Fortnightly Action and News 23/01/2026
Manchester Amnesty Fortnightly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
Géza Buzás-Hábel, organiser of the October 2025 Pécs Pride in Budapest, is currently under criminal investigation for planning a peaceful LGBTI+ rights march, which went ahead despite the ban issued by authorities under Hungary’s anti-Pride law. If formal charges are brought, he could face up to one year of imprisonment. Amnesty International calls on the Prosecutor’s Office to immediately close the criminal proceedings, which constitute an undue interference in the exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly, freedom of expression, and non-discrimination under European and international human rights law. This case marks a troubling escalation in the criminalisation of LGBTI+ expression and peaceful assembly in Hungary. Click the link below to support Amnesty’s action and by emailing to Prosecutor’s Office.
***THIS EVENING***
110th MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL for the people of Palestine
St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 23rd January, 5-6pm.
Please do not bring placards, banners or flags.
We will provide placards/banners with Amnesty’s messages. Please bring your friends.
TOMORROW, Saturday 24th January
12.30pm prompt- 1.30pm Meet at the Ghandi statue outside Manchester Cathedral
We welcome refugees – photos with orange hearts at various locations in Manchester city centre. We will finish in St. Peter’s Square so people can go straight on to…..
2-4pm. Our bimonthly appeal writing drop-in in Manchester Central Library, beside the café area. All information and materials provided for writing, bring your own device if you prefer to email. Come for as long as you want, and bring your friends. See you there!
Annual subscriptions for the Manchester Amnesty Group are now due.
If you receive these newsletters you are a member of Manchester Amnesty. You may or may not be a supporter of and pay a subscription to Amnesty International UK (AIUK), to which we are affiliated. The Manchester Amnesty subscription is separate, and allows us to carry out our campaigns and to make an annual donation to AIUK.
The subscription is voluntary, and we suggest £20 for those in receipt of a wage or pension, or whatever you can afford. Please pay by bank transfer into our account, Manchester Amnesty Group, sort code 050573, acct no 68177527, reference “Subs”. You may consider setting up a standing order. If you want to pay another way, please email sean.a.dunne@btinternet.com.
Sunday 1st February 5pm online Prevent Campaign meeting.
If you would like to join the group campaigning against the government’s discriminatory Prevent strategy, please email Tom Milnes thomashmilnes@gmail.com
Very occasionally, at our vigil and other events we have had to deal with hostility.
We are fortunate to have been offered a free de-escalation & well-being training session by a member of XR with experience and expertise in these issues.
This will be online on Tuesday, February 24th at 6pm. If you would like to attend, please contact alison.wearden@gmail.com or kathrynmbuss@gmail.com
If you wish to respond to the government’s consultation (closes 12/02/26) on its proposals for Pathways to Settlement for migrant workers and refugees, please read AIUK’s briefing and guidelines first. If you would like to join a brief online meeting to discuss the consultation before submitting your response, please email alison.wearden@gmail.com
Sunday 1st February, 1pm, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, M2 5NS
Screening plus discussion of “The Conspiracists” by filmmaker Liz Smith who will introduce the film and lead a Q&A session. Watch the trailer here.
Free, with donations to Page75 Productions. Please register here. All are welcome.
Women Against the Far Right (North West). Greater Manchester Launch Event
Saturday, 7th February, 2-5pm, Central Hall Manchester, M1 1JQ.
More information and book your tickets here (please give a donation)
Rock Against Racism Family Festival
Stretford Public Hall, Sunday 15th February, 1-6pm
A celebration of music, community, and resistance. All welcome!
Tickets are free, with optional donations to support the event and KidsofColour, the anti-racist youth group working for racial justice in Greater Manchester.
With thanks to @manchesterstanduptoracism for their support.
