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Amnesty International Newsletter amnesty JULY 1980 Volume X Number 7 international newsletter CROWD JEERS AS Big rise in Iraqi executions TOP LIBERIANS ARE EXECUTED Special courts in Iraq have imposed an increasing number of death sentences in the past few months—according to reports reachingAI After the violent overthrow of the government of the late President up to 100 people were executed in a six-week period from the beginn- William TOLBERT on 12 April 1980 ing of March this year. (May Newsletter), the new military Between 1974 and 1978 Al rulers of Liberia announced that received an average of 100 names officials of the former administration each year of political prisoners would be tried before a military reported to have been executed tribunal for "rampant corruption, in Iraq. high treason and gross violations of Launching an international camp- human rights". aign to persuade the Iraqi authorities Over 500 people, including more to halt their increasing use of the than 100 senior former officials and death penalty, Al issued—on 12 June— administrators, were detained in the a list of 257 people reported to have capital, Monrovia. been executed in 1978 and 1979. On 17 April proceedings began Among those executed within the against a first group of 14 prisoners. past year are members of the Shi'i Executed — Ayatollah al Sadr All denied charges of treason. They defence counsel nor Moslem community, Kurds, govern- Organization of Arab Workers and a were not allowed ment officials and members of the member of the Central Council of the could they produce evidence in their armed forces. World Federation of Trade Unions, was own defence. After hurried proceedings, the military tribunal submitted its Reports of mass arrests and the executed in August 1979. He was one torture of prisoners in the same period of 68 people arrested—including five verdict on 13 accused to the People's Revolutionary Council, which ordered have also been received by Al. members of the Revolutionary Com- them to be executed. Arrests and executions of Shi'is mand Council—following an alleged They were publicly executed on a have come against a background of anti-government plot. growing opposition to the govern- Under Iraqi law it is a capital beach near Monrovia on 22 April. The prisoners were tied to stakes and shot ment from some sections of the Shi'i offence for members of the armed before a jeering crowd. Their bodies community, which have openly forces—or those who have left the forces were then riddled with machine-gun supported the Islamic revolution in since 1968—to be affiliated to any bullets. neighbouring Iran. political party other than the ruling Those executed included the Speaker Shi'is form about half the populat- Ba'ath Party. of the House of Representatives, the ion of Iraq—most government leaders Amr SULTAN, 31, an army lieutenant,' President of the Senate, the Chief belong to the Sunni Moslem community was executed in May 1978, accused of ' Justice and four government ministers. which makes up the other half. having links with the Iraqi Communist Five days earlier three soldiers and Those executed in April 1980 Party and providing it with information. a civilian were executed on the same included the prominent Shi'i leader, Most death sentences are passed either beach after they had been charged Ayatollah Muhammad Baqr AL SADR by the Revolutionary Court in Baghdad, with murder and looting in the wake (see June Newsletter). or by special courts set up by the of the coup. The execution of Kurds has taken Revolutionary Command Council. On 14 April Al appealed to the new place in the context of continuing Trials in both types of court are Head of State, Sergeant DOE to ensure attacks by guerrillas seeking greater always held in camera. that the trial of former officials con- automony for the Kurdish community. Other factors affecting defendants' formed to internationally recognized Ahmad Muhammad Karim AL rights: standards, including the provision of ABLAGHI, 32, a mechanical engineer, judgment is passed by government defence counsel. AI later appealed was executed in 1977, accused of representatives, not members of the to him to halt all executions. collaborating with Kurdish fighters. judiciary; On 29 April Sergeant Doe announc- He was alleged to have been severely defendants are held incommunicado tortured and to have suffered from a ed that he would accede to inter- before their trials—convictions are often stomach haemorrhage after being forced national pressure and halt the execution based on confessions extraoted under to swallow nails. of former government officials. torture; Executions of government officials Proceedings against the remaining no detence counsel is permitted in and others began shortly after Saddam 100 detained officials continued HUSAIN replaced Ahmad Hassan AL special courts; throughout May, and 400 other prison- BAKR as President in 1979. there is no right of appeal to a