NO.90 June 1965

AMNSTY INTERNATIONAL

1, Mitre Court Buildings, Temple, E.C.4.

NEWS SHEET FOR GROUPS

INTERNATIONAL AS,TYBLY All countries where there is a irroup established arereminded that thej are entitled to send two delegates

to the International Assembly. These delegates have voting rights and cantake part in decisions determining the future policy of the movement. Theiraccommodation will be provided at the e.epense of the movement. All countriesintendine,: to send their two delegates to the Assembly, should inform theInternational Secretariat by 1st JULY if they have not already done so.

The names of the delegates and of all other supporterswho wish to attend the Assembly, should re ch the Secretariat by 1st SEPTEMBER at the latest.

A number of international organisations in the humanrights field have accepted the invitation to send observers. A preliminaryagenda is enclosed with this Newsletter and all groups are reminded thatresolutions for the agenda must reach the Secretariat by 1st AUGUST,asmentioned in the April issue of EUSTOMY,

MEYBERS TRAVELLING ABROAD During the past few months the InternationalSecretariat has heard from members who will be

mriking trips tMs summer to a variety of countries, including, Czechoslovakia,East Germany, Greece, i'e171., Portu,;a1, Yugoslavia, South Africa, Mozambique,Rhodesia, Zambia, Mezico, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Peru, Pakistan,India and the U.S.S.R. The Secretariat has provided these members with listsof prisoners and it is hoped that they will be able to make enquiries concerningthe prisoners. Professor Vogt of Oslo, who recently returned from Hungary, wasable to report that 15 of the prisoners on the list provided by head office,had now been released.

For those members travellin(z in countries wherethere are other greuJ,e,, a list of all the groups at present established outsideBritain is enclosed. Mc:Mbers might like to take the opportunity of visitinggroups outside ther own ceuntry, to discuss their work and in this way,stren,jthen contacts between the different branches of the Amnesty movement.A copy of group addresees abroad will be sent to the British Section at requestonly.

GROUP NEWS A number ot" have received letters from their adoptedRhodes]an detainoes eypressing gratitude for the help that is

being given them by 1-..mnr::,;ty. rP,e3dedish group that adopted Oliver Chikowerohas heard that he has been ze,ldased frem Wha Wha Detention Camp. Hugh Voddenwho works with Legal Aid. and We]fare in ::alisbury wrote to say that be haspersuaded Shell Co. to ree-employ Oilver Gidkowero as a driver. Sometimes:roup members receive reques,-,s for help frem duadepted detainees at gha Whaor Gonagkodzingwa, the 2 deten-don centres. Whilst it is quite understandablefor them to fcel unfairly trea-.ed, it is better to forward to us these'begging letters' so that We can m,eke arrangements for their adoption.

The group in Geneva has heard from their adopted Yugoslavianprisoner, Tomislav Negru who says that he is out on 'leave' before returningto Goli Otok island prison to complete his sentence. He is due to bereleased in kugust 1966.

One of the groups in Cologne has heard fi-em Miguel Aroche Parratheir Mexican prisoner. The letter was written from prison end it is hopedthat this will enable us to f]_nd. out further information about Mr:xir,,Rri prsr)tiucl.

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The Swedish group in "ppsala has heard from their releasedEast German prisoner, the writer Erich Loest, wh-) is now reunited with hisfamily after 7 years in prison. He has started work on the manuscript ofa now novel.

The Annual General Meeting of the Irish Section to be held on22nd June will be addressed by their released East German prisoner,Peter Herrmann.

Ircland(20) have established direct contact with their Thaiprisoner, one of a number of imprisoned trade unionists. They sent him£3 and had a letter from him in which he declared himself to be 'simplyoverwhelmed' by their sympathy. The group is not resting here, butcontinuing their efforts on the prisoner's behalf. Apart from their ownletters, they also persuaded the Irish Congress of Trade Unions to writeto the Minister of Justice of Thailand.

There are now 143 groups outside Britain.

BRITISHSECTION GROUP NES N.Ireland who so far concerned themselves with15 prisoners, have now adopted an extra 15. In

their recent Art Sale they managed to raise almost £400. £200 of this wasvery generously sent to Head Office. Thanks were largely due to thetremendous work done by Mrs.Bergen—Hammerschlag.

