Amnesty International, York

a reeent stall of amnesty york

Events of 2025 by York Amnesty International Group

  • February 11th – AGM
  • February 18th – Busy “What is your favourite human right?” stall at York St John. Human rights literature handed out to many students.
  • March 8th – International petition to make “gender apartheid” (as seen in Iran and Afghanistan) an international crime in the same way as “racial apartheid”. In St Helen’s Square with a model in full Afghan hijab. Petition sent to David Lammy, then Foreign Minister.
  • April 25th – Pauline, Richard, Anne & Trish met with Rachael Maskell MP to express our serious concerns about the inclusion of yet more anti-protest measures in the proposed Crime and Policing Bill.
  • June 7th – the Amnesty Stall at York Pride was successful, with many people visiting us. The focus was on supporting Budapest Pride in Hungary and trans people in the UK. Our call for “thumbprints” on a petition was popular, and the completed petition was subsequently sent to AIUK.
  • June 17th – Refugee display at York St. John’s. We created useful link with York Friends of the Earth with the aim of future joint action(s).
  • June 19th – The Right to Protest - Trish met Luke Charters MP for York Outer online and expressed her concerns about the restrictive space for protest in the UK.
  • June 24th – Public talk by Memet Atawulla, a Uighur human rights activist, at the Friends Meeting House. He was then a protected fellow at the Centre for Applied Human Rights.
  • August 9th – Stall on the European Convention on Human Rights alongside the Amnesty bookshop stall at the River Market.
  • October – Chris started an Instagram account for York Amnesty, with the aim of engaging with a wider audience. The Instagram tag is amnesty_york
  • November 7th – Don and Barbara attended Rachael Maskell’s surgery to seek support for the international petition to make “gender apartheid” an international crime. Rachael was aware of the petition and undertook to promote it within Parliament and with the Foreign Office.
  • December 6th – The annual Write for Rights stall was held on Bishopthorpe Road. Both the Lord Mayor and MP for York Central attended. Big thanks to Linda as ever for her artwork.
OTHER EVENTS
  • Rodney Nicholson – we said a sad goodbye to Rodney in summer who moved to his home patch of Lancashire due to health issues. He has been a staunch activist with us and a brilliant secretary.
  • Letter writing – Anne has continued to organise monthly letter-writing at the Winning Post on every third Wednesday of the month – and to provide information for those who prefer to write their letters at home. We have collectively advocated for over over 50 prisoners of conscience during 2025.
  • Turkey – We continue to support 5 people in prison in Turkey, sentenced to very long sentences as a consequence of peaceful opposition to the government following the Gezi Park protests. Barbara organises monthly greetings cards and is in email contact with Osman Kavala through his solicitor.
  • Egypt – Andrew continued to manage the campaign for the release of British-Egyptian Alaa Abdel Fatah in prison in Egypt. Happily, he was finally released in autumn of 2025. We take up other one-off actions on Egypt as they arise.
  • July 5th – AIUK’s AGM. A key motion was to instruct the AIUK board to pause any idea of closure of Amnesty bookshops, including York, pending a thorough and collective assessment of their value, both financial and in brand recognition. The terms of reference were shared in November 2025, but no noticeable assessment started. In theory, the assessment and conclusions should be available in February 2026. If the bookshop has to close, we will need to identify an alternative and cheap meeting place.
  • October 7th – First regional Zoom meeting with Alex Jagger (of Sheffield group), new activist rep. Barbara took part; future meetings are open to all members. This is part of the revival of support for groups on a regional basis.

Events of 2024 by York Amnesty International Group

  • January – Write for Rights stall on Bishopthorpe Road (which had been rained off in December 2023!)
  • February - Talk at Friends Meeting House about the situation in Ghana was given by Robert Wanjala, a protected fellow at the Centre for Applied Human Rights.
  • March – Women’s Day talk by Nabila Espamioly, a clinical psychologist, feminist and peace activist from Nazareth.
  • April 18th – Amnestea at Susan and Ian’s home, which raised £180.
  • April 27th – Turkey stall on Bishopthorpe Road with solidarity tulip cards for our 5 PoCs who are in prison for opposing the government, including Osman Kavala who has been sentenced to life in prison.
  • May – Display and public petition in the Amnesty bookshop on behalf of Alaa Abdelfattah, our PoC in Egypt.
  • June 1st – stall at York Gay Pride, producing fingerprints as a gesture of solidarity for gay rights activists in Africa.
  • June 11th - talk by Mohammad Aman Khan, a lawyer from India, on “Human Rights Litigation and Advocacy – lawyer’s perspective.
  • June 13th – York Festival of Ideas. Andrew’s talk on a reform of the House of Lords which would represent the needs/issues of “ordinary people” through the HoL membership of charities.
  • September – continued support by letters for Alaa Abdelfattah in Egypt
  • October – Public documentary film screening at the Friends Meeting House: a Turkish film “Kanun”/”The decree” which is banned in Turkey as it deals with the stories of thousands of Turkish people, teachers, civil servants, lecturers, doctors, who lost their jobs following the alleged failed coup in 2016. We had a full house.
  • November – Ceilidh fundraiser for our group, organised by Ena and Willy. Great fun and great success financially, raising £662.
  • December – Write for Rights on Bishopthorpe Road, supporting human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia, Canada, Turkey and Belarus. . Very successful and attended by Rachael Maskell, York Inner MP, and the mayor.

AND

Anne continues to manage the monthly letter-writing sessions either at The Winning Post or on-line in poor weather.

We have sent monthly solidarity cards to our 5 PoCs in Turkey (imprisoned following the Gezi Park protests of 2013. Barbara has email correspondence with Osman Kavala, businessman and philanthropist, through his lawyer. Can Atalay, left wing lawyer, sends occasional replies by letter. We have had feedback from the AI International Secretariat that this support is much appreciated.

Andrew continues to lead the mainly letter campaigning on behalf of our PoC in Egypt, Alaa Abdelfattah, who has joint British-Egyptian nationality.

We bought display boards and a table for public campaigning.