violations in countries such as theSoviet Union, Indonesia, The Philippines,Guatemala, Rhodesia and Uruguay.

Commenting on reported Iranian threatsto boycott products, services and organiza-tions from the Netherlands because Al'sNetherlands Section was holding a confer-ence on Iran later in February, Al said thatthe conference was only one event in theinternational campaign. All Al's nationalsections had been asked to arrange publicityof all kinds for the briefing paper describinghuman rights violations in Iran, which waspublished on 28 November 1976. Reportsthat the conference had been transferred tothe Netherlands from another country weretotally untrue.

Implications that Al supports terroristswere repudiated. Al emphasized that itworked for the release of prisoners of con-science who have not advocated or usedviolence. Al stressed that no one should betortured and welcomed a report in aTeheran newspaper that the Shah had orderedthe practice of torture to be abandoned.

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AI rejects Iranian allegations ofpolitical biasContinued from page 1, column 3

Al said its concerns in Iran were theimprisonment of non-violent political oppon-ents of the regime, the lack of legal safe-guards and unsatisfactory trial procedures,the use of torture and frequent executions.

178 SENTENCED IN MOROCCOTREASON TRIALSentences ranging from 5 years' to lifeimprisonment were imposed on 178 left-wing opponents of the government ofKing Hassan II of Morocco on 15 February.After a six week trial in Casablanca, 44defendants were sentenced to life imprison-ment, 110 received between 10 and 30 yearsentences and the remaining 24 defendantswere each jailed for 5 years. Additional 2year sentences were imposed on manydefendants who had protested in courtat the conduct of the trial.

Those sentenced to life imprisonmentinclude Abraham SERFATY, an Al-adoptedprisoner. One of the most radical politicalleaders in Morocco, Mr Serfaty has alreadyspent more than two years in prison sincehis arrest in November 1974.

During the trial, mairy of the defendantswere removed from the court after staging a48-hour hunger strike in protest againstthe harassment of defence lawyers andirregularities in trial procedures. They werenot in court to hear judgement given andsentences passed.

Al had sent Jean HOSS of Luxembourg toobserve the trial during January (FebruaryNewsletter).

Al ASKS POLAND TO INVESTIGATEMALTREATMENT ALLEGATIONSAI asked Minister of Justice WlodzimierzBERUTOWICZ of the Polish People'sRepublic on 12 January to undertake apublic inquiry into numerous allegationsthat detained workers had been maltreated.Al also asked Mr Berutowicz to investigatecomplaints of irregularities in legal proce-edures against the workers.

On 30 November 1976, 65 workers frorrRadom had complained to ProsecutorGeneral L. CZABINSKI that they were mal-treated after their arrest on charges relatingto a workers' demonstration in June. Theyalso claimed that the security forces hadextracted statements from them afterextensive maltreatment.

Mr Czabinski told the Polish parliament(Sejm) on 4 January that the workers'complaints were unfounded. He alleged thatthe signatories were criminals or had beenpaid to sign the document.

Since then, 172 leading scientists andartists in Poland have petitioned deputies inthe Sejrn to investigate the complaints of theRadom workers.

Al CONCERNED ATDETENTIONS IN EGYPTAl wrote to President Anwar SADAT ofEgypt on 8 February expressing concern atthe continuing detention of journalists,lawyers, students and members of theProgressive Unionist Party. They wereamong people arrested following demon-strations on 18 and 19 January, even thoughthey were reportedly not actively involved.The demonstrations took place throughoutEgypt after the government had announcedcuts in food subsidies. Many people werewounded or killed and numerous buildingsdamaged.

In its letter, Al also urged PresidentSadat to reconsider his intention of introduc-ing penalties of up to life imprisonmentwith hard labour for demonstrators, strikersand members of illegal political parties, aswell as for saboteurs. Al asked PresidentSadat to release all detainees not directlyinvolved in acts of sabotage and urged thatin the meantime all detainees be allowedtheir full legal rights and proper treatmentin prison.

Al attached a list of 148 names ofdetainees which it had received at that date.

Prisoner Releases and CasesThe International Secretariat learned inJanuary of the release of 112 prisonersand took up 158 new cases.

