amnesty.je - Berlin

Amnesty International Jersey Group

Our Jersey members seek to protect overseas prisoners at risk of torture or other wrongful prosecution. We meet to campaign for those prisoners, usually on the third Wednesday of the last month in each quarter.

We send letters and Jersey postcards with Jersey stamps to them and to their ministers, embassies and governors. We know from feedback that this works. Please join our Group to help protect those prisoners.

Our next meeting is to be on Wednesday 17th December 2025 in the Town Hall, St Helier at 5.30pm

Future meetings (provisionally all same time, same place as above)

Wednesday March 18th 2026 (AGM)

Wednesday June 17th 2026

Wednesday September 16th 2026

Wednesday December 16th 2026

Wednesday March 17th 2027 (AGM)

Wednesday June 16th 2027

Chairman Michael du Pré writes...

You will find details of the case of Manahel al-Otaibi, which we supported at our AGM on July 2nd, in the archive area at the bottom of this website. For our meeting of September 17th we wrote postcards in support of Reza Khandan, whose case appears below. His wife Nasrin Sotoudeh was recently released from prison (Amnesty International, along with other similar organisations, took up her case). Later Reza was arrested.

On 13 December 2024, human rights defender Reza Khandan was arrested at his home in Tehran and taken into custody at a police station. The following day he was transferred to Evin Court and then to Evin Prison, where he has been detained since.

Reza Khandan is a prominent Iranian human rights defender and the husband of women’s rights lawyer and activist Nasrin Sotoudeh. He is known for his outspoken opposition to compulsory veiling rules and to the death penalty in Iran. His activism has made him a repeated target of the authorities.

In 2019, Khandan was sentenced to six years in prison on trumped-up charges of “gathering and collusion with the intention of acting against national security” and “propaganda activities against the state.”

The charges were linked to his peaceful advocacy, including the production and distribution of “No to Obligatory Hijab” badges, a campaign against compulsory veiling laws. Although initially sentenced to five years for “gathering and collusion” and one year for “propaganda activities,” his sentence was later reduced by the Court of Appeals to three years and six months. Alongside imprisonment, he was banned from leaving Iran and from engaging in online activities for two years.

At the time of his December 2024 arrest, authorities informed Khandan that this reduced prison sentence from 2019 was to be enforced. His detention came shortly after his friend and fellow activist Farhad Meysami—who had faced the same charges over the hijab badges campaign—was released in February 2023 under a general amnesty announced by the judiciary.

Khandan is now serving the remainder of the sentence that had long been considered arbitrary and politically motivated.

Following his transfer to Evin Prison, Khandan has faced additional restrictions. His wife, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who is herself a renowned human rights lawyer and former political prisoner, was barred from visiting him because she refused to comply with compulsory hijab regulations. This has left Khandan largely isolated from family contact, deepening concerns about his treatment in detention.

Khandan’s legal team has stated their intention to apply for a retrial, citing the arbitrariness of both the original trial and the renewed enforcement of the sentence. His prosecution highlights the broader pattern of judicial harassment against Iranian human rights defenders, particularly those who peacefully advocate for women’s rights and other freedoms.

His current imprisonment comes at a particularly sensitive moment. In late 2024, the Iranian authorities announced the operationalization of a new law imposing harsher penalties on women and girls who defy compulsory hijab rules. The renewed targeting of Khandan appears closely linked to this broader crackdown. By imprisoning him now, authorities are sending a warning to others who might support or promote resistance to the hijab laws.

International observers have condemned the enforcement of Khandan’s sentence. They stress that his conviction is rooted solely in his peaceful human rights work, particularly his advocacy for women’s rights. His punishment not only violates his own rights to freedom of expression and association but also seeks to silence broader movements for equality and justice in Iran.

Research by Keith Perchard, Amnesty International Jersey Group, main source Front Line Defenders, photos Sky News

Action we proposed...

With your help we wrote the usual postcards, and sent most to Reza Khandan himself, rather than sending all of them to the Ministry of Justice in Iran. We now know that Reza has been returned to Evin prison. The usual cautions applied about keeping such messages courteous and non-political. The relevant addresses were:-

His Excellency Amin Hossein Rahimi His Excellency Sayed Ali Mousavi Mr Reza Khandan

Minister of Justice of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ambassador of the Islamic Republic Evin Prison, District 3

Ministry of Justice, Valiasr Avenue 16 Prince's Gate of Iran to the UK Northwestern Tehran

Lower than Valiasr Square Knightsbridge Tehran

1638 Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran London SW7 1PT Islamic Republic of Iran

On 17 September 2025, Amnesty International Jersey Group also sent a letter to Brigadier General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, Military Advocate General of the Israel Defence Forces, calling for the release of Dr Hussam Abu Safiya, a respected paediatrician and director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza.

