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EAST ANGLIAN DIOCESAN JUSTICE & PEACE COMMISSION

Russian Federation:

Artur Akhmatkhanov

On 2 April 2003 Artur Akhmatkhanov was detained near his house, apparently by members of the Russian federal forces. Artur, 22, was a student of the Oil Institute in Grozny and also volunteered with the human rights organisation the Russian-Chechen Friendship Society. He was married just the previous month.

Eyewitnesses told Artur's mother, Bilat Akhmatkhanova, that soldiers wearing masks detained Artur and another unidentified man, who was allegedly wounded by shots fired by his captors. The eyewitnesses, who include neighbours of the Akhmatkhanov family, saw one young man with a bag over his head being pushed into an armoured personnel carrier. The next day police and Federal Security Service (FSB) reportedly gathered empty cartridges and a piece of blood-smeared cloth from the scene. These samples were allegedly analysed, but Artur Akhmatkhanov's family has not been informed of any results.

The family is still waiting for news of Artur's fate and whereabouts. The official reaction of the Russian military is typical of answers given to people with missing relatives. In a letter to the local Chechen authorities dated 11 March 2004, a military procurator, NS Popenko, wrote that at the time of Artur Akhmatkhanov's detention 'no special operations for detaining citizens on the territory of the Chechen Republic were conducted, no citizens were detained and no-one was handed over to the law enforcement agencies'. In other words, the official position of the Russian military is that it had nothing to do with the 'disappearance' of Artur Akhmatkhanov. Bilat Akhmatkhanova continues to look for her son in places of detention, in mass graves and other places where she suspects those who 'disappeared' may be kept. She has not given up hope that her son is still alive.

The reason for Artur Akhmatkhanov's detention is unknown, but his 'disappearance' is part of a deeply worrying pattern of ongoing human rights abuses in Chechnya and neighbouring republics in the North Caucasus. What the Russian government describes as its 'war on terror' in this region is used to justify these violations.

Next week (23/24 June 2007) you will have an opportunity to sign a petition calling on the Russian authorities to conduct an investigation into the 'disappearance'of Artur Akhmatkhanov.

During the weekend, 31 March/1 April, you will have an opportunity to sign a letter to the Chief Executive of the World Diamond Council asking him to take action to ensure that the whole diamond industry strengthen its systems to make sure diamonds can never again fund conflict.

In the 1990s diamond-fuelled wars killed millions of people, displaced millions more and wrecked countries. The diamonds became known as blood diamonds.

They fuelled a brutal conflict in Sierra Leone, funding a rebel army who spread terror by hacking off the limbs of civilians. They fuelled the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the bloodiest conflict since World War II, where even today human rights abuses are committed in the struggle to control diamond mines.

And it's not all in the past. The UN recently reported that $23million in blood diamonds had been smuggled from rebel-held areas of the Ivory Coast to international diamond markets.

The government-run Kimberley Process was set up to stop the trade in blood diamonds, but it is simply not strong enough. The $60 billion-a-year diamond industry has been left to police itself and has failed to live up to its promises to create a credible system to track diamonds from mine to high street.

New conflicts could easily break out in diamond-rich countries in Africa. If they do, the Kimberley Process will not be strong enough to prevent diamond-fuelled wars.

"Migrant Workers - Report on conditions in London sponsored by the Catholic Dioceses of Westminster, Southwark and Brentwood"

This shows that many migrant workers are exploited: being paid below the minimum wage and often unable to join unions, denied sick and holiday pay. Many work very long hours in order to survive. Many are members of our congregations. Full report available: www.vhi.org.uk

"Nobody can do everything, but we can all do something" The LIVESIMPLY movement is inspired by the prophetic document "Populorum Progressio" written by Pope Paul VI in 1967. This message is 40 years old, but speaks loud and clear to us today when poverty, slavery, conflict and many forms of injustice keep people poor and downtrodden.
To mark the 40th anniversary of Populorum Progressio on March 24th: Bishop Michael will lead a day reflecting on Pope Paul VI's great encyclical at St George's Catholic Church, Norwich.

