From: Meg Satterthwaite Date: Wed, 12 Jan 1994 14:15:31 -0800 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MEMBERS FOR LESBIAN AND GAY CONCERNS Volume 3, 1993 Issue #10 AIMLGC P.O. Box 8293 Santa Cruz, CA 95061-8293 Summer Address: (June 15-Sept. 10) 1833 Westwind Way McLean, VA 22102 Editor: Meg Satterthwaite, Summer Phone #: 703-893-1708 The AIMLGC newsletter is quarterly and is internal (for AI members only). AMNESTY ACTION ON BRAZILIAN MURDER According to information received by Amnesty International, on the evening of Sunday March 14, 1993, Renildo Jose dos Santos was violently abducted from his home in Coqueiro Seco, Alagoas, in Brazil, by a group of unidentified heavily armed men. Relatives of Renildo Jose dos Santos who witnessed the abduction believe that some of the men were plain clothes police officers. Renildo Jose dos Santos' head was found the following day on waste ground bearing apparent marks of torture. His body was found two days later in another area of waste ground also bearing apparent marks of torture. Renildo Jose dos Santos had repeatedly denounced death threats which he had been receiving since 1989, and which had come from the local mayor and the mayor's father, also a local political leader. He also accused a local police officer of making an attempt on his life. According to written testimony which he made in September 1991, he reported the death threats to a local judge, but apparently no steps were taken to ensure his physical safety. On November 27, 1991 Renildo Jose dos Santos was shot and wounded three times, allegedly by a local police officer whom he named in the testimony. Renildo Jose dos Santos attributed the death threats and the attempt against his life to political differences with the mayor and his father, and to his public acknowledgement of his homosexuality. He claimed that the local police had not conducted a proper investigation into the attempt against his life and that the state Secretary of Public Security had refused his request to suspend the police officer from duty, pending the outcome of the investigation. In January 1993, the local council of Coqueiro Seco set up a parliamentary commission of inquiry to investigate the conduct of councillor Dos Santos under accusations that he had committed acts "incompatible with Parliamentary decorum and bringing the House into disrepute.", "atos incompativeis com o decoro Parlamentar, o que esta denegrindo a reputacao desta Casa Legislativa." Among the reasons given for the accusation was that councillor dos Santos had publicly admitted his homosexuality in a radio program. As a result of the inquiry councillor dos Santos was stripped of his local council seat by the Council. He was subsequently reinstated, pending a Judicial appeal. On February 25, several human rights organizations in Alagoas wrote to the State Secretary for Public Security denouncing the death threats and attempts against the life of councillor dos Santos and the alleged involvement of military police officers in the attempts. The organizations also denounced the smear campaign against him. To Amnesty International's knowledge, no protection was granted to councillor dos Santos. In a statement to the newspaper "Jornal de Alagoas", a few days before his assassination, councillor dos Santos reiterated his denunciations of death threats and [the] discrimination against him from the local mayor, and attributed the smear campaign to his public acknowledgment of his homosexuality. He said that he was frightened and desperate and that he feared a new attempt on his life or an abduction. To Amnesty International's knowledge, nobody has been detained in relation to the abduction and killing of councillor dos Santos. Directly following reports of the murder, Amnesty International began a letter-writing campaign aimed at bringing those responsible for the murder to justice, and denouncing the murder of a person because of his homosexuality. Urgent actions were sent out, and many petitions, letters, and faxes were sent to the Brazilian authorities. This murder should be placed into the context of other anti-gay murders in Brazil. According to the Grupo Gay da Bahia, for example, over one thousand gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals have been murdered in the last decade. Most of these murders have not been fully investigated, and gay groups in Brazil are gravely concerned about this neglect, and have staged actions and campaigns aimed at ending the impunity. Amnesty's action on this case was part of a larger outcry after dos Santos' murder: international gay and lesbian organizations, including