PRISONERS RELEASED AFTER19 YEARS' DETENTION IN PARAGUAYThree detainees who have been imprisonedin Paraguay since 1958 were among five longterm detainees released at the end of January.Antonio MAIDANA, Alfredo ALCORTA andJulio ROJAS were believed to be the longestserving political prisoners in Latin America.

They were all members of the centralcommittee of the banned communist partyand were tried and sentenced to short termsof imprisonment in 1958. However, they werenot released when their sentences expired andtheir detention continued for more than 18years.

Also released at the same time wereAnanias MAIDANA Palacios and GilbertaTALAVERA de Verdum. Seiior MaidanaPalacios, a member of the communistparty, had been detained without formalcharge or trial since June 1959. SeñoraTalavera was first arrested in 1958 with herhusband, an alleged guerrilla, who was killedin front of her shortly afterwards. After 9years' imprisonment, Seriora Talavera wasreleased, but redetained in December 1974.She is now 70 year old.

Harsh prison conditions, combined withroutine maltreatment and torture, led to aserious deterioration in the health of all fiveprisoners.

On several occasions their weal< conditionwas aggravated by hunger strikes undertakento protest against their detention.

In March 1976, Sefiores Maidana, Alcorta,Rojas and Maidana Palacios were internedin a police clinic after a prolonged hunger

strike left them very ill. A doctor's reportat that time said they were all "sufferingfrom hypertension, stomach ulcers,haemorrhoids, anaemia and other ailments.They have not seen daylight for more than adecade and are almost blind".

Al cabled President Alfredo STROESSNERof Paraguay on 7 February, welcoming thereleases and urging his intervention infavour of ten other detainees known to beheld without charge or trial for more than 10years.

At the, same time Al cabled the presidentsof the Paraguayan senate and chamber ofdeputies, expressing the hope that the newly-elected constituent assembly would urgentlyconsider the country's human rights situationand the fate of long term prisoners.

The new constituent assembly has beenelected to consider a change in the country'sconstitution. This would allow PresidentStroessner's re-election for another two five-year terms of office.

FOUR KILLED IN DISTURBANCESAT INDONESIAN DETENTION CENTERFour prisoners were reportedly killed and18 others injured in Indonesia, following.disturbances in a detention center at metro-politan police headquarters in Jakarta inFebruary.

Police claimed that the incidents wereplanned by several prisoners. Their leaderwas described as a man previously detainedfor his alleged involvement in the attemptedcoup of 1965.

Al cabled President SUHARTO ofIndonesia on 10 February expressing itsconcern over the deaths and urging a fullgovernment inquiry.

FORMER OFFICIALS SENTENCEDTO DEATH IN MALAWIFormer cabinet minister Albert MUWALOand Focus GWEDE, former head of theMalawi security police, were sentenced todeath on 14 February following theirconviction on treason charges at a traditionalcourt in Blantyre. They allegedly plottedthe assassination of President HastingsKamuzu BANDA of Malawi and the over-throw of the government.

Before his arrest in October 1976, MrMuwalo was one of the most senior ministersin the Malawi government. He was widelyregarded as a close confidant of PresidentBanda.

Al urged President Banda on 15 Februaryto commute the death sentences.

Al's briefing on Malawi, published inAugust 1976, estimated that there weremore than 1,000 detainees in the country.Since the arrest of Mr Muwalo and MrGwede, unconfirmed reports suggest thatseveral hundred detainees may have beenreleased.

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Ibrahima LY, MaliIbrahima Ly, a 40-year-old mathematicsprofessor at the Ecole Normale Superieure,was arrested in Bamako on 8 June 1974.Along with 14 other people, he was accusedof writing and distributing a tract entitled LaFaree Electorale du 2 Juin 1974. The tracturged the people to vote "no" in a referen-dum called by the Military Committee forNational Liberation (CMLN) to approve anew constitution. This event was supposedlythe first step towards the restoration ofcivilian government.

The CMLN came to power in 1968 aftera military coup hAded by Colonel MoussaTRAORE, which overthrew the governmentof the civilian President Modibo KEITA.

The 1974 constitution incorporated twoarticles which provoked particular opposition.Article 76 prohibited any person who hadheld any political or economic responsibilityunder President Keita's government fromengaging in political activity. Article 78provided for the constitution to come intoeffect only when the military committeehanded over power to a civilian government—which was expected to be within five years.

