Meeting local MPs - 13 April & 3 June 2015

Apart from our regular monthly meetings and events we organise, our group is actively involved in campaigning. Our political coordinator and other members of the group recently met with our local MPs to discuss a number of Human Rights issues and Amnesty campaigns.

On the 13th April two members of our local group met with Jeremy Corbyn, MP for Islington North.

Here is a brief summary of the issues discussed:

• UK Torture Inquiry : Corbyn supported Amnesty's view that there should be a judge-led public inquiry into the UK's role in rendering terrorist suspects to the CIA who were then tortured.
• Stop torture campaign : Corbyn thought the UK should end deportation to any country that has not signed the UN Convention on Torture.
• Human Rights Act : Corbyn thought there would not be a majority support in parliment for repealing the HRA.
• Other issues : Corbyn was due to meet Dianne Feinstein (chairman of the US Senate Security Committee) along with David Davis MP. They were going to speak to her about Shaker Ahmer (the British citizen who is still being held in Guantanamo Bay prison after 13 years). Corbyn thought that international treaties should become void or sanctions enacted when participant countries violate human rights.

On the 3rd June three members of our group met with Emily Thornberry, MP for Islington South.

Here is a brief summary of the issues discussed:

• Human Rights Act : Thornberry thought that the HRA was unlikely to be repealed. She has been encouraging the government to think more deeply about the consequences of withdrawl.
• Mediterranean Refugee Crisis : Thornberry was concerned about distinguishing between economic migrants and genuine refugees. Many of the people crossing the Mediterranean could simply be trying to make a better life for themselves but that does not entitle them to access the EU.
• Syria : Thornberry thought that the UK should agree to resettle more Syrian refugees in the UK.
• Andar Tsige : Thornberry mentioned an Islington resident Andar Tsige, who was renditioned to Ethiopia where he was then tortured. He is the leader of an opposition political party in Ethiopia. His family live in Islington and as a group we can help to campaign for his release.