the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and the International Lesbian and Gay Association, have also been sending letters and faxes of protest. (UA 78/93, Washington Blade, Vol. 24, No. 15; This action ended on May 31. New actions on such cases will be included in the newsletter.) ILGA RECOMMENDED FOR OFFICIAL UN STATUS In an historic first, the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) became the first-ever gay and lesbian organization to be recommended for official consultative status at the United Nations. On March 29, the UN's Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations of ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) recommended that ILGA be granted Roster Consultative status. If granted, this status will enable ILGA to submit written statements to the UN on issues facing gay men and lesbians around the world. This move came after a very long and often difficult campaign by ILGA. ILGA first applied for consultative status at the UN in 1990. In 1991, the application was postponed for two years due to strong opposition by some members of the NGO Committee. A new application was later submitted, and ILGA representatives met with missions at the UN to educate them about the group's work, and to discuss the concerns that were voiced in 1991. Here in the United States, ILGA activists have been working at the UN in New York, making their presence known, and educating UN representatives about their work on human rights issues. This work paid off in March, when, by a vote of nine in favor and four against (with three abstentions and three absences), the committee broke with tradition to vote instead of deciding by consensus to accept ILGA's application. Apparently, consensus was not possible on this application because of differing convictions regarding homosexuality. Strong opposition was expressed by the representative of Sudan, who said that ILGA members had committed "nefarious and evil" acts. The representative of Iraq explained his opposition by saying that ILGA's work was "against the value of divine religions and human beings." In addition, the representative from Oman said that ILGA "stood against all moral and ethical values." On the other hand, representatives from Bulgaria, Chile, Cuba, France, Greece, Ireland, Russian Federation, and Sweden voted in favor of the application. Costa Rica also voted in favor of the application, then later reversed its vote. Although Costa Rica cannot officially change its record, there is some question as to how the change will ultimately effect ILGA's recommendation. Currently, ILGA is awaiting final vote by the UN's ECOSOC Committee at the end of June. If granted, ILGA plans to use its new status to bring gay human rights issues to the attention of the world community. (ILGA Press Release, 3/31/93, and UN Press Release, 3/29/93) AI PARTICIPATES IN GAY PRIDE EVENTS Amnesty International and AIMLGC will participate in various Gay Pride events around the country this June. March contingents, tables, and merchandising are being planned. AI members will come out to Pride celebrations in: Atlanta, Tempe, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. (at both D.C. Black Gay Pride and at D.C. Gay Pride), and Seattle, among other locations. If you are interested in assisting with these events, or for information about participating, please call your Regional Contact (see list, below). New Questions & Answers Available The International Secretariat has made available a new set of questions and answers on Amnesty International policy on Gay and Lesbian prisoners of conscience. Contact AIMLGC or your regional office for a copy. GAY HUMAN RIGHTS CLIPS by Debora Campbell The following accounts are not from Amnesty reports; they were culled from various different sources, including the gay press and gay and lesbian organizations. They are included here for informational purposes, and represent the range of situations gay men and lesbians face. The presence of a story here does not indicate that AI is or is not currently investigating the situation. Sources follow each account. China: According to a BBC reporter, a discussion group for gay men is being held regularly in a government research center in Beijing, China. Gay organizers are hoping to take advantage of the government's newly relaxed attitude toward gays by attempting to start up similar groups around the country. While homosexual acts are not outlawed in China, gay men and lesbians have faced violence and arrest at the hands of the Chinese government. (Washington Blade, 3/5/93) Costa Rica: According to Colectivo Gay Universitario, on February 6, 1993, police in the city