Belarusian prisoners - Pavel Syramolatau is free

We?re glad to announce that after 620 days in prison Pavel Syramolatau was released from
prison by president pardon on September 27th. Pavel was arrested on January 17th 2011 due
to attack on KGB building in Bobruisk, which was announced as solidarity action with
anarchists arrested in Minsk in September 2010. In may 2011 after more than six months of
investigation he was sentenced to 7 years in prison. Their action were classified by court
as destruction of private property. ---- Under pressure of colony administration he signed
petition for pardon this June.---Currently five more people supported by Anarchist Black
Cross are in prison: Artsiom Prakapenka, Jauhen Vas?kovich, Ihar Alinievich, Aliaksandar
Frantskievich and Mikalai Dziadok. All of them are strongly against petitions for pardon
and ready to spend all of the sentence in the prison, rather than asking president for
release.

You can express words of solidarity with Pavel or guys in prison writing
those to belarus_abc@risuep.net

Original: http://abc-belarus.org/?p=2550&lang=en

Older news on Belarusian prisoners: https://avtonom.org/en/freebelarus

Bron : a-infos-en@ainfos.ca

SOLIDARITY JAM POUR LA LIBÉRATION D'ERICSON ACOSTA, PRISONNIER POLITIQUE PHILIPPIN

Ericson Acosta est un poète philippin, journaliste, travailleur social et actif dans les mouvements de défense des droits de l'homme. Le 13 février 2011, il a été arrêté par des militaires alors qu'il était en train de mener une enquête concernant des faits de violation des droits de l'homme à Samar, une des nombreuses îles qui composent les Philippines. Il a été interrogé et torturé, et finalement reconnu coupable d'être en possession d'explosifs. C'est une des raisons régulièrement invoquée pour mettre en prison (voire assassiner) les activistes qui osent critiquer le gouvernement philippin. Malgré sa détention, Ericson est toujours un artiste et un activiste libre de faire entendre sa voix, avec l'aide de ses amis et de ses sympathisants. Son blog en est la preuve!

En tant que mouvement de solidarité international, nous voudrions avec intal organiser une "solidarity jam" pour sa libération au côté d'artistes engagés. Ce sera une soirée dédiée à la musique et à la poésie. Afin d'en faire une réussite, nous avons besoin de votre soutien sonore! Le but est que tous ceux qui veulent se produire, aient l'occasion de le faire. "Chansons de liberté", chants de résistance, mais également des sujets plus légers sont plus que les bienvenus. Le travail personnel d'Ericson sera également présenté et nous demanderons à tout le monde de signer la pétition pour exiger sa libération. Une soirée comme celle-ci constituera un encouragement pour Ericson, mais également pour les nombreux autres prisonniers politiques qui n'ont commis que le crime de se battre pour un monde plus juste.

La solidarity jam aura lieu le vendredi 22 juin à 18h jusqu'à 22h, dans le Via-via café, Quai à la Houille 9 dans le centre de Bruxelles. Arriver à l'improviste est bien sûr possible, mais prévenir de votre venue est souhaité dans la mesure où nous pourrons ainsi vous mettre à l'agenda et prévoir le matériel nécessaire.

Envie de participer? Rendez-vous sur notre page Facebook et/ou envoyez-nous un mail via bxl.philippines@intal.be

Et nous aurons naturellement besoin de public, donc soyez tous les bienvenus!

Regardez également le témoignage de Renato Reyes Jr., président de la coupole des mouvements populaires philippins et ami d'Ericson.

Interview met Renato Reyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLOdUOH_MUA&feature=player_embedded

Bron : intal BXL Philippines:

Vietnam: Free Catholic Activists

• 
  
  [clockwise from top left] Catholic activist Chu Manh Son; Catholic activist Dau Van Duong; Catholic activist Hoang Phong; Catholic activist Tran Huu Duc
  All photos © 2012 Thanh Nien Cong Giao

• 
  Vigil Prayer for Catholic activists Chu Manh Son, Dau Van Duong, Hoang Phong and Tran Huu Duc at Thai Ha church in Hanoi on May 20, 2012
  © 2012 J.B Nguyen Huu Vinh

It’s absolutely shameful that the Vietnam government is putting these Catholic activists on trial, and may send them to prison for years for nothing more than expressing their views and distributing leaflets. Prosecuting these four activists shows the contempt Vietnam has for freedom of religion and expression.

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director

Four Advocates Facing Trial for Social Activism

(Bangkok) – Vietnamese authorities should immediately release four Catholic activists accused of conducting propaganda against the state and drop the charges against them. The People’s Court of Nghe An is scheduled to hear the cases against them on May 24, 2012.

The four– Dau Van Duong, Tran Huu Duc, Chu Manh Son, and Hoang Phong – come from the Catholic community of Vinh in Nghe An province. Authorities arrested them for allegedly distributing pro-democracy leaflets.

“It’s absolutely shameful that the Vietnam government is putting these Catholic activists on trial, and may send them to prison for years for nothing more than expressing their views and distributing leaflets,” said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “Prosecuting these four activists shows the contempt Vietnam has for freedom of religion and expression.”

In the past, the four activists had participated in volunteer activities, including encouraging women not to have abortions, donating blood, and volunteering to help orphans and victims of natural disasters. Authorities arrested Dau Van Duong, 24, a student at the Nghe An Trading and Tourism Vocational College, and his cousin Tran Huu Duc, 24, a student at the Vietnam-German Vocational Technical College of Nghe An, on August 2, 2011. The next day, authorities arrested Chu Manh Son, 23, a student from the Vinh Medical University. Hoang Phong, 25, a recent graduate from the Vinh University of Technology Education, was arrested on December 29.

The Vietnamese government often uses article 88 of the penal code, “conducting propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” to imprison bloggers, critics, and activists arbitrarily.  Article 88 calls for punishment of between 3 and 20 years in prison for such acts as “propaganda,” “circulating documents or cultural products,” or “psychological warfare” against the government.

In 2011 Vietnamese courts used this provision to convict at least 10 bloggers and activists for expressing their views including the legal advocate Dr. Cu Huy Ha Vu, bloggers Vi Duc Hoi, Lu Van Bay,Ho Thi Bich Khuong, Nguyen Ba Dang, and others.

In March 2012 the People’s Court of Nghe An convicted two other Catholic activists, Vo Thi Thu Thuy and Nguyen Van Thanh, under article 88. State media reported that the two were affiliated with Father Nguyen Van Ly, and were accused of distributing anti-government leaflets. Vo Thi Thu Thuy was sentenced to five years in prison, and Nguyen Van Thanh to three years.

Three prominent bloggers, Nguyen Van Hai (a.k.a Dieu Cay), Phan Thanh Hai (a.k.a Anhbasg), and Ta Phong Tan, have also been indicted under article 88. The three are founding members of Club for Free Journalists, established in September 2007 to promote independent journalism and freedom of expression.

At least another 12 Catholic bloggers and activists, including the prominent bloggers Ta Phong TanandLe Van Son, are in detention pending investigation or waiting trial. Many of those arrested are affiliated with the Redemptorist Thai Ha church in Hanoi and Ky Dong church in Ho Chi Minh City. Over the last year, both churches have regularly held prayer vigils calling for the safety of activists in prison or in detention. On May 20, Thai Ha church held a vigil for the four activists who will be tried on May 24.

“Article 88 is the equivalent of a legal buzz-saw, designed to cut down those who freely criticize or question the government,” Robertson said. “Vietnam’s leaders should repeal this draconian law and listen to their people, rather than muzzling and imprisoning them for thinking differently.”

Bron : Human Rights Watch