Media advisories

Rallies are being held across at least 30 cities in 12 countries.

On Saturday 12 February Amnesty International will be part of a rally being held on Parliament Hill in Ottawa between 1- 3 p.m supporting peaceful protestors in Egypt and in the wider region. Alex Neve, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada will speak at the event.

 They will be joining thousands of Amnesty International supporters, Egyptian activists, trade unionists, students and others on 12 February at rallies in at least 30 cities across the world to mark a “Global Day of Action” in solidarity with protestors in Egypt and the wider Middle East and North Africa region who are demanding greater human rights.

Protests will be held in cities across Australia, Benin, Canada, Germany, France, Mali, Norway, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, the USA and others. Demonstrators have been asked to wear red, black or white (the colours of the Egyptian flag) clothing and face paint.

On Friday 21 January, at a press conference in Port-au-Prince, Amnesty International’s expert on Haiti, Gerardo Ducos, will provide an update on the organization’s engagement with the Haitian authorities regarding the legal case against former president Jean Claude Duvalier. Amnesty International has documented hundreds of human rights abuses committed during Duvalier’s rule (1971-1986), including detention without trial, systematic torture, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions.

Jean-Claude Duvalier returned to Haiti on 16 January after nearly 25 years in exile in France. He was briefly arrested on 18 January and is currently facing corruption-related charges.

When: Friday 21 January, 9.30am Local Time (14:30Hs GMT).

Where: Hotel Le Plaza, Salle Therese 2, 10 Rue Capois, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Who: Gerardo Ducos, Researcher on Haiti at Amnesty International.

For more information, please contact:
In Port-au-Prince: Carolina Roman, +509 3784 4619.
In London: Josefina Salomon, +44 7778 472 116, jsalomon@amnesty.org

Amnesty International’s expert on Haiti, Gerardo Ducos, will be in Haiti between 8 and 22 January 2011. As part of the visit, Ducos will launch the report Aftershocks: Women speak out against sexual violence in Haiti’s camps at a press conference on Tuesday 11 January in Port-au-Prince. The report, which features the stories of over 50 survivors of sexual abuse, looks at the continuing failure to protect girls and women living in makeshift camps from the risk of rape and sexual assault.

Survivors of sexual violence, who are already struggling to overcome the trauma suffered after losing their loved ones, their homes and livelihoods after the earthquake, have no access to medical care and have little hope to see their attackers brought to a court.

When:

Tuesday 11 January, 10am local time.

Where:

GARR offices (Groupe d'Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés) 69, Christ Roi, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Who:

On December 10th, International Human Rights Day, Chinese prisoner of conscience and co-author of CHARTER ‘08 Liu Xiaobo will be awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize. Despite this tremendous international honour, he remains imprisoned in China for his peaceful advocacy for human rights and democracy. Chinese authorities have refused to release him and have also refused to allow his wife to travel to Norway to accept the award on his behalf. On December 10th, a delegation of leading human rights advocates will seek to deliver to the Chinese Embassy petitions signed by thousands of Canadians from across the country urging the Chinese government to release Liu Xiaobo immediately. The advocates have written to the Ambassador, seeking a meeting. It is not yet clear whether Embassy officials will meet with the delegation or agree to receive the peitions.

The human rights advocates will make comments to the press at the time of the petition delivery.

Place: Embassy of the People's Republic of China
515 St. Patrick Street, Otttawa

Date: Friday, December 10, 2010

Time: Between 10:00 and 10:30 a.m.