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 Victory! Court Blocks Execution, Decision Awaited (USA: UA 216.17)
The US Supreme Court prevented the State of Georgia from executing Keith Tharpe on 26 September, to give the Justices more time to consider the claim that juror racism infected…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Human Rights Lawyer Detained In Dire Conditions (Egypt: UA 210.17)
Ibrahim Metwaly, human rights lawyer and co-founder of the Families of the Disappeared in Egypt group, was detained on 10 September while on his way to Geneva to address the…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Embassy Must Urgently Issue Diversity Visas (USA: UA 221.17)
Yemenis who left everything behind to come to the US have been stuck in Malaysia for months because of the discriminatory Muslim and Refugee Travel Ban.
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Pakistani Journalist Attacked While Driving Home (Pakistan: UA 220.17)
Pakistani journalist Matiullah Jan was driving home with his two children on 24 September when he was attacked by two men on a motorbike, who threw a brick-sized piece of…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Victim Of Acid Attack Faces Defamation (Indonesia: UA 217.17)
Novel Baswedan, a human rights defender and prominent investigator for the independent Corruption Eradication Commission, is facing criminal defamation proceedings for an email he wrote as a union representative. These…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Dr. Mudawi Unconditionally Released (Sudan: UA 26.17)
Sudanese human rights defender Dr Mudawi Ibrahim Adam was released on 29 August after the Sudan government dropped all charges against him. Dr Mudawi was arrested on 7 December 2016…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Activists Risk Prison After Peaceful Protest (Democratic Republic of Congo: UA 218.17)
Share: On This Page Congolese pro-democracy activists Jean Mulenda, Patrick Mbuya, Jean-Pierre Tshibitshabu and Eric Omari were sentenced to eight months in prison on 30 August. They have appealed the…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Charges Against Two Media Workers Dropped (Myanmar: UA 137.17)
While newspaper editor Kyaw Min Swe has been released on bail, he remains on trial for “online defamation’’ for a satirical article mocking the Myanmar Army. In addition, he and…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Three Journalists Released After Charges Dropped (Myanmar: UA 159.17)
Former prisoners of conscience Lawi Weng, Aye Nai and Pyae Phone Aung have had the charge against them dropped following an announcement by the Myanmar Army. The three journalists were…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Activist Released After Charges Dropped (Myanmar: UA 73.17)
Activist Htin Kyaw was released from prison after the Myanmar Army announced on 1 September 2017 that all charges against him, and other named activists and journalists, were to be…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Offices Of Human Rights Defenders Attacked (Indonesia: UA 215.17)
Staff of the Indonesian and Jakarta Legal Institutes were threatened by violent ‘anti-communist’ protesters outside their offices. The organizations have since closed due to concerns for the safety of their…
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Juvenile Offender At Risk Of Imminent Execution (Saudi Arabia: UA 209.16)
An appeal court has upheld the death sentence against Abdulkareem al-Hawaj, a Shi’a man who was convicted of offences committed when he was 16 years old. The court appears to…