CARD SCHEYE NEWSLETTER JULY 1966 AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 12, CraneCourt,FleetStreet, London, E.C.4. We are happyto reportthe release of 2 prisoners selected for the Yit Card Scheme. CHARLES CASSATO, Guyana(exBritish Guiana)(April 1966Newsletter) was released on June 29th, 1966, together with another prisoner. By the end of June 1966 all re- maining Prisoners of Conscience in British Guiana adopted by Amnesty Groups were released. Mary Nunes, wife of the mostnotableof the released prisoners, CEDRIC VERNON NUNES,formerMinister of Education, writesin a circular letter, datedJuly 13th,1966, "...Iwould liketo thankall thosewonderful peopleand organisations who have helped us in a million ways, on behalfof my husband, myselfand all the detainees..." WILLIPAASCH, West Germany(March 1966 Newsletter) was released on 26th May, 1966, and wroteto US on 13thJune,thanking Amnestyfor all thatwe had done on his behalf. He especially singled out as givinghim most pleasure the many cardsfrommany different partsof the worldthat he had received in prison. Kit members may already have received a card of thanksfrom him. PEDROVEIRADE ALMEIDA, Portugal (February 1966Newsletter) is on trialat the moment. A London barrister has been sent by Amnesty to attendthe trialas an impartial observer. We regretthat his returncoincides with the publication of this Newsletter and we cannot give you any news untilnextmonth. We have not heardof therebeing any reaction from the authorities concerning the 3 prisoners for lastmonth (June1966 Newsletter). The Investigation Department wouldbe most gratefuljf you couldinform us as soon as possible if you do receive any answers to your appeals. ***************************** Here are thismonth'sprisoners: ALI SAIEDMOHAMED SALIH- Iraq He is one of more than 200 teachers imprisoned during1962 - 63 for theirpolitical sympathies.He is 25 years old and unmarried, the eldestson of a familyof 11. Less than 1 year afterhis graduation as a teacherin 1962,Ali Saiedwas arrested for "illegal associations", and on 4th March,1964,he was sentenced by CourtMartial to eri years imprisonment. After yearsin a desertprison, he was transferred to: AmaraPrison, Amara,Republic of Iraq. ArtLJugh we know that the condition of his detention is poor- particularly the food and medicalservices are poor - he can be written to at the aboveaddress. You shouldsend your cardsof appealto either: a) His Excellency, Dr. AbdelRahmanBazzaz, or b) His Excellency, AbdulRahman Premier of the Republic of Iraq, Aref, Baghdad, Iraq. President of the Republic of Iraq, Baghdad, Iraq. Letters or cardsof encouragement can of course be sent to the prisoner himself. Professor TRAN HUU KHUE - SouthVietnam Professor Tran Huu Khue was sentenced to 20 years'imprisonment on 4th August, 1965,by the SaigonMilitary Tribunal on a chargeof "destroying the moraleof the Army and pop- ulation". He is serving his sentence at Che Hos Prison, Saigon. The Professor, a 51 year old married man with 9 children (2 adopted), had been ScoutCommissioner for the SaigonDistrict since1953. He taughtlanguages in several private schools. In February, 1964,Professor Tran was Assistant General-Secretary of the "Movement for the free choice of the people", whosepolitical objective was to campagin for peaceand the rightof the peopleto choosetheirown systemof Government.The Movement attempted to hold a joint pressconference in association with the "Committee for Peace"and various groupsof intellectuals, womens' liberal groups, workers and students. The objectof the conference was to put forward a petition in favourof peace,addressed both to the Government of SouthVietnam and to the National Liberation Front (theVietcong). It was also proposed to circulate a petition to the same effectfor signature by prominent Vietnamese.All the organisers of the movement were arrested, although the Movement, in accordance with SouthVietnamese law,had submitted its statutes and list of office-holders to the authorities, and had operated openlyfor several months. The abovefactsare derived from the Act of Accusation prepared by the Government Prosecutor. There is no suggestion that Professor Tran supported any kind of violence, whilethe appeal for peacewas addressed not only to the SouthVietnamese Government, but also the Vietcong. A Bhuddtat newspaper recently emphasized the extremely moderate natureof the Movement's resolution for peaceand askedfor the releaseof thosesentenced.