Livesimply information can be found at: www.livesimply.org.uk

"Many people think that slavery no longer exists. Yet at least 12 million people live and work on contemporary forms of slavery (sweat shops, bonded labour, child soldiers, sex workers, many migrant workers etc) which have been defined and prohibited in international conventions. The anti slavery campaign aims to revitalise the abolitionist spirit which created the momentum to end the slave trade in 1807 and harness it to make the abolition of slavery, in law and in practice, a priority for each government in the world."

www.antislavery.org/2007

160 members of minority Christian churches in Eritrea are at grave risk of torture following their arrest on 15th and 16th October 2006. Two of the group have reportedly died after being tortured in an effort to force them to renounce their faith. Religious minorities face systematic persecution in Eritrea even though freedom of religion is guaranteed under the Eritrea Constitution. An estimated 2,000 members of minority churches, including about 20 pastors, are currently detained.

Amnesty International considers the detainees to be prisoners of conscience, held solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs.

As part of the Eritrean government's continuing persecution of members of banned Christian churches, 150 women, men and children were arrested at their homes in Mendefera town, 50 km south of the capital Asmara, on 15 and 16 October. They are members of the Kale Hiwot (Word of God) Church, the Full Gospel Church, the Church of the Living God and the Rema church. Amnesty International has received reports that they are being tortured to make them sign a document agreeing to stop worshipping.
Also on 15 October, 12 members of the Rema church were arrested in Adi-Quala town, south of Mendefera, for taking part in Christian worship in a private home. Two of them, Immanuel Andegergesh and Kibrom Firemichael, reportedly died in a nearby army camp as a result of torture to make them abandon their faith.

Background

Since 2002, only the Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran Christian churches and Islam have been allowed to operate in Eritrea. Members of some 35 minority Christian evangelical churches face fierce persecution, even though freedom of religion is guaranteed in the Eritrean Constitution. An estimated 2,000 members of minority churches, including about 20 pastors, are currently detained. Detainees are held incommunicado in harsh conditions without charge or trial. They are imprisoned in police stations at first, then in army camps and security prisons in different parts of the country, including the main military training centre at Sawa. Some are held in metal shipping containers and underground prisons. Several detainees have become seriously ill and are rarely provided with adequate medical treatment. They are repeatedly tortured by being beaten and being tied up in painful positions, in an effort to make them cease worshipping and recant their faith.

Next weekend (25/26 November 2006) you will have the opportunity to sign a petition urging the Eritrea President to stop the persecution of these religious minorities and to release the 160 Christians recently arrested.

This month's campaign is closer to home: about the UK's refusal to sign "The Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings". The Convention offers a vital opportunity to protect the rights of thousands of trafficked people, who have been tricked or violently coerced into leaving their homes and can help enable more prosecutions and thereby possibly also deter the trade. 30 EU countries have signed but not the UK. A petition will be available for signature next weekend (8/9 October 2006). If you cannot sign the petition, why not e-mail your MP at The House of Commons. The Huntingdon MP, Mr Jonathan Djanogly, can be contacted by clicking here. Other MPs details can be found by clicking here.

The Council of Europe Convention Against Trafficking in Human Beings was opened for signature in May 2005. The Convention offers a vital opportunity to protect the rights of thousands of trafficked people, who have been tricked or violently coerced into leaving their homes and can help enable more prosecutions and thereby possibly also deter the trade. 30 EU countries have signed it from Moldova and Ukraine to Italy, Germany and the Netherlands but not the UK.

Background

In our previous action on trafficking in the UK we have already asked MPs to sign Early Day Motions (EDMs) and urge them to ask questions in the Houses of Parliament. Over 6,000 action cards have been signed by Amnesty members. We now need to do more and there are new points that need to be made. Look at the four cases below. This is modern day slavery here in the UK. All these victims need protection and support and only the Convention can deliver that. All of the cases below are recognised by the United Nations as contemporary forms of slavery and in most of these and other such cases UK nationals are complicit in the abuses suffered. All the victims in these cases need time and support to recover from what they have been through and the European Convention can help put victims first, help prosecute the abusers and help deter the trade.

Case 1 - Sexual Exploitation

"Maryan", fled female genital mutilation and forced marriage in Africa, and was brought at age 13 to London where she was locked in a basement and suffered repeated rape as a child prostitute. At 19, she was considered to be too 'old' for her trafficker's clients so he left her at the airport where she was arrested and convicted of being in possession of a false document (which he had provided). She completed a 10-month prison sentence before being removed. No action has been taken against her trafficker. (Amnesty case).

Case 2 - Forced Labour

In February 2004, a group of Greek workers were brought to Cornwall to pick daffodils for major retailers including Marks and Spencers. They had to work 10 hours a day in snow and rain, they were given cans of dog food to eat and accommodated in tents and unheated sheds. They alleged that they had been beaten and threatened at gunpoint before they managed to escape (Independent newspaper).

