AI Urgent Action Network Participation Guide GUIDE FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE URGENT ACTION NETWORK OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA Online Edition * April 1993 by Scott Harrison AIUSA Urgent Action Coordinator Participants of Urgent Action Network are expected to be dues-paying members of Amnesty International. If you are not now a member, we would like to send membership information to your postal address. Thanks to Kevin Axelson and most recently Jim Laird for help with all three parts of this guide. Contents of this UA Guide Crisis Response Types of UA Participation Frequency and Type of UA Delivery Letter-Writing Suggestions Sending Telegrams Sending Telexes Sending Faxes Can I Telephone an Official? Sending Appeals by Computer Picking up UAs by Computer UAs Available by Subscription Through Electronic Mail Sample Messages Governments' Replies to Urgent Action Appeals Relevant United Nations Agreements A Prisoner Quote... " . . . Serving 5 years and 7 months imprisonment, I have experienced electric torture, and no-sleep torture for four days, beating, kicking everytime I was arrested." " . . . Your efforts and prayers saved my life and thanks to your support I can have an opportunity to live as a human being. Thank you very much." Portions of a letter written by former prisoner of conscience, Korean Lee Shin-bom, to the Urgent Action Network CRISIS RESPONSE The activists of the Urgent Action Network, working alone and in schools, churches, synogogues and groups of all types, have been on call to help people like Lee Shin-bom since the program's beginnings in 1975. The Network writes letters, aerogrammes, sends telegrams, telexes and faxes, and at times calls government officials at times on behalf of people likely to be tortured or killed. The Urgent Action Network has been designed to handle Amnesty International's most urgent crises involving individual victims. This may include the following situations of urgency: torture capital punishment "disappearance" extrajudicial execution untreated health problems hunger-strikes unacknowledged detention ill-treatment denial of legal counsel The UA Network is established in over 60 countries and may include 100,000 people, including religious and political leaders, legal and health professionals, artists, students of all ages, educators, and others from all walks of life. Many times, the success of the UA technique is the universality of the appeals; perhaps more than any other AI technique, the UA Network can guarantee that the response to a call for action will be truly worldwide. We have received letters from government departments actually listing the people who appealed to them. One particular list, from an official in Peru, was compiled of people who appealed in resonse to an Urgent Action in early 1990 and includes addresses from: Austria, France, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, the United States, Denmark, Belgium, Northern Ireland, Japan, England, Canada, Spain, Australia, Grenada, Brazil, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Italy, Israel, the Fareo Islands and Luxembourg. Information about a victim that reaches AI's International Secretariat in London is treated with priority status as facts are checked and a two-page Urgent Action casesheet is drawn up by researchers. It is immediately sent via computer into the United States (as well as to other countries). An Urgent Action casesheet will include specific details about the prisoner as well as background information regarding relevant patterns of human rights violations in the country, recommended actions, addresses of authorities and general guidelines to use when composing appeals. Each UA Network participant is also sent a monthly follow- up newsletter listing all new information about past UAs for information. This includes news about releases and improvements as well as executions and reports of worsening situtions. This participation guide should help you be an effective part of this important work. Please read it through and keep it as a resource in your ongoing work with Urgent Actions. TYPES OF PARTICIPATION IN THE URGENT ACTION NETWORK Most people who receive Urgent Action appeals from the Colorado office respond as individuals: letter-writing at the kitchen table or maybe using the office computer at work during a lunch break, once a month. However, many people are the UA coordinators of their local AI groups. Almost all college and high school chapters have UA coordinators with Urgent Action appeals making up a large part of their prisoner work each month. There are UA letter-writing groups in churches, synagogues and at other religious meetings. There is letter-writing done in informal UA groups, in retirement homes, in coffee shops and even brew pubs (bars and restaurants where beer is brewed). UAs are broadcast by radio stations and regularly printed in newspapers such as the Pasadena Star News and the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, on their editorial pages. Others receive UAs via computer at home, at school, or at work. Lotus Corporation in Cambridge, Massachusetts has a workplace UA letter-writing group. "We announce that an Urgent Action letter is to be written after worship. A few to a dozen of our 100-member parish will sit down