Civil Liberties in the UK Under Attack

Peaceful Anti-Monarchy protestors arrested at the King’s Coronation this year

Last year was busy for the UK Government. They managed to pass four different pieces of legislation that will drastically reduce civil liberties in this country, such as the right to protest, the right to strike and the right to appeal for asylum.

These pieces of legislation are so sweeping, and written in language so confusing, that we at the Lewes Amnesty Group have written short guides for citizens. If enough people understand what is happening, we have a chance to get these rights back.

Migration

What’s wrong with “stopping the boats”?

Nothing’s wrong with preventing people smugglers risking other people’s lives, but the new “illegal” migration bill and policy is wrong for these reasons:

No safe routes for many

You cannot claim asylum as a refugee in the UK unless you arrive by a Government approved route, such as provided for Ukrainians and for a limited number of Syrians living in UN refugee camps, but there are no offices overseas to which those fleeing threats to their lives can apply.

Modern day slavery made easier

Trafficking of people into the UK for exploitation in domestic service, sex work and agriculture, for instance, happens already through false promises of good jobs. The new rules will make it harder to detect those trafficked.

Disregard of UN conventions

The UN Declaration of Human Rights, to which the UK is a signatory, declares that ‘Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution’ (Article 14). The government seems willing to ignore this.

Loss of skills and experience

Many refugees, like other immigrants, have skills we need and want to make a positive contribution to the UK once allowed to.

Let’s not lose our proud tradition

The government likes to say this is what we have in supporting refugees but the current attitudes and legislation will make us lose it. Most of those who apply for asylum are accepted, often after a delay of years, and are then able to get on with their new lives and be an asset to our country.

Published by Amnesty International Lewes August 2023

Background to the new bill The new legislation became law in July 2023 despite criticism and amendments from the House of Lords, opposition parties and many organisations and religious groups. The aim of the new rules is to stop people coming across the Channel or entering the UK illegally in other ways.

The government’s case for the bill is set out at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/illegal-migration-bill- factsheets/illegal-migration-bill-overarching-factsheet

Criticisms of the new bill are made in this paper from Freedom from Torture and other agencies supporting refugees https://www.freedomfromtorture.org/news/illegal-migration-act-everything-you-need-to-know

Anti-Slavery International’s view of the impact of the new bill https://www.antislavery.org/government-rhetoric-has-chilling-effect-on- survivors-of-modern-slavery/

Local organisations you may like to support

Amnesty International
Details of the local group at http://amnestylewes.org/

LOSRAS
A Lewes based charity that provides information on, and campaigns for, the rights of refugees and people seeking asylum.  More information at: https://losras.org/

The right to strike

STRIKES (MINIMUM SERVICE LEVELS) ACT 2023

This is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting UK labour law designed to force trade unions to provide a minimum service during a strike in the sectors of: health, education services, fire and rescue, border security and nuclear decommissioning.

It has been criticised both for being a violation of human rights and a violation of international law Background The legislation was published on 10 January 2023 by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and introduced into Parliament by the Conservative Secretary of State for Business, Grant Shapps.

It is the second piece of legislation seeking to secure a minimum service – legislation covering the transport sector was introduced in October 2022.The bill passed both chambers of the UK parliament and was signed into law on 20 July 2023. The General Secretary of the TUC has said that it will ‘prolong disputes and poison industrial relations, leading to more frequent strikes’ , The Labour Party has promised to repeal the legislation.

The law seeks to expand the guarantee of a minimum service to the National Health Service, education, fire and rescue, border security and nuclear de-commissioning, authorising ministers to set minimum service levels in these sectors without any requirement for parliamentary approval. Employers are allowed to issue a ‘work notice requisitioning people to work in the event of a strike, with no automatic protection against unfair dismissal for those who refuse. – the last time this happened was in 1940 at a time of war.

If work notices are issued, union officials will have to comply, since if they do not provide minimum service levels during a strike, they then lose immunity from being sued for damages to the employer for economic loss, and, as stated above, workers lose protection from unfair dismissal.

The right to boycott

Economic Activity of Public Bodies (Overseas Matters) Bill

The UK government is not alone in seeking to introduce anti-boycott measures; some 30 countries, including the USA and Germany, have been doing similar things in recent years.