Mr Ly, together with the others arrestedwith him, was reportedly ill-treated duringinterrogations and before hislransfer to aprison in the far north of Mali.

After ten months' detention, they werebrought to trial in April 1975 and chargedwith subversion in connection with theproduction and distribution of the pamphlet.

Most of the accused, including Ibrahima Ly, were sentenced to 4 years' imprisonment. Mr Ly is believed to be serving his sentenceat Niomo prison, where he was transferredfrom Bamako in 1976.

Please send courteously worded letters(in French if possible) appealing for therelease of Ibrahima Ly to: Son ExcellenceColonel Moussa Traoré, Président duGouvernement et Chef de L'Etat, Bamako,Mali.

Jeno GORDOS, YugoslaviaJeno GORDOS, a chemical laboratorytechnician, was arrested in Subotica(Vojvodina province) in January 1976 for"hostile propaganda".

He was reportedly an active member ofYugoslavia's Hungarian minority in theautonomous province of Vojvodina, whichuntil 1918 formed part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. From 1972 to 1975 heworked as laboratory technician in a Swisshospital. On his return to Yugoslavia he setup a Hungarian language theatre in Senta andstudied Hungarian literature.

Documents confiscated at Mr Gordos'

house after his arrest included a copy ofNemzetör, a newspaper published abroad byintellectuals of Hungarian origin, which drawsattention to the Hungarian cultural heritageand language and contained Hungarian poetry.

The Hungarian newspaper Magyar Hirlapreported that Mr Gordos was tried in October1976 together with teacher Karoly Vicei, ona charge of circulating hostile propaganda.The charge specified that he had been incontact with emigre organizations in Munich,Paris and Toronto while in Swizterland, andthat he possessed propaganda material hostileto Yugoslavia and other socialist countries.He was also accused of popularizing andspreading nationalist ideas.

The sentence passed on Mr Gordos isnot yet known, but he is at present imprison-ed in Subotica. His health is reportedly poorand he is believed to be under considerablenervous stress.

Please send courteously worded lettersappealing for the release of Jeno Gordos to:President Josip Broz Tito, Beograd; SFRYugoslavia.

Calixto RAMIREZ, ParaguayCalixto RAMIREZ, a peasant farmer andmember of the Ruling Colorado party, hasbeen held in detention in Paraguay for almost12 years. He is one of the numerous longterm political prisoners in Paraguay whohave never been formally charged norbrought before any judicial authority.

He was arrested in 1965, allegedly for hisrefusal to sell his sugar cane harvest at priceslower than those established by law.

Following his arrest, Senor Ramirez wassubjected to brutal torture at the Departa-mento de Investigaciones de la Policia(political police headquarters) in Asunción.

It is common practice in Paraguay forprisoners to be transferred frequently fromone police station to another and SenorRamirez was no exception. He is presentlyheld in Emboscada, a new prison camp40 kilometres from Asunción, to whichmost political prisoners in Paraguay havebeen transferred recently.

Senor Ramirez has gone on at least fourhunger strikes in protest against his detention.In 1972, he and other long term politicalprisoners joined in a hunger strike whichended after 90 days, when the authoritiesassured them they would be released.

In July 1974, Serior Ramirez again wenton hunger strike. This time he and otherprisoners wrote to the minister of theinterior asking to be released or to go intoexile. Stressing that they had been denied alegal hearing, the signatories of the letterdeclared: "...if this were possible, we would

have been freed a long time ago, because weare certain we have not violated the laws ofthe country and still less made any attemptagainst public security".

The repeated hunger strikes, combinedwith maltreatment and harsh conditions ofdetention, have led to a serious deteriorationin Senor Rarnirez' health. As well as a lungailment, he suffers from partial paralysis inone leg and damaged eye-sight and hearing.

Apart from his confinement to a policeclinic in July 1974 after a hunger strike,Senor Ramirez has been consistently deniedaccess to proper medical treatment.

He is 36 years old and married, with onedaughter born shortly after his arrest.

Please send courteously worded lettersappealing for the release of Calix to Ramirezto: Exmo Senor Presidente de la Republicadel Paraguay, Gral. de Ejercito, AlfredoStroessner, Palacio de Gobierno, Asuncion,Paraguay.