A letter arrived from the mother of an E.Germanprisoner, having rend the Readers Digest article on Amnesty, she begs forour help and N.Ireland have just adopted him. News was received of therelease of Dr.Speratti of Paraguay, but he is now under house arrest.

Mrs.Turtle will be travelling to Pakistan tohelp verify tho facts of their man, a former government commissioner forAnimal Husbandry.

LINCOLN A public meeting, together with the local branches of U.N.A. andto commemorate the signing of the Magna Carta; Professor

Holt of Nottingham University will address the meeting.

LONDON Here is an extract of a letter sent by the sister of a Cuban prisoner,adopted by the Marylebone Group.

"It has been of great satisfaction to me to receive your letterof Feb 19, and see that at last something is going to be doneto help my poor brother Dr.Pena—Justiz suffering prison in Cuba.

The two ways you suggest to help him meet with my approval.Both will be of great help. No, it wnnt harm him if you andyour friends write to the Cuban Authorities or to Dr.Cestrohimself asking for the release of my brother. It might bevery effective. I, like you, think that if Castro is madeaware of the fact that people (non political bodies in Englandand Denmark) are concerned about Dr Arrieta, he may see fit toease his conditions."

The convenor of this group will shortly be leaving for the United Statesand hopes to form a group there.

BRADFORD have sent us £50 following their first Amnesty meeting.

CENTRAL SOMERSET "we would gladly act as a channel for subscriptions tothe British Section," quotes the editor. This group

is already heavily engaged in publicity and fund raising campaigns intheir own area. Their quarterly report gives full details of theirinvestigation of a South African, Portuuese and Rumanian.

WOKING continues to send £20 a month to May Brutus, wife of Dennis Brutus.

It is worth mentioning that every group with a Rhodesian or a S.Africanprisoner sends regular amounts of money to their families, .nd gratefulletters of thanks are received.

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BIRMINGHAM FRIENDS Post card received from their Greek imprisoned underLaw 375. They have also had correspondence with the

Minister of Justice.

MIDDLESBOROUGH Regular correspondence with John Gada, detained inRhodesia, and his wife.

LEIGHTON PARK Many letters and replies received from the Governor andthe Prime Minister's office, Rhodesia. Burma - as with

all other groups, reply was received from Embassy, but not further developments.

EXETER Their quarterly bulletin reports in detail the results of investigationsrelated to prisoners in Gabon, Portugal and Rumania. They continue

their quest on behalf of Constantin Bellu, serving a life sentence and adoptedin March 63. They presume him to either be dead as a result of multiplediseases or free but penniless. The question of pensions for aged ex-prisonersis being urged. Exeter are in touch with the mother-in-law of their Portuguese,who writes that her own son and daughter are either living in hiding or inprison. One other son carries the burden of supporting them all when theyare at hime. Their third prisoner is the Gabonese ex-Ambassador to London,and here too, a great deal has come to light.

BRISTOL UNIVERSITY had news from the White Fathers about the probablerelease of their Ukrainian minister. They are

continuing their efforts on behalf of Sister Christina Dewald of Rumania,and hope to achieve her leaving the country and joining her order in theU.S.A.

NEWS IN BRIEF Toy Sale. It has been suggested that members in each groupshould ask their children to help arrange a toy fair as

part of a garden fete, to be held in someone's garden or to be combinedwith a school bazaar.

CAR STICKERS are available on request - NO CHARGE.

JUSTICE IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH Please would you ask your local publiclibrary if they would be willing to buy

a copy of Anthony Lester's puhlication, 5/6d a copy.

PRIME MINISTER'S CONFERENCE in LONDON, between 17th June and 23rd June. Therepresentatives from Pakistan, Ghana

and Tanzania will be approached by British members with prisoners in thosethree countries.

PUBLICITY FOR AMNESTY SPEAKERS suggestions as to ways and means are enclosedon a separate sheet. There will also be

PUBLICITY THROUGH TELEVISION sent to you in the next mailing.

