Newsletter 10.4.2018

Dear Members and Friends,

Pakistan

As part of our legal advocacy work for capital detainees who were minors at the time, Mike was able to visit the families of 3 of them. Divided between the anxiety and the hope that the life of their son will be saved, coming from poor social backgrounds, they have no other recourse than that provided by the lawyers working with Vivere.

cid:image005.png@01D3C21A.2E7DF020 cid:image008.png@01D3C21A.2E7DF020
Parents of young Ahmad and Hamza (fictive names) at risk of being executed photos © Vivere

Asma Jahangir, a lawyer and Pakistani human rights activist, died on 11th February 2019. That same day Mike began his mission with Pakistani partners of Vivere.  He was able to witness the consternation that this death produced on hundreds of progressive jurists across the country. Asma had, among other things, defended children risking the death penalty. This short document pays tribute to her:

cid:image009.jpg@01D3C21A.2E7DF020 3 min movie on http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6euzjs

All her life, Asma has faced death threats and prison sentences without ever giving up her fight for human rights.

Vivere launches a petition to abolish the death penalty for children

We call on the United Nations Human Rights Council for a swift and firm action. If you share the belief that this cruel practice must stop immediately then thank you for signing our petition on https://www.change.org/p/conseil-des-rights-of-the-human-of-the-nations-united -of-the-punishment-of-death-applicable-to-minors. Please do not hesitate to spread this link to people who may be interested because we must gather a maximum of signatures to be heard by the UN.

We are also appealing for donations to strengthen our direct assistance to young people at risk in Pakistan and some other countries:

– on the bank account of Vivere IBAN CH82 0076 7000 Z099 5652 9

– on the CCP 17 – 709 738 – 6

– or on https://www.gofundme.com/no-death-penalty-for-juveniles

Mauritania

 

Human rights defenders Moussa Bilal Biram and Abdellahi Matalla Saleck, members of IRA Mauritania (of which Vivere is a partner), have been detained for over a year in a prison in the Sahara Desert in Bir Moghrein. This prison, which usually hosts death row prisoners, is located in a remote and unsafe region of Mauritania, 1,200 km from the homes of these comrades in Nouakchott. During their detention, Moussa and Abdellahi were allegedly tortured. Their wounds indicate that they were tied in painful positions for several hours in a row. They were convicted for, among others, “inciting riots and violent rebellion against the government,” but no evidence of these crimes was provided at their trial. Moussa and Abdellahi are innocent and should never have been found guilty. They are silenced and punished for their activism against slavery. They must be released immediately. https://www.amnesty.be/local/adapt-img/780/15x/local/cache-gd2/96/dd71c1dec3d32d0ef7cc73c7c2314c.jpg?1521723928

https://www.amnesty.be/local/adapt-img/780/15x/local/cache-gd2/96/dd71c1dec3d32d0ef7cc73c7c2314c.jpg?1521723928

Amnesty International petition to sign please on http://info.amnesty.be/mauritania-moussa-and-abdellahi.html?petitionOptin=yes

Date to remember (reminder)

The general annual meeting of our movement will be held on Tuesday 15th May at 7:00 pm, like last year at the International School of Lausanne. The invitation and the agenda will be sent to you soon.

With our best regards,

The Vivere Committee

Vivere  7, av d’Yverdon  C.H.1004  Lausanne          contact@3u2qayeoj.preview.infomaniak.website            www.vivere.ch         CCP 17 – 709 738 – 6

Prix des droits de l’homme de la République française, mention spéciale, 2007                                        membre de la FEDEVACO

association à but non lucratif régie par les articles 60 et suivants du code civil suisse, politiquement et confessionnellement indépendante

reconnue d’utilité publique

Rectangle à coins arrondis: Depuis sa création en 1999 Vivere est mû uniquement par des bénévoles. Sans coûteux dispositifs pour la recherche de fonds ou le marketing, sans salaires ni loyers à supporter, nos frais de fonctionnement sont à moins de 2%. Cette gestion spartiate du mouvement n'est possible que grâce à votre solidarité.