World holds concerns over child deaths in custody in Syria

originally by: The Australian
2nd June 2011

An 11-year-old girl was among the victims of an assault by Syrian troops, activists said yesterday, bringing the official number of children killed in the uprising to more than 30. The girl, who has not been named, died when Government forces fired bullets and shells in the towns of Rastan and Hirak on Tuesday, leaving at least 33 dead.

Details of her death came days after it emerged that Hamza al-Khateeb, a 13-year-old boy, reportedly died in police custody.

His battered and mutilated body was returned to his family at the end of last month, four weeks after he went missing after attending a protest in the southern town of Saida.

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12 March 201116 December 2022 4WardEverUK

War, Prisons, and Torture in the US & UK

originally by: Infoshop News
6th March 2011

Richard Haley is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has been active in Britain’s anti-war movement since 2003. He is a member of the Stop the War Coalition and is currently Chair of Scotland Against Criminalising Communities. Last December, on Human Rights Day, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities initiated a “Stop Isolation” campaign with an online statement arguing that solitary confinement is a form of torture that must be abolished.

The petition states that “We call upon the countries of the world to enact legislation that prohibits long-term prisoner isolation, and prohibits the transfer of prisoners to countries where they would be at risk of such treatment. Dungeons should not be tolerated in the 21st century.”

12 August 201016 December 2022 4WardEverUK

“Cruel But Not Unusual” punishment of women in U.S. prisons

originally published by: Mr ZINE
5th August 2010

After years of neglect, the issue of women in prison has begun to receive attention in this country [US]. Media accounts of overcrowding, lengthening sentences, and horrendous medical care in women’s prisons appear regularly.

Amnesty International — long known for ignoring human rights abuses inside United States prisons and jails — issued a report, two days shy of International Women’s Day 2001, documenting over 1,000 cases of sexual abuse of U.S. women prisoners by their jailers. However, we seldom hear from these women themselves. And we never hear from women incarcerated for their political actions.