Amnesty wants stronger presence in Malta

Amnesty International is seeking to beef up its presence in Malta as volunteers embark on a campaign to rope in new members and inform people that international pressure can save lives.

Marija Schranz, AI media officer, said she is determined to see the Malta team grow as Amnesty kicks off a "catch them young" education campaign.

As of this month, AI Malta's seven activists have started giving talks in schools. They have also set up a stand at university to entice youngsters to campaign for internationally recognised human rights.

Amnesty's mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending violations of basic human rights including rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression and freedom from discrimination.

With two million members in 150 countries, the world-renowned organisation has often been instrumental in resolving or raising awareness about violation of human rights.

"If half of Amnesty's members petition to the authorities concerned over some violation then the message can be rather effective," Ms Schranz said.

It is a policy for Amnesty branches to steer away from domestic issues.

Early next year, AI Malta will be launching a Stop Violence Against Women campaign. The campaign, which runs until 2010, will focus on the situation of women in various countries.

Ms Schranz said the media was increasingly exposing cases of injustices taking place all over the world - from Sudan to the US.

AI was the first organisation to speak up and investigate the Guantanamo Bay situation three years ago. The fact that prisoners have now been removed from incommunicado detention and given access to lawyers, family members and services was considered to be a step in the right direction.

Two people from Uzbekistan - Abror Isayev and Nodirbek Karimov - had their death penalty commuted to a life sentence earlier this year, thanks to Amnesty's intervention.

Last June Kurban Zakirov was released from prison in Turkmenistan after serving for five years as a prisoner of conscience. Mr Zakirov had refused to serve in the army on religious grounds.

In January 2003, the Governor of Illinois pardoned four of the state's death row inmates and commuted the death sentences of all 167 others.

Ms Schranz cited a quote by a former torturer in El Salvador to emphasise the effectiveness of AI's campaigns. The torturer had said: "If there's lots of pressure from Amnesty or foreign countries we might pass them on to a judge. But if there's no pressure, then they're dead".