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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
The reason we could resist the ban and move forward was the international support and solidarity by Amnesty International activists around the world. We could not have gone further without your support.
I am very grateful for all the support I received while I was in prison. Life in prison was very difficult and I was treated badly, but the support of those who believed in me made me strong.
My case once again showed how important solidarity and attention are in protecting the freedom of speech and human rights. I admire your noble work and boundless courage, dear activists.
Browse Urgent Actions
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: STATE OF EMERGENCY GRAVE THREAT TO RIGHTS (El Salvador: UA 41.22)
On March 27, 2022, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly approved a state of emergency in response to reports of a spike in gang-related homicides. Since that time, more than 25,000 people…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: IMPRISONED JUNE 4 VIGIL ORGANIZER FACES FURTHER CHARGES (Hong Kong: UA 86.21)
Human rights lawyer and China’s labour rights advocate Chow Hang-tung was charged for “inciting subversion” under the new National Security Law on September 9, 2021 and faces potential 10 years’…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: TURKEY: FREE THE GEZI DEFENDANTS (Turkey: UA 37.22)
On April 25, 2022, civil society leader Osman Kavala who has been imprisoned on pretrial detention since November 2017, was convicted for “attempting to overthrow the government” and sentenced to…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: NO ACCESS TO FAMILY AND PROPER MEDICAL CARE (China: 284.16)
Huang Qi, founder and director of Sichuan-based human rights website “64 Tianwang”, has had no access to his family since 2020, and his health has significantly deteriorated and is at…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: EXECUTION SET DESPITE MENTAL DISABILITY (USA: UA 34.22)
Clarence Dixon, a 66-year-old Native American man, is scheduled to be put to death in Arizona on May 11, 2022 for a murder committed in January 1978. He has a…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: SAHRAWI ACTIVIST BEATEN BY PRISON GUARDS (Morocco/Western Sahara: UA 37.21)
On March 15, 17, 18, and 21, 2022, five prison guards entered the cell of Sahrawi activist Mohamed Lamine Haddi, beat him with batons and cut his beard against his…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: PUERTO RICO: PROTECT ACCESS TO ABORTION (Puerto Rico: UA 32.22)
A recently published bill seeks to prohibit abortions after 22 weeks, or when a doctor determines that the fetus is viable, with the only exception being if the pregnant person’s…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: JOURNALIST MUST BE RELEASED IMMEDIATELY (Algeria: UA 33.22)
Algerian journalist, Merzoug Touati, sentenced to one year in prison and a fine for Facebook posts denouncing deplorable prison conditions of another detained activist, started a hunger strike on March…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS CHARGED WITH DEFAMATION (Indonesia: UA 107.21)
Haris Azhar and Fatia Maulidiyanti were charged on March 17, 2022, with defamation under article 27 of the Electronic Information and Transactions Law, after being reported by the Coordinating Minister…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: UYGHUR TEENAGE GIRL AND MOTHER DETAINED (Saudi Arabia: UA 27.22)
Uyghur woman Buheliqiemu Abula and her 13-year-old daughter were detained near Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on March 31, 2022, and told by police they faced deportation to China along with two…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: INVESTIGATE VIOLATIONS AGAINST RAPED ACTIVIST (Morocco/Western Sahara: UA 33.21)
Sultana Khaya, an activist for Sahrawis’ right to self-determination and her family have been under a de facto house arrest since November 2020. Security forces surrounding their home repeatedly and…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: KAZAKHSTAN: RELEASE OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER: ZHANBOLAT MAMAY (Kazakhstan: UA 31.22)
Zhanbolat Mamay, journalist and leader of the unregistered opposition Democratic Party of Kazakhstan was kept in custody as a criminal suspect after already wrongfully spending 15 days in “administrative detention”…