ReportWire

Tag: individuals

  • Iran’s death penalty crackdown on protesters targets minors, Amnesty International warns

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    Amnesty International revealed that two 17-year-olds are among those at risk of being sentenced to death in Iran for involvement in January’s protests, calling for an immediate halt to the executions

    Amnesty International has claimed that minors are among 30 people at risk of execution amid expedited trials connected to Iranian protests that took place in January 2026, according to a report published on Friday.

    The Amnesty report reveals that among the 30 individuals arrested, eight have been sentenced to death, including one 18-year-old and a 19-year-old.

    In a statement addressing the pending executions, Amnesty said, “The Iranian authorities must immediately halt all plans to execute eight individuals sentenced to death after being convicted of committing offences during the January 2026 nationwide protests.”

    These 30-some individuals, including two 17-year-olds, are currently undergoing or awaiting trial proceedings and are at risk of receiving the death penalty as their trials proceed, according to Amnesty. Their charges include a variety of offenses against the regime, such as arson and connections to the death of a security officer.

    These proceedings are reportedly tainted by numerous significant violations of the right to a fair trial.

    Confessions reportedly extracted through torture

    Such violations include allegations of confessions obtained through torture, denial of access to legal representation during the investigation phase, and refusal to recognize independent legal counsel appointed by the families of the accused for the trial.

    According to Amnesty, some individuals sustained severe beatings while being pressured to confess to the charges against them. One individual was reportedly forced to confess after interrogators placed a gun in his mouth.

    Amnesty also stated it believes that the actual number of individuals at risk of receiving the death penalty in Iran is much higher than the figures officially reported by the Iranian government. Iranian officials have arrested thousands of protesters in connection with the uprising and have repeatedly threatened to impose ‘the maximum punishment’ (death penalty) without delay.

    ‘Disregard for the right to life’

    Diana Eltahawy, the Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, made a statement about the upcoming executions, asserting that “the Iranian authorities are once again demonstrating their deep disregard for the right to life and justice by threatening expedited executions and imposing death sentences through fast-tracked trials, just weeks after arrests. By weaponizing the death penalty, they aim to instill fear and suppress the spirit of a population that is demanding fundamental change.”

    She continued, “Children and young adults form the bulk of those caught in the machinery of state repression following the January protests, denied access to effective legal representation and subjected to torture or other ill-treatment and incommunicado detention to extract forced ‘confessions’. The international community must take coordinated global action, pressuring the Iranian authorities to stop using the court system as a conveyor belt for executions.”

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  • Raising Voices for Incarcerated Native Peoples and Defending Indigenous Traditions

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    On September 3, 2025, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI)—represented by the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) and general counsel—along with Huy and the United South and Eastern Tribes Sovereignty Protection Fund (USET SPF)—represented by Hobbs, Straus, Dean, and Walker LLP and general counsel—filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Supreme Court. The brief argues for strong legal remedies for individuals whose religious freedoms are violated while incarcerated. Filed in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections, the brief supports Mr. Landor, a practicing Rastafarian who was forced to cut his dreadlocks while in a Louisiana prison.

    For many Native Peoples, wearing unshorn hair is a sacred and longstanding religious tradition. It is not only a spiritual practice in itself but is often a prerequisite for participating in other religious ceremonies. Historically, the forced cutting of hair was one of the many violent methods used to impose federal assimilation policies on Native Peoples between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries.

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    Today, more than 29,500 American Indians and Alaska Natives are incarcerated in the United States. Enabling religious expression among incarcerated Native individuals is linked to better rehabilitation outcomes and a lower risk of recidivism. Forced haircuts imposed by prison officials deprive many Native inmates of a core aspect of their identity and place an undue burden on their ability to practice their religion. This practice is particularly harmful given its deep association with historical efforts to erase Native identity and suppress Indigenous spiritual traditions.

    “As we see in Mr. Landor’s case, some of the most upsetting religious injuries suffered by incarcerated people are inflicted by the individuals who supervise them on a day-to-day basis. Recognizing that the law provides for financial damages in lawsuits against those individuals can help prevent unlawful conduct and protect religious freedom, which can be important for people seeking to live full, healthy lives,” said NARF Staff Attorney Sydney Tarzwell.

    The National Congress of American Indians is the oldest and largest national organization advocating on behalf of American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Huy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing religious, cultural, and rehabilitative opportunities for incarcerated American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. USET SPF is a nonprofit inter-Tribal organization representing 33 federally recognized Tribal Nations from the Northeastern Woodlands to the Everglades and along the Gulf of Mexico. Its mission includes strengthening Tribal Nations, increasing Tribal governmental capacity, and enhancing the quality of life for Native peoples.

    About the Author: “Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. “

    Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | APA! & the American Red Cross Partner to Help…

    Austin Pets Alive! | APA! & the American Red Cross Partner to Help…

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    Austin Pets Alive! (APA!) and the American Red Cross of Central & South Texas Region have partnered to help pets and people affected by natural disasters, fires, flooding, and other disaster relief. The partnership will offer Positive Alternatives to Shelter Surrender (PASS) program assistance to help those in need when the Red Cross is called to a scene and ensure animals and their families do not fall through the cracks when disaster strikes.

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  • Austin Pets Alive! | Sometimes All It Takes is a Bag of Food to Keep…

    Austin Pets Alive! | Sometimes All It Takes is a Bag of Food to Keep…

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    Feb 08, 2023

    What can 24 pallets of donated pet food do? It can connect a community, build a community, and keep the individuals in that community fed and safe.

    In 2022, APA! became a benefiting partner of a program created by the Humane Society of the United States and Chewy that connects Chewy’s warehouse returns to shelter partners in need. This collaboration has helped build upon our expanding PASS (Positive Alternative to Shelter Surrender) program, which has seen extreme growth over the last few years.

    A large delivery that we welcomed to our main location will make its way across Austin in a few stages. First, our friends at Austin Humane Society have collected eight pallets that will help stock one of their quarterly food banks. Next, several partnering organizations—multiple rescues, food pantries, and municipal partners—will come to APA! to load up supplies to support their efforts. And finally, APA! will welcome community members in need to load up supplies that may mean the difference between keeping their pet or having to rehome.

    When a community member is facing hard times, they may find themselves having to make the hard and heartbreaking decision to find a new home for their beloved pet. The last three years have been an eye-opener for so many, and for APA!, we saw the gap our community, and communities beyond Austin, have in providing support for a family that includes pets. Our PASS program, which had been quietly running in the background for years, shifted to a program that we recognized needed fast growth and that we needed to bring to the foreground of operations—so we could support people and pets in our community, and keep families together.

    In 2022, this “little program that could” raised over $44,000 for community members who needed medical support or pet deposit support in order to keep their pet, distributed over $300,000 worth of supplies and foods to various shelters and rescue partners, fulfilled 400+ individual pet pantry orders which served over 1500 pet family members and, when rehoming a pet was the best option for all parties, intaked a little over 1000 pets, typically, directly into foster homes.

    We’re honored to be a central hub partner for the HSUS and Chewy donation program as a way to continue to support our community members when they need a helping hand.

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