grellet

[grellet]

Thirty-eight Years and 148 Lashes

Her female defendants' crime? Removing their head scarves in public. Nasrin’s crime? Defending them. Iranian human rights attorney Nasrin Sotoudeh –imprisoned for a year already-- stands condemned to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes for defending the rights of women in her country. A world-renowned human rights leader, Nasrin won the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2012. Now she is separated from her husband Reza Khandan and their two children.

If you believe that excessive prison sentences and inhumane whippings are outrageous, if you believe that attorneys should be able to defend their clients without suffering reprisals, then join Amnesty International in demanding Nasrin’s immediate release. The letters and e-mails sent to government leaders by ordinary citizens just like us get results! Check out some of our victories.

Amnesty International Group 342 meets on the third Wednesday of every month. Join us and get to know other dedicated human rights advocates. Our next meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 19, at 7:30pm in Wegman’s Café, 50 Foundry Way (at Rt. 29), in Malvern, PA 19355. Can’t make it to a meeting? Visit Amnesty International’s website and send a petition on behalf Nasrin and others imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of their opinions. Check us out on Facebook and visit our website.

With your help we can free Nasrin!

[grellet]

You made a difference!

JOURNALISTS CLEARED OF CRIMINAL DEFAMATION

On  1 June, a Dili court cleared Raimundos  Oki and Lourenco  Vicente Martins of all charges against them.   Click  here to read more!

OPPOSITION POLITICIAN RELEASED    Opposition politician Adam  Azim has been released after spending nearly a week in detention  in Maldives. He was arrested and faced trumped up charges after criticizing  the government in a TV interview.  Click here to read more!

Not a member of the Urgent Action Network yet? You can be a human rights hero!  What are you waiting for? Click https://www.amnestyusa.org/take-action/act-now/

And... if you live in the Chester County, PA area, come to our next meeting: Wednesday evening, July 19, 2017, at 7:30 in Wegmans Cafe, Rt. 29, Malvern 19355. Want more info: email us a amnestyinternationalgroup342@gmail.com

[grellet]

He’s 33, married, with 3 children. And he’s been imprisoned for 5 years in Saudi Arabia. He’s received 50 lashes and is threatened with 950 more. For blogging. Amnesty International has been working to free him. He’s Raif Badawi.

If you live in the Malvern, PA (19355) area, join Amnesty International Group 342 for our monthly meeting this coming Wednesday, June 21, at 7:30 in Wegman’s café.  

 Human rights are in your hands.

 #FreeRaif

[grellet]

Cinquain

                 you me               we disagree         we could try listening striving soft to hear each other                 dare we?

[grellet]

Poem for a spring morning

They don’t sing for us     they sing to mark their territory     and attract a mate     the nestlings screech     I’m hungry! I’m hungry!

Out on a branch      warbling full-throated      in his ancestral key      he could care less that      we’re listening

But allow me to say thank you      anyway      tiny virtuoso      beyond price the ticket      to such a glorious concert

[grellet]

Thanksgiving

Rugged fingertips parting the mound of flour coaxing in eggs and salt calloused hands kneading, rolling trimming filling round morsels each one unique as I watched already satiated long before eating grandmom’s holiday ravioli