Dr Abu Safiya was detained on 27 December 2024 during a raid on Kamal Adwan Hospital that forced the facility to close. Staff, patients and visitors were taken, and his current whereabouts remain unknown. His disappearance has raised grave concerns for his safety and wellbeing.

As one of Gaza’s leading health professionals, Dr Abu Safiya had been a vital source of information on the humanitarian crisis in the north of the territory. Despite personal loss, including the killing of his son in October 2024, he continued to provide care to children and speak out about conditions on the ground.

Human rights groups have reported that Palestinian detainees, including medical staff, are frequently subjected to abuse, torture, and denial of food and healthcare. There are fears that Dr Abu Safiya is enduring similar treatment.

The Jersey Group urged Israeli authorities to disclose his whereabouts, safeguard him from torture or ill-treatment, and grant access to legal counsel and medical care. Above all, it called for his immediate release, stressing that the protection of doctors and hospitals is a fundamental obligation under international law.

Amnesty International Jersey Group, Constitution

(With amendments proposed at Constitution Sub-Committee Meeting 1/5/13)

1. NAME

The name of the organisation shall be “Amnesty International Jersey Group” (hereinafter “the Group”).

2. AIMS

The aims, objectives and methods of the Group shall be those of the UK Section of Amnesty International (“the AIUK Section”) and in particular to promote the mailing of campaign letters from Jersey.

3. POWERS

For the purpose of carrying out the objects, the Group shall have the following powers:

(a) To accept subscriptions and donations;
(b) To raise funds on behalf of the AIUK Section;
(c) To take such lawful steps by appeals, public meetings or otherwise as may, from time to time, be deemed expedient for the purpose of procuring contributions to the funds of the Group in the form of donations, subscriptions or otherwise;
(d) To print and publish, or procure to be printed and published, or to circulate or procure to be circulated (whether gratuitously or not) any newspapers, periodicals, magazines, books, pamphlets or other documents that may be deemed necessary or desirable for the promotion of the objects of the Group or any of them;
(e) To deposit the moneys of the Group not immediately required for its purposes in or upon such interest-bearing accounts as may be thought fit;
(f) To establish and support, or aid in the establishment and support, or become a member of or co-operate with any charitable association or institution, whether incorporated or not and whether in Jersey or elsewhere, and to subscribe or guarantee money for charitable purposes in any way connected with the purposes of the Group or calculated to further its objects;
(g) To employ or contract such persons or companies as may be necessary in the carrying out and general implementation of these rules and to provide for, arrange and implement the training of such persons;
(h) To do all such things as are incidental to the attainment of the above objects or any of them.

4. MEMBERSHIP

(a) Members are those who have agreed to have their name and preferred contact details held on the Group’s membership database, having completed and lodged the Group’s approved form of membership with the member specifically appointed at the Annual General Meeting as the Membership Co-ordinator.
(b) If a group subscription is fixed in accordance with Clause 5 below, only members who have paid their subscription shall be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Group (“Voting Members”). If a subscription is not fixed, then the term Voting Members shall include all Members of the Group.
(c) Membership of the Group shall terminate either on the resignation of the member from the Group, or withdrawal of membership by the Group under Clause 9 below.

5. GROUP SUBSCRIPTIONS

(a) The Group shall fix the amount of any subscription payable by members, which shall be due on such date in each year as the Group at its Annual General Meeting shall determine.
(b) The Group may only remit part of a member’s Group subscription by reference to the fact that he or she is a student or a member of any other class which in the opinion of the Group merits remission.