of San Jos began a "cleansing operation" centered around the city's popular gay and lesbian nightclub, La Avispa. Over the next several days, a number of the club's patrons were arrested and subjected to police harassment. During the same period of time, Costa Rica's Minister of Security, Luis Fishman, announced his plans to remove any known homosexuals from the police force. (Colectivo Gay Universitario Press Release 2/15/93) Cyprus: The European Court of Human Rights declared Cyprus' sodomy law a violation of human rights. Following its two earlier rulings, the Court interpreted Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights to include the right to sexual acts between consenting men. Mexico: On February 6, 1993, Neftal Ruiz, a gay rights activist and vice-president of the Grupo Gay Travesti, was murdered in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. Human rights and gay rights groups consider this murder an assassination, given that Ruiz had been a very vocal public figure, demanding investigations of prior murders of gays. Since the middle of 1990, over 30 gay men and transvestites have been murdered in Mexico, with the heaviest concentration in Chiapas and Mexico City. Activists charge the Mexican government with inadequate and slow investigations into the murders. Many well-known groups in Mexico have charged the police and factions of the army with the murders. (Letter from Circulo Cultural Gay and the Department of Human Rights of the Archdiocese of Mexico, 2/13/93) Peru: On January 2, 1993, Peru's President, Alberto Fujimori stated that he dismissed a number of individuals from his diplomatic corps on the basis that they were gay. According to reports from the International Lesbian and Gay Association, the dismissals were part of an attempt to purge the corps of anyone who did not support Fujimori. Most of the people who were purged were neither gay nor lesbian, but were perceived as threats to Fujimori's policies. Following the dismissals, 15 of those fired came out as being gay or lesbian. (ILGA Press Release, 1/19/93) Russia: At the end of April, President Yeltsin signed a law repealing the sections of Article 121 which criminalized consensual, private sexual acts between men. The law was signed at the end of April, published at the end of May, and is now in effect. While this move has been welcomed by gay and lesbian organizations, there is concern for the men already imprisoned under Article 121. Currently, there are no proposed amnesty laws. South Africa: The ruling National Party of South Africa presented a potential new Charter of Fundamental Human Rights on February 5, 1993. Gay and lesbian rights are not protected under the proposed charter. In addition, a statement made by a spokesperson for South Africa's Minister of Justice made it clear that the current government supports the standing sodomy laws, which can lead to life imprisonment. The African National Congress's proposed civil rights charter, on the other hand, does include protections for gay men and lesbians. (Washington Blade, Vol.24, No. 16) United States: Chicago attorney, Robert Spriggs, is charging the military with attempting to silence Spriggs' client, Larry Meholick, a gay man imprisoned at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas on charges of forcible sodomy. Meholick, who was originally held at Miramar prison, was recently transferred to Fort Leavenworth and put into solitary confinement. Spriggs is suggesting that his client, whose case had been receiving considerable media attention before the transfer, was moved to Fort Leavenworth as a tactic to silence him. Spriggs claims that Meholick's trial was unfair, and that when he pled guilty to the charges he faced he did not even know what those charges were. (Washington Blade, 3/19/93) In Washington, D.C., Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly signed a bill that will reform D.C.'s sodomy law in May. (See article, issue #10). Because D.C. has limited home rule (it is not a state, and not in a state), legislation passed by the D.C. City Council is reviewed by Congress, and Congress has the ability to block any legislation. In 1981, the D.C. City Council repealed its sodomy law, but faced a challenge by the Moral Majority in Congress, which was able to defeat the repeal. The present review period of the new bill lasts sixty days. (NGLTF Activist Alert, 5/93) Debora Campbell is an intern at AIMLGC, and is majoring in Community Studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. AIMLGC Steering Committee Action: Abe Bonowitz Meg Satterthwaite Paul Tighe Policy: Catherine DeFlorio Alice Miller Cynthia