at the table afterwards where Urgent Action letter copies and aerogrammes are available. The letters are mailed out, sometimes with copies to Washington embassies and human rights groups, on Monday morning." Urgent Action Coordinator, Murray Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Murray, Nebraska "They have chosen to receive one case study a month. The first session, the study is read, the country is located on the map, and a profile of that country is studied briefly. The letter is drafted and sent to the typist. The second session a week later, consists of signing the letters and addressing envelopes. Each resident has contributed money toward the postage. After one session, one of the ladies remarked" `You know, there is so little we can contribute at our age. This group makes me feel as if I still count.'" Activities Director, Westwood Retirement Home, Bethesda, Maryland FREQUENCY AND TYPE OF URGENT ACTION DELIVERY Amnesty International issues several Urgent Actions daily and delivers each one to a portion of the Urgent Action Network. Most people choose to write on one appeal each month, but others choose to receive UAs twice amonth, once a week, or twice a week. "I just want to tell you how much it means to me to be a part of the Urgent Action Network. As a kid growing up in the McCarthy era, I acutally knew people who were persecuted by our government and lost their jobs because they spoke up for what they thought was right. At that time, my father taught me that unless all of us are free, none of us are free. Writing letters for prisoners of conscience is a way of keeping freedom alive in the world." Amy Davidson, UA participant, Palo Alto, California SOME LETTER-WRITING SUGGESTIONS Read the Recommended Action section of the Urgent Action at least twice - to familiarize yourself with the specific list of concerns. Be brief - Usually one page is enough to convey your message and keep the attention of the reader. Be factual - Relay the details of the case as you know them. Do not discuss ideology or politics. Your message must be for the benefit of the victim and not a vehicle for your political opinions. Stay within AI's mandate. Be polite - Using offensive language is not effective. Assume the official is not informed but is willing to seek a remedy to the human rights violation. Show respect - You will most likely keep the reader's attention by showing respect for his/her country's constitution and judicial procedures. If there have been positive developments in the country, these can be briefly recognized and welcomed (e.g. releases, an announcement of an official investigation into allegations of torture, etc.). Be unequivocal in the expression of your concern for the victim - You can strongly oppose the torture or other injustice done to an individual and still keep a respectful tone to the message. Remember that in assuming the official's ignorance of the victim's plight you are actually sharing your deep concern for the wrong committed with the official. Write in English - It is most effective to write your messages in English unless they can be written in the language of the country concerned. If you do decide to have your message translated from English, do not allow it to slow the sending of the message. Write clearly - The official must be able to easily read your letter so if you don't type it please make sure your writing is plain and legible. Use shortcuts - Do whatever is necessary to make your letter-writing as easy and quick as possible. In this way you may not put it off, but instead write and send the letters sooner. By using a computer you can make a generic file for each UA concern. Paragraphs on disappearances, torture, death penalty, denial of medical care, etc., may be copied into your working file and amended as needed. You may find it useful to refer to the sample passages in this guide to get your letter started and shake "writer's block". Sending Copies of Letters Most Urgent Actions will have a "Copies to:" section (after the "Appeals to:" section) An example might look like this (shown without addresses): Appeals to: The President The Minister of Justice Copies to: The Police Chief The Prison Doctor (if health concern) The Bar Association (if legal concern) A newspaper The Embassy in Washington DC It is not expected that each UA participant send copies of letters to every addresses listed, but rather that you pick one or more. Sending copies to the media may spark their own investigations as well as beneficial publicity for the prisoners. Never send the Urgent Action appeal itself to any official or address in the country concerned. As with the government addresses, the "copy" addresses are not listed in order of priority, so if you do not send appeals to all, pick some at random. The correct procedure to follow in copying appeals is to simply type (or write) "cc:" at the end of your letter and list the names of the people and/or organizations to whom you will be sending copies. You can copy the original letter and send copies to those indicated. To a UA letter-writer in Oklahoma: "Early this morning I was taken out of my cell for the first time in three months and taken to the station's commanding officer's quarters. There he handed me a sealed envelope; it contained a copy of your letter dated 27 July to President