6. MEETINGS

(a) The Group may hold Group Meetings, Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs).
(b) The activities of the Group shall be determined by Group Meetings, which shall be held monthly, whenever possible, and which shall be open to all members.
(c) Five Voting Members shall constitute a quorum at a Group Meeting and ten Voting Members at an AGM or EGM.
(d) For a meeting to be valid, at least two of the members holding the office of Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary or Treasurer shall be present.
(e) The Chair or, failing the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall preside, if present, at all meetings, and failing this the meeting shall elect its own Chair.
(f) Minutes of each meeting shall be kept by the Secretary (or by another member deputising for the Secretary).
(g) An AGM shall be held within two months of the end of the financial year and at least twenty-one days’ notice shall be given to all members by their preferred contact method in accordance with each member’s approved form of membership. The main purpose of the AGM shall be to elect officers and to receive reports from the Chair and the Treasurer.
(h) A Group Meeting or an AGM may decide to call an EGM for the purpose of conducting certain items of business of which it considers all members of the Group should be notified. At least four Voting Members may also, by written notice setting out with sufficient particularity the issue they wish to be considered and sent to the Vice-Chair at the official Jersey Amnesty Group address, requisition an EGM. The Secretary shall, within fourteen days, give notice to all members of the meeting and the matter to be discussed. Not less than ten days’ prior notice by their preferred contact method shall be given of any EGM to all members of the Group.
(i) Subject to Clauses 9 and 11 below, voting at all meetings shall be by simple majority of Voting Members personally present.

7. SUB GROUPS

(a) Sub Groups may be formed and dissolved by a Group Meeting. Their remit, composition (to include co-opted non-members), and quorum shall be determined by the Group Meeting and they shall be accountable to the Group.
(b) Each Sub Group shall report on its plans and activities to at least each alternate Group Meeting.
(c) All moneys received by Sub Groups shall be paid into the Group’s bank account as soon as practicable.

8. OFFICERS

(a) The Group’s Officers shall be a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary and Treasurer (“the Officers”) who shall be elected from the Voting Members annually at the AGM. Should a vacancy occur during the course of the year, an EGM has the power to appoint a replacement to hold office until the next AGM. Nominations for candidates for the Officers shall be received by the Chair and by the Secretary either in writing or by email not less than four days before the relevant AGM or EGM, and shall name the candidate, proposer and seconder, all of whom shall be Voting Members.
(b) The election of members to hold specific responsibilities shall also be held annually at the AGM. Where a vacancy occurs during the course of the year, a Group Meeting has the power to appoint a replacement until the next AGM.

9. WITHDRAWAL OF MEMBERSHIP

(a) A Group Meeting, by a majority of two-thirds of Voting Members present, may resolve to suspend membership of the Group from any Member, such resolution to have immediate effect. A duly convened EGM shall be held as soon as convenient following such suspension, at which a resolution to withdraw membership of the suspended Member from the Group shall be put. Such resolution must be passed by a simple majority of Voting Members present. Upon such resolution being put, the suspension shall be automatically cancelled, and the membership in question either withdrawn or reinstated.
(b) During the suspension of an Officer or Member holding specific responsibility under Clause 9(a) above, their duties and functions shall be undertaken by the Chair or, failing the Chair, by the Vice-Chair.

10. GROUP FUNDS

(a) The funds of the Group shall only be used for promoting the Group’s objects.
(b) The financial year shall end on 31st December in each year or on such date as the AGM shall determine.
(c) The Treasurer shall keep proper books of account of all income and expenditure and shall present the accounts to the AGM for approval. All accounts can be inspected by a member on request.
(d) The bank account(s) shall be in the name of the Group and withdrawals shall be made in the name of the Group on the signature of any two of the Officers, or any one Officer and a Voting Member specifically authorised by a Group Meeting for the purpose.
(e) Claims for reimbursement of expenses must be submitted to the Treasurer in writing.
(f) The Treasurer’s accounts shall be audited by such person(s) who shall be appointed at the AGM. The auditor may not be an Officer nor a member appointed to hold other specific responsibility in the Group.

11. AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION

A proposal to amend this Constitution must be submitted in writing by at least two Voting Members of the Group, and the Secretary shall give not less than ten days’ notice to all members by their preferred contact method before the AGM or EGM which shall consider the proposal.
Amendments require a two-thirds majority of the members personally present and voting.

12. DISSOLUTION

The Group may be dissolved by the procedure provided in Clause 11 above for the amendment of the Constitution, or in the event that at three successive Meetings (each being an AGM or EGM called under the procedure above) no quorum is formed.
Whereupon, subject to the provisions of the Trust (Jersey) Law 1984 as amended, all remaining funds shall be transferred to the AIUK Section.

Contact us

Letters to the website are welcome. Just send an Email to JulianHJRogers@Gmail com (tel 607910). To Email a membership application fill in the form below with your name, phone and Email. Click on the small box (bottom left), fill in the Captcha box and key the submit bar. If you find the captcha difficult to interpret key the small broken circle icon to its right to get a different captcha. Application forms on paper are also available at all Amnesty International Jersey Group meetings.