Case 3 - Debt Bondage

Jin Liu, 16, was found on the street and taken to the police station. He had been living and working in a restaurant 7 days a week before he managed to run away. Jin was living in debt-bondage forced to work for free until he had "paid-off' those who had arranged his family's passage to the UK (Unicef 2005).

Case 4 - Domestic work and sexual abuse

Adina's parents died when she was 15 and she went to work on her Aunt's market stall. One day her Aunt told her to go with 2 men who would bring her to the UK for "a better life". Here, she was taken to a house where she was locked up and forced to perform all domestic labour. She was also raped. She was kept locked in the kitchen with access to a toilet and basin only and did not know where she was. She was 17 by the time she managed to escape (Unicef 2005).

• Celebrate the life and presence of disabled people in the church and in society.
• Defend the lives of the disabled often threatened before birth by genetic screening and abortion, or by being denied medical treatment when old or ill.
• Promote a more just and humane society in which all can reach their full potential.

1. Promoting more and better palliative care.
2. Ensuring that existing laws against euthanasia and assisted suicide are not weakened or repealed during the lifetime of the current Parliament,
3. Influencing the balance of public opinion against any further weakening of the law.

Craig Alden, a 34 year old British citizen and father of an 8 year old son, was arrested and jailed on July 1st 2002 after being charged with the abuse of five children under his care at the Abrigo Warboys Orphanage in Planaltina Goias, Brazil.

Craig established the Abrigo Warboys Brasil [AWB] orphanage in 1991. He was inspired to do this after witnessing the murder of a child in Brazil whilst on a student visit there. On his return to the UK he raised enough money to purchase a plot of land and to build an Abrigo [safe home]. This orphanage acted as a vital centre for the protection and education of street children in the Planaltina area. Indeed it has been hailed as a model philanthropic project in the developing world. It was financially supported by voluntary contributions in the UK, and various organisations, including Rotary International and New Life Church; the British Embassy and other embassies in Brasilia have been very supportive. Children cared for at the orphanage were mostly either from the streets or taken into care by the authorities from abusive parents.

The charges laid against Craig varied from general neglect to alleged sexual abuse of children based on statements taken from children living at the AWB, charges he vehemently denies. He was found guilty by the court and sentenced to 48 years.

A newly appointed legal team appealed to the High Court in Goiannia, Goias, submitting 16 grounds. This appeal was heard on the 3rd September 2003. Disrespecting Brazilian law, the court addressed only 1 point of appeal and ignored the other 15. The one assertion they did address was the severity of sentence of 48 years - which they reduced to 11 years. At the same time, they reclassified the crime so that Craig has to serve a minimum 2/3rd of the sentence (8 years) as opposed to 1/6th of the original sentence (8 years)! It has since emerged that a further two years were taken off his sentence, as they had been given as punishment for a crime Craig had not even been charged with.

Earlier, an application for Habeas Corpus was filed at the Supreme Court (STF) in February 2003. The reason given for numerous delays for the case being heard was that this complicated case needed careful assessment. Nevertheless when the case was eventually heard the judge presenting the case based his summary on a civil case instead of a criminal one. This misunderstanding was rectified however on the 14 October 2003, when the Supreme Court denied the Habeas Corpus and set a new precedent that basically states that the Ministerio Publico can both investigate and prosecute under the Children and Adolescent code.

Main Grounds of concern regarding fair trial procedures:

• Craig was denied his legal right to an interpreter. He had little understanding of the procedures against him and could not adequately prepare his defence.
• No defence was submitted on his behalf as his lawyer missed the statutory deadline for a defence statement to be filed.
• His lawyer failed to take any witness statements or follow up leads and did not submit enough evidence within the time limit, meaning that Craig was convicted on prosecution evidence alone. The above was even confirmed in the Judge's summing up where she outlined that due to the inactivity of the defence lawyer, the charges were proven on the basis of the prosecution case alone.
• The criminal investigation was handled by the prosecutor when it is illegal under Brazilian law for the roles of investigator and prosecutor to be conducted by the same person.
• Children who initially signed statements of abuse and neglect in the presence of the prosecutor have later withdrawn their statements saying that they were forced to sign them or would get in trouble. However, these retractions were dismissed by the sentencing judge.
• Children who refused to make a statement against Craig have since been sent away from the AWB and their evidence and that of several adult workers at the AWB has been rejected by the Judge acting under the advice of the prosecutor.
• Other vital defence evidence was also disregarded by the Judge, such as medical reports and defence witness statements.
• One of the key prosecution witnesses [Boy W aged 17 at the time] has since been employed by the prosecutor in this case and this witness's evidence is tainted by the fact that he was placed in the AWB by the prosecutor. When Boy W's reliability as a witness was questioned because of outstanding sexual molestation and drug charges against him, another 'secret' child's testimony was stated as the reason for Craig's initial arrest although details of this child have not been disclosed under the direct orders of the prosecutor, thus the statement could not be challenged by the defence. A British Embassy representative was refused entry to Court. No observers were allowed either.
• Craig was not present during some of the 'evidence' hearing