Stroessner in which you express your concerns about my case and a brief message at the bottom of it. This [letter] has a very special meaning for me since it is the first time in the past six and a half years that mail sent directly to me has reached my hands. Since everything started almost seven years ago I lost my family, my job and my 'friends'. The first four years were the worse since I was tortured and then put in complete isolation. The trial was a mascarade and a year ago I was transferred to this station where again I'm isolated. I do not know how much longer I'll be able to take all this but as long as I'm kept here I'll fight and I know that one day no matter when, justice will be done." Allejandro Mella Torre, UA subject imprisoned in Paraguay Making Reference to Amnesty International Amnesty International's name may be used unless there are specific instructions on the Urgent Action to the contrary. If you do refer to Amnesty International it may be useful to include a brief explanation of AI's aims and principles (impartiality and independence from any government, political faction, ideology, economic interest or religious belief); also indicate, where appropriate, that AI opposes torture and the impostion of the death penalty and seeks a fair and speedy trial in all cases and without reservation. Letters in a private or professional capacity may add effectiveness. Titles or professional letter-head may impress government authorities and suggest that the writer is influential. Salutations and Closings There is no standard international code for addressing authorities. These formalities vary according to different governmental structures in each country. However, you may safely use: Your Majesty - to Kings, Queens, and other monarchs. Your Excellency - to all heads of state, cabinet level ministers, prime ministers, ambassadors and governors. Your Honor - for judges and procurators. Dear Sir/Madam - for local authorities, prison commanders, police chiefs. Dear Admiral, General, Captain, etc. - for military officials. Close your letter in a formal style by using: Respectfully or Yours respectfully, Sincerely or Yours sincerely, Yours truly, SENDING TELEGRAMS How do I write a telegram? A telegram has three parts: the government official's address, text and signature. Information on the official's addresses is found in the appeals section of each Urgent Action appeal. After the full mailing address of the government official is the briefer telegram address. The text of the telegram should be short and to the point (see sample texts below). The signature should include your name and mailing address so that the official can respond to your appeal. Sample texts: REQUEST IMMEDIATE PUBLIC DISCLOSURE PRESENT WHEREABOUTS ____________ ARRESTED BY TREASURY POLICE ___(DATE)____ IN FRONT OF WITNESSES OUR LAW FIRM URGES YOU TAKE QUICK ACTION TO ENSURE PHYSICAL INTEGRITY OF (detainee)_ WHO IS PROMINENT LAWYER AND RESPECTED CITIZEN IN YOUR COUNTRY WE BELIEVE DEATH SENTENCE GIVEN _________ IS UNJUST AND UNWARRANTED. PLEASE COMMUTE FOR HUMANITARIAN REASONS EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT NEWS REPORTS HERE THAT _________ HAS BEEN PLACED IN ISOLATION AND DENIED FAMILY AND LAWYER VISITS. PLEASE ALLOW MORE HUMANE TREATMENT OR UNCONDITIONALLY RELEASE NOW. How Much do Telegrams Cost? Make Brief Texts: sending a telegram is expensive. The cost is calculated per word; abbreviations and punctuation such as commas and periods count as words, so omit them and all unnecessary articles and other words whenever possible. In a letter you may write: "I am extremely concerned about the witnessed arrest and subsequent `disappearance' of the well-known and highly respected magazine publisher, ____________. I respectfully ask that you take time from your busy schedule to investigate this case and make public his present place of detention." However, in a telegram it would be more appropriate to send the following text: CONCERNED ABOUT WITNESSED ARREST THEN DISAPPEARANCE OF RESPECTED MAGAZINE PUBLISHER ________ . PLEASE INVESTIGATE AND REPORT WHEREABOUTS Full-rate vs. Night-rate: Telegrams that are transmitted immediately to the designated country are called full-rate telegrams. Night-letter (also called letter- telegram) rate telegrams are transmitted into the country of destination overnight when other telegram and telex traffic is minimal. They are less than full-rate messages because of this time delay, but both kinds of telegrams carry the same sense of urgency when they reach their destination. Many countries do not accept night-letter rate telegrams and if this is the case the operator will tell you so. Based on a 30 word model telegram, a sample cost for phoning a company up and dictating a message to a mid-priced country, Botswana, are as follows in 4/91 from the USA: Western Union: $25.30 to dictate a telegram $7 international surcharge + 61 cents/word (full rate) 41 cents/word (night rate) This is based on 6 1/2 character words. All address and signature words count except the name of the country. Where do I find a Telegram Carrier? There are many companies that will send telegrams for you. You may find a listing of them in the "Telegraph Service" section of your Yellow Pages directory. Western Union is a well-known carrier. Aside from telephoning a company and