The Legal Framework of White Oppression
Amnesty International
In 1995 Amnesty International decided at a meeting of its
International Council -- its highest decision making body --
that it would exclude from prisoner of conscience status not only people who have used or
advocated violence, but also people who are imprisoned "for having advocated national,
racial, or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or
violence." Note that this includes so-called "Holocaust deniers," or
revisionists as they call themselves.
Fact: AI was asked to declare Dr. Friedrich Töben, the head of Australia's Adelaide
Institute jailed in Germany for asking questions, a "prisoner of conscience" (its term), but
declined.
Writes one commentator, "The organization's hypocrisy is highlighted
by the case of Nelson Mandela, who during his sabotage trial in South Africa in 1964,
admitted that he believed in violence to achieve his political objectives and for that
purpose had been a leader of a campaign of sabotage. Mandela was a hot subject of debate at
Amnesty's meeting in September 1964 because, while the overwhelming sentiment was to
continue to support him, one of the rules pertaining to the prisoner of conscience category
was that those who used or advocated violence were not eligible. Thus the meeting decided
against adopting Mandela thus, but it also voted for supporting him anyway. A mere label
was withheld, not the support. T�ben needed the support more than the label.
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