By attending our meetings or contributing forms, letters, comments, or reports to Amnesty International Jersey Group, you are understood to have given your consent to being named in our published minutes or related content including this website. If you would prefer not to be so named you may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting our chairman Michael du Pré. We will respect your wishes and remove your name or adjust your data upon request. We collect and process your personal data in order to maintain membership records, and where a subscription is paid, to ensure your voting rights. We retain such data for two years after membership ends. For a full privacy notice please contact us.

Archive from AGM of 2nd July 2025 - Chairman's introduction

I never expected that volunteering to teach English would bring me face to face with people who had been tortured for speaking out. But that’s exactly what happened. After retiring from a senior role in a global pharmaceutical company, I began teaching English as a volunteer to refugees — and found myself deeply moved by their resilience and their stories. Many had been imprisoned for defending basic rights, separated from their families, or forced to flee under threat of violence.

I had been a long-time subscriber to Amnesty International while living in the UK, but this personal experience gave my commitment new urgency. Now living permanently in Jersey, I continue to teach and support refugee families online — and have taken on the role of Chair of the Jersey Branch of Amnesty International UK.

It’s a privilege to help represent Amnesty in Jersey, and to support its mission of holding power to account, protecting the persecuted, and upholding human dignity wherever it is under threat. Though Amnesty is a global organisation, I believe small communities like ours have a vital role to play. Jersey is remote and modest in size, but it has always looked outward and often punches above its weight — as we’ve seen in initiatives like the Jersey Identity Project, in which I’m proud to be involved.

We have a small team to administer the group. This includes the officers:-

Chairman Michael du Pré mgdup@gmail.com

Secretary Keith Perchard kperchard@gmail.com

Treasurer Nicholas Crocker leopog2002@yahoo.co.uk

Archive from AGM of 2nd July 2025 - Case of Manahel al-Otaibi

Manahel al-Otaibi was first charged by the Criminal Court in Riyadh for social media posts opposing Saudi laws on women, including support for #EndMaleGuardianship. She was accused of “spreading content inciting individuals to renounce religious principles and social values” under the Anti-Cybercrime Law. On 23 January 2023, the court declared it lacked jurisdiction and referred the case to the Specialized Criminal Court (SCC), known for using vague laws to equate peaceful expression with terrorism. Amnesty International has reported due process violations at every stage of SCC proceedings. Since 2018, Saudi authorities have detained women’s rights activists, many of whom faced torture, harassment, and travel bans upon release.

Before her latest disappearance from 15 December 2025 to 15 March 2025, Manahel had already been forcibly disappeared from November 2023 to April 2024. On 14 April 2024, she contacted her family, reporting solitary confinement in al-Malaz Prison, a broken leg from beatings, and denial of medical care. In September 2024, after another period of incommunicado detention, she again reported solitary confinement, forced labour, and further abuse. Her family believes authorities allowed the call only to pressure them into silence. Manahel has multiple sclerosis, which her family says developed after witnessing the 2017 arrest of her sister, Mariam al-Otaibi, a women’s rights defender who was detained for 104 days and remains under travel restrictions.

We send postcards....

....postcards because they pass through several hands in the country of destination so our message may be read by more than just the addressee.

Thinking back on it the writer of this particular postcard reckons that his appeal about her right to freedom of expression might have been wasted on the Saudi Minister of Justice, and it would have been better to concentrate on Manahel's health and welfare.

Archive from the AGM of 2nd July 2025 - Summary of the minutes

The Group's AGM for the year ended 31st December 2024 (which was preceded by card writing session) was held on Wednesday 2nd July in St. Helier Town Hall. It had an attendance of 13 with apologies for non attendance being received from a further 9.

Minutes for the two previous AGMs were ratified as were the appointments of the Chair ( Michael du Pré), Treasurer ( Nicholas Crocker) and Interim Secretary (Keith Perchard) all of whom agreed to continue as the Group's officers. A replacement for Keith Perchard was being sought.

The Group's website needed to be reactivated and Julian Rogers kindly agreed to undertake this task. Also discussed were ways to improve the Group's self publication and potential ways of involving the younger generation.

The accounts, which still required some further adjustments were presented and it was agreed that when these were completed, they would be presented to a Special Meeting for formal agreement.

Future activities would commence by way of participating in Amnesty International's autumn Write for Rights campaign.