AND A BIT OF LIGHT Small amounts of money amounting to kl or £2 can besent to the Commanding Officers of South African

prisoners, for the use of individual prisoners. This enables the prisonerto buy such articles as soap and toothpaste which they would not otherwisehave. Send the money registered and ask for_a receipt. A South Africanlawyer recently in the Amnesty office, asked us to mal,:e this known as itadds so enormously to the welfare and morale of the prisoner.

DR.JULIETA GANDRA Several National Sections sent telgrams to the Portugueseauthorities on receiving the most recent news on Dr.Gandra,

that she is in very bad health and that two Lisbon specialists after visitingher, put it to the prison authorities that if she was not given promptsurgical attention, it was likely that she might die. All groups are askedto continue their efforts on her behalf until we hear that she has beenreleased or transferred to hospital.

6iR.7)17 Cal:ThFUTIO1 - huf,ber ef heve made n spec"al Hro t- raisefunds -I'm': head -)ffice, feilow, the appeal tnkt was

sidit eut esirlior in. the. year. 'Fe '12C very i.rateful fcr this, 7,.:6irticulorly so nufeerous piproacles to foueitions in this ceuntry, have nr-A so fa2,

borhe fruit.

RilTliTS The Anhuai Re,,ert tf the i*ritish Section has already beenbrtducud f-r the Annuhl Gen.ral Leutinc en ll'th June. The

2sprt o111 be 'included in Rupert ef all the :lktiena] Sectiens wifichiiappea2 ih hus.ust. The 3ecreterles of all Sections are hskdd testart iered,ic tih.ir Annual 'Reports se that they may reach head efficeleyTi_th JULY (66.

Tn9T0ea-eit03 FRO)F "-tROUTS A. publicity committee'has beLn stabilishud at theik-diden Office, consistih:: ef e. nunbor ef vclunteor

bokbor. who moot overy d .;:eeks •,f) discuss kays in which erater publicityCen bo :elven te t rk of :ibi'.osty. The c=mittee has ecked that 'f einy:c.ups have bnete:raphs that tney think mi:ht be useful fer Publicitypurpesus, that they send them ts liesd -ffice. The; chn then be used inarticles sbk)'..:;ins the rh C kninesty in different countries threuheut the•

bh_eh.D Ic must apolt:Tise fer the delay in the manuftcture ef thelapel_ tad:7es and charms fer brucelets. Tn• frm" thht is

maki_nk the fer us hhs het beon. able to keep te its ori,inal schedule butthey will be deilvorud at the hendeh office by the :widSle of July end they

ili thun be sent Tdt tot these bee:ide whe have ordered theb-

Dia=l 1,:U1k1The; The article 'Amnesty Frees the T'r"soners efGobccionce" has new appeared in editions nf

th, "huPdor'sIl. thY:' in a dum.Jor ef different cauntrids. Lnquiries heveeikit:,t adily to hend effice '.h'd where jueso;ible the Zecritar'es

of i'le.tierial :lAictieks kAn'te cAped. with the enquiries in thpir --vn countries.Ah)edt &06,. obquirios bay° been ruceived frem the d,thtos end CaTtda anda 'Chrd kao develeiteci. te send to these :people ohe are net 7:ele• f= tfracitbe 3r jein k,roups and yet ci weulp'. like tt de meere

thin just bay iii :bnual subseriptien. These i)eople aro sent 3 Hare c:erds for.ch mnith ••:..f the ydhr with tue. escoptith ef Lusebbor f-.2 which the:t receive

eardk. Once a b:hath the. sent te names nf three prisenersthoi are -els.) told to wham tn address tlr card in cenidection with the

lprisohers. The cr;ind 'Kit' 'which is sent nut te theso members includus,in ndditieh tn the cark, inctrtIctithe .dd sample mos:sat:us, a brief statem.entabk3ut uhen ef those cauntrius from oTich the prisoners sill be chosen abd also the addresses ef the roluvant -putherities. The price of a 'Kit' is1U dellarb. It is heped that the idea wilt ens:: appeal to pee-ple in-the2 cauktries and '„IL the merrkeit, the instructiens aro bu'ene' translated.ihto different lahodakis. IL. price ef the 'Kit' t- co:tntr'es eutsideCtihtdk and the Uhitod L;tatcs olil dephd en the numter of 'Kits' erderedand olli. bo neati,ted with. the countrios cohcerncd.

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