Initially the UK government sought specifically to target the BDS movement, a Palestinian-led movement promoting Boycotts, Divestments, and economic Sanctions, intended to pressure Israel into meeting its obligations under international law, and to undermine perceived corporate complicity in Israeli attacks on Palestine.  (It is modelled on the 1980s South African anti-apartheid movement, huge popular UK support for which the Thatcher government similarly wished to suppress. Had this Bill been law then, it could have.)

In 2016 local authorities were told by central government that it proposed to veto any boycott of investment in Israel or fossil fuels. BDS won a court action against this proposal, but in June 2023 Michael Gove reintroduced it in the form of the above Bill.

It passed its first reading in the Commons in June, its second reading on 3 July, by 268 votes to 70

(Lewes MP Maria Caulfield being among the 268), Committee stage on 14 September, and is now – as of 6 October – at the Report stage, before its third reading (date tba). It then has to go through all the same steps in the Lords, before receiving royal assent and becoming law.

THE BILL

Though first and foremost aimed at the BDS movement, its reach is now much wider, as it seeks to prohibit all public bodies, including local authorities, universities, public sector pension funds and even charities from engaging in ethical considerations about investment and procurement, if these go against current government policy.

Over 60 campaign groups oppose it, including War on Want, Friends of the Earth, Amnesty International, Greenpeace, several large trades unions, Liberty, Jews for Justice and other Jewish groups. (Though the UK government, like the US government introducing similar anti-boycott measures, likes to presents them as combating anti-semitism).

The Bill’s disclosure requirements, financial penalties and ambiguous, even contradictory wording (particularly around pension funds) are likely to have a “chilling effect” on public bodies, deterring them even from conducting due diligence to assess whether their financial decisions might implicate them in human rights abuses or environmental harm. It is at odds with the government’s own National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights, and its own business risk guidance, for example on China and Israel.

For instance the Bill can restrict public bodies from making decisions about investing in companies involved in providing arms or spyware to the Saudi Arabian government, or in its war crimes in Yemen; or in war crimes in the Palestinian West Bank, or Chinese government repression of Uyghurs; it can penalise charities that choose not to buy medical products (such as Covid tests) from state-owned companies involved in mass genetic or personal data collection.

Caroline Lucas has called it “a major attack on freedom of expression, an erosion of fundamental democratic principles and a genuine threat to climate and human rights campaigns”.

HELPFUL WEBSITES

 Public Order Bill 2023 (signed into law since the April meeting)
 https://www.amnesty.org.uk/blogs/campaigns-blog/public-order-bill-explained
 
 Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022
 https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/2839
 
 Illegal Migration Bill
 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/illegal-migration-bill
 https://www.libertyhumanrights.org.uk/issue/explained-anti-refugee-bill/

Anti-Boycott Act
righttoboycott.org.uk

https://www.local.gov.uk/parliament/briefings-and-responses/economic-activity-public-bodies-overseas-matters-second-reading

https://waronwant.org/news-analysis/fight-rights-why-we-must-defend-strikes-boycotts-and-protests

Amnesty International Recognises Mohammed El-Halabi as a Prisoner of Conscience

Mohammed El-Halabi

18 May 2023 – Following the motion first written by Adrian Briggs and Duncan Taylor of the Lewes Amnesty Group, and presented to the Amnesty UK AGM in 2022, Amnesty’s International Secretariat announced yesterday that it now considers aid worker Mohammed El-Halabi a prisoner of conscience (POC).  You can read their press release here.

POC status gives added strength to calls that Amnesty and others have made for Mr. El-Halabi’s release from prison in Israel, following the six years he has spent in prison without a trial, and then the sentence of 12 years on the charge of money laundering and aiding terrorism, passed down without any evidence being made public. Mr. El-Halabi was at the time a manager for the World Vision, an internationally recognised charity. His detention is part of a government clampdown on human rights activists and Palestinian civil space.

POC status also sets in motion additional research and the allocation of new resources within Amnesty International.  We look forward to new interest in Mr. El-Halabi’s case. And in the meantime, Lewes Amnesty Group congratulates Adrian and Duncan for getting this motion passed and also the volunteers who have gathered signatures and written letters on Mr. El-Halabi’s behalf.

