AIUSA Group 11 Special Focus Case
For five decades, Amnesty International groups have taken on the individual cases. Over a decade ago, Amnesty International USA began to highlight some high profile cases, assigning them to each of the five national regions as “Special Focus Cases.” These cases focus the efforts of many Amnesty members, both in student and local groups, to maximize our impact.
Group 11 has joined with other groups throughout the Northeastern United States, helping to bring about the release of six individuals whose cases were highlighted as special focus cases. They are:
- Esber Yagmurdereli: A Turkish lawyer, writer, and human rights activist who was jailed most recently from June 1998 through January 2001 for making a speech criticizing the Turkish Government’s treatment of the Kurdish minority
- Leyla Zana: A Kurdish political figure and winner of the Sakharov and Rafto prizes, Zana was arrested in late 1994 for swearing a small portion of a loyalty oath in Kurdish upon taking her seat in the Turkish parliament. She was freed for that offense in June 2004
- Yury Bandazhevsky: A Belarussian scientist and physician imprisoned in 2001 for allegedly taking bribes from students, charges brought against him for his research into the health effects of the Chernobyl disaster
- Gurbandurdy Dudikuliev: A Turkmenistani dissident who was forcibly confined to a mental hospital in retaliation for critiques of the government
- Mesfin Wolde-mariam: An Ethiopian professor, peace activist, and founder of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council who was jailed from November 2005 to July 2007
- Aung San Suu Kyi: A Nobel Peace Prize-winning leader of the democracy movement in Myanmar who has spent almost 15 of the last 21 years in prison or under house arrest, most recently being unconditionally freed on November 13, 2010
Aung San Suu Kyi
Aung San Suu Kyi was unconditionally released from house arrest on November 13, 2010!
Before and after her release, Suu Kyi vowed to spotlight the plight of the country’s more than 2,200 prisoners of conscience and to press for their release. As of December 2010, she has already begun this crusade.
In Memoriam: Fathi el-Jahmi
Amnesty International USA Group 11 was deeply saddened by the death of Libyan prisoner of conscience and Group 11 Special Focus Case Fathi el-Jahmi on May 21, 2009 in an Amman, Jordon hospital following his transfer from detention at the Tripoli Medical Center in Libya.
A courageous, principled advocate for political reform, Mr. el-Jahmi had been detained for years by the Libyan government solely for his peaceful expression of freedom of speech in demanding justice and democracy in his country.
Group 11 championed his case and participated in efforts by Amnesty International to call for his release. We signed petitions and wrote letters to government officials on his behalf and sent messages of encouragement and solidarity directly to Mr. el-Jahmi.
We offer our sincere condolences to his family and hope that his example will inspire others to take up the cause for human rights.
