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: Death Threats For Human Rights Lawyer (India: UA 243.17)
Dalit lawyer and human rights defender, Rajat Kalsan, faces fabricated charges and death threats due to his work defending Dalit…
October 23, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Activists Indicted For Peaceful Assembly (Thailand: UA 290.16)
Five student activists, a land rights activist and two human rights lawyers face six months imprisonment and unfair trial in…
October 20, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Fifteen Released, Five Still Arbitrarily Detained (South Sudan: UA 87.16)
George Livio Bahara, one of the men arbitrarily detained at a prison at the National Security Service (NSS) headquarters in…
October 19, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Texas Court Issues Stay Of Execution (USA: UA 230.17)
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has granted a stay of execution to Clinton Young, who was due to be…
October 19, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Human Rights Defender And Journalist Charged (Angola: UA 155.17)
Human rights defender Rafael Marques de Morais and journalist Mariano Brás Lourenço have formally been charged with ‘defamation of a…
October 13, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Uzbekistani Journalist At Risk Of Extradition (Ukraine: UA 238.17)
Journalist and poet Narzullo Akhunzhonov was detained by Ukrainian border guards on 20 September, following an Interpol Red Notice requested…
October 11, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! All LGBTI People Detained In Mass Raids Released (Azerbaijan: UA 223.17)
All LGBTI persons detained during the raids carried out across Baku on 23 September have been released. The authorities must…
October 6, 2017
Urgent Action
Victory! New Stay Of Execution For Jeffrey Borden (USA: 500.17)
Earlier this afternoon, the US District Court for the Middle District of Alabama issued a new stay of execution in…
October 6, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: No Details About Detained North Koreans In China (China: UA 163.17)
No official information has been made available regarding eight North Koreans that have been detained in China since mid-March 2017.…
October 6, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action: Rif Protestors Facing Reprisals In Detention (Morocco: UA 229.17)
Protest leader Nasser Zefzafi and journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui remain in prolonged solitary confinement. Hunger-striking detainees are facing reprisals as…
October 4, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Update: Torture Fears For Detained Human Rights Lawyer (Tajikistan: UA 209.15)
Human rights lawyer Buzurgmekhr Yorov is serving a 28-year prison sentence on politically motivated grounds. He is allegedly being subjected…
October 4, 2017
Urgent Action
Urgent Action Victory! Poet Commemorating Liu Xiaobo Released (China: UA 201.17)
Poet Wu Mingliang, better known by his pen name “Langzi”, and Peng Heping were released on 22 September after being…
October 4, 2017