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.
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
Chad: Quash Sentence Against Four Activists (UA 68/16)
Four Chadian activists arrested and charged for planning to organise peaceful public demonstrations have received a four month suspended prison sentence.
Urgent Action
India: Release Journalist Prabhat Singh (UA 69/16)
A journalist from the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh has been arrested and charged for allegedly sharing a message on Whatsapp criticising the state police. If convicted he could…
Urgent Action
Ukraine: Investigate the Murder of Yuri Grabovski and Ensure Oksana Sokolovskaya’s Safety (UA 67/16)
The body of missing Ukrainian lawyer, Yuri Grabovski, was discovered on 25 March in a shallow grave in woods, about 100 km outside of Kyiv.
Urgent Action
Saudi Arabia: Release Prisoner of Conscience/Journalist Alaa Brinji (UA 63/16)
Saudi Arabian journalist Alaa Brinji has been sentenced to five years in prison by the Specialized Criminal Court in Riyadh after being convicted for posts on Twitter. He has…
Urgent Action
Good News! – China: Prominent Journalist Jia Jia Released (UA 62/16)
Prominent journalist and columnist Jia Jia went missing on 15 March while he was due to board a flight to Hong Kong. His disappearance may be connected with an…
Urgent Action
Sudan: Inform Members of TRACKS of the Reasons for Their Arrest (UA 58/16)
Staff members, trainers, a volunteer and visitors of the training centre TRACKS for Training and Human Development had to report daily to the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS)…
Urgent Action
Georgia: Protect Rights of LGBTI People (UA 61/16)
The bill which would amend the Constitution introducing a definition of marriage as a union exclusively between a man and a woman, received the endorsement of the Parliament’s Human…
Urgent Action
Malaysia: Protect Detainees from Torture (UA 59/16)
At least 13 detainees, arrested under the Security Offences Act, have reported torture or other ill-treatment by the authorities and sexual harassment of their family members. 1) Please…
Urgent Action
Honduras: Investigate the Killing of Human Rights Defender Nelson GarcÃa (UA 60/16)
Nelson García, 38, active member of the Civic Council of Popular and Indigenous Organisations of Honduras (COPINH) was killed on 15 March in Rio Lindo (West).
Urgent Action
Iran: Release Saeed Hosseinzadeh (UA 56/16)
Civil society activist and prisoner of conscience Saeed Hosseinzadeh was forced to interrupt his treatment and return to Tehran’s Evin Prison on 11 July after the Office of the…
Urgent Action
Venezuela: Establish Whereabouts of Remaining Miners (UA 53/16)
The bodies of seventeen informal gold miners reported as missing were found by the authorities.
Urgent Action
Azerbaijan: Provide Medical Treatment for Human Rights Defender (UA 55/16)
The health of imprisoned Azerbaijani human rights defender Taleh Khasmammadov has continued to progressively deteriorate. He is not receiving adequate medical care in the prison’s hospital.