FIRST MEETING OF THE ALL-PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP FOR THE CLOSURE OF GUANTANAMO

24 April 2023

‘By forming the APPG, MPs and peers are sending a strong message to the US administration’ – Sara Birch, Convenor of the UK Guantanamo Network and member of the Lewes Amnesty Group

The new All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Closing of the Guantánamo Detention Facility met for the first time this evening, hearing from a former detainee, his former guard and experts on the notorious prison complex. MPs and peers, many known for their stand on human rights issues, discussed what Britain can do to finally close the prison and find homes or fair trials for the men held there.

Lewes Amnesty Group has been instrumental in starting this new APPG, through our support of the UK Guantanamo Network and sponsorship of its monthly vigils in Parliament Square.

The new APPG is co-chaired by Layla Moran MP (Lib Dem) and Chris Law MP (SNP), and spoke with former detainee Mohamedou Ould Slahi, author of Guantanamo Diary and whose experience at the prison inspired the film The Mauritanian, directed by Kevin McDonald and starring Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim and Benedict Cumberbatch. Sitting next to him was his former guard, and now friend Steve Wood.

The group also heard from Andy Worthington, journalist and author of The Guantanamo Files. He was able to update members on the current situation at Guantánamo, which still holds 30 remaining detainees, 16 of them cleared for release but still detained. He was questioned closely by peer Helena Kennedy, who was active in past successful efforts to free the camp’s British nationals.

The new APPG is comprised of the following members from both Houses of Parliament:

House of Commons

Layla Moran MP (Lib Dem)

Chris Law MP (SNP)

Sir Peter Bottomey MP (Con)                        

John McDonnell MP (Lab)                   

Caroline Lucas MP (Green)                           

Richard Burgon MP (Lab)

Rachael Maskell MP (Lab)

Andy Slaughter MP (Lab)

House of Lords

Helena Kennedy (Lab)

Shami Chakrabarti (Lab)

Sayeeda Warsi (Con)

John Hendy (Labour)

The group is scheduled to meet again in June, and look further into the individual cases of the remaining detainees. As support for closing the prison continues to grow, the important question is what will become of the men – how they will get fair trials or new homes and the means to restart their lives.

Sara Birch said:

“It’s heartening that parliamentarians are taking a stand to call for the closure of the Guantánamo Detention Facility.

“By forming the APPG, MPs and peers are sending a strong message to the US administration that, after more than 20 years of detention without trial, it’s high time to end this affront to the rule of law.”

Amnesty International UK press release

Mohamedou Salahi Visits House of Lords, Addresses European Parliament

Mohamedou Ould Salahi addressing the European Parliament

Former Guantanamo detainee Mohamedou Ould Salahi addressed the EU Human Rights sub committee in Brussels on Thursday 16th June. Following the address and discussion, he had a private meeting with MEP Isobel Santos. It follows his visit to the UK Parliament to meet with MPs there, organised in part by members of the Lewes Amnesty Group.

The Gauntanamo Network, started by Sara Birch of the Lewes Amnesty Group, is hoping to generate a transnational consensus for the closure of Guantanamo Prison. We are in contact with MPs in the UK and MEPs in Brussels and Strasbourg about starting parliamentary committees for this purpose. And we have helped organised visits by Mr. Salahi to meet with them.

Aside from putting pressure on the American administration to close the prison and try or release the men who have now been there for over 20 years, other countries can help resettle the detainees, so they do not end up in other prisons, still without evidence presented in a public trial.

Israel, Palestine and Apartheid – Public Meeting at Lewes Town Hall on 14th of April 2022

Gary Ettle, Amnesty International’s country coordinator for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (IOPT) addressed a public meeting in Lewes about the institutionalised system of oppression and domination that exists in Israel and Palestine.   Mr. Ettle discussed Amnesty’s new report, titled Israel’s Apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel System of Domination and Crime against Humanity.

Other human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch in the United States and and B’Tselem in Israel have already used the word “apartheid” to describe Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.   Mr. Ettle discussed the analysis behind Amnesty’s decision that the term applies to Israel as well.

At 277 pages, the report itself shows that the time taken to reach this conclusion has been spent in research and deliberation.  The report draws a clear definition of apartheid within international law and documents what deliberate actions by the Israeli government have created that system within its borders and the areas it controls.

The public meeting in Lewes was organised by the Lewes Amnesty Group.  The talk included short films produced by Amnesty International as well as a discussion of the report’s impact, Israel’s response and what people can do to support the dismantling of the apartheid system, the return of refugees and genuine human rights for Palestinians and Israelis. 

