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growing circumstantial evidence that those responsible are to be found in high positions of authority.
In an urgent effort to deal with the current gross violations of human rights in Argentina and to try to protect the well-being of present and potential victims of these violations, AI has created a special structure for rapid action by AI members and interested private persons and institutions. Although it is not easy to establish the effectiveness of such action, it is nevertheless clear that some lives have been saved thanks to immediate international attention.
As certain political and professional sectors in Argentina are concerned with the defence of human and legal rights, it is particularly important to keep them informed about Al's concern and actions, both with a view to conveying to them that such problems transcend geographical and political borders and are the concern of the international community, and to give moral support to their own efforts within Argentina.
Bahamas
In June 1974, Amnesty International Secretary General Martin Ennals sent a telegram to Prime Minister Lynden Pindling, appealing against reported moves to deport Haitian refugees and immigrants who have been working in the Bahamas for many years and who would run a high risk of arbitrary detention if returned to Haiti.
An appeal was also sent to the Prime Minister for commutation of two death sentences in August 1974, but both men were hanged in October 1974.
Bolivia
Amnesty International has continued its adoption program during the current year. Most of the prisoners under adoption or investigation have been released, although some only on condition that they left the country immediately. In a certain number of cases AI met their travel costs.
Despite administrative changes in Bolivia and the ostensible improvement represented by these releases, serious violations of human rights have continued. Reliable sources supplied evidence of severe torture and physical brutality, pro- longed detention without trial, denial of the right of habeas corpus and a lack of legal safeguards for those people arrested for allegedly illegal political activities. In consequence, Secretary General Martin Ennals addressed a memorandum in September 1974 to President Hugo Banzer Suarez. The memorandum was based on information supplied to Judge Lennart Aspegren of the Stockholm Superior Court, Sweden, who had previously carried out a mission to Bolivia. Mr Ennals called for an immediate cessation of such violations, "including illegal arrest, forced exile without due hearing, undue delay in bringing the accused before a competent judge, long periods of incommunicado, torture and other forms of physical and moral violations against detained persons".
AI has worked persistently throughout the year to persuade the Bolivian government either to release prisoners or to put them on trial, since, in some cases, they had been moved from military to civilian jurisdiction and held for periods of up to 3
years. Some of these prisoners have now been released albeit without trial.
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