Local News in Brief : Countywide : Amnesty International Conference Is in Irvine

Amnesty International U.S.A. will meet in Irvine this weekend for its Western Regional Conference.

The opening session at 9:30 a.m. Saturday will feature a keynote address by Mirna Perla de Anaya, a prominent Salvadoran lawyer and judge and the widow of human rights activist Herbert Ernesto Anaya, who was assassinated in October, 1987.

The two-day conference, at Irvine High School, 4321 Walnut Ave., offers an opportunity for Amnesty International members to share ideas, hear prominent speakers and plan for the year ahead. There will also be a special program for high school students all day Saturday.

Saturday’s program is open to the public for a fee of $10. Students and senior citizens will be charged $7.

The closing plenary session Saturday afternoon will feature an address by Hong Da (Harry) Wu, who was imprisoned for 19 years in China after he spoke out about the government in 1960.

The conference will continue Sunday with workshops for Amnesty International leaders.

Amnesty International is a worldwide organization that works for the release of prisoners of conscience, fair trials for political prisoners and an end to torture and execution.