John Baker’s Blog

Early in 2005, a man in Northern China confessed to a murder that had taken place ten years previously. Reports say that he gave a detailed description of the scene where he claimed to have raped and then killed a young woman. On the strength of the confession, the judicial authorities accepted the man’s guilt.The problem was, they had already executed another man for the murder. Nie Shubin, a young farmer, had been found guilty of the rape and murder in 1995 after reportedly being tortured in police custody. His family are now seeking official compensation. But of course, nothing will bring Nie back.
In a separate case, Tang Xingshan was found guilty of murdering his wife in 1987. He insisted he was innocent and claimed that he had only confessed because he was severely beaten during the interrogations. His pleas were ignored and he was executed in 1989.In June 2006, Teng’s wife - the alleged murder victim - reappeared. Alive and unharmed. The murder for which Teng had been executed had never taken place.

The above is quoted from the literature of Amnesty International. China is preparing for the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. The Chinese authorities are particularly sensitive right now about how they are regarded by the international community. I support Amnesty’s campaign to reform and ultimately abolish China’s use of the death penalty.

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This is extracted from the text of Amnesty International’s Human Rights Action Centre:

Here in Britain there are people who say that the world’s first ever concentration camps were conceived and run by the British. There are people who say this country should apologise for its role in the Atlantic slave trade. And there are people who say that Britain is currently engaged in an illegal war of conquest in Iraq.

You and I may agree or disagree with these ideas and views. But the real point is, that we are all free to discuss them. We all have a right to express our opinions about our country and its institutions, both past and present.

In Turkey - a country currently in negotiations for a place in the EU - there is no such freedom of expression. Because in Turkey there is a law called Article 301. This law says that anyone who ‘denigrates Turkishness’ or the Government of Turkey can be sent to prison for up to three years.

Amnesty International believes that Article 301 is an untenable law; that it is being used to muzzle peaceful dissenting opinions within Turkey; and that it poses a direct threat to one of the most fundamental of human rights - the right to freedom of expression.

That is why we are calling for the abolition of Article 301. And I am hoping you will support our campaign today . . .

At present, a number of Turkish writers, journalists, publishers, artists and human rights defenders are facing charges under 301. Article 301 is being used to repress, to silence, to intimidate. You can help to have it repealed.

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The director of Amnesty speaks . . .

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