Amnesty International Media Advisory
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Amnesty International and Other NGOs to Hold Silent Vigil
for Iran at Ralph J. Bunche Park
Human rights organizations to show solidarity with non-violent protestors on Iran National Day, February 11
(Washington) — Amnesty International USA along with co-sponsors, United4Iran, Student World Assembly, International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran and Where’s My Vote, NY, are holding a silent vigil for Iranian non-violent protestors at Ralph J. Bunche park, across the street from the United Nations Headquarters.
The vigil will occur on Thursday, February 11 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Amnesty International members and other activists will be dressed in black, wearing gags and assembled into rows. They will also be holding signs condemning the utilization of detention, torture and execution of nonviolent protestors in Iran. In addition, the organizations are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all those detained in the aftermath of the June 12, 2009 election as a result of exercising their right to freedom of expression.
The vigil serves to condemn the execution on January 28 of two men arrested during protests that followed Iran’s disputed presidential election last year. They are the first executions known to be related to the post-election violence that erupted across Iran in June and has continued since. According to the Iranian authorities, at least nine other people are currently on death row in Iran after being sentenced to death in similar post-election ‘show trials.’
| EVENT | Silent vigil for Iranian non-violent protesters |
| DATE | Thursday, February 11 |
| TIME | 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. |
| ELOCATION | 1st Ave, E 42nd to E 43rd Streets New York, NY |
After the vigil at 11:30 a.m., there will be a press conference at the UN Church Center with speakers from the above-mentioned groups.
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.
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For more information about the topic of this event, please visit: www.amnestyusa.org