Good News Stories

Those who participated in Amnesty's write-a-thon last December will be pleased to hear that the Thai authorities recently released Sok Yoeun, a Cambodian opposition party member, ending his four-year imprisonment. His was one of several cases taken up by members across the country on December 10, 2003 to mark International Human Rights Day.

Sok Yoeun spent more than four years in a Thai prison while authorities sought his removal to Cambodia to face politically motivated charges. Since his detention began Amnesty members have been writing to the Thai government, urging them not to return Sok Yoeun to Cambodia where he would face an unfair trial and possible torture. In February 2003 the prisoner of conscience was released. He immediately flew to Helsinki for an emotional reunion with his wife, children and grandchildren who have settled there. Upon his arrival, he thanked Amnesty members, saying “I've been saved from the troughs of death, I will never forget this day in my life.”

Former deputy prime minister of Malaysia freed - On September 2, 2004 Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia, was released after six years in prison. Ibrahim was sentenced to a total of 15 years' imprisonment in 1998 for a number of offences including abuse of power.

Certain that he was convicted not because of any real criminal actions but rather because of his political activities, Amnesty International adopted Anwar Ibrahim as a prisoner of conscience. Members in Canada and around the world were active in calling for his unconditional release. The release of such a high-profile prison of conscience is a victory for human rights in Malaysia.

Good news from last year’s write-a-thon - Last year, write-a-thon participants in Canada and around the world wrote the Vietnamese authorities, demanding the release of prisoner of conscience Le Chi Quang. The 33-year-old was arrested by police in an Internet café in Ha Noi on February 12, 2002.

Le Chi Quang was accused of writing and distributing anti-government articles, referring to issues such as human rights abuses and democracy. He was charged with disseminating “propaganda against the state” and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment and three years’ house arrest. On June 12, after serving 16 months in a Vietnamese prison, Le Chi Quang was released. His case is another reminder of the power of the pen.

72 year-old critic of SARS cover-up in China released! Amnesty International welcomes news that Dr Jiang Yanyong has been released by authorities in Beijing, following almost seven weeks of arbitrary detention. Amnesty continues to urge the Chinese government to stop harassing individuals and groups who choose to exercise their right to freedom of expression. Dr Jiang, a 72-year-old semi-retired surgeon, wrote a strongly-worded letter to the national parliament in February 2004, calling for a reappraisal of the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square fifteen years ago. Dr Jiang became a national hero last year for exposing the government's cover up of the SARS epidemic that led to more open reporting of the disease. Photo courtesty www.epochtimes.com - Dr. Jiang is on the right.


Amnesty celebrates release of historian in Vietnam - Amnesty International welcomes the news of the imminent release of a leading dissident and prisoner of conscience, Colonel Pham Que Duong. Following a period of detention of over 18 months for "abusing democratic rights to jeopardize the interests of the State, and the legitimate rights and interests of social organisations and citizens", the 73-year-old a military historian and former editor was sentenced to a term of 19 months imprisonment. Amnesty welcomes the imminent release of this prominent critic of Vietnam’s policy of repressing freedom of expression and dissent. Thank you to all who campaigned on their behalf!


Indigenous environmental activists released! Two Indigenous environmental activists - Isidro Baldenegro and Hermenegildo Rivas - were released on June 23 after spending 15 months in a Mexican prison on the basis of fabricated evidence. All charges against them have been dropped.

National and international pressure was vital in securing their freedom. Isidro Baldenegro says he is now even more determined to carry on his work "because this experience has shown us that there are people who are prepared to help us".

Tunisian Internet Activist Freed! On November 18, 2003 Tunisian authorities conditionally released Zouheir Yahiaoui. In 2002 the 35-year-old was sentenced to two years in prison for his involvement with TUNeZINE, an independent website critical of the Tunisian government. Amnesty members from around the world were active in calling for the release of the former prisoner of conscience.

Yahiaoui's imprisonment was part of a larger pattern of abuses. Many governments see the Internet as a threat and have jailed those who use it for peaceful political dissent. Similar cases have occurred in China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Equatorial Guinea.

"The appeals sent by Amnesty members definitely had an effect on my case." In September 2002 Rehab Abdel Bagi Mohamed Ali, a Sudanese x-ray technician, was returning home to Khartoum from a holiday in Eritrea when she was arrested by Sudanese security forces. Fearing that she may have been in danger of imminent danger of torture or "disappearance" Amnesty issued an Urgent Action on her behalf.