News of Past Campaigns ,Al-adopted prisoner Marshall Julum SAKYAof Nepal was released on 25 January,according to the Royal Nepalese Embassy inBonn, Federal Republic of Germany.

Mr Sakya was first arrested in 1960 underthe Public Security Act, following the lateKing Mahendra's coup d'kat which removedthe National Congress government. He wasreleased and re-arrested three times.

His latest period of imprisonment beganin 1973, when he was arrested in connectionwith a meeting organized by Ram RajaPrasad Singh, a prominent member of thebanned Congress Party (December 1976Prisoners of the Month Campaign).

Mr Sakya is a founder member andexecutive committee member of Al's NepalSection.

Another member of Ars Nepal Sectionexecutive committee, Purusottam BASNET,was also reportedly released towards the endof January. He was arrested under thesecurity act in 1974.

Reverend Canaan BANANA, former vice-president of the African National Council(ANC), was detained by Rhodesian authori-ties in Salisbury on 25 January. His arresttook place after he issued a statement onbehalf of the newly-formed People's Move-ment. This condemned Rhodesian PrimeMinister Ian SMITH's rejection of Britishgovernment proposals for a constitutionalsettlement in Rhodesia. Under the EmergencyPowers Regulations, Reverend Banana maybe held without charge for an indefiniteperiod.

Reverend Banana was previously detained.from mid-1975 to January 1976 (November1975 Prisoners of the Month Campaign). Hewas then released into restriction at hisBulawayo home until October 1976,when the restriction order was lifted so thathe could attend the Rhodesian settlementtalks in Geneva as -a member of the ANCdelegation led by Bishop Abel MUZOREWA.

Prisoners of the Month CampaignParticipants in the campaign are reminded that appeals must only be sent to the officialsnamed at the end of each case. In no circumstances should communications be sent tothe prisoner. It is important for the prisoner that messages to the authorities are wordedcarefully and courteously and that they are never sectarian.

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IMPRISONED PRINCESS DIESIN ETHIOPIAPrincess Ijegayehu ASFA-WOSSEN,daughter of the exiled crown prince ofEthiopia, died on 31 January in an AddisAbaba police hospital following an abdominaloperation for a complaint contracted incustody.

She had been detained with other womenrelatives of the deposed Emperor HAILESELASSIE since the Provisional MilitaryAdministrative Council (Derg) came to powerin September 1974. It is probable that poorconditions of imprisonment contributed toher fatal illness. Several other detainedwomen have suffered physical and psycho-logical illnesses and medical treatment isinadequate.

About 100 women and girls, aged from 12to 80 years old, are detained at Akaki prisonin Addis Ababa. They include royal relatives,wives of former government officials andrelatives of suspected members of the under-ground leftwing Ethiopian People's Revolu-tionary party.

AI cabled Ethiopia's head of state on 2February expressing concern at the circum-stances of Princess Ijegayehu's death, andappealed for the release of all womenpolitical prisoners on humanitarian grounds.

An Al appeal for women detainees inEthiopia will be timed to coincide withInternational Women's Day, 8 March.

Al URGES LIBYA TOCOMMUTE DEATH SENTENCESAI urged President Mu'ammar AL GADDAFIof Libya on 18 January to commute deathsentences passed on 23 officers on 25December 1976. The officers were amongabout 75 military personnel tried by a secretmilitary tribunal in December on charges ofattempting to overthrow the governmentin August 1975.

No executions have been carried out inLibya since Colonel Gaddafi came to powerin 1969, although the Libyan penal codecontains capital offences and a number ofdeath sentences have been passed.

MINISTERS SAY 'NO KURDISHPOLITICAL PRISONERS IN IRAQ'One of Iraq's ministers of state, AzizAKRAWI, told AI in January that, contraryto "hostile propaganda", there were noKurdish political prisoners in Iraq. But hedid confirm that four Kurds, includingShihab NOURI, were executed in November1976 (January Newsletter). This is the firstofficial confirmation of the executions.

Mr Akrawi claimed that the four hadbeen found guilty of engaging in actsdetrimental to the state, and that they hadbeen allowed both Arab and Kurdish defencelawyers.

AI Secretary General Martin ENNALS andMiddle East researcher Katrina MORTIMER

met Mr Akrawi and Babakr AL BISHDARI,president of the autonomous regions' legisla-ture and newly-appointed minister of labourand social affairs, at the Iraqi Embassy inLondon on 24 January. The two ministerswere part of a Kurdish delegation visitingLondon.