Rothschild Meg Satterthwaite Vince Steele Staff Liaison: Cary Johnson Liaison to HIV Task Force: Sofia Gruskin Officers: Chair: Meg Satterthwaite Treasurer: Paul Tighe Secretary: Neil Demers-Grey Database Coordinator: Mike Lax Submissions: We welcome submissions to the AIMLGC newsletter. Please keep articles to two pages, typed single-spaced. Submissions should address issues of gay and lesbian human rights as a facet of Amnesty International's work. Submissions will be edited by the coordinating editor. Please send submissions to AIMLGC, or call your Regional Contact for more information. Deadline for issue #11: August 15. Subscriptions: One-year, four issue subscriptions are $8.00 Please make checks payable to AIMLGC. AIMLGC is an official membership network of Amnesty International, USA. Amnesty International is an independent worldwide movement working impartially for the release of all prisoners of conscience, fair and prompt trials for political prisoners and an end to torture and executions. It is funded by members and supporters throughout the world. AIMLGC AND AMNESTY ACTIVISM By Abe Bonowitz Recently I heard a comment that was made by someone with a lot of experience in another grassroots based organization. Wanting to build support from women, the organization hired someone to organize their "women's network." Because there was a staff person whose job was handling the "women's issues," everyone else left that sector to itself. Forced to act almost as its own entity, it became ghetto-ized and the project failed. AIMLGC members must act to prevent the same thing from happening to this network. While many of us came to AIMLGC after having been AI members for a while, there are new members who joined specifically because of AI's decision to take up work on cases of people imprisoned for their homosexuality. Our challenge is to fully integrate AIMLGC membership into other areas of AI activism. With a current mailing list of over 1000 people, AIMLGC is one of the strongest and most active of the AIUSA Networks. If more of us participate in other areas of Amnesty, we will increasingly empower ourselves and AIMLGC within the movement. AIMLGC members must recognize that we are only a small part of a huge movement, and that cases involving homosexuals are just one of the many types of cases we act on. While many of us choose to focus on a specific area of the mandate such as death penalty or refugee work, it must be kept in mind that AI members are expected to regularly work on all areas of concern. Listed below are some of the ways to get involved in other areas of Amnesty. Every AIMLGC member should be on the Urgent Action (see below) mailing list and should try to get involved in at least one other AI entity. Please write to the listed address for specific information or to get involved in the following areas. First things first. If you are not a regular member of Amnesty International USA, join today. The M in AIMLGC stands for MEMBERS. Your membership in the national organization is what pays for the research and adds to our political clout. National membership gives you access to all AIUSA programs, and it also gives you the right to vote in policy discussions and in elections for members of the board of directors. Regular dues is $25 or more, limited income is $15. Put it on a credit card at 1-800-55Amnesty or mail a check to AIUSA, 322 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10001. Even if you cannot contribute money you can still be a member. Write to Jeffrey Outler at the New York address and ask for a "dues waiver form." There is no excuse not to be a member. Join the Urgent Action Network. This program sends you many of the same actions you'll find in this newsletter, but you'll get them immediately. Write to Scott or Ellen at the UAN office and ask them to put you on the list to receive all actions on cases regarding abuses against homosexuals. You should also ask to receive other actions on a regular basis - 2, 4, 6 or 8 each month. Don't worry, you will receive complete "how to" information. Write to Scott or Ellen at: UA Program Office, P.O. Box 1270, Nederland, CO. 80466-1270. Seek out and become a member of your nearest community or student/youth AI chapter. To find the nearest one, send a note with your name and address, stating that you want to know where the nearest group is, to the AIMLGC P.O. Box. We'll forward it to the appropriate regional office. Join one of the other networks. For information about the Educators, Legal Support, or Health Professionals Networks, write to Jyoti Gupta in the Chicago office at AIUSA, 53 W. Jackson St., #1162, Chicago, IL 60604. For information about the Refugee Network, write to Nick Rizza at AIUSA, 500 Sansome St. #615, San Francisco, CA, 94111. For information about the Conscientious Objectors Support Network, Write to COSN, 8 Albany, Irvine, CA 92714. For the Women's Network, the U.S. Government Action Network and the Freedom Writers Network, Write to AIUSA, 322 Eighth Ave., New York, NY 10001. Abe Bonowitz is AIMLGC's Mid-Western Regional Contact, and serves on the AIMLGC Steering Committee. He is also an Area Coordinator, and is currently running for the AIUSA Board of Directors. