What is the Urgent Action Network?
The concept is simple: Take Action, Change a Life.
Urgent Actions ask our community of volunteers to flood the mailboxes, inboxes, phones and social media of authorities when someone is in imminent danger of human rights violations. Your letters, emails, phone calls, faxes and Tweets have helped to halt executions, support human rights defenders and free prisoners of conscience—people jailed solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs and identity.
Please note that the US postal service has suspended service to some countries in light of COVID-19 – reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions.
How Does It Work?
STEP 1: Sign Up Today!
Sign up to receive Urgent Action emails. You can choose to receive all emails or a more limited number. You can also choose to receive emails on specific issues or regions.
STEP 2: Take Action Now!
Urgent Action emails specify the case, local and international government officials to contact, their contact information and suggestions about what to write, say or Tweet.
Our Educator’s Guide
Are you an educator looking for ways to engage your students in human rights? Find out how your students can show their power through letter writing!
In many cases, your action on these cases leads to better conditions for prisoners and their eventual release. Those individuals at the center of these Urgent Actions often send their thanks to Amnesty International, citing that these messages serve as a source of hope.
Browse Urgent Actions
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: ACTIVIST JAILED FOR 25 YEARS FOR ANTI-WAR VIEWS (UA: Russian Federation: 40.23)
Vladimir Kara-Murza is a prominent Russian political activist and journalist. He was arrested in April 2022 and prosecuted for his criticism of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and for his…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: MILLIONS OF SCHOOLGIRLS AT RISK OF POISONING (Iran UA 42.23)
The rights to education, health and life of millions of schoolgirls are at risk amid ongoing chemical gas attacks deliberately targeting girls’ schools in Iran. Since November 2022, thousands of…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: URGENT HEALTHCARE NEEDED FOR JAILED ACTIVIST (Angola 34.23)
On 13 January, activist Tanaice Neutro was arrested in connection to videos he recorded where he called the president a ‘clown’ and the authorities ‘ignorant’. He was tried in October…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: URGE CLEMENCY FOR NATIVE AMERICAN ACTIVIST (USA: UA 16.19-3)
Native American activist Leonard Peltier has been imprisoned in the USA for over 46 years, some of which was spent in solitary confinement, serving two life sentences for murder despite…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: FREE JOURNALIST SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS (Algeria: UA 37.23)
On 2 April, the tribunal of Sidi M’hamed in Algiers convicted prominent Algerian journalist Ihsane El Kadi to five years in prison, of which two suspended, a fine of 700,000…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: TAJIK DISSENTER DEPORTED AND CONVICTED (Tajikistan: UA 25.23)
On January 18th, 2023, Germany deported Abdullohi Shamsiddin to Tajikistan, where he was subject to enforced disappearance and then reportedly held in solitary confinement by the State Committee for National…
Urgent Action
URGENT ACTION: EDUCATION ACTIVIST ARBITRARILY ARRESTED (Afghanistan: UA 35.23)
Matiullah Wesa was arbitrarily arrested by the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) on 27 March 2023, while returning from evening prayer at the mosque. Following the arrest, the GDI…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS MUST BE RELEASED (Democratic Republic of Congo: UA 31.23)
King Mwamisyo and Elias Bizimungu are two activists with the citizens’ movement, LUCHA in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They were arrested in April and September 2022, respectively, on…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: TORTURED SON OF OPPOSITION FIGURE HELD INCOMMUNICADO (Egypt: UA 29.23)
Anas al-Beltagy, who has been arbitrarily detained for over nine years solely due to his family links, is being held in incommunicado in the Badr Prison Complex, some 70 km…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: EXECUTION WOULD BREACH INTERNATIONAL LAW (USA: UA 23.23)
Texas intends to execute Andre Thomas, a Black man, on 5 April 2023. He was sentenced to death in 2005 by an all-white jury after his lawyers failed to challenge…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: DETAINED MPS MUST BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY (Eswatini: UA 113.21)
Members of Eswatini Parliament Mduduzi Bacede Mabuza and Mthandeni Dube have been arbitrarily detained since 25 July 2021 on trumped-up charges, including those under the Suppression of Terrorism Act. While…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER’S CONVICTION UPHELD (Morocco/Western Sahara: UA 91.22)
On 20 February, the Rabat Court of Appeal upheld the conviction against human rights defender Rida Benotmane, imposed by a lower court on 7 November 2022, on charges relating to…