During the meeting with Al and in asubsequent radio interview, Mr Akrawi saidthat an Al mission to Iraq would bewelcomed.

Since December 1975 Al has repeatedlyasked the central Iraqi authorities forpermission to send a high level mission tothe country, but so far no reply has beenreceived.

EIGHT FARMERS CONDEMNEDTO DEATH IN PDRYEight farmers in the People's DemocraticRepublic of Yemen (PDRY) were sentencedto death in January on charges of spreadinghostile rumours and of taking part in demo-strations. It is not yet known if the sentenceshave been carried out. The farmers wereaccused at a people's court on 20 January ofdemonstrating on 16 November 1976 againsta government decision to restrict theconsumption, sale and purchase of qat , anarcotic shrub. Two other farmers weresentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.

The country's March 1976 penal codedoes not appear to make demonstratingagainst government decisions a capital offence.Article 65 of the penal code states: "Thedeath penalty is prescribed for the mostdangerous crimes and shall be pronouncedonly exceptionally when the security of thesociety requires it and when there is no hopeof reforming the offender".

On 27 January, Al urged PDRY PresidentSalem RUBIA ALI to commute the eightdeath sentences.

NEW POLICE CHIEF PROMISES "CLEANUP" OF MEXICO CITY POLICECORRUPTIONThe new police chief of Mexico City, GeneralArturo DURAZNO, has publicly promisedto "clean up" police corruption in thecapital.

He said recently that the commanderof the local police force responsible wouldbe dismissed if any prisoners were beaten,even if he were not directly involved.

Both political and common-law prisonersare beaten as a routine in Mexico. In somecases maltreatment amounts to severetorture.

NEW ARRESTS IN SINGAPORELate in February, 10 persons were arrestedin Singapore in connection with alleged pro-communist activities. The 10 men are heldunder the Internal Security Act, which allowsindefinite detention without trial.

Many of those arrested are former political

prisoners who spent many years in detentionwithout trial in the 1960s. One of thearrested G. RAMAN, is well known as oneof the few lawyers willing to work for thelegal defence of political prisoners inSingapore.

The government alleges that Mr Ramanand the others have been responsible fordistributing "distorted" information aboutSingapore to communists in western Europewho are "working against the interest ofSingapore". The arrests follow widespreadcriticism of the government of PrimeMinister LEE KUAN YEW. This criticismhas focused on the Singapore government'spolicy of detaining men and women withouttrial.

GDR PROTESTERS STILL DETAINEDA number of German Democratic Republic(GDR) citizens who protested last yearagainst the expulsion of songwriter WolfBIERMANN remain in detention (JanuaryNewsletter).

About 100 GDR citizens signed petitionsagainst the expulsion and several reportsestimate the total number of arrests to bearound 50.

Since its appeal to the GDR authoritiesin December 1976 for the release of thosearrested, AI has adopted nine of the detainedpersons as prisoners of conscience. They areRobert HAVEMANN (still under housearrest), JUrgen FUCHS, Thomas AUERBACH,Thomas GRUND, Reinhard KLINGENBERG,Bernd MARKOWSKI, Lutz RATHENOW,Christian KUNERT and Gerulf PANNACH.

NEW BROCHURES FOR PRISONERSOF CONSCIENCE YEARAl has published two illustrated brochures inconnection with POC Year 1977:"Parliamentarians in Prison" and "ReligiousPersecution and Political Imprisonment".Both brochures provide background informa-tion on each topic; representative cases,some with photos, are provided for bothgroups of prisoners.

The brochures, which also contain thePOC Year petition, are aimed at drawingsupport for AI's work from parliamentariansand from religious bodies.

