forcechange

FBI Investigates Cop Leaving Teen in Critical Condition

Originally published on September 17, 2014, at NationofChange.org

The FBI is launching an investigation into a routine traffic stop that left a 17-year-old police officer’s son in critical condition. Although the Independence Police Officer claims his actions had been justified, witnesses report several inconsistencies with the cop’s version of events. The FBI and Missouri police are reviewing video footage to determine whether the officer involved should be charged with excessive force.

On the afternoon of September 14, Officer Tim Runnels pulled over 17-year-old Bryce Masters because his license plate matched a plate wanted for a traffic warrant. According to the police, Masters refused to cooperate with Officer Reynolds and resisted arrest.

“I believe he did crack the window but did not roll it down any further. He was just being completely uncooperative with the officer,” alleged Sgt. Darrell Schmidli. “The driver refused to exit the vehicle. A struggle ensued. A Taser was deployed by the officer. The driver was finally removed out of the car. A struggle ensued once he was moved out of the car.”

Continue reading →

1 CommentLeave a comment

Success: Secretly Detained Human Rights Activist Released

Originally published on September 17, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan of Oman

Goal: Applaud the release of a human rights advocate held at a police station

Prominent human rights activist and blogger, Mohamed Al Fazari Abdelrahman has been released after being secretly held prisoner by the police for five days. After receiving orders to appear at the police station, he was detained for several days without access to legal representation. The police refused to even acknowledge to his family and lawyer that they had arrested him. A previous ForceChange petition called for the immediate release of Mohamed Al Fazari, and this is a commendable success.

As founder and editor of the e-magazine Mowatin (“Citizen”), Mohamed advocates for freedom of speech and expression in Oman, which has made him a target for law enforcement. In August 2012, Mohamed Al Fazari Abdelrahman was convicted of insulting the ruler, violating cybercrime law, and unlawful gathering. He was pardoned by Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said and released last year. In October 2013, he was arrested again and told to shut down his website. State security reportedly told Mohamed Al Fazari Abdelrahman that the next time they arrested him, they would never release him.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Stop Security Forces from Torturing and Unlawfully Killing Protesters

Originally published on September 16, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan

Goal: Investigate the murders and mistreatment of protestors by police

Burdened with a deteriorating economy and rising inflation, the Sudanese people have taken to the streets to voice their discontent. In response, police and other security forces have repeatedly used excessive and unnecessarily lethal force to suppress the masses. Operating with impunity, security forces have detained, tortured, and killed people attempting to practice free speech. The government of Sudan must investigate these human rights violations and actively prosecute the officers responsible for these crimes.

In a recent report, Amnesty International documented four Sudanese protests that occurred between 2012 and 2014. During the 2013 protests, at least 185 people were killed as police fired live ammunition at them. Most of the casualties had been shot in the head or chest, but many had been shot in the back. One of the wounded protesters had been shot in the head at point blank range.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Release Human Rights Worker Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison

Originally published on September 15, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Thein Sein, President of Myanmar

Goal: Free a human rights activist from serving ten years with hard labor

While promoting development and democracy in Myanmar, a human rights worker has been imprisoned for disturbing public order. He faces at least ten years of hard labor for staging a series of peaceful protests concerning land rights in Rangoon. The government of Myanmar must release this activist and stop imprisoning people who are engaging in free speech.

Human rights worker Ko Htin Kyaw was arrested for leading several anti-government protests related to land rights in Rangoon. As director of the Movement for Democracy Current Force, he has been arrested multiple times for his role in the activist community. In 2007, he was sentenced to twelve years in prison for urging the government to reconsider a sharp increase in fuel prices. The government granted him amnesty in 2011 after serving four years in prison.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Save Elephant from Forced Return to Captivity

Originally published on September 12, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India

Goal: Prevent freed elephant from returning to his abusive former owner

Raju the elephant wept after activists removed the chains that had been wrapped around his legs for the past 50 years. They transported Raju to Wildlife SOS’s Elephant Conservation and Care Center where he has been living with five female elephants for the last two months. Claiming that Raju is his property, the abusive former owner has launched a legal battle to repossess the liberated elephant. The Indian government must show compassion and never allow Raju to be placed in chains again.