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL MARCHES IN WASHINGTON FOR LESBIAN AND GAY HUMAN RIGHTS By Paul Tighe It was a weekend of firsts: AIMLGC's first steering committee meeting and membership event since gaining official status; the first public event co- sponsored by Amnesty International and two International Lesbian and Gay Rights Organizations; the first time Amnesty International participated in a National Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Human Rights March; the first time anyone in AIMLGC (except Cynthia Rothschild) met my lover, Larry. Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25 marked the beginning of a new era of cooperation between Amnesty International and the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community. Amnesty International Members for Lesbian and Gay Concerns emerged from its first steering committee meeting with a new structure that will take us beyond what we have already accomplished. With Meg Satterthwaite as Chair, this structure will enable us to communicate more efficiently and effectively within the network, within the larger framework of Amnesty International, and with our local, national and international lesbian, gay and bisexual communities. We also learned of three new action files on gay men in Romania (see action in this issue), and were updated on AI's work on Tasmania's sodomy law, and the Urgent Action on Renildo Jos dos Santos, a gay man in Brazil who was extra-judicially executed (see story, above). In addition, we began to prepare for the upcoming Theme Action on lesbian and gay human rights in 1994. Sunday morning, over a hundred people crowded into AI's Capitol Hill Office for a pre-march reception, co-hosted by AI, the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). Addressing the crowd were gay and lesbian activists from El Salvador, Colombia, Russia, and Canada. One got the sense of a new unity that is beginning to take shape between our communities, which needs to be encouraged and strengthened. I must admit, though, that the highlight of the reception for me was when Harry Hay, one of the founders of the gay rights movement in the US, made a stunning surprise appearance (with a fabulous entourage). Those who met Larry got the chance to make another kind of history. Armed with a loaded Minolta Maxim, he enlisted volunteers to have their pictures included in the Lesbian and Gay Pride Month display at Piscataway High School in Piscataway, New Jersey. Many thanks to Jacki, Cary, Meg, Neil, Julie, Myra and the other AI, ILGA and IGLHRC members and staff who consented to be included. We approached our gathering spot on the ellipse as Jesse Jackson was addressing the still growing crowd, shortly before step-off. He spoke of the need for all those engaged in the struggle for rights to work hand in hand and recognize our common goals. A fitting theme to have running through our minds as we stepped off the ellipse and onto the streets. As we raised the banner - LOVE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - a loud cheer went up. Along the march route we were greeted with cheers of encouragement. Many of us wore the "LOVE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT" T-shirt that Abe Bonowitz designed: a special commemorative edition for the March on Washington. (There are still shirts left, buttons too! Contact Abe, address below.) As often happens in gatherings of a million or more people, we got separated from the rest of our contingent early in the march. Part way through, we discovered that ILGA and IGLHRC were some distance behind us. We then stepped aside, and enjoyed the march from the sidelines, while waiting to rejoin our contingent. As we waited, we greeted ACT-UP, P-FLAG, The Names Project, GMAD, Salsa Soul Sisters, Men of All Colors Together, and numerous other activists. And they enthusiastically greeted us back. The defining moment, however, came when we rejoined our contingent. As the IGLHRC banner approached, we again raised the Amnesty banner. Cheers of recognition and excitement resounded as we