This Week In Human Rights: Feb 20, 2007

Guinea

Opposition to the rule of President Lansana Conte by trade unions has led Guinea's government to declare martial law and impose an 18-hour-a-day curfew. Already 100 have died in violent protests against President Conte's administration, which is accused of corruption and incompetence. While mobs have taken advantage of the breakdown of law and order by looting private shops and government buildings, the military has been given extensive powers to quell the instability. Already reports of harassment by soldiers. "Under the guise of re-establishing law and order, [the military is] acting like common criminals, beating, robbing and brutalizing the population they're supposed to protect," said Peter Takirambudde, Africa director for Human Rights Watch. Analysts are concerned that instability could spill over to neighboring Libera and Sierra Leone, both of which are recovering from years of bloody civil war.

Learn more at:
BBC: Weapons entering Guinea, PM warns
BBC: Q&A: Guinea emergency

Italy/United States

An Italian judge has ordered 26 US citizens - most of them CIA agents - to stand trial for the "extraordinary rendition" of Osama Mustafa Hassan, an Egyptian cleric kidnapped in Milan and flown to Egypt where he was allegedly tortured. Since the start of the "Global War on Terrorism" U.S. agents have kidnapped a number of terrorist suspects and handed them over to foreign governments for interrogation. The result has often been torture at the hands of foreign security services. This is the first time criminal charges have been brought against U.S. agents for "renditions" of terrorist suspects.

Learn more at:
BBC: Italy orders CIA kidnapping trial
Amnesty International: Stop 'rendition' and secret detention

Club News

February has been a busy month for AI at Penn. Amnesty activists held a teach-in at 1920 Commons to raise awareness of violence against women around the world. Amnesty members attended a speech by Roméo Dallaire, commander of UN forces in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. Amnesty was represented at the Penn Arab Student Society's panel discussion on the Israel-Palestine conflict, an event attended by over a hundred students and faculty (see DP: Students hold civil, controversial debate).

Keep an eye out for Amnesty members petitioning on Locust Walk for Witness Week, and be sure to attend the (free!) February 22nd screening of "Mardi Gras: Made In China"at the Rotunda (4014 Walnut, TheRotunda.org) at 6PM.

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