World's Largest Letter-Writing Event Saves Lives and Frees People Unjustly
Imprisoned; Amnesty International Activists to Use Pens to Fight For Global
Justice
From December 5-13, Local Activists Host Write-a-thon Events across the United
States and in More Than 30 Countries Worldwide on Behalf of Victims of Human
Rights Abuses
WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since it takes more than a
Twitter post to free a prisoner of conscience, tens of thousands of human
rights activists around the world will participate in Amnesty International's
eighth annual Global Write-a-thon from December 5 -13. Activists will join
their voices in a global call for governments to respect and protect basic
human rights, release individuals unjustly imprisoned, and stop the torture
and ill-treatment of others. Additionally, volunteers will send messages of
hope and encouragement directly to prisoners of conscience.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081014/AILOGO )
Taking place around International Human Rights Day, December 10, Amnesty
International's Write-a-thon gives activists the opportunity to make a real
difference in the lives of imperiled individuals around the world. Activists
in last year's Global Write-a-thon sent more than 295,000 letters, cards, and
petitions on behalf of prisoners of conscience, human rights defenders under
threat, men and women facing execution, and other cases of serious human
rights violations.
"During last year's Global Write-a-thon, more than 7,000 people in the U.S.
pledged to write 200,000 letters in support of our cases," said Michael
O'Reilly, Amnesty International USA's program director, Individuals at Risk
Campaign. "Every year, this worldwide event gets bigger and bigger and we
expect to top all records this time around."
Following the participants' hard work over the last two years, 4 of the 21
featured prisoners of conscience were released. These include Ma Khin Khin Leh
in Myanmar, Hana Abdi in Iran, Zmitser Dashkevich in Belarus, and Bu Dongwei
in China.
Highlighted in the Global Write-a-thon for the second year are the Women of
Atenco. On May 4, 2006, 45 women were arrested without explanation in Mexico
during a public protest in support of local flower sellers. Dozens of these
women were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual violence by the
police officers who arrested them. More than three years later, the women are
still awaiting justice.
"I want [the human rights violators] to know they have failed because we have
[Amnesty] at our side, bringing us back to life," said Claudia Hernandez, one
of the Women of Atenco. "[W]hen I am sad and tired, all I have to do is open
one of your letters to realize that we are not alone and that we can't back
down, because you are all there, pushing us ever forward."
Along with the Women of Atenco, 9 other cases are featured in this year's
Write-a-thon. These cases include:
-- In Myanmar, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and democratic leader Aung San
Suu Kyi has been unjustly held in some form of detention for 14 of the
last 20 years.
-- In Uzbekistan, Azam Farmonov and Alisher Karamatov were detained while
defending the rights of local farmers, subjected to an unfair trial
and
sentenced to nine years imprisonment.
-- In Iran, a trade union activist, Mansour Ossanlu, has been
incarcerated
multiple times and has experienced a long history of persecution by
the
authorities for his legitimate trade union activities.
-- In Nepal, women's rights defender Rita Mahato has received threats of
violence, rape, kidnapping and death from objectors to her work. The
police have failed to provide her with any form of protection or to
investigate the threats.
-- In China, journalist Shi Tao used his Yahoo! email account to send a
message to a U.S.-based pro-democracy website summarizing a government
order to downplay the country's 15th anniversary. He was arrested,
charged with "illegally providing state secrets to foreign entities,"
and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
For more information or to sign up for a Global Write-a-thon event, visit
www.amnestyusa.org/writeathon.
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.
SOURCE Amnesty International
Kia Guarino of Amnesty International, +1-202-509-8188, media@aiusa.org
