We should all do more to help Amnesty International

Thank you very much for opening my blog. Amnesty International is a very important group and the more awareness raised, the better. I feel very strongly about Amnesty and I appreciate the fact you want to learn about it.

Amnesty International is a global organisation that helps people who are prisoners of conscience and are not allowed to express their own opinion in their country. A good example of this is Ferhat Gerçek’s (above) case.
Ferhat lives in Turkey and was full of passion for justice and for a better world. He distributed a perfectly legal political magazine. Day’s before his 18th birthday, he got confronted by Turkish police officers who told him to stop selling the magazines. Ferhat pointed out it was a legally approved magazine and the police argued with him. Ferhat got shot in the back and ended up paralysed from the waist downwards.
Seven police officers face trial for 'wounding with intent as a result of excessive use of force' but the t-shirt Ferhat was wearing when he was shot has been ‘misplaced’ by the police. This is crucial evidence and could help bring Ferhat to justice.
However, Ferhat is also being prosecuted in connection with the dispute and could face more than 15 years in prison if found guilty!
On top of this, Engin Ceber was arrested along with others on 28th September 2008, while peacefully protesting against the continued ignorance of Turkish authorities in the case of the 2007 shooting of Ferhat. Engin was stripped naked, kicked and beaten by the police while he was in detention. His lawyer said he was transferred to hospital on 7th October due to the injuries he had sustained. He died from his injuries in the afternoon of 10th October.
This is unjust, unfair and cruel. If an instance like this occurred in the U.K, the police officers responsible would face time in jail. During this difficult time, Amnesty members and supporters have been campaigning for Ferhat and Engin’s justice while comforting their families. Thousands of letters have been sent to Ferhat to assure him he is not alone in his fight for freedom.

If you would like to learn more about Ferhat and Engin’s case or just about Amnesty International in general please visit www.amnesty.org.uk where you will find information about what Amnesty do and how you can get involved.
Thank you again for reading my blog. Please feel free to post comments of what you thought of my blog. In particular, it would be helpful if you could answer the following;

• Had you heard of Amnesty International before you read this blog?
• Will you tell your friends so that they are more educated about Amnesty’s activities?
• Would you be prepared to write a letter to Ferhat assuring him that he will receive his justice?
If you would like to write to Ferhat, details for contact can be found on the Amnesty website (address above).

Matilda Stuckey Howard