dictating a telegram, it is also possible to use a computer and a modem to send the telegram. Please refer to 'Information on Transmitting Appeals by Computer', below. The AIUSA 'First Appeal' Program The fastest response to a crisis we can make is by sending a mix of telegrams, telexes and faxes a few hours after the International Secretariat in London issues an Urgent Action. We accomplish this through the First Appeal program. We can send an message for you once or twice a month. These messages are brief, approximately 20-word texts, and are signed with the participant's name and address. Every message is individually worded. The First Appeal participant receives an exact copy of the message, a copy of the bill or prepaid notice, as well as the Urgent Action itself. Participants are encouraged to write a letter to another listed official or to send a follow-up letter to the same official to whom we sent the original message. INFORMATION ON SENDING TELEXES What Is a Telex? A telex is a message normally sent from one telex terminal to another via a direct call through a worldwide network that is like the telephone network, only for telex machines. It is an extremely quick and effective way to have a message sent into the government official's office. A telexed message relays a sense of urgency. For this reason it is desirable for Amnesty International (and prisoners, of course) to have at least a few telexes sent to each govenrment official on each Urgent Action appeal. Most Urgent Actions will list a telex address for each official. A telex address consists of a three digit country code, a six or seven digit number and a letter code called the answerback. For example, the telex number for the Minister of Justice in Uganda is: 973 61007 ADMINSTER. How do I Send a Telex? High-level government officials usually have telex terminals and private citizens do not, so traditionally, those who have not had access to telex terminals have not been able to get their message relayed by this method. Now some telecommunications carriers and computer services have begun to offer alternative ways to send telexes: by dictating them to the service, by faxing your message to the service, and if you subscribe to a computer information service (PeaceNet, Compuserve, etc.) by modem (see below). What Does a Telex Look Like? A telex looks something like this; it is shorter than a letter and usually longer than a telegram: September 11, 1990 To: General Muhammad Abdel-Halim Mousa Minister of the Interior Cairo, Egypt From: Scott Harrison PO Box 1270 Nederland, Colorado 80466 United States RE: DETENTION AND TORTURE OF KHALED ESH-SHERIF I AM EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT THE INCOMMUNICADO DETENTION AND REPORTED SEVERE TORTURE OF JOURNALIST KHALED ESH-SHERIF. HE WAS ARRESTED AUGUST 30 IN CAIRO. ESH-SHERIF HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED FROM TORA RECEPTION PRISON TO LAZOGHLY STATE SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CENTER WHERE HE HAS AGAIN BEEN MALTREATED. I AM STRONGLY OPPOSED TO ABUSE OF DETAINEES AND RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR QUICK ACTION TO ENSURE HE IS HUMANELY TREATED HENCEFORTH. BELIEVE HE SHOULD GET LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF HIS CHOICE AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER. What does a Telex Cost? The charge for sending a telex is by the number of minutes it takes to transmit the entire telex. Each country has a specific cost per minute. Ask for a rate chart from your carrier (Western Union will not take telexes over the phone but its Easy Link service will accept computer messages as telexes.) It takes about one minute to transmit five lines of text at 50 Baud (that is what the telex network itself transmits at, which is different from the speed you may have used dropping off the telex via computer). The cost of the above sample telex would be about $15.00 transmitted by a telex machine at your business. Costs of sending telexes by computer is covered under 'information on transmitting appeals by computer', below. HOW DO I SEND A FAX MESSAGE? The fax, or facsimile, machine may be thought of as a more modern telex terminal. Like a telex, a fax message travels between two terminals via a phone line. A growing number of government officials have fax machines as do individuals in this country. The cost of sending a fax is simply the cost of an international phone call and is automatically charged to your telephone account. A fax message can be more like a letter in length because it is so inexpensive to send. There are no special conventions, although you may want to include your fax number in your message and request a faxed reply from the official. When a government official's fax number is known and available, you will see it in the address section of the Urgent Action appeal. Be aware that government officals frequently turn off their fax machines or change their numbers as they begin to get hundreds of faxed messages. If you get a busy signal or the fax terminal does not respond, try back later. Because your fax message is received as it appears, you can send petitions with signatures, and you can use letterhead, which may add to its effectiveness. Faxes can also be sent by uploading text to an electronic message service using a computer