Letter to Sacha Deshmukh, CEO of Amnesty UK
Update on yesterday's UKC segment: does Amnesty's UK Country Coordinator support violence against political dissidents?
Further to this segment on UK Column news.
A message I sent today to my former colleague, Sacha Deshmukh, CEO of Amnesty UK. Sharing here for public awareness.
Sacha,
I hope you're well.
It's been some time since we last saw each other.
I remember bumping into you on the underground at Kings Cross about 10 years ago. Before that, it would have been at Engine before I left at the end of 2011.
I'm now working as an investigative journalist and am contacting you in this capacity regarding a matter of national importance that I believe requires your urgent personal attention.
On Wednesday August 7th I attended a ‘Stand Up To Racism’ protest in Walthamstow, E17. This was presented as a spontaneous and organic uprising of the British working class in response to supposed ‘far right’ violence after the murder of Bebe King, Elsie Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar on July 29th in Southport.
My assessment is there was nothing spontaneous or organic about this event, or any other part of the ‘anti-racist’ movement. I explained my views in detail in a report for UK Column News on Monday August 12th. The report can be found here, from 9 minutes 30 seconds.
In the report, I highlight a remarkable statement made at the protest by Labour Councillor Ricky Jones talking about fellow citizens with differing political opinions: "They are disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them."
Jones has subsequently been suspended by the Labour Party. He has also been arrested and is now under investigation by the Metropolitan Police for encouraging murder and an offence under the Public Order Act.
As you can see in this image, and as reported in the UKC segment, a woman in an Amnesty ‘high-viz’ vest can be seen standing directly next to Ricky Jones, smiling and clapping as he made these remarks.
Since I filed the report, I’ve been informed that this woman is Ulrike Schmidt, Amnesty UK Country Coordinator. I believe Schmidt and Jones have worked together on several occasions before this event based on images found online.
If true, this is a disaster for Amnesty UK. It is completely unthinkable that your organisation, or members of its senior leadership team, would show support for these kinds of remarks.
It's hard to overstate the danger of the road this kind of rhetoric will take us down if allowed to continue. The potential for extreme violence across the UK has never been greater and, as a politically impartial observer, I can tell you with absolute conviction that the vast majority of violent language and incitement is coming from the 'radical Left'. As demonstrated perfectly last week by Ricky Jones, the organisers of the ‘Stand Up To Racism’ protest and, it would appear, one of your most senior employees.
The tone of public discourse MUST deescalate and remain peaceful else we risk serious harms being inflicted on the population.
My questions are as follows:
- Do you and Amnesty UK condemn the statements made by Ricky Jones, that his political opponents are “disgusting Nazi fascists, and we need to cut all their throats and get rid of them.”?
- Can you confirm whether the woman in the video wearing the Amnesty top is Ulrike Schmidt, Amnesty UK Country Coordinator?
- If the woman in the video is Ulrike Schmidt, can you confirm whether she will be asked to resign her position as Amnesty UK Country Coordinator?
If Amnesty and its leadership are to maintain any level of credibility on the crucial issues of human rights, equality and justice then this matter must be dealt with swiftly and emphatically. I believe a firm public statement and actions are required as soon as possible.
I look forward to hearing from you.
More updates as and when I have them.
From London.
Ben Rubin
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Good note.
I remember back in the 90's when I was a financial supporter of Amnesty International I wrote to them on two occasions a few months apart warning them that their increasingly feminist viewpoints were in danger of destroying what Amnesty was supposed to stand for i.e. supporting ALL people who were victims of governmental abuse and not just as was increasingly the case back then women who were not even in danger of their lives.
I asked why they were spending time and money on such issues when they should be sticking to aiding those in danger of torture and death at the hands of despicable regimes that I now know were almost all backed by Western governments.
Of course I received no replies to my two letters and I then cancelled my financial support. Sadly Amnesty International was infiltrated a long time ago by those playing their preferred feminist and other leftist politics while real victims were left to rot.
Great work Ben. I find your UKC segments first class, so thank you.