Certain that Amnesty's intervention was instrumental in her release, the 31-year-old thanked members for their help during a recent visit to Amnesty headquarters in London: "They [the prison guards] said 'Do you know that your name is all over the Internet?' After that, I was treated better by the guards before being released. The appeals sent by Amnesty members definitely had an effect on my case."

Six Malaysians freed! In June 2003 Amnesty welcomed the release of six Malaysian prisoners of conscience. The men, all of whom are reform activists, were imprisoned for two years in 2001 following their arrest while organizing a peaceful demonstration to protest against previous politically motivated arrests. On June 1, Saari Sungib, Tian Chua, Hishamuddin Rais and Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor were released from detention and welcomed by dozens of relieved supporters and family. They were followed by Badrulamin Bahron and Lokman Noor Adam on June 12. Amnesty believes that the release of the six men was due in part to the large international campaign waged on their behalf of which Amnesty members played a pivotal role. Members from around the world have been active in calling for their release.

Egyptian human rights activist acquitted. On March 18 2003, Dr. Saad Eddin Ibrahim was acquitted by a court in Egypt after nearly three years of trials and detention. The university professor, who has been a strong voice for democracy and human rights for decades, had been charged with offences relating to a documentary film he made about Egyptian election irregularities. Concerned that the charges were politically motivated, delegates from Amnesty International attended Dr. Ibrahim's trial in 2000 and found that the proceedings failed to meet standards of fairness. Following his conviction, in which he received seven years in prison, Amnesty adopted the human rights activist as a prisoner of conscience and called for his immediate and unconditional release.

Ngawang Sangdrol is free! Her release from a Tibetan prison and subsequent travel to the United States for medical treatment follows immense public pressure from members of Amnesty International and other organizations. Sangdrol, a Tibetan nun, was imprisoned by the Chinese authorities in 1992 for peacefully expressing her belief in Tibetan independence. Not due for release until 2011, she was finally freed on parole October 17. Amnesty International, with the help of The Body Shop and many concerned members of the public, has campaigned hard for Sangdrol's freedom. Our thanks to each person who called for Sangdrol's release - speaking out can make a difference!

Hassan Bility is safe! After almost six months in secret detention, Liberian journalist and human rights defender Hassan Bility is finally free and safe. Hassan Bility, a journalist with The Analyst newspaper, was held incommunicado and without charge or trial since his arrest on 24 June 2002.

Juma Duni Haji - TANZANIA: MP released from wrongful imprisonment. On the island of Zanzibar, a former Member of Parliament and civil servant has been released after more than three years in jail. Juma Duni Haji was jailed after being charged with the murder of a police officer at a demonstration at which he was not present. Amnesty members from around the world sent letters calling for his immediate and unconditional release.

General Gallardo - MEXICO: General Gallardo joyfully embraces his daughter upon his release from prison. General José Francisco Gallardo Rodríguez was detained in 1993 after he criticized the Mexican armed forces for human rights violations and proposed the creation of a military human rights ombudsman to investigate these violations. After eight years in jail, he was released by Presidential decree on February 7, 2002. General Gallardo wrote to Amnesty members, saying, "I've received 250 letters from 22 countries around the world and I'm happy and motivated by this support. I'm especially pleased that the unrestrained power and impunity enjoyed by the Army is now discussed openly in my country."

Shagildy Atakov - TURKMENISTAN: Re-united with his family following release from labour camp
Shagildy Atakov, a Baptist Christian, was sentenced to a labour camp in Turkmenistan because of his religious beliefs. He almost lost his life there when authorities failed to attend to his ill health. He had served more than three years of a four-year sentence. Thousands of letters helped secure his release in early 2002. A Turkmen human rights defender told Amnesty International, "It is only thanks to pressure from the international community that Atakov is still alive."

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Ngawang Choephel - TIBET: Musicologist released after six years in prison
"Thank you to all the people who helped me and worked so hard for my release," said the 29 year-old musicologist. "I am grateful to all the Tibetans who shared their folk music with me in Tibet during my two months' travel and even after my imprisonment... I thank the Chinese government for its ultimate response to the many appeals for my release. I sincerely hope that my release is the first of many more to come in the near future. It is important that you succeed in other cases like you succeeded in my case."