Whalley Range Peace and Justice Stand with Palestine
Each Wednesday 5-6pm at Brooks Bar M16 7RN
Didsbury for Palestine, every Wednesday, 5.30-6.30pm. Location alternates
14th January outside the Co-op, 21st January, junction of Wilmslow Road/School Lane
Levenshulme Peace & Justice for Palestine All out for Palestine Thursday, 5.30-6.30pm, Levenshulme Village Green, junction of Stockport Rd & Chapel St
plus Levenshulme Consumer Boycott stall
Every first Sunday, (next is 1/2) 11:00-12:30, Outside Tesco on Stockport Road
Please see GMFoP website for up to date information about rallies, protests, events.
Good news
India - On January 5, 2026, the Federal Supreme Court granted bail to Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa Rehman, Shadab Ahmed and Saleem Khan, who had spent over five years in pre-trial detention on terrorism charges after taking part in peaceful protests against the discriminatory Citizenship Act of 2019.
Tunisia - On January 7, 2026, the former director of the NGO Tunisie Terre d'Asile Sherifa Riahi and five other defendants in a proceeding related to assistance to migrants were released from prison, after more than 580 days of pre-trial detention and a two-year suspended sentence for "hosting people who entered or left the territory illegally" and "facilitating the entry, the exit, movement or irregular stay of foreign persons".
Venezuela - On January 8, 2026, lawyer Rocío San Miguel, president of the NGO Control Ciudadano, was released from prison. She had been arbitrarily arrested on February 9, 2024 on terrorism charges and had suffered a period of enforced disappearance.
Turkey - On January 9, 2026, the president and ten other members of the executive committee of the Istanbul Bar Association were acquitted of the crimes of "spreading terrorist propaganda" and "spreading misleading information". The charges arose from a statement they published in December 2024 about the arrests of lawyers and journalists during a demonstration and the killing of two journalists in northern Syria.
Myanmar - On January 12, 2026, hearings began in the case brought in 2019 by Gambia against Myanmar for violation of the Convention on Genocide against the Rohingya minority.
Venezuela - On January 14, 2026, journalist and human rights defender Carlos Julio Rosas was released from prison. He had been arrested on April 15, 2024 and charged with "terrorism" and having made an attempt on the life of former President Maduro. No evidence was ever presented and he had never been put on trial.
Greece - On January 15, 2026, the Lesvos Court of Appeal acquitted Sean Binder and 23 others charged with belonging to a criminal organization, fraud, money laundering and aiding and abetting irregular entry, when in reality they had only been assisting and rescuing migrants and asylum seekers.
The next Fortnightly Action and Newsletter will appear on 6th February.
Manchester Amnesty issue and campaign coordinators
Anti-racism –Hazel Errey hazelerrey@gmail.com and Umbareen Siddiqi
Human Rights in the UK Richard Umpleby richump@live.co.uk
Individuals at Risk bi-monthly drop in (next one 22/11/25) Liz Carter lizcarter64@yahoo.co.uk
Israel's Apartheid Against Palestinians - Mike Reed mikewreed101@gmail.com
LGBTQ+ and Pride – Fynn Kawe fynnkawe@gmail.com
Prevent campaign – Tom Milnes thomashmilnes@gmail.com
Refugees –activities coordinated via a whatsapp group – email alison.wearden@gmail.com to join
UAE/Sudan - Kathryn Fletcher kathrynmbuss@gmail.com
Our website Manchester | Amnesty International UK [amnesty.org.uk] (managed by Alison Wearden)
NOTE we will soon be moving over to a new AIUK Online Community Platform. More details to follow.
X/Twitter @amnestymanc [twitter.com] (managed by Steve Lindsay – stevenjameslindsay@gmail.com)
Facebook Manchester Amnesty Group [facebook.com] MANAGER NEEDED!
Instagram @amnestymanchester [instagram.com] managed by Hazel Errey (hazelerrey@gmail.com)
Digital design coordinator Fynn Kawe fynnkawe@gmail.com
Alison Wearden
Communications Secretary
Manchester Group of Amnesty International.
Please contact me on alison.wearden@gmail.com with items for our Fortnightly Action and News, or with ideas for longer articles for the quarterly Manchester Amnesty Group Bulletin (Mar, Jun, Sep, Dec).
Group email address: manchestergroup@amnesty.org.uk
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