and modem, or by sending email to a service who will send the fax for you. Please refer to 'Information on Transmitting Appeals by Computer', below. One advantage of sending faxes by a computer service is that the service will retry several times if the line is not answering. CAN I TELEPHONE OFFICIALS? Some Urgent Actions deal with cases of extreme emergencies in which telephone calls to officials are requested. You may see a telephone number in the address section of the UA: the phone number follows the same formula as the fax dialing procedure. It is best, but not always necessary, to find a friend or colleague who speaks the language of the subject country to make the phone call. Be polite but firm in relaying the concerns set out in the UA. Most importantly, be certain that the name of the victim is spelled slowly and is clearly understood. Important information is sometimes gotten from a phone call: if you get any new information on the victim/prisoner, please contact your Urgent Action office as soon as possible. INFORMATION ON TRANSMITTING APPEALS BY COMPUTER Telegrams, telexes, and faxes may be sent through a number of electronic services which you may dial up with your computer. Your company email system may also have a gateway to commercial services such as ATTMail which may be available for your personal use, depending on company policy. Transmitting alerts from a personal computer requires a 'modem', which hooks your computer to a telephone line, a 'communications program' such as CrossTalk or Procomm (PCs) or Microphone (Mac). If you are not familiar with the basics of using a personal computer and modem, there are a number of excellent books in general bookstores. Also, there is often usually a basic explanation of all the steps of using a modem and communications program in the manual you receive when joining larger commercial services such as CompuServe. Here are profiles of some services you can use to send electronic appeals. In order to make useful approximate cost comparisons, a 'model' message for each of telex, telegram, and facsimile is used, and charges for the service are described (note that some services charge connect time as well as message transmission fees): Country: Botswana (Typical non-European mid-priced address. European addresses typically 75% cheaper.) Telegram: 30 words (as in examples above) Telex: 1200 characters (as in example above)(3 telex minutes) (note: some destinations require a 3 minute minimum connect, with 1 minute minimum additional charges. All others have a 1 minute minimum with 1 minute increments.) Fax: 1000 characters (recommended to use 50 characters/line) It is worth noting that if a commercial service cannot deliver a fax, they generally will not charge for it. This includes calls which are picked up but don't reach a fax machine. Rates for sending telexes/telegrams/faxes vary with the destination country. Each service will an explanation in their help systems. Note: you may have to add in an additional cost factor in the use of these services if you have to make a long distance call to reach the nearest 'gateway' number into the packet network serving your computer service. Each service will tell you over the telephone where the nearest gateway is to you. Users of academic network computers should note that CompuServe, PeaceNet, the Well, and MCI Mail among others are email-connected to the academic networks, so if you are looking for a way to retain your email access to the academic nets after graduating, these services offer possibilities. Of them, PeaceNet is perhaps the cheapest for sending appeals. Services for Sending Appeals Electronically (Editor's note -- this section was written over a year ago. I have updated the information as much as I could, but it is definitely out of date. Contact the Human Rights Site administrator for more current information.) CompuServe - via the 'Compuserve Mail' electronic mail feature To join: call (800) 848-8199 (voice), or look for a waiver of the signup fee, included as a certificate in some software packages. Profile: CompuServe is a half-million member public conferencing, file exchange, and electronic messaging service. There are books about all the features on this system in your local bookstore. Of interest: the IssuesForum discusses a number of social concerns. the disAbilities forum offers a wide variety of empowerment information and contacts. For most users, there is no account initiation fee at present. Membership kits, including 'CompuServe Information Manager' telecom software, manual, and $25 usage credit, are available from Compuserve itself or most software stores. Monthly Usage Fees: $8.50/month for standard plan, includes unlimited access to Compuserve Basic Services. Outside of basic services, connect time fees of $4.80/hr(12/2400), $9.60/hr(9600/14.4 kBD), are charged. 