Amnesty’s official press release on the report:

Israel’s apartheid against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity

From Amnesty’s own press release on the report:

Amnesty International has analysed Israel’s intent to create and maintain a system of oppression and domination over Palestinians and examined its key components: territorial fragmentation; segregation and control; dispossession of land and property; and denial of economic and social rights. It has concluded that this system amounts to apartheid. Israel must dismantle this cruel system and the international community must pressure it to do so. All those with jurisdiction over the crimes committed to maintain the system should investigate them.

Andy Worthington: Guantanamo Bay Update 10th of February 2022

Journalist and activist Andy Worthington, author of the Guantanamo Files, discussed the current state of Guantanamo Bay Prison and the men held there.

His talk covered recent changes to how the men are being held, the Biden administration’s moves towards freeing the men (or lack thereof) and the differences between being “cleared for release”, “released” and actually free.

Guantanamo Demonstration in front of Parliament 8 Jan

Members of the UK Guantanamo Network (which includes a number of Amnesty groups/activists) marched in London on Saturday 8th January 2022 to mark the 20th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo on 11th January 2022. 

We started at Parliament Square and marched to Trafalgar Square where speakers included former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, Ken Macdonald the director of The Mauritanian, campaigner and journalist Andy Worthington and two speakers from Amnesty – Lise Rossi, Amnesty’s country coordinator for North America and Sara Birch of Lewes Amnesty Group.

Click here for more, including videos of the event.

Get The Mauritanian Shown in America!

When director Kevin Macdonal was doing Q&A for his film The Mauritanian at Depot Cinema, he was asked “What affect has the film had in the States?” and he had to answer “Very little”.

The release of the Mauritanian in America was frustrated by COVID, worse than it was here in the UK. Here the release was primarily on Amazon Prime, which worked well for a pandemic. But in the States it went to cinemas, many of which were closed.

But Lewes Amnesty group was able to get a showing this October just by asking nicely. The people at Depot Cinema took on this cause and went out of their way to make it a success.

So we figure, if we can do it, why not local groups in the United States? So we are launching a kind of internal campaign to help local Amnesty groups in America arrange showings of the Mauritanian in the next two months – leading up to the 20th anniversary of Guantanamo in January.

We have a new web page, a snappy URL, a contact form and a map of independent cinemas across the United States. It’s not a bad start:

tinyurl.com/ShowTheMauritanian

Please spread this link to anyone you know who belongs to a human rights or civil society group – here or in America. It doesn’t have to be Amnesty. And if you would like to help us make this campaign a success, fill in the contact form and say so. We will need people to send emails, make calls and do research.

Guantanamo Conference with University of Brighton 12-13 November 2021

Our Campaign Co-ordinator Sara Birch organised this two day academic conference in conjunction with the University of Brighton. Have a brief look at the link below and count the international academics, lawyers and journalists that gave presentations from all over the world.

This event made a prestigious contribution to the study of America’s terrible decision to invent a place where human rights do not exist. Over two days, experts on Guantanamo examined the law, the hidden histories and agendas behind the prison, and why it is still open.

Guantanamo doesn’t just hurt the men inside and their families. It has had a corrosive effect on American justice and America’s place in the world. Sara, Andy Worthington and legal students from the University of Brighton gathered some extremely smart people to untangle this mess.

It was mentioned by more than one participant that the event not only examined the facts, but had strengthened the community of activists working to close the prison. The event was recorded, and a publishing company have shown interest in a book. More to follow!

Write for Rights in Lewes – 27th November 2021

Back in the flesh and back in the streets, the Lewes Amnesty Group wrote letters and cards to prisoners and the people holding them on the 27th of November at the House of Friendship on School Hill in Lewes. Turnout was almost at pre-covid levels and over 80 letters and cards were sent.

This year we were writing in aid of Zhang Zhan, one of the few citizen
journalists to report on COVID-19 in China and was sent to prison for it. We were also writing to Mikita Zalatarou, a teenager sentenced to five years in prison colony for running away from police in Belarus, and Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, facing the possibility of life in prison for protesting against the Thai government.

It is not too late to take part. Writing these letters is the core of what we do. You can download the Write for Rights booklet here