Other points to note:

Relations between Craig and local government officials directly involved (particularly the prosecutor and Judge) in his case were already sour for quite some time. He consistently refused to allow the orphanage to be used as holding centre for drug users and child prostitutes as he felt that children already being cared for at the centre would be put at further risk. The 'Abrigo' - a registered charity in Brazil - was run by a group of trustees - the money mostly supplied by donations from a charity in Britain, which had the right of a representative on the board of trustees in Brazil. However the prosecutor called a secret ballot in February 2003 to elect a new board of trustees for the orphanage, informing neither Craig's legal representatives nor the British charity about this unconstitutional move. The new board includes local political figures connected to Craig's case and even a policeman who attacked Craig in his cell last year. It is rumoured that the new board are to either convert the orphanage into an agricultural centre or sell off the valuable assets and land. In the meantime the children (witnesses needed for a re-trial) have been dispersed (it was reported that one has been seen begging in Brasilia).

"My 15-year-old daughter Maria Isabel was a student and worked in a shop in the holidays. On the night of 15 December 2001, she was kidnapped in the capital. Her body was found shortly before Christmas. She had been raped, her hands and feet had been tied with barbed wire, she had been stabbed and strangled and put in a bag. Her face was disfigured from being punched, her body was punctured with small holes, there was a rope around her neck and her nails were bent back. When her body was handed over to me, 1 threw myself to the ground shouting and crying but they kept on telling me not to get so worked up."

You are invited to sign a letter to President Berger, protesting about the killings of women in Guatemala.  It will be available for signature after all Masses this weekend.

"A boy living in Manchester can expect to live seven years less than a boy living in wealthier Barnet" (CAP).

If the Government is going to end child poverty then the gap between rich and poor must be narrowed ...

Britain is a wealthy nation that hides terrible poverty that is well within our reach to avoid.

Legislation is now going through Parliament to tackle the issue of poorly paid migrant workers.

For more information contact:  Church Action on Poverty on 0161 236 9321 or visit its website:  http://www.church-poverty.org.uk/

In this continuing campaign a big thank you to all who took part.  The next phase will be announced soon.

CAFOD reports:  "Thousands of campaign cards were sent to IBM which has now taken steps towards improving labour conditions for people making computer components in the developing world.  This brings it in line with Dell and Hewlett-Packard."

"I'd like to be able to tell you there is no link between soap, UK companies and rain forest destruction.  But I can't."

An environmental and human tragedy is unfolding in Indonesia - to make SOAP and thousands of other products that we use in the UK".  Palm oil plantations are destroying forests throughout the tropics, but Indonesia is where the damage is happening fastest.

And human rights are abused: pay below minimum wage - cutting wages as punishment - forcing whole families to work - sexual harassment - local people's crops destroyed - shootings - beatings - arrests.

For further information contact Friends of the Earth on: 020 7490 0881 or see its website:  http://www.foe.co.uk/

WHAT IS FAIRTRADE?

• Fairtrade focuses on trading with marginalised producer groups, helping them to develop skills and sustainable livelihoods through the trading relationship.
• It ensures that fair prices are paid which cover the full cost of production and enable a living wage and other fair rewards to be earned by producers.
• It encourages fair treatment of workers, ensuring good conditions in the workplace.
• Those who work in organisations committed to fair trade aim to build up long-term relationships, rather than looking for short-term commercial advantage.

• Buy Fairtrade goods from supermarkets including bananas, tea, coffee, wine, etc.
• Buy goods from Fairtrade stalls and shops that stock a wider variety of goods such as: chocolate, biscuits and cereals.
• Currently, more than 100 coffee, tea, banana, chocolate, cocoa, juice, sugar and honey products carry the FAIRTRADE Mark. For product range click here.
• Fairtrade coffee, tea and hot chocolate is also offered by more than 20 national catering suppliers.

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