A year after he had "disappeared", Ngawang's mother, Sonam Dekyi, learned that her son had been arrested and given an 18-year sentence by the Chinese authorities for "espionage". She embarked on an international campaign for his release, supported by Amnesty International, who adopted him as a prisoner of conscience. For years, Amnesty members worldwide wrote letters requesting that he be freed.

Coronado Avila - HONDURAS: An End to Death Threats
Following an extended letter-writing campaign on his behalf, Coronado Avila expresses his thanks: "I would also like to take this opportunity to tell ... everyone at Amnesty International that thanks to your support on 3 March 2000, when I was being persecuted and my life was under threat, I am still alive today." Along with two other grassroots leaders in Honduras, Coronado had been receiving death threats - allegedly from armed groups with links to the authorities - for his work defending the land rights of peasant farmers, protecting the environment, and promoting participation in elections.

Dr. Zhang Kunlum - CHINA: Falun Gong practitioner says "Thank you!"
On January 11, 2001, Amnesty welcomed the release of Canadian citizen Zhang Kunlun, who had been sent to a Chinese labour camp on November 15, 2000 without charge or trial for refusing to renounce his belief in Falun Gong, a Chinese self-cultivation practice considered to be a "heretical organization" by the Chinese authorities. In a visit to Amnesty International's National Office in Ottawa, Professor Kunlun, an artist and former visiting professor of Art History at McGill University in Montreal, expressed his deep gratitude to the many Canadians who helped win his release from prison by writing letters on his behalf. Thousands of Falun Gong practitioners remain imprisoned in China.

Lim Guan Eng - MALAYSIA: Prisoner of Conscience Released
Lim Guan Eng, a former opposition member of parliament, was imprisoned for publicly questioning the Attorney General's handling of a statutory rape case, in which the rapist, a government minister, was not prosecuted and a 15-year-old pregnant girl was sent to a rehabilitation centre for "wayward girls". Lim Guan Eng was given an 18-month sentence for prompting "public dissatisfaction with the administration of justice" and for "maliciously publishing false news". Amnesty letter-writers got to work and were gratified to learn of his release in August 1999, six months before the end of his sentence.

Lim Guan Eng wrote to Amnesty International in October 1999: "During these bleak days in prison, your letters bring me much cheer... I can never say thank you enough to all of you who wrote... I will still continue my struggle to bring justice, freedom and human dignity to my people. Prison bars may break our backs, but they can never break our spirit to demand nothing less than equality for women. May God bless you!"

Aleksandr Nikitin - RUSSIAN FEDERATION: Human rights defender acquitted
Aleksandr Nikitin, a retired captain who worked for the Russian navy in senior positions between 1974 and 1992, was arrested in February 1996 for publicizing the environmental consequences of accidents on Russian nuclear submarines. He was charged with treason in the form of espionage and subjected to an unfair trial process. On December 29, 1999, he was acquitted of all charges by the St. Petersburg City Court and spared of a 20-year prison sentence. Amnesty International members had campaigned extensively on his behalf and view his acquittal as a major step towards a more fair court system in the Russian Federation.

Dita Indah Sari - INDONESIA: Workers' rights activist released
Dita Indah Sari, leader of the Indonesian Centre for Labour Struggle, was arrested in July, 1996 at the age of 22 when she took part in a peaceful demonstration calling for a rise in the national minimum wage. After an unfair trial, she was ill-treated and sentenced to five years' imprisonment and was released two years early on July 5, 1999. Many Canadian Amnesty members mailed postcards and letters on her behalf as part of a major, sustained international campaign for her release, which no doubt played a major role in the positive outcome. Congratulations on a job well done!

Christiana Anyanwu - NIGERIA: Journalist released In 1995, senior newspaper editor Christiana Anyanwu was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment following conviction on trumped-up charges of treason. She was released in June 1998 and sent these words to Canadian Amnesty members:

"It is great to be free. I cannot tell you how thrilling it is to see sun, to hear the birds sing, to talk to people, to move around unescorted, to be able to finally say to people like you: thank you with all my heart... Kindly convey my deepest gratitude to all your members in Canada...I cannot describe the feelings of assurance I got reading those moving cards...Their words made unforgettable impressions on me. I drew strength and courage for survival from them. Thank you all so very much."

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