Maraton psaní dopisů
We are pleased to announce the 6th year of the Letter Writing Marathon in Sázavská. The event will take place on 9/12/2024 from 14:30 in the physics classroom and you can spend as much time as you want.
The Letter Writing Marathon is an international human rights event sponsored by Amnesty International. The goal is to write as many letters as possible in support of wrongfully imprisoned or prosecuted people around the world. The letter can be written directly to them, or as a protest to the government that is responsible for their sentence.
This year's cases:
Manahel al-Otaibi (Saudi Arabia)
The 30-year-old fitness teacher posted a photo on social media in sportswear without traditional robes. In November 2022, they arrested and brought her to court, where she was sentenced to 11 years in prison. We demand that the Minister of Justice of Saudi Arabia immediately and unconditionally release Manahel al-Otaibi and drop all charges.
Gilbert Noam (Czech Republic)
Gilbert Noam, a trans man, wanted to change his official gender, but the law required him to undergo castration (a procedure that disables reproductive function). Gilbert refused to comply and decided to push for a legislative change. We demand that the Minister of Justice and the Parliament of the Czech Republic ensure a change in legislation that would allow trans people to officially change their gender without any medical conditions.
Maryja Kalesnikava (Belarus)
The artist Maryja Kalesinkova joined the leadership of the opposition campaign of leader Sviatlana Cichanovská. Due to manipulation and violence, the former dictator Alexander Lukashenko was very successful and began to take revenge on the Belarusian opposition. After the failed deportation, she was accused of "extremism" and was sentenced to 11 years in prison. After being in solitary confinement, where she almost froze to death, she had to undergo an operation and her health is still deteriorating. We demand that the Secretary of State secure her immediate and unconditional release and that her unjust sentence be overturned.
Oqbu Hashad (Egypt)
In May 2019, security forces raided one of the Egyptian universities and arrested students, who they subsequently released, except for one. Oqbu Hashada has a brother who is an activist who criticized human rights violations in Egypt and left the country a year ago. Oqbu was subjected to severe torture such as electric shocks. In prison, his prosthetic leg, without which he cannot move, broke and the authorities refused to provide him with a new one. We demand that the Egyptian president ensure his release, as he is detained only on the basis of his brother's human rights activism.
Wet'suwet'en (Canada)
Indegenous people must defend their territory against the construction of a more than 700 kilometer long gas pipeline. Because of the construction, their forests are destroyed and part of the territory is cut off. This threatens their livelihood and cultural heritage. The Wet'suwet'en face arrest for protesting. So far, 75 people have been arrested. We demand that the Prime Minister of British Columbia ensure an end to the criminalization of the nation and the release of those who have been detained.
Đạng-Đình-Bach (Vietnam)
Vietnam is one of the countries most threatened by climate change. An environmental lawyer who has consistently fought against pollution was falsely accused of tax evasion and sentenced behind closed doors to 5 years in prison two weeks after the birth of his son. We demand that the Vietnamese president ensure the immediate and unconditional release of Đang-Đình-Bách. He must be protected from torture and other ill-treatment until his release. He must also be given access to adequate medical care.
You can learn more about individual cases at https://maraton.amnesty.cz/.
A. Štětinová