VICTORY in California!! Thanks to all of our amazing advocates for all their hard work in getting AB 1014 signed into law!
Dear friends:
by Stav Ziv (Newsweek)
"Nuclear weapons & Chemical weapons are extremely important issues for Human Rights.
"This 121-page report presents disturbing new findings about the
treatment of 34 of Uzbekistan’s most prominent people imprisoned on
politically motivated charges. They include two of the world’s longest
imprisoned journalists and others who have languished behind bars for
more than two decades. Based on more than 150 in-depth interviews,
including with 10 recently released prisoners, and analysis of newly
obtained court documents, the report extensively documents the plight of
many wrongfully imprisoned activists."
"This staggering statistic sends a clear message to offenders that they
can commit this horrible crime and get away with it. The single most
important thing we can do to prevent rape is to put more rapists in
prison," notes Scott Berkowitz, RAINN's president and founder. "That's
why we have made it a priority to pass the SAFER Act and eliminate the backlog of untested DNA evidence from open rape cases."
Please check back during the week. We will group the Urgent Actions as we receive them and place them here. As always, all Urgent Actions can be found under the Urgent Action tab on the website. Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters.
Syria: Peaceful political activist Gebrail Moushe Kourie facing unfair trial - URGENT ACTION by Nov 7, 2014
Peaceful political activist Gebrail Moushe Kourie is to be tried
by the Anti-Terrorism Court, which does not abide by international fair
trial standards. He has been in custody since December 2013 and has
been held in ‘Adra Prison since February. There are concerns that he may
have been tortured or otherwise ill-treated. There is more information here and here.
‘The killing of Michael Brown stung my heart’ Organizing for justice in Ferguson
Nine jailed members of Iran’s Gonabadi dervish religious
minority began a hunger strike on 31 August, in protest at the
authorities’ harassment and persecution of Gonabadi dervishes across the
country and are now critically ill. They are prisoners of conscience. For more information click here. 
For more information about Iranian Human Rights, click on this link for Iran Watch Canada (just one of many Human Rights organizations monitoring human rights in Iran) .
"WINNIPEG — More than a decade in the making, the Canadian Museum For
Human Rights holds its opening ceremonies Friday morning, following a
Thursday evening gala for donors who added to the federal government’s
support. It is the first national museum outside Ottawa, and the only one in the world dedicated solely to human rights.
Hearts and Soles Report
A Solidarity Movement for Gender Equality:
HeForShe is a campaign led by UN Women in which men all over the world
are being encouraged to speak out against the inequalities faced by
women and girls. Click here for more information and to take action.
Ghoncheh
Ghavami is being held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison solely for
taking part in a peaceful protest for the right to attend Volleyball
World League matches. She was arrested in June and has spent much of the time since in solitary confinement. Join our call for her immediate release. Click here to call for her immediate release.
Syrian physicist Faten Rajab Fawaz, a prisoner of conscience, is
awaiting trial before a Military Field Court, whose proceedings are
grossly unfair. She has been detained since 24 December 2011, seemingly
as a result of her peaceful activism. Click here for more information.
"Jason Rezaian and Yeganeh Salehi have lost a “shocking” amount of weight
in prison, an informed source has told the International Campaign for
Human Rights in Iran. According to this source, the family of the
imprisoned Iranian journalist Yeganeh Salehi was allowed to have their
first visit with her and her Washington Post reporter husband Jason Rezaian on September 7, and they were astonished at the couple’s appearance."
“The arrests of Jason Rezaian, Yeganeh Salehi, and a photographer are
part of a worsening trend over the past two months of arrests and
imprisonments of journalists in Iran,” said the Campaign’s Executive
Director Hadi Ghaemi. “Reporters receive press cards and professional
work permits from President Rouhani’s Guidance Ministry and they should
guarantee the security of journalists who are authorized to work legally in Iran.”
What an amazing opportunity! If you are in Madison, Wisconsin, plan on attending this lecture by Sheryl WuDunn, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, women’s rights advocate, and author of the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women as well as the forthcoming book A Path Appears. For more information, click here.
Deadline: October 31, 2014: Iranian juvenile offender Saman Naseem
has been convicted of taking part in armed activities against the state
and killing a member of the Revolutionary Guards, while he was under 18.
He could be executed at any time as his death sentence has been sent to
the Office of the Implementation of Sentences. Click here for more information. 
In Gambia, sex between people of the same sex is against the law.
Greetings Everyone!
UA 322/1325 Egypt: ACTIVISTS ON TRIAL, THREE RELEASED ON BAIL
Nigeria: Stop Torture of Mahmood and 50 Other People Deadline ASAP
Amnesty International works steadily and impartially to protect fundamental human rights of people of all walks of life. In conjunction with Banned Books Week, we direct attention to the plight of individuals who are persecuted because they produce, circulate, or read books or newspapers or other writings. Because of the proverbial "power of the word," many journalists and artists are under attack around the world - by governments and opposition groups - whether or not they are actually critical of those in authority or others seeking power. 
Anniversary of UN Declaration Reminder of Work Still to be Done, from the Prince Albert Daily Herald, Published on September 16, 2014
The Government of Western Australia plans to flatten the Aboriginal homelands community of Oombulgurri within days. People from all over the Kimberley have lived there for generations and now it’s under threat. If
the plans go ahead, not only will forty houses, a school, and a health
clinic be destroyed, but sacred sites may also be damaged in the
process. Click here to join our urgent call to stop the demolition, and to protect sacred Aboriginal sites in Oombulgurri.
To mark the 30th anniversary of the General Assembly Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace
,
the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is the “Right of
Peoples to Peace”. This anniversary offers a unique opportunity to
reaffirm the United Nations commitment to the purposes and principles
upon which the Organization was founded. The Declaration on the Right
of Peoples to Peace recognizes that the promotion of peace is vital for
the full enjoyment of all human rights.
Being able to make our own decisions about our health, body sexuality
and reproductive life is a basic human right. Yet all over the world,
many of us are persecuted for making these choices – or prevented from
doing so at all. That's why we've launched our global campaign: My Body, My Rights.
Everybody in the world has the right to live free from torture. Torture
is never, ever justified. It is illegal, barbaric and inhumane. Torture
is banned under International law, but despite this global ban, in
countries all over the world - including in the U.S. - people just like
you are tortured. Together we can stop it. Read more »
The 2014 Regional Conferences promise to be some of the best ever. We
can promise that no matter which AIUSA region you call home, you'll have
an incredible time hearing from inspiring speakers, networking with
other activists, learning about the most pressing human rights issues of
our time, and developing your organizer skill set. We'll have
information soon on agendas, speakers, and more so check back often. Mark your calendars now!
Click here to sign this petition for Ghoncheh Ghavami who was arrested for protesting the ban on women attending sporting events in Iran.