English-language brochures are availablefrom your national section or fromPromotion Department (London Liaison),53 Theobald's Road, London WC I X 8SPFrench and German editions fromnational sections (where relevant) or fromPromotion Department (Main Office),Amnesty International, P.O. Box 1341,Luxembourg.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL NEWSLETTERis published monthly by: AMNFSTY INTER-NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS, 53 Theobald'sRoad, London WCI X 8SP, England. Printed inGreat Britain by Hill and Garwood Ltd, FourthWay, Wembley, Middlesex. Available on sub-scription at £6 (US $15) per calendar year.

amnesty international

campaign for the abolition of tortureMarch 1977 Volume IV Number 3 MONTHLY BULLETIN

UK Renounces N Ireland Torture TechniquesThe United Kingdom Attorney General Samuel SILKIN announced on 8February that his country would not use again five contested interrogationtechniques. Mr Silkin was presenting his government's case on the use of torturein Northern Ireland to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourt(October 1976 CAT Bulletin).

On the second day of the preliminary three-day hearing, during which thecourt considered which of the complaints brought by Ireland would fall underits competence, Mr Silkin said:

"The Government of the United Kingdomhave considered the question of the useof the five techniques with very greatcare, and with particular regard to article3 of the convention. They now give thisunqualified undertaking that the fivetechniques will not in any circumstancesbe reintroduced as an aid tointerrogation".The "five techniques" used by UK

security forces in Northern Ireland in 1971included hooding, prolonged periods ofstanding with the fingers pressed against awall, loud electronic noise, deprivation ofsleep and a limited diet of bread and water.The European Commission on Human Rightsdecided last year that the techniques amount-ed to torture and therefore violated article 3of the European convention which pro-hibits torture (October 1976 CAT Bulletin).

The Irish government decided to referthe matter to the European court- the firsttime that an inter-governmental case hasbeen brought to the court in its 18-yearexistence.

In renouncing the techniques, the UnitedKingdom answered one of the main Irishdemands—that there should be a legallybinding prohibition of any future use ofthe five techniques. Mr Silkin also arguedthat the court should declare the case out-side its competence because use of thetechniques stopped in 1972 and the Britishgovernment:

"...do not contest the facts as foundby the commission in relation to allega-tions under article 3 or the commission'sanalysis of those facts or the commission'sconclusions".

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IRISH POLICE ACCUSED OFBRUTALITYSerious allegations of ill-treatment andtorture were levelled against the Irish Garda(police) by the Irish Times (Dublin) on 14-16 February.The newspaper claimed in a series of articlesthat brutal interrogation methods hadbeen increasingly used during the past fewyears against people suspected of serious,and mostly politically motivated, crimes.

The articles alleged that a special group ofgardai, based in Dublin and known as the"heavy gang", was mainly responsible forthe ill-treatment which reportedly intensifiedafter the Emergency Powers Act was intro-duced last October. Under this legislation,police can detain suspects without charge forseven days, rather than the normal 48 hours.

Police interrogation techniques allegedlyincluded three of the "five techniques" usedby British security forces in Northern Irelandsome years ago: standing sreadeagled againsta wall for prolonged periods, and deprivationof food and sleep. In addition, victims were

reportedly subjected to beatings and variouspsychological tactics including disorientationand threats.The Garda has rejected the charge that aspecial unit existed which systematically usedviolence, but said the allegations would befully and impatially investigated.

The Irish government's reaction was notknown as this Newsletter went to press, buta debate in parliament was expected laterin February.

Al wrote to the Irish government in May1976, calling for an independent investigationinto allegations that police brutality occurredin April (June 1976 CAT Bulletin). Thegovernment replied that such a course ofaction was not considered necessary orappropriate.

Writing to Prime Minister LiamCOSGRAVE about the current allegations on16 February, AI stressed that an independentinvestigation should now be initiated inaccordance with the 1975 United Nationsdeclaration on torture, which the Irish govern-ment supported.

TRADE UNIONISTS TORTUREDIN SPAINTwelve members of an unofficial Spanishtrade union were tortured at the JefaturaSuperior de Policia (chief police station) inBarcelona during February. The 12, allmembers of the Confederación Nacionalde Trabajo (CNT) were among a group of 46anarchists arrested by the Guardia Armada(civil police) at an open but unauthorizedmeeting in a Barcelona cafe on 30 January.

On 5 February the police gave evidencein court against 23 of the original 50 detain-ees. All 23 were released unconditionally on8 February without having to testify, afterthe judge found that there was no worthwhileevidence against them. A further group of 11,which included two Italians, was presentedto the court on 10 February. At least six ofthese 11 have been released unconditionallybecause no evidence could be found againstthem.