800# access is available for an additional $9/hr. Typical telex charge: $8.68 + connect charges Typical telegram charge: not available Typical fax charge: $3.80 + connect charges GEnie - via the GE Mail feature To join: (800) 638-9636 Profile: GEnie is another large public information service, offering a wide array of information and conferences related to various public interests. Usage rates are comparable with other commercial on-line services. Of interest: the NonProfit Connection is a conference hosting discussions of a number of issues of concern to such organizations. GEnie has an email link to the Internet available for no additional charge. To send to the internet from GEnie, you send mail to user@hostname@internet#. To send from the internet to a GEmail user, you send mail to GEmail-ID@genie.geis.com. Initiation fee: none Connect charge: $8.95/month connection fee (includes 4 hours off-peak usage), $10.50/hr (peak), $3.50/hr (off peak) Typical telex charge: not available Typical telegram charge: not available Typical fax charge: $5.40 + connect charges (1 pg minimum, 48 lines, up to 156 ch/line, addl pages same cost, 61 lines/pg) PeaceNet - via the 'mail' feature To join: call (415) 442 0220 (voice) Profile: PeaceNet is a smaller, focused service, providing conferencing, data sharing, and messaging services primarily for peace and ecological concerns, and for a small but growing human rights activist constituency. As part of the 'IGC Network', PeaceNet shares full conference and message interconnections with a number of similar services in Canada, England, Sweden, Austrailia, and other countries. Of interest: just about everything. The IGC networks provide the main public electronic access to current information in its field. The 'Usenet' academic conference system is readable on PeaceNet as well. Initiation fee: $15. $50 deposit also, if not paying by credit card. Monthly minimum: $10, grants 1 hr off peak usage/month Connect charge: $5/hour (6pm-7am) / $10 /hr (other times) ($3/hour (24 hrs) from Internet ('telnet igc.org') Typical telex charge: $9.16 + connect charges Typical telegram charge: not available Typical fax charge: $4.50/page MCI Mail - via the 'MCI Mail' service To join: call (800) 444-6245 Profile: MCI Mail is a public service focusing on the messaging side of electronic communications. Access is offered to some information services such as Dow Jones as well. The program "Express" is designed to automate the use of MCI Mail. It exists in Mac and PC versions. Of interest: MCI Mail offers customized laserprinted paper mail, with your letterhead and signature. This can be a useful feature if you need to combine your business and Amnesty expenditures. There is also a bargain discount on faxing for a monthly minimum fee. MCI mail users can mail to many systems including the Internet, Compuserve, Attmail, Telemail (Sprint), Easylink, Telememo(austrailia), BT Gold 400 (UK), Arcom (Switzerland). NOTE: MCI Mail does not charge for picking up messages, only for sending them. MCI Mail does not charge connect time if you call their 800 number to logon. This means you can subscribe to the AI Urgent Action distribution via Internet for just the flat annual fee. Initiation fee: $35/year 'mailbox fee' Connect charge: using their (800) number within the USA, no charge (note: 800 service makes rural calling economical!) Typical telex charge: $8.07 (2.69/telex minute) Typical telegram charge: not available Typical fax charge: $3.10 / 1.20 addl half page International Overnight Letter (to 6 pages): $12-$30 INFORMATION ON PICKING UP UAs BY COMPUTER AI maintains displays of UAs on Peacenet in its ai.uan conference. Type i for index and then download the UAs of your choice. AIUSA volunteers may make arrangements with AI to relay UAs within private communications systems. A number of these redistributions exist and you may be able to be on one at your company, university, or other network. UAs are being reported now on Compuserve in its Issueforum (library 15). This service has operated since 10/87. UAs Available by Subscription through Electronic Mail If you would like to subscribe to the electronic mailing list for UAs, drop a note to sharrison@igc.apc.org and ask for a UA subscription at the rate of 1, 2, 4 or 8 Urgent Actions a month. It is expected that you be a dues-paying member of Amnesty International USA. If you are not, we will be happy to mail you this information to your postal address. These messages can be sent to any address within the Internet, Compuserve, MCI Mail or other major computer service. SAMPLE MESSAGES Beginnings I wish to appeal to you on be half of __________ who is the subject of my deepest concern. . . My family and I are very worried about _________ who is said to be unjustly detained in your country. . . I write to you out of deep concern for the current state of health of recently imprisoned _____________. . . ____________ is said to be currently imprisoned in your country. Please investigate . . . I would like to take the opportunity to call your attention to the case of __________. . . I am writing to you at this time to seek your assistance in the situation of a detainee, ________. . . Endings . . .We hope, in the name of all the people around the world who are concerned with huma nrights for all people, that we will hear from you about this matter at the earliest possible opportunity. . . .I hope to hear from you in the very near future. . . .I and all here who share my concern would be gratified by a reply from you as soon as possible. We want you to know that our concern for the basic rights of humans is not of a political nature. . . .Finally, in view of the above mentioned information, we urge you to act quickly to correct this situation and ask you inform us of the outcome of your investigation. . . .Thanking