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adoptee and a further five whose names were known to the International Secre- tariat. However, with the exception of Mr Bernardel, it has not been possible to establish whether, in fact, the others were released and whether some of the names correspond to prisoners at all.
The International Secretariat has on several occasions supplied information to lawyers and institutions attempting to help Haitian refugees in Canada and the United States, who are threatened with return to Haiti where they would run a high risk of arbitrary arrest.
Jamaica
In July 1974, Amnesty International Secretary General Martin Ennals wrote to Governor General Florizel Glasspole of Jamaica, appealing for commutation of the death sentence passed on Mario Hector who was convicted of murder on 25 February 1972. Mir Hector was, however, charged with the crime on 7 Novem- ber 1970 when he was 17 years old and, under Jamaican law, not liable to capital punishment because of his youth. The Secretary General pointed out that this was in violation of article 11 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the last sentence of which states: “Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed."
On 21 May 1975, following the decision by the judicial committee of the Privy Council in London that death sentences passed in 1971 on Eaton Baker and Paul Tyrell must stand, even though they were both under 18 years of age when they committed their offence, Mr Ennals cabled an appeal for their reprieve to the government of Jamaica. In a letter of 25 May, he cited article 6, paragraph 5 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights: “Sentence of death shall not be imposed for crimes committed by persons below 18 years of age." On the same day, AI issued a news release about the case.
At the time of writing (June 1975) none of the men referred to above has been executed.
Mexico
In March 1975, the Chairman of the International Executive Committee, Dirk Börner, visited Mexico and introduced Amnesty International and its work to the Mexican government. In an interview at the Ministry of Government, Mr Börner discussed the international scope and humanitarian aims of AI's work and its concerns in Mexico, including the prevention of torture. The basis for future relations between AI and the Mexican government was established.
Allegations of torture received by AI in the past year relate closely to the de facto absence of procedural guarantees in both common and political cases. All torture allegations received by AI have referred to the periods immediately follow- ing detention but prior to formal arraignment before a judge. Allegations describe systematic beatings, near drowning and electric shocks. They have been made by prisoners held for alleged guerrilla activities, students and intellectuals held for brief periods and young North Americans imprisoned on narcotics charges. Al's Campaign for the Abolition of Torture is currently reviewing this information.
On 30 December 1974, 65-year old Hilario Moreno, a militant of the legal
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