The torture of the 12 detainees remainingin custody reportedly began on 9 February.It included beatings with fists and truncheonswhile victims were wrapped in towels to avoidleaving marks. Others received kicks in thespine. Most of the detainees were hung bythe hands from hot water pipes on the ceiling.Those hung in this way include one known byname—Manuel GARCIA IGLESIAS.

Lawyers and a doctor were refused admis..sion at the police station when they attempt-ed to see another detainee, Isaac GARCIABARBA, who was reportedly suffering fromtwo broken ribs. Miguel PINERO wasparticularly harshly treated, allegedly becausethe police wished to prove that he possessedmaterials associated with terrorist activities.

Or. 11 February AI issued a news releaseto draw attention to the torture of the 12detainees. On 14 February, seven of the 12torture victims were still detained at thepolice station, along with two newly-arresteddetainees.

BISHOPS DENOUNCE SOUTHAFRICAN TORTURESouthern African Roman Catholic bishopscondemned South A frica's "social andpolitical system of oppression" and called foran investigation into alleged police brutalitywhen they met at a conference in February.

The bishops, from South Africa, Botswanaand Swaziland, issued a statement on 10February commenting on police actions toquell violence in the black townships sinceJune 1976. It said:

"In the struggle, which has reached newintensity since June 1976, we are especiallyperturbed by what appears to be reliable

Continued on page 2, column 3

CAT Bulletin

appealsAldo Silva ARANTES, BrazilAldo Silva ARANTES was arrested in SãoPaulo on 16 December 1976 along withother alleged members of the banned maoistcommunist party Partido Comunista doBrasil (PC do B). The authorities acknow-ledge six detentions, but Senhor Arantes isthe only detainee whose identity has beenrevealed.

The prisoners were first taken to an armybarracks in Rio de Janeiro, where SenhorArantes was allowed to see relatives andlawyers only after several weeks incommuni-cado. The most severe torture suffered bySenhor Arantes reportedly took place at thebarracks before the prisoners were transferredback to São Paulo.

On 28 January lawyers and relatives visitedSenhor Arantes at the army's investigativesection DOI-CODI (Department for Opera-tions and Information—Commando forInternal Defence Operations) in São Paulo.Evidence of beatings was clearly visible onSenhor Arantes' arms and feet. He wascovered with bruises and wounds and haddifficulty in walking and sitting. SenhorArantes said he had been tortured for 12hours the previous day.

Two French lawyers, Louis JOINET ofthe Central Administration of Justice inParis and Mario STASI of the French BarAssociation, travelled to Brazil and compileda reporton the case early in February.

This report formed the basis for a com-plaint made by the lawyers about the tortureof Senhor Arantes to a military court. Thecourt rejected their complaint on10 Februaryand also refused the lawyers' request for anindependent medical examination.

This case is the first of its kind reportedin São Paulo since January 1976, whenBrazilian President Ernesto GEISELreplaced the local army commander.

The reported torture of Senhor Arantesincreases fears for the safety of the peoplearrested with him.

Please send courteously worded lettersurging an independent medical examinationof Aldo Silva Arantes, and requesting thepublication of the names of all prisonersarrested in Sdo Paulo on 16 December, to:GeneralDilermando Gomes Monteiro,Comandante do II Exercito, 1600 Ab.Soares, Sic) Paulo, Brazil; and to: limo.Senhor Governadordo Estado do Sao Paulo,Paulo Egidio Martins, Palacio dosBandeirantes, Av. Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil.

URGENT ACTIONSA survey on the effectiveness of the 149 urgentaction appeals launched by ,41 during 1976 hasshown that the situation of the prisoners concernedimproved in about 50 per cent of the cases takenup.

In a large number of cases torture has stopped,prisoners released, death sentences commuted,incommunicado detentions lifted or dangerously illprisoners given medical attention.

While many factors may have contributed tosuch improvements, they are encouraging signs thatthis kind of AI action can be effective.

United Kingdom renounces NorthernIreland torture techniquesContinued from page 1, column 2

The Irish government has asked the courtto reconsider the European commission'sfindings on several other complaints whichthe commission rejected. They includedcharges that internment itself constituteda breach of the convention and that deten-tion procedures discriminated againstNorthern Ireland's Roman Catholics.

