Urgent Actions

Luiz Rossi the subject of the first Urgent Action

The story of how Amnesty International (AI) came into being is almost legend. Founded upon the principle that by writing a letter, one could save a life.

In 1961 British lawyer Peter Benenson was appalled to hear the story of two young students, who had been arrested in fascist dictator Salazar’s, Portugal. They had risen their glasses, in a toast, to freedom, and as a result were sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Benenson’s belief, that they had been wrongly imprisoned, led him to write an article about the students plight. His article entitled ‘The Two Prisoners’ appeared in the Observer newspaper. It asked all readers to write letters showing support for the students.

Well, they did write. In fact so many did, that six months after the article appeared an entire organisation, which was given the name Amnesty International, was founded.

Over ten years later the first Urgent Action (UA) appeared.

For that story we move from the events that took place in one Portuguese speaking country, to events that occurred in another.

Professor Luiz Rossi was a Brazilian economist living in a Brazil controlled by the Military Regime.

On the evening of 15th of February 1973, his house was surrounded by members of the police and army. The house was searched and Professor Rossi and a visitor were arrested.

Information about Professor Rossi's arrest passed through several hands. His wife wrote a letter and smuggled it out of her house to her neighbour; who passed it to her daughter; who passed it to a local priest. Eventually it reached Amnesty’s headquarters in London.

After speaking with several international organisations about support for their planned campaign for Professor Rossi. Amnesty International issued their first Urgent Action on the 19th of March 1973.

Professor Rossi’s wife Maria was told to report to the Police headquarters to "identify her husband's body". On arrival, however, she saw her husband alive and was shown a pile of letters from Amnesty supporters. The police Director told her "Your husband must be more important than we thought, because we've got all these letters from all over the world."

He was eventually freed on 24 October 1973. He later wrote to say: ''In my own name, in the name of my wife, of our children and of other Brazilians in similar situations we would like to thank all the proofs of humanity and kindness that have comforted and helped us''.

It is now over thirty years later, and the Urgent Action network has grown and developed. Every day Amnesty receives information about prisoners and other individuals in danger around the world.

Researchers at Amnesty's headquarters in London compile an urgent action case sheet. This case-sheet is rapidly sent to Amnesty’s national offices for distribution to the network of supporters.

From supporters all over the world letters, e-mails, and faxes are sent directly to those who have the power to stop the violations.

Over the years the Urgent Actions have been issued in relation to women, men and children. From those not afforded a free trial to those that are prisoners of conscience and the victims of Human Rights violations merely for expressing their opinion.

Each year over 450 new cases are issued worldwide. In more than one-third of the cases, Amnesty learns of some improvement: A "disappeared" person may be found; an execution stayed; torture prevented; or someone is released from illegal detention.

Ivan Mikhailau the subject of our most recent Youth Urgent Action

Young people are of massive importance to Amnesty International and play a vital role in the work that we do. Their voices must be heard. They have the ability, through involvement with out Urgent Action appeals, to make a difference in the lives of other young people.

For this reason every month Amnesty Ireland distributes a Youth Urgent Action. Concerning cases of those 25 years, and under, whom have been victims of Human Rights violations.

In the past few months’ action has been called upon for people who have been victimised because they oppose mining in El Salvador.

In Nicaragua a young Human Rights defender, who speaks out on the problems that young people face in her country, has received inhuman treatment as a result. .

And this month it concerns the young 21-year-old Belarusan man Ivan Mikhailau. He is a conscientious objector, from military duty, for religious reasons. He has been willing to do civilian service. Despite the fact that the Belarusian government, as a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) must provide this provision for its citizens: He has been told civilian service is impossible and he has been imprisoned.

37 years after the first Urgent Action was issued the network has grown and grown and now over 75,000 people from 71 countries across the world are choosing to receive urgent actions.

At a meeting of Urgent Action coordinators in Brazil in 1995, María José Rossi, the wife of the first person who was a subject of Amnesty international’s Urgent Action said: "In my opinion, the intervention of Amnesty International was fundamental in saving Luiz from further torture and worse."

Take action today. Here is this month’s Youth Urgent Action.

http://www.amnesty.ie/amnesty/upload/images/amnesty_ie/youth%20and%20students/February%202010%20UA.pdf