Government & State

4WardEverUK

Amnesty slams China for silence on execution toll

Prisoner Appeal on Death Roworiginally published by: Washington Post
29th March 2010

Amnesty International criticized China on Tuesday for failing to reveal the number of people it executed last year, which the rights group estimates is more than the rest of the world combined.

Iran had the second highest number of executions in 2009, Amnesty said in a new report, adding that about a third of the country’s 388 executions took place in eight weeks of turmoil following Iran’s disputed presidential election in June.

“The past year saw capital punishment applied extensively to send political messages, to silence opponents or to promote political agendas,” Amnesty interim secretary general Claudio Cordone said in a statement.

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4WardEverUK

St Peter’s Borstal – Bill Maloney investigates

submitted: 22 Mar 2010

Award winning film director Bill Maloney investigates the derelict building of St Peter’s Approved School, in Gainford, Co Durham. The police claim it is a ‘dark stain on the village’ so why has it laid derelict for years? Maloney and his courageous camera woman Lilly Starr gain entry to the abandoned Victorian building and are horrified to find stories of abuse written on the walls of the burnt-out gymnasium.

Young boys were regularly beaten and thrown naked into a concrete cellar for trivial misdemeanors. This video is a preview to the shocking feature length documentary available from Pie ‘n’ Mash films.

To find out more about Bill Maloney’s cutting edge and thought provoking films and documentaries please visit: www.pienmashfilms.com

See the film preview: Click Here >

4WardEverUK

‘Asylum has become a dirty word’

Blurred refugees on a boatoriginally published by: BBC News
16th February 2010

The Scottish Refugee Council says that 25 years since it was set up, the situation for asylum seekers and refugees is worse than ever. BBC Scotland’s social affairs reporter Fiona Walker looks at how attitudes have changed.

Peri Ibrahim shows me the cameras he used to document his life before he fled here. When he looks through the lens it transports him back to times of conflict.

“Every time I look through, I see the dead body,” he said. “Stupid camera.” Peri has lived in Scotland for 25 years – the same amount of time the Scottish Refugee Council has been in existence.

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