you in advance for your time on this important and urgent matter, I am respectfully, . . .In awaiting your reply, be assured of my most respectful sentiments. Sample texts: Arrest of a union leader: I was concerned to learn of the arrest of Mr._______, the former President of the Mineworkers Union, at his house in Guatemala City on January 14, I urge you to do everything in your power to locate him and ensure that he is fairly and humanely treated. I also request that he be immediately released, unless he is formally charges with a recognizable crime and brought before a court. "Disappearance" of a teacher: I am a high school teacher from the United States and a member of Amnesty International. I have been greatly disturbed by the news of the "disappearance" of fellow teacher, Mrs. _____________ in Nairobi on November 7, 1990. I would be grateful if you would inform me of her whereabouts and give assurances that she is well-treated. I would also be grateful for news of her legal status. In this regard, I would respectfully remind you of Article 9 of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which states that "No-one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile". Inadequate medical treatment of prisoner: I write this letter to you as a physician, to ensure that Professor _____, a prisoner held in _______ Prison, is given adequate diet and medical treatment. I have been informed that he is suffering from pneumonia and urgently needs to be transferred to a hopital for immediate attention. My colleagues and I here at _______ Hospital would be pleased to hear from you as soon as you are able to ensure _______ treatment for this serious respiratory illness. Torture of student leaders: I was gravely concerned to receive reports of the arrests of a number of student leaders at the University of ___________ during June of 1990. I was particularly concerned that some of the detainees, who are being held at the _______Detention Center, are reported to have been severely tortured and I seek your assurances these students and other detainees held at _____ will be treated humanely. Death in Detention, also "Disappearance": I am writing to express my concern at the reports of the death in custody of ___________, following his arrest in _________, on January 19th. I urge an immediate investigation be conducted nto the circumstances of his death and that the results be made public. At the same time I write to ask you for information on the whereabouts of _____, who was also arrested on January 19th and I seek assurances that his physical safety be guaranteed while in detention. Death Penalty: As a member of Amnesty International, the organization which opposes the use of the death penalty in all cases on humanitarian grounds, I urgently request that you commute the death sentence of _______, on the basis that his execution would be in violation of the right to life as proclaimed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I appeal to you to ensure that no further executions are carried out in your country/state. GOVERNMENTS' REPLIES TO URGENT ACTION APPEALS UA letter-writing often results in silence from the government authorities to whom we appeal. We do, however, see many different responses from officials written to UA letter-writers and forwarded to the Colorado office. Each year the Urgent Action Network collectively receives thousands of copies of government replies. These responses prove that our views are taken seriously and that our pressure is felt. Government replies may not accurately address the human rights violations alleged but they indicate authorities' concern with their image and the countries' image internationally. Frequently, authorities will report a favorable outcome of a case without actually admitting responsibility. After writing to Guatemalan officials regarding the 1986 unacknowledged arrest and detention of a student leader, hundreds of American letter-writers received a letter from the Embassy of Guatemala in Washington DC after Amnesty International confirmed the release. Marian Munteanu, another student leader was arrested in on June 18, 1990 in Romania. An Urgent Action appeal was issued and re-issued four times during the course of his detention for the next six weeks. The Students' League of Romania wrote to many UA letter-writers thanking them for their interest in Munteanu's detention: "We hope your protest will have a strong echo in the locked ears of the Romanian authorities . . ". His release came a few weeks after a letter was sent via registered mail to hundreds of letter-writers from the Ministery of Justice of Romania. All UA participants are asked to send copies of any government replies they may receive to the UA Program Office here in Colorado. We will then promptly forward them to the appropriate research staff at AI's International Secretariat in London. RELEVANT UNITED NATIONS AGREEMENTS Amnesty International seeks observance of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. It may prove effective for UA participants to become familiar with these documents and refer to them in some appeals. In cases of torture, refer to the United Nations Declaration on the Protections of all Persons from Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1975. Some particularly relevant articles contained in these documents are: Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 3: Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. Article 5: No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Article 7: All are equal before the law and are entitled without discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrim ination. Article 9: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. Article 10: Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charges against him/her. Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners Article 22: (1) At every institution there shall be available the services of at least one qualified medical officer who should have some knowledge of psychiatry. The medical services should be organized in close relationship to the general health administration of the community or nation. They shall include a psychiatric service for the diagnosis and, in proper cases, the treatment of states of abnormality. (2) Sick prisoners who require specialist treatment shall be transferred to specialized institutions or to civil hospitals. Where hospital facilities are provided in an institution, their equipment, furnishings and pharmaceutical supplies shall be proper for the medical care and treatment of sick prisoners, and there shall be a staff of suitably trained officers. (3) The services of a qualified dental officer shall be available to every prisoner. Article 23: (1) In women's institutions there shall be special accommodation for all necessary pre-natal and post- natal care and treatment. Arrangements shall be made wherever practicable for children to be born in a hospital outside the institution. If a child is born in prison, this fact shall not be mentioned on the birth certificate. (2) Where nursing infants are allowed to remain in the institution with their mothers, provision shall be made for a nursery staffed by qualified persons, where the infants shall be placed when they are not in the care of their mothers. Article 24: The medical officer shall see and examine every prisoner as soon as possible after his admission and thereafter as necessary, with a view particularly to the discovery of physical or mental illness and the taking of all necessary measures; the segregation of prisoners suspected of infectious or contagious conditions; the noting of physical or mental defects which might hamper rehabilitation, and determination of the physical capacity of every prisoner for work. Article 31: Corporal punishment, punishment by placing in a dark cell, and all cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments shall be completely prohibited as punishments for disciplinary offences. Article 37: Prisoners shall be allowed, under necessary supervision, to communicate with their family and reputable friends at regular intervals, both by correspondence and by receiving visits. DECLARATION ON THE PROTECTION OF ALL PERSONS FROM TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OF PRISONERS Article 2: Any act of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment is an offence to human dignity and shall be condemned as a denial of the purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and as a violation of the human rights and fundimental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 4: Each State shall, in accordance with the provisions of this declaration, take effective measures to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment from being practised within its jurisdiction. Article 8: Any person who alleges that he has been subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment by, or at the instigation of, a public official shall have the right to complain to, and have his case impartially examined by, the competent authorities of the State concerned. Article 9: Wherever there is reasonable grounds to believe that an act of torture has been committed, the competent authorities of the State concerned shall promptly proceed to an impartial investigation even if there has been no formal complaint. Guide to Matching UA concerns with These UN Agreements fear of torture and/or ill-treatment: UDHR, Article 5; Standard Minimum Rules, Articles 23 and 31; Declaration on the Protection . . all Articles. death penalty: UDHR, Article 3. health concern/inadequate medical care: Standard Minimum Rules, Articles 22, 23, and 24. prisoner is denied access to family and lawyer: Standard Minimum Rules, Article 37. legal concerns: UDHR, Articles 7, 9 and 10; Declaration on the Protection . . Articles 8 and 9. "disappearance"/unacknowledged detention: UDHR, Articles 9 and 10. A PRISONER QUOTE... 13 June 1990 Dear Friends: I wish to extend my sincerest word of thanks for the support you gave me and my family during my detention. The pressure you exerted on the South African government, has been a great success. If it was not for your efforts, I would still be in detention. . . Yours sincerely, (South African prisoner and subject of Urgent Action case issued May 15 and re-issued June 5, 1990.) Written by Scott Harrison, US Urgent Action Coordinator (sharrison@igc.apc.org), +1 303-440-0913 (voice), 9am-5pm Mountain Time M-F, P.O.Box 1270, Nederland CO 80466 USA Edited and HTML by Catherine Hampton (ariel@netcom.com) Created on July 26, 1994 / Last edited on July 26, 1994 at 5:00 pm. Send me email. (ariel@netcom.com)