One such injustice we continue to highlight this year is the detention of Shaker Aamer, a British resident and father of four who has been held since 2002 without charge in Guantánamo Bay. Despite President Barack Obama’s executive order of 2009, which committed the US Administration to closing Guantánamo within a year, 171 men are still held there. Shaker Aamer is the last British resident left in Guantánamo Bay, and despite calls for his return by the UK government, he remains in indefinite detention. This constitutes a serious human rights violation – one which by February 2012 will have continued for ten years.

Shaker Aamer must either be given a fair trial in US federal courts or released back to his wife and children in the UK. To make sure that he is not forgotten, and to keep the pressure firmly on the US government to end this travesty of justice, we will be getting petitions signed by the public and letting as many people as possible know what’s going on. Stand up for human rights, meet new people – and enjoy free biscuits!

To date, only one Guantánamo detainee has been transferred to the US mainland for trial in a civilian court; trials by military commission do not meet international standards of fairness.

Aamer is originally from Saudi Arabia but is married to a British citizen and has four British children. He had permission to live indefinitely in the UK when he was originally detained in Afghanistan by Afghan forces in the autumn of 2001.

Through his lawyer, Aamer has alleged that he was badly beaten and subjected to death threats in front of an MI5 officer as well as US intelligence officials while being secretly held and interrogated in Afghanistan in early 2002. In February 2002 Aamer was transferred to Guantánamo Bay. There are allegations that he was again tortured there, and he has spent long periods of his incarceration at the camp in solitary confinement.

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen sums it up: “Shaker has already had nine years of his life stolen from him, he says he’s been horribly tortured and he’s still sitting in a cell without any form of due process.”

Sign up here! Note: the purpose of the form is not to collect people’s availabilities, but rather to let you decide which slot you intend to attend. Signing up to more than one slot is possible and encouraged, but you are invited to attend all those to which you sign up for if possible !

• Our first Action team meeting will take place on Sunday at 5, at the Union conference room.
• On Monday we will have a squash at7 at the Maypole Pub (by the ADC Theatre), so come one, come all, to meet the wonderful people that make up Action Team and our Board.

We would like to bring to attention the case of Troy Davis, whose execution has been set to the 21st September by the U.S. state of Georgia. The facts in his case are rife with witness coercion and lack of evidence, yet despite this and various campaigns by Human Rights associations, his death has been scheduled after 20 years in Death Row.

All hope is not lost, however, since the Court has allowed a clemency hearing on the 19th September, to decide if the execution will be carried  out at all. The time to act is now, and here’s what you can do to help : by going on the Amnesty International website, read up on the facts in his case, and send a message to the clemency board to help convince them that this execution should not take place !

The cage takes place Fri 26th-Sun 28th of Feb. The link to sign up is this:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QSLQYHW

Watch a video of the protest here by Cambridge News.

Read all about the Shell Hell campaign here. 

Read Shell’s come back comment here.

Read CU Amnesty’s further comments, in response to Shell here.

Thanks to everyone who supported Shell Hell day and signed our petitions – its good to know Shell’s listening.

Main event:
What: Letter writing and pancakes!
When? 1-4pm Tuesday 16th Feb
Where? Saunders Room, Newnham College
Who? Everyone Welcome

Plus, look our for events in your own college! ”

Let’s get writing!!!

Thank you to everyone who took part in Shell Hell Day last Thursday. It was a great success. We are still gathering in petitions and letters from academics. We are then going to going to present them to Shell and make sure we make an impact. Below are some photos from the day:

Rally

At the Union

St. John’s cinema, Thursday Jan. 21st, 9pm

We are working with John’s films soc to show critically acclaimed film, Vera Drake, which tells the story of a working class woman in London in 1950, who performs illegal abortions for women in need. Come along to support Amnesty and find out more about this campaign.

The Rally:

Meeting at Parkers Piece and marching to Guildhall – Saturday 23rd Jan – 1-2pm

We will be calling on the Nicaraguan government to repeal this appaling law, and showing our support for the rights of women world wide to maternal health and reproductive rights!! Join us.

We will be hosting The Secret Porter’s Ball!

A comedy night that unites student comedians with Footlights alumni (Stephen Fry, Emma Thompson, John Cleese, Sacha Baron Cohen anyone?) and friends of Amnesty (Eddie Izzard, Frank Skinner, Jo Brand….).

We need YOU and YOUR enthusiasm to get this show on the road.
- have a creative urge? a bit good at making eye catching posters?
- have contacts in the Footlights or John Cleese up your sleeve?
- experience in event planning or a general keeness to produce the best show ever?

Remember our fashion show in April last year? We got Lily Cole, Sam Roddick, 15 student models and 17 designers to contribute to a night of ethical fashion and fun. We raised £2,500. This year we want to do even better.

Be a part of it? Know of someone who’d be interested?

Come along to our first planning meeting and ideas brainstorm at Murray Edwards college. Meet in the porters lodge foyer at 5pm on Wednesday 12th November.

Want a taster for some of the action. Here is some footage of Amnesty UK’s big comedy event, The Secret Policeman’s Ball which began back in 1976 by our very own Footlights star and ex Downingite, John Cleese.

Eddie Izzard at The Secret Policeman’s Ball 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jHaR9rRpLg

Frank Skinner at The Secret Policeman’s Ball 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CskQf4KFtMA

Russell Brand at The Secret Policeman’s Ball 2008: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1uhmnNnmL8&feature=related

Facebook Event:

http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?eid=330817325062&step=2#/event.php?eid=330817325062