higher ers remained in custody without charge Badan Fadhil ARAIBI, of the court D or trialD 2 JULY 1980 Romania News in Brief Psychiatric penalty for dissenters Djibouti A wide range of legal and extra- An Al mission visited Djibouti in January judicial penalties have been used 1980 following reports of torture there in Romania against political, in 1978 and 1979. social and religious dissenters— The mission went at the invitation of including imprisonment, "correct- the government, which—following a call ive labour", physical intimidation by Al in March 1979 for a public and compulsory confinement to inquiry—had denied allegations of psychiatric institutions. deaths under torture. Although the number of people Ars delegate, Amand D'HONDT, a imprisoned on overtly political charges Belgian lawyer, discussed these concerns —such as "anti-state propaganda"— with President Hassan GOULED and appears to have fallen in recent years, other government officials and inter- a number of dissenters have been viewed prisoners awaiting trial in tried and convicted on criminal Gabote and Dikhil prisons. charges which Al believes to be false— A detailed report of the mission's such as "parasitism" and "homo- findings—including further substantiated sexual relations". Instances of human evidence of torture—is to be sent to the rights violations in Romania are out- government 0 lined in a 20-page Al briefing paper published on 30 June. One example of how the author- Uganda ities act against dissenters came in Gheorghe Brasoveanu — psychiatric confine- The Chairman of Uganda's Military February last year, when a group of ment for the fifth time in eight years for Commission, Paul MUWANGA, told intellectuals and workers from criticizing official policies. Al on 22 May that ex-President Bucharest and Turnu Severin confined after criticizing official Godfrey BINAISA, who was deposed announced the formation of the policies. on 13 May, was safe and well and Free Trade Union of Romanian Workers Dr Cana was subsequently sentenced living in the official presidential (SLOMR). to seven years' imprisonment (reduced residence, State House, in Entebbe. In their manifesto they drew on appeal to five and a half years') on AI had cabled the Chairman on 19 attention to increased unemployment unspecified charges. May because of uncertainty over and to the forced retirement of dis- Al has since received reports that Godfrey Binaisa's whereabouts. Al senters on false psychiatric grounds. Gheorghe Brasoveanu has been sentenc- welcomes his assurances but is con- They called for better working ed to three and a half years' cerned at the ex-president's con- conditions and the abolition of special imprisonment. tinued house arrest. privileges for Communist Party Action was also taken against In its cable Al also asked about 70 members. associates of the two men. One, Father civilians detained recently by the The manifesto won support from CALCIU, a Romanian Orthodox priest army, including a journalist, Roland workers in a number of Romanian and professor at the Orthodox KAKOOZA. cities. Theological Seminary 'in Bucharest— Mr Muwanga's reply did not refer On 4 March the SLOMR manifesto an acquaintance of Gheorghe to themO was broadcast on a foreign radio Brasoveanu—was arrested on 10 March station. Two days later the telephones 1979. of the movement's two representatives— He was sentenced to 10 years' Uruguay Dr lonel CANA and an economist, imprisonment on charges that have Gheorghe BRASOVEANU—were cut never been made public. A Uruguayan prisoner of conscience, off. A SLOMR member—Nicolae adopted by AI, Aida PAGOLA, 57, In the next few days a number of DASCALU—who had reported the a nurse, has been released after serving SLOMR members were detained by arrest of other members of SLOMR to a total of seven and a half years' the police. friends abroad and had also announced imprisonment for "subversive The authorities then got the relat- that a number of people in Bucharest association". ives of the two representatives to sign had decided to apply to join Al was She was a Prisoner of the Month declarations that they were insane— sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment in September 1979 and the appeal on the relatives were told that the alter- (reduced on appeal to 10 months') for her behalf brought a huge response. native to confinement in a psychiatric having disseminated infonnation Al is trying to obtain details of her institution would be long terms of abroad without legal authorization. legal status and state of health0 imprisonment. (He has served his sentence and has On 10 March Dr Cana and Gheorghe been released.) Brasoveanu were arrested. Both were Many other SLOMR members were said to have been confined to the either fined or sentenced to terms of Prisoner Releases and Cases psychiatric section of Jilava Prison imprisonment of up to six months on The International Secretariat learned Hospital soon afterwards.
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