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
Urgent Action: Arbitrary Detainees On Hunger Strike (Venezuela: UA 174.17)
The physical integrity and lives of 14 police officers arbitrarily detained for politically motivated reasons are at risk in Venezuela,…
July 19, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Congress Rejects Regressive Abortion Reform (Dominican Republic: UA 151.16)
On 11 July, the Chamber of Deputies of the Dominican Congress voted to reject proposed reforms to the Criminal Code…
July 17, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Defenders End Strike, Release Secured (Cuba: UA 76.17)
Share: On This Page Siblings and human rights defenders Anairis Miranda Leyva, Adairis Miranda Leyva and Fidel Manuel Batista Leyva…
July 17, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Woman Convicted Under Unfair Anti-Abortion Law (El Salvador: UA 98.17)
While Salvadoran legislators have, for months, been postponing the debate on the Criminal Code reform that would decriminalize abortion, another…
July 13, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Aliaksei Mikhalenya At Risk Of Imminent Execution (Belarus: UA 172.17)
Aliaksei Mikhalenya was sentenced to death by the Homel Regional Court, in southeast Belarus, on 17 March. His sentence was…
July 13, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Sudanese Activist At Imminent Risk Of Deportation (Saudi Arabia: UA 50.17)
Sudanese political activist Alaa Aldin al-Difana is at imminent risk of being deported from Saudi Arabia to Sudan, where he…
July 11, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Bahraini Prisoner Of Conscience In Detention (Bahrain: UA 170.17)
On 24 May, the Bahraini Court of Appeal halved the prison sentence of Dr. Taha al-Dirazi from six to three…
July 11, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Three Labour Activists Released On Bail (China: UA 136.17)
Hua Haifeng, Li Zhao, and Su Heng were released on bail on 28 June 2017 after being criminally detained while…
July 11, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Free Director Of AI Turkey (Turkey: UA 166.17)
Eight human rights defenders, including Amnesty International’s Turkey Director İdil Eser, and two international IT trainers, were detained by police on…
July 7, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Smear Campaign Against Environmental Defenders (Guatemala: UA 167.17)
Members of the Centre for Environmental, Social and Legal Action (CALAS) have been the target of a smear campaign after…
July 7, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Opposition Activist In Maximum Security Prison (Cuba: UA 164.17)
After ending a reported 39-day hunger strike, Cuban opposition activist Jorge Cervantes, allegedly detained for contempt in May, was transferred…
July 6, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Armed Attack Against Members Of COPINH (Honduras: UA 60.16)
On 30 June unknown assailants attacked Berta Zuniga Cáceres, Sotero Chavarría Fúnez and José Asunción Martínez, coordinators of the Civic…
July 6, 2017