Fortnightly Action and News 28/11/2025
Manchester Amnesty Fortnightly Action and News
Please do this action and make a difference
This week’s action comes from the 2025 Write for Rights booklet.
Sonia Dahmani, a lawyer and media personality, has been arbitrarily detained since May 2024 for peacefully exercising her right to freedom of expression. She faces five prosecutions and is enduring cruel, inhumane detention conditions that seriously threaten her health. Read more about Sonia’s case on p.13 of this year’s Write for Rights booklet. Please send a short appeal email to the president of Tunisia urging Sonia’s release, as she is detained solely for exercising her right to freedom of expression. You could also post a message of support and solidarity to Sonia. Addresses and other information you need can be obtained by clicking the link below.
***THIS EVENING***
104th MANCHESTER AMNESTY SILENT VIGIL for the people of Palestine
St Peters Square, Manchester, Friday 28th November, 5-6pm.
Please do not bring placards, banners or flags.
We will provide placards/banners with Amnesty’s messages Please bring your friends.
***TOMORROW***
Open meeting on Racial Justice and the Prevent Duty in Manchester
Saturday, 29th November, 2.15-5pm, Friends Meeting House, Mount Street, M2 5NS
Please do come and help us plan the next steps in our campaign.
Register your attendance at this FREE event here.
Manchester Amnesty Group Meeting, December, 8th, 6-7:30pm, in person.
Manchester Central Library, Third Floor Meeting Room.
As is our tradition in December, we will be focusing on this year’s Write for Rights campaign. All information and materials will be provided but if you have any Christmas cards to use up, do bring them, and also a few £££ please to contribute towards the postage. Feel free to bring nibbles to share. Mulled wine will be provided, but please bring your own mug.
The exhibition: Gaza Remains the Story is now on display at Ascension Church, Hulme, M15 5TQ and will remain there at least until the end of the year. Please do visit it.
The Islamic Society of Britain, Youth Group, and Amnesty International Manchester.
Friday, 12th December, 7:30pm. Stretford Public Hall, Chester Road, M32 9AY.
Genocide, Apartheid, War Crimes – 75 years of injustice. Talk by Mike Reed which will also give a brief account of Amnesty’s history, work and purpose.
The event is free and open to all. Please register here.
.
Saturday, December 6th, 1-5pm Whalley Range Peace and Justice present their annual
Amnesty International card & letter-writing event: “The pen is mightier than the sword.”
. St Margaret’s Church, Rufford Road, Whalley Range, M16 8AE.
There will be the usual selection of stalls selling books, cards and gifts from around the world, Beech Band, Open Voice Choir, plus food from Tibetan Kitchen and festive drinks.
Many stalls take cards, but ideally bring a bit of money too!
Join us for “Manchester Voices for Safety and Peace”!
Hosted by IWPG and CARISMA, this panel brings together key Manchester civic stakeholders to mark the UN 16 Days of Activism under the global theme of ending gender-based violence.
The discussion will highlight how Manchester has addressed Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) and forms part of the Safer Communities Project.
Thursday, 4 December 2025, 12 noon, Community Hub, 420-422 Stockport Road, M12 4EX
Sam Johnson Memorial Lecture 4 December 2025.
Sergei Nikitin
Friends and Comrades: How Quakers helped Russians to survive famine and epidemic.
Thursday 4th December 2025 at 06:00 pm to 08:00 pm
The Manchester Histories Hub [gmail.us3.list-manage.com] on the Lower Ground Floor of Manchester Central Library. Please register on the link below.
Sam Johnson Memorial Lecture 2025 Tickets, Thu, Dec 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM | Eventbrite
International Day of Solidarity with the People of Palestine
Saturday, 29th November, 12 noon, Piccadilly Gardens.
Whalley Range Peace and Justice Stand with Palestine
Each Wednesday 4.30-5.30 at Brooks Bar M16 7RN
Didsbury for Palestine, every Wednesday, 5.30-6.30pm location alternates.
19th November outside Coop, 24th November outside Library.
Levenshulme Peace and Justice for Palestine All out for Palestine
Each Thursday, 5-6pm, Levenshulme Village Green, junction of Stockport Rd & Chapel St
plus Levenshulme Consumer Boycott stall
Every first Sunday, (next is 7/12) 11:00-12:30, Outside Tesco on Stockport Road
Please see GMFoP website for up to date information about rallies, protests, events.
Good news
Poland - On November 13, 2025, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Polish state violated the rights of a pregnant woman who, after being diagnosed with a fetal malformation, was forced to travel abroad to have an abortion as domestic laws prohibited it.
Malaysia - On November 13, 2025, the government announced a comprehensive review, starting in 2026, of legislation on the death penalty and its application, with a view to total abolition.
United States of America - On November 14, 2025, a few minutes before the execution, the governor of the state of Oklahoma commuted the death sentence of Tremane Wood, to life imprisonment. He has been convicted in 2021 of killing a migrant worker at the end of a robbery,
Venezuela - On November 16, 2025, 41-year old French citizen and yoga teacher, arbitrarily disappeared and detained in Venezuela since the end of June, was released. Amnesty International had been involved in researching his disappearance.
Eswatini - On November 5, 2025, following a royal pardon, former Eswatini MP and prisoner of conscience Mthandeni Dube returned home after almost four and a half years in prison albeit with a series of prohibitions and limitations. He had been arrested on July 25, 2021 for supporting calls for constitutional and democratic reforms and sentenced, on July 31, 2024, to 58 years in prison for "terrorism" and "sedition".
Italy - On November 19, 2025, the Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the bill on sexual violence that recognizes that sex without consent is rape. The text will pass to the Senate for the next vote.
Israel - Occupied Palestinian territory - On November 19, 2025, Israeli authorities released Mohamed Hamad, a 16-year-old Palestinian prisoner from a village in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank, who was placed in administrative detention for 13 months on the basis of secret evidence about the alleged "security danger" he constituted.
The next Fortnightly Action and News will be on 13th December.
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
Press freedom and Julian Assange – Lima Al-iskalachi limazakoor@gmail.com & Danny Jones dannyj644@gmail.comsu
Prevent campaign – Tom Milnes thomashmilnes@gmail.com
Refugees - Caroline Glendinning caroline.glendinning@york.ac.uk and Alison Wearden
UAE - Kathryn Fletcher bussk@btinternet.com
Our website Manchester | Amnesty International UK [amnesty.org.uk] (managed by Alison Wearden)
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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