In addition, the Irish government alsowants the European court to go furtherthan the commission which ruled on only16 of 228 cases of alleged ill-treatment andtorture brought against the United Kingdom.Of the 16 cases, 11 were upheld by thecommission. The Irish government is pressingfor a ruling that torture and ill-treatmentcontinued from 1971 until 1974.

Ireland's Attorney General DeclanCOSTELLO urged the court to considerordering the United Kingdom to prosecutethe police and military personnel responsiblefor the abuses.

Mr Silkin assured the court that the men inquestion were subject to the normal judicialprocesses. He added that the British govern-ment had no intention of punishing thosemen involved in the use of the five techniquesor in the seperate cases of ill-treatmentbecause of lack of sufficient evidence.

The court decided in an interim ruling on15 February that itcould pass judgement onthose parts of the case uncontested by thebritish government. It also ruled that it hadjurisdiction over the more than 200 othercases of alleged ill-treatment between 1971and 1974.

The court is to reconvene for substantivehearings in April.

PHILIPPINES DETAINEEDIES AFTER INTERROGATIONThe death of a young Filipino girl socialworker in detention was reported on 28January by The Philippines newspaperBulletin Today. Purificacion PEDRO, aged28, had been detained by the BataanPhilippines constabulary unit at the provincialhospital and interrogated by an investigationteam reportedly led by Colonel MiguelAURE, commanding officer of the 5thConstabulary Security Unit. The team order-ed Miss Pedro's relatives from the room wheresbe had been treated for a bullet woundreceived when soldiers arrested her.

The team reportedly interrogated MissPedro during the afternoon of 23 January.Later Colonel Aure told her relatives thatshe was no longer allowed to see visitors.

During the evening a relative found MissPedro dead in a bathroom, with an "electricwire" round her neck. The offical reportstated that Miss Pedro died from asphyxia-tion by strangulation, but her friends saythat though the electric wire was tied to atowel rack, Miss Pedro's feet firmly touchedthe floor.

Her relatives have questioned the officialexplanation of suicide, while her friends haveexpressed the need for an investigation intothe circumstances surrounding her death.

Bishops Denounce South African TortureContinued from page 1, column 3

reports of police brutality. We realize thata situation of violence breeds atrocities onboth sides, but we are speaking ofseemingly systematic beatings and unjust-ifiable shootings during disturbances andof coldblooded torture of detainedpersons... We call for an investigation andresolve to collaborate with others intenton bringing the truth to light".The bishops gave their support to the

"black consciousness" movement which, theysaid, worked for "the promotion of humandignity and legitimate aspirations of anoppressed people".

South African Justice Minister JamesKRUGER immediately denied the bishops'allegations, saying they had producedinsufficient evidence for their charges.

Al has received reliable reports that atleast 13 black political detainees died inpolice custody during'1976 alone. Policesources claimed that most of them committedsuicide.

Mr Kruger said at the end of January thatthe suicides occurred among hardcoremembers of the banned African NationalCongress who, he claimed, were underinstruction to commit suicide rather thanface interrogation.

Another young African, Matthews MABELANE, fell to his death from the10th storey of the Johannesburg police head-quarters on 15 February. He had beendetained under the Terrorism Act. Policesaid he tried to escape.

On the same day, Mr Kruger reportedlyrefused to answer six opposition questionsin parliament concerning the number ofdeaths, injuries, detentions and subsequentcourt cases resulting from last year's rioting.

On 16 February, Al publicly requestedpermission of the South African governmentto send a medical mission to investigatealleged ill-treatment and torture.

TANZANIAN OFFICIALS RESIGNAFTER POLICE BRUTALITYTwo government ministers and two regionalcommissioners in Tanzania resigned on 24January after assuming responsibility fortorture and killings carried out by police inthe northern Mwanza and Shinyanga regionsover the past two years.

President Julius NYERERE accepted theiroffers of resignation and stated that, in doingso, he wished to establish the principle ofpolitical responsibility of office holders. Hecommended the minister of state in thepresident's office, the minister for home affairsand the commissioners of the two regionsfor their "selfless act", which he called a"sign of maturity in leadership". He said therewas no question of the officials' personalinvolvement in the incidents.

The president directed that legal stepsbe taken immediately to prosecute thosepolice officers responsible for the atrocities.He set up a special commission last year toinvestigate police conduct in the area.