





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)