joined together again, marching side by side. For me, that moment has come to symbolize the growing spirit of cooperation and the budding unity that was apparent that weekend. But there was something more: a sense of accomplishment, that we had really achieved something. We've waited a long time for the day when Amnesty International and the Lesbian and Gay community would march side by side, affirming that love is indeed a basic human right. And we have worked long and hard to help bring that day about. That day is finally here. There is still an incredible amount of work to be done. However, we need to acknowledge how far we have come, and take encouragement from that. We are one step closer to the vision that so many of us hold: of a unified human rights movement, working in concert to make it a better world for gay, lesbian and bisexual people; people of color; prisoners of conscience and all who desire a more just and tolerant world. As the twenty-fifth anniversary of Stonewall approaches, it is incumbent upon us to press forward, and to help make that vision a reality. Paul Tighe was a co-founder of AIMLGC, and currently serves on the Steering Committee and as Treasurer. He is also an Area Coordinator for New Jersey. AIMLGC ACTIVE ON NORTHWEST by Scott Douglas AIMLGC's network of activists and supporters is growing rapidly in the Pacific Northwest as local group leaders work to reach out to the community. Throughout the region, education on the human rights abuses faced by the lesbian/bi/gay international community has been met with strong support and a strong commitment to work to eradicate these abuses. Several workshops have been held locally and at the October Area Meeting on Amnesty's work on behalf of gays and lesbians. Overwhelmingly, people have expressed a desire to do more to prevent human rights abuses based on sexual orientation. Efforts to reach out to the lesbian/bi/gay community have also been effective. Amnesty was represented at Seattle's Pride Day rally, and at a National Coming Out Day event in Olympia. Plans are underway for AI representation in this year's Pride Day parades and rallies in Seattle, Olympia, and Portland. AI was also represented at April 25 solidarity marches throughout the region, corresponding to the March on Washington. Concern over human rights abuses against lesbians and gays in our own community is also growing. The Oregon Citizens' Alliance (OCA) campaign to constitutionally classify homosexuality as "abnormal, wrong, unnatural, and perverse," failed at the state level in Oregon, but passed in the municipality of Springfield. The OCA has established Citizens' Alliances in Washington and Idaho, and plans to continue efforts to enact laws of discrimination. The ill-effects of such a campaign were acutely felt in Oregon, where the incidence of hate crimes against gays and lesbians increased dramatically. The most fearful occurrence was the murder of two members of the gay and lesbian community in Salem, when their house was firebombed. Organized opposition to the new Citizens Alliance of Washington (CAW) is strong at every level. Governor Mike Lowry and Seattle Mayor Norm Rice have taken strong public stands in favor of the passage of civil rights legislation for gays and lesbians, and several organizations, including Washington Citizens for Fairness/Hands Off Washington! and the Washington Freedom Coalition, are mobilizing to prevent the CAW from wreaking the same havoc they wrought in Oregon. A bill to add gender and sexual orientation to the Malicious Harassment law finally passed this year, putting hate crimes against gays and lesbians on equal footing with crimes based on race, ethnic origin, or religion. Although Amnesty International takes no stand on legislation of this nature, human rights activists in Washington applaud the move to protect human rights within our own community. AIMLGC will be increasing its efforts in the Northwest to draw parallels between local and international issues of human rights, and to engage activists in the struggle to end human rights abuses for all people the world over. Scott Douglas is AIMLGC's Northwest Regional Contact, and is Coordinator of AI-Olympia and a member of the Puget Sound Cluster group. He is also a trainer for AI. AIMLGC Regional Contacts SOUTH: Vince Steele 5009 T Endolwood Road Charlotte, NC 28515 Mike Lax 12514 B Esplanade Street Austin, TX 78727-4409 (512)837-1596 MID-ATLANTIC: Jacki Weber 411 Tulip Takoma Park, MD 20912 (301)270-2126 NORTHEAST: TBA MIDWEST: Abe Bonowitz 3150 Broadmoor Avenue Columbus, OH 43209 (614)235-6371 WEST: George Dedes Unit G 1535 N. Obispo Avenue Long Beach, CA 