Raju had been a calf in the wild when poachers captured him decades ago. After shackling his legs, Raju’s owners beat him until he learned to submit to them. Each time he was sold to a new master, they would beat Raju to break his spirit and exert their dominance over him. Malnourished and with no shelter at night, Raju began eating discarded paper and plastic in order to survive.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Release Missing Human Rights Activists

Originally published on September 12, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar

Goal: Free human rights workers secretly abducted by the police

Researching human rights abuses against migrant workers living in Qatar, two British citizens have recently disappeared while under police surveillance. After being harassed and followed by law enforcement officials, the two human rights activists checked out of their hotel and were never seen again. The government of Qatar must release these activists immediately and prosecute anyone involved in their abduction.

While working for the Global Network for Rights and Development, a Norwegian human rights group, Krishna Upadhyaya and Ghimire Gundev flew to Qatar to investigate the treatment of migrant workers constructing the facilities for FIFA’s 2022 World Cup. The night before their disappearance Krishna Upadhyaya sent a message to a friend in Norway about the heavy police surveillance and harassment being conducted against them. On the day of their disappearance, many people reported seeing numerous plain-clothed policemen surveying their hotel.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Release Human Rights Activist Secretly Detained by Police

Originally published on September 10, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Qaboos bin Said al Said, Sultan of Oman

Goal: Free human rights advocate who disappeared after being summoned to police station

A prominent blogger and human rights activist, Mohamed Al Fazari Abdelrahman, received orders to appear at the police station. On August 30, 2014, he arrived at the police station and was never seen again. Instead of admitting to detaining Mohamed Al Fazari Abdelrahman, law enforcement officials refuse to give any information to his family and lawyer. The government of Oman must release this human rights advocate immediately.

After receiving a summons from the General Directorate of Inquires and Criminal Investigations of the Omani Police, Mohamed Al Fazari Abdelrahman showed up at the police station, but he never left. As founder and editor of the e-magazine Mowatin (“Citizen”), he advocated for freedom of speech and expression. His work has made him a target of law enforcement officials.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Release Abducted Human Rights Activists

Originally published on September 9, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Joseph Kabila, President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Goal: Free the human rights activists abducted by a militant group

While monitoring human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, three activists were abducted by a patrolling militant group. The militia has been arresting any villagers suspected of working for the government or the regular army. Because of their notebooks documenting human rights abuses, the activists have been mistaken for government workers and are still being held captive. The government of the DRC must ensure the immediate release of these human rights activists.

Members of Peasant Action for the Development and Promotion of Human Rights, Celestin Bambone, Kongwa Tulinabo, and Marie Amnazo, had been gathering data on human rights violations when they were abducted. On September 1, members of the National Liberation Forces kidnapped the activists and stole their notebooks. Mistaking them for government employees, the militia is holding them prisoner at their base and refuses to release these three human rights advocates.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Conduct Rigorous Inspections of BP Refineries

Originally published on September 8, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

Goal: Impose harsher penalties and in-depth inspections of BP facilities to prevent disasters

An exploding compressor ignited a fire at BP’s largest U.S. refinery recently, leaving one worker injured. The company’s Whiting Refinery in Indiana has been the center of controversy and numerous incidents of incompetence. Known for causing the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, BP has a notorious history of taking shortcuts, neglecting safety regulations, and harming the environment. To prevent another disaster and any further loss of life, the U.S. government must impose harsher regulations against highly detrimental corporations with proven histories of inanity like BP.

Shaking local homes and injuring a worker, the compressor’s explosion set Whiting Refinery on fire and took hours to extinguish the flames. The injured worker was taken to a hospital to receive treatment. Since the fire took place at night, only a few workers were exposed to the flames. Had the explosion occurred during the dayshift, hundreds of workers could have been injured or killed.

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment

Stop the Needless Slaughter of Pilot Whales

Originally published on September 6, 2014, at ForceChange.com

Target: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, Prime Minister of Denmark

Goal: Ban horrific whaling practices taking place across the Faroe Islands

For hundreds of years, the residents of the Faroe Islands have hunted whales for both sport and a source of food. As a protectorate of Denmark, the Faroe Islands no longer depend on whaling in order to survive yet they continue to slaughter hundreds of pilot whales and dolphins every year. The Danish government must uphold its promise to the European Union and stop supporting the reprehensible act of whaling.

On August 30, the Royal Danish Navy arrested 14 animal rights activists attempting to prevent the death of pilot whales off the coast of the Faroe Islands. As a member of the European Union, Denmark is blatantly violating its commitment to oppose whaling by supporting the whalers. Instead of banning whaling, Denmark enforces a new law keeping unauthorized people at least a mile away from the annual whale hunt known as the “grind.”

Continue reading →

0 CommentsLeave a comment