Colwyn Bay Group Amnesty International UK

28/01/2026

A New Year and a new year of campaigning! It's our first meeting of 2026 tomorrow evening: do join us if you can!
After a brief AGM when we will divvy out roles, we will hear a presentation on Climate Change and Migration - there's bound to be lots of discussion on that topic.

Then we will start planning our programme for the year - we already have some things ready to launch - firstly a powerful exhibition based on life in Evin prison in Iran as experienced by British- Iranian, Anoosheh Ashoori, who was arbitrarily jailed for
four-and-a-half years in Iran until his release - alongside Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe - in March 2022. It will be held from 21st - 23rd February in St John’s Methodist Church, Rose Hill, Conwy, LL32 8LD

31/08/2023

meeting tonight! 7.15 at St Joseph's Community Centre, Colwyn Bay. we'll be taking action for a student in Bangladesh who has been imprisoned for hosting a webinar where a contributor criticised aspects of government policy, developments in Israel/Palestine and planning our future meetings. do join us!
here's a link for more info on Bangladesh

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/08/bangladesh-authorities-must-immediately-release-university-student-khadijatul-kubra/

27/04/2023

2018, Indian authorities have arrested 16 activists under a draconian anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. 11 of them continue to languish in prison without trial. The repression of activists must end.

The BK16 activists include poets, journalists, lawyers, professors, artists, and a Jesuit priest, who have been charged under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which has been abused to detain people for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association.

These HRDs have long worked to defend the rights of some of India’s poorest and most marginalized communities, including Dalits and Adivasis – India’s indigenous peoples. They are India’s heroes.

One of the 16 activists, Fr. Stan Swamy died in detention due to denial of timely media treatment. While three others, Anand Teltumbde, Sudha Bhardwaj and Varavara Rao have been granted bail and activist Gautam Navlakha has been shifted to house arrest, 11 activists continue to languish in jail without a trial.

Take action today and demand their immediate release.

Dissent is the safety valve of democracy. If you don’t allow the safety valve, pressure cooker will burst.

Supreme Court of India, 2018
THE BHIMA KOREGAON 16:
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BK16
INDIAN AUTHORITIES MUST RELEASE ALL IMPRISONED ACTIVISTS IN THE BK16 CASE!
Act now to urge the Union Home Minister of India, Amit Shah to:

Drop all charges against the 16 activists and immediately release the 12 who remain in detention
Pending their release, ensure that they are granted prompt, regular, and unrestricted access to medical care and other basic necessities
Repeal or substantially amend the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

BACKGROUND:
Police allege that the 16 activists “incited” a group of Dalit people at a large public rally in Bhima Koregaon in Maharashtra on 31 December 2017. Dalit people belong to oppressed castes and have historically faced discrimination. Violent clashes erupted the next day, leading to one death and several injured. The police have also accused the activists to be active members of the banned terrorist organization Communist Party of India.

The activists face charges under the UAPA and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code. The UAPA has often been abused to arbitrarily detain people peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association. Amnesty International has previously conducted analysis of the UAPA and concluded that parts of it do not meet international human rights standards.


The crackdown on human rights defenders in India continues unabated. Over 4 years since the first wave of arrests in case, 11 of the 16 activists remain behind bars. Demand their release. https://www.amnesty.org/en/bhima-koregaon-16/
Ask the Indian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release everyone imprisoned in the case. It is unacceptable that activists are imprisoned in India simply for speaking up for the rights of everyone. https://www.amnesty.org/en/bhima-koregaon-16/
We must not forget that 11 of the BK16 activists remain imprisoned without trial, simply for speaking for the rights of the most marginalized. Sign petition to tell the government of India that dissent is not a crime. https://www.amnesty.org/en/bhima-koregaon-16/
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27/04/2023

Join us and demand that India immediately releases the BK16 who have been arbitrarily detained.

Since 2018, Indian authorities have arrested 16 activists under a draconian anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Bhima Koregaon-Elgar Parishad case. 11 of them continue to languish in prison without trial. The repression of activists must end. 

13/04/2023

Don't forget our fundraiser this Saturday! Coastal Voices and Bangor Community Choir will sing a variety of songs from around the world and during the interval there will be lots of delicious gooey cakes and drinks to enjoy!

15/03/2023

JCB has a depot in Ruthin and a group member visited recently to talk to staff about the use of this machinery to demolish the homes of Palestinians by the Israeli authorities contrary to international law. Amnesty calls for the immediate cessation of these demolitions

10/03/2023

JCB machinery is used by Israelis to demolish the homes of ordinary people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Workers who use JCB machinery in the UK probably do not know about this, but a local Amnesty activist has done her bit to inform them. A message left on the digger in Llanfairfechan simply states the case.

17/01/2023

2022 went out with a bang! Our carol singing event in the Victoria Centre was a great success thanks to our singers who came together to provide shoppers a 2 hour session of carols in 4 part harmony and Handel's Halleluiah Chorus to boot! Many thanks to them for all their hard work. Thanks also to Coastal voices who joined us later and gave us all an uplifting session of world music. Some fantastic singing!
Shoppers, despite the hard times we are all facing, were extraordinarily generous and we received donations of around £350 and 70 messages of support were sent to prisoners of conscience around the world.
Many thanks for all who sang, who listened and who most of all contributed both their cash but also their messages of hope.

17/01/2023

Not long now until our first meeting of 2023. Join us at 7.15pm on Thursday 26 January at St Joseph's Community Centre in Colwyn Bay to help us plan our programme for the year.

24/11/2022

Colwyn Bay Amnesty will be joined by singers from local choirs to sing Christmas carols on Saturday 17 December in the Victoria Centre. We shall start at 10am an end around 12.000 when Coastal Voices will take over for half an hour of their wonderful music-making! We shall also invite shoppers to pause to send a message of solidarity to people featured in Amnesty's Write4Rights campaign.

24/11/2022

It's Write4Rights today! Join us for our annual meeting when we send messages of support to brave people around the world imprisoned for doing their human rights work. We'll be standing in solidarity with Sasha (Russia), Shahnewaz, Chow (China), and others too. Where? St Josephs' Community Centre, Colwyn Bay. When? 7.15 this evening. There will be mince pies and stollen too!

30/09/2022

Your local group of Amnesty International has been meeting for about 50 years and during that time we have tried to do our bit to make the world a fairer place for all. Like the other groups around the UK and the world, we are a group of ordinary people who believe that human rights matter, and that they and the people who defend them – often in very difficult circumstances – should be protected and supported.

If you too would like to be a part of this worldwide movement join us!
We are a friendly group and our meetings are open to all who share our passion, and who wish to add their voice to the call of freedom and justice for all!

What do we do? During our monthly meetings we regularly sign letters to authorities around the world where human rights defenders need our support. We organise events to publicise Amnesty’s work and its campaigns.
When the UK government needs to be reminded of its duties under human rights conventions and laws we are not afraid to remind them too.
We frequently have speakers to our meetings who come with a breadth and depth of knowledge to inform and inspire us.

We are really pleased to found our new home at St Joseph’s Community Centre and we meet each month. When? It’s easy – the final Thursday of the month at 7.15pm. We generally finish around 9.15-9.30pm. The only exceptions are in August and December when we do not meet.

Meetings are open to all and we hope to welcome you to one very soon!