90804 Neil Demers-Grey 6403 Whipoorwill Street #104 Ventura, CA 93003 (805)650-9546 David Jeffries 822 S. Mill Ave. Suite 106 Tempe, AZ 85281 (602)894-5568 NORTHWEST: Scott Douglas P.O. Box 1624 Olympia, WA 98502 (206)352-0451 AIMLGC Urgent Action Appeal Romania: Ill-treatment of Ienel S. Amnesty International is concerned that Ienel S. (full name withheld by request), a gay man from Romania, was allegedly beaten by police officers until he signed a confession. Background: Ienel S., aged 21, was arrested on 29 October 1990 in the village of Corod, Galati County, where he was attending a wedding. Around 2 am, he reportedly left the festivities to go back to the house where he was staying. He was followed by a 24-year old man (who had been reportedly been arrested previously for homosexual acts and was released in 1988 and is suspected of being a police informer). This person allegedly proposed that Ienel S. go with him to a garden or into the park. Ienel S. asked the man to come back with him to the house where he was staying. The man refused, insisting that they go someplace outside. At around 6 am, Ienel S. was woken by police officers who took him to the village police station. He was accused of having forced the other man to have oral sex with him. This was supported by the testimony of an eye-witness, a cousin of the alleged victim, who claimed to have seen the entire scene through a window of the house. Ienel S. was reportedly beaten by police officers from 7 am to 8 pm. They beat him with wooden sticks on the torso and on the back, as well as on the hands and feet in order to force him to confess to the crime. After signing a confession, he was reportedly taken in a semi-conscious state to a doctor to be examined. Without a proper examination the doctor signed a clean certificate of his physical condition. According to the report received by Amnesty International, Ienel S. is scrawny and extremely weak looking and has severely impaired vision. It seems unlikely that Ienel S. used force in connection with the sexual acts for which he was charged. Amnesty International has received many reports where the courts in Romania have used as evidence confessions of the accused, although they were later retracted. The same reports suggest that the police frequently resort to torture or other ill-treatment to force suspects to confess to a crime. Ienel S. was convicted under Article 200 paragraphs 1 and 2 and sentenced to four years' imprisonment and is now in Galati prison. He will soon be eligible for parole. RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send courteously worded letters in English, French, German, or Spanish: -- Giving details of the case, including the dates of arrest, the prisoner's name, and the code under which he was convicted; -- Expressing concern at the alleged ill-treatment of Ienel S. State your concern that this ill-treatment may have been motivated by his sexual orientation; -- Expressing concern that this ill-treatment was administered to induce him to sign a confession. Please note in your letters that Amnesty International is opposed to torture and ill-treatment of all prisoners and detainees. -- Urging the authorities to undertake a full and impartial investigation into the case; to make its findings public; and to bring to justice all those found responsible. APPEALS TO: President: D-lui Ion Iliescu Excelentei Sale Presedintele Romaniei Piata Victoriei Bucuresti ROMANIA Prime Minister: D-lui Nicolae Vacaroiu Prim Presedinte al Consiliului de Ministri Str Academiei 34 Bucuresti ROMANIA Prosecutor General: D-lui Mihai Ulpiu Popa Cherecheanu Procuror General al Romaniei B-dul Unirii Nr 24 Sector 5 Bucuresti ROMANIA General Inspectorate of Police: Inspecorat General de Politie 13 Stefan cel Mare 79155 Bucuresti ROMANIA Military Prosecutor of Bucharest: Procuror Militar din Bucuresti Calea Rahovei 39 70503 Bucuresti ROMANIA If you receive replies from the Romanian government, please send one copy to AIMLGC, and one copy to Amnesty's International Secretariat at 1 Easton Street, London, WC1X 8DJ, U.K. AIMLGC T-Shirts and Buttons Available T-Shirts Front: Amnesty International candle logo inside pink triangle. Back: "LOVE IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT -- AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL" (Pink letters). On Black Shirt Sizes M-XXL $12.00 each Size XXXL $15.00 each Buttons 25 for $15. "Love is a Basic Human Right" with AI logo inside pink triangle. Add $2.00 shipping and handling Make checks payable to Amnesty International Group #87 Send orders to: AI Group #87 c/o Abe Bonowitz 3150 Broadmoor Avenue Columbus, OH 43209