Urgent Action for Iran: Saeed Shirzad detained for four months for contact with political prisoners' families - Due Nov. 14, 2014

Human rights activist, Saeed Shirzad, has been detained in Tehran's Evin Prison for four months, without access to his lawyer. He has been accused of having contact with political prisoners' families and cooperating with the office of the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. Click here for more information.

Thank you, Angie Hougas, for submitting this information.
Note: Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters. Angie has also composed a sample letter that may used to send to four addresses listed in the Urgent Action link. Click here for her letter.

Myanmar: Imprisoned Media Workers' Sentences Reduced Urgent Action due November 14, 2014

Here is the link from Amnesty Internationals' International Secretariate, the Myanmar team:

"Please find below for your information an Urgent Action update issued today in response to the reduction of sentences for the Unity journalists. They are still facing lengthy imprisonment, so please continue to write to the Myanmar authorities calling for their immediate and unconditional release. The UA update is also available here."

Thank you, Angie Hougas, for this information.

Note: Most Urgent Actions require a written letter. See our guidelines for writing letters. 

AI Madison Group #139 Weekly Update - October 3, 2014

Hi Everyone,
     This week we have quite a few Urgent Actions. We would like to remind everyone that most Urgent Actions require a handwritten letter. We do have guidelines on our website for writing these letters. For a complete list of all Urgent Actions, please go to our Urgent Actions Tab on our website.

     A little about our Facebook page…

     We try to post items that we receive as soon as possible to our Facebook page. If you do not see our posts in your NewsFeed, please go to our FB page and like or share postings. This will increase the likelihood that you will receive all of our posts. Some FB visitor statistics include: (1) the majority of our visitors come from Chicago followed by Madison, Los Angeles, and Houston and (2) the majority of our visitors are men from the age of 45 to 54, followed by men age 35-44, and then women age 35-44. Thank you to everyone who submitted items for posting on our website, Facebook page, and Twitter. Another important way that you can make a difference for human rights is to “like,” “share,” or comment on our FB postings.

     Have a fabulous week!

     -Debbie, Weekly Update Editor

Click here for entire Weekly Update.

Iran: Ghoncheh Ghavami Jailed for Wanting to Watch a Volleyball Game - Online Petition

Ghoncheh Ghavami (26) has been held in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison since June. Her ‘crime’? Taking part in a peaceful protest for the right of women to attend sporting events in Iran.

Click here for more information about Ghoncheh Ghavam/
Click here for online petition.

Note: We have now have FIVE online petitions located on our website (Online Petition tab). Please consider signing a petition for this young woman today!

The Abominable Crime wins first Amnesty International Human Rights Prize at trinidad+tobago film festival!

Reposted from Amnesty International - Caribbean Team Facebook post Oct 1, 2014
"The documentary, highlighting discrimination and violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in Jamaica, is the first recipient of the Amnesty International Human Rights Prize at trinidad+tobago film festival (ttff).

The Amnesty International Human Rights Prize was established in 2014 and will be awarded annually to the maker of the Caribbean film screened at ttff which is judged to have most compellingly highlighted a human rights issue. Read more: http://ow.ly/Caqtt"

Iran 'delays' Reyhaneh Jabbari execution after campaign - September 30, 2014/October 1, 2014

Oct 1, 2014 Amnesty International Report: Execution has been rescheduled for around October 9th. Click here for entire update. 

BBC Report: "An Iranian woman due to be put to death for killing a man she said was trying to sexually abuse her is reported to have had her execution postponed.

Officials said on Monday that Reyhaneh Jabbari, 26, had been transferred to a prison west of Tehran to be hanged. But activists claimed on Tuesday that an online campaign had persuaded the state to give her a 10-day reprieve. The human rights group Amnesty International said she was convicted after a deeply flawed investigation."  Click here for article from the BBC.

Amnesty Interview: "A spokesperson for Amnesty said:"We're obviously extremely relieved that Reyhaneh is out of immediate danger, but we're calling on the Iranian authorities to confirm that she won't be hanged in a week and a half's time and that instead there will be a full review of the deeply-flawed original investigation into her case."" Click here for entire article from The Independent.
   
Can Activists Save Reyhaneh Jabbari? by Filipa Ioannou 
"According to Amnesty International, Iran executes more people annually than any country except China. Information on capital punishment in Iran is difficult to confirm, and there is a large disparity between official figures and estimates by human rights groups. Iranian officials say 369 executions took place in the country in 2013, but Amnesty International estimates the figure is closer to 700."
Click here for entire article from Slate.com Oct 1, 2014

Morocco/Western Sahara: AHRAWI DETAINEES END HUNGER STRIKE - Update Urgent Action 233/14

 Six of the men, Mohamed Baber, Abdelmoutaleb Sarir, Mahmoud El Haissan, Aaliayne El Moussaoui, Abdelkrim Bouchalga and Abdelfattah Dallal, ended their hunger on 22 September 2014, after the Laayoune Local Prison authorities pledged to improve their detention conditions. This came after relatives of the detainees lodged a series of complaints about torture and other ill-treatment, including beatings, on 19 and 22 September. The authorities are not known to have ordered any medical examination or investigation.
Click here for entire update.