Iran Event-- June 20th

June 20th marks the one-year anniversary of the death of Neda Agha-Soltan. Neda was killed by Basij paramilitaries in Iran for attending a peaceful protest following the disputed Iranian elections of 2009.

Amnesty International as well as Chicago supporters of "We are ALL one Neda, we are ALL one calling" are holding an event to commemorate this tragedy and to bring hope to the struggle for human rights and human dignity in Iran and around the world.

The event will include a screening of the HBO documentary “For Neda” and the “Paris to Pilsen” video report on the making of 1000 Neda Masks by Amir Normandi.

Participants are also encouraged to join in a unison commemorative visual protest, displaying
Neda’s masks to echo the original message of We Are ALL one Neda, We Are ALL one.
Calling on the north east corner of Church and Orrington in Evanston Illinois at 6:30 pm.
Speakers will include:
Elise Auerbach, Iran country specialist, Amnesty International USA
Hamid Akbari, Northeastern Illinois University
Ezzat Goushegir, DePaul University, School for New Learning

When: Wednesday June 23, 2010 from 7 to 9 pm, Vigil beforehand at 6:30
Where: Community Meeting Room; Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington
Avenue, (near the Davis el stop of the CTA Purple Line)

Call for Release of Aung San Suu Kyi

The prison release date for noted human rights activist Aung San Suu Kyi is approaching once again. Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning democracy activist and opponent of the military junta in Myanmar. She is also a political prisoner who has been repeatedly jailed on trumped-up charges. Although the arrival of her release date gives us great hope, the Burmese state has allowed that date to approach many times in the past, only to invent excuses and wild accusations at the last minute to keep her behind bars.

Help us make sure that that doesn't happen again. Stand with Aung San Suu Kyi and stand up for human rights. You can take action on the Amnesty website here.

You can also get updates related to Suu Kyi's case delivered directly to your phone.

Best wishes for all human rights activists in Burma and around the world.

Celebrate Pride Month

Communities began recognizing June as Pride Awareness Month in 1969 when members of the LGBT community instigated a riot in response to police brutality aimed at LGBT people at a gay bar in New York City.

This refusal to sit silently in the face of regular, discriminatory abuse helped galvanize the LGBT community and their allies across the United States, giving birth to the modern LGBT rights movement.

Join us this month as we shine a light on LGBT cases around the world and further the cause of equality and human rights for all.

» Encourage the president of Mexico to extend the right to marry to all Mexican residents.
» Call on the Iraqi government to investigate the murders of Iraqi gay men.
» Take more actions to protect human rights during Pride Mont

State of the World's Human Rights 2010

We recently released the Amnesty International Report 2010 documenting human rights abuses around the world. Our findings show how powerful governments are blocking advances in international justice by standing above the law on human rights, shielding allies from criticism and acting only when politically convenient.

This past year, we witnessed a horrific level of violence against civilian populations continuing across the globe, including in Sri Lanka, Iran and Honduras.

Amnesty International's interim Secretary General Claudio Cordone commented that "the need for effective global justice is a key lesson from the past year. Justice provides fairness and truth to those who suffer violations, deters human rights abuses, and ultimately delivers a more stable and secure world".

» Read the Amnesty International Report 2010: State of the World's Human Rights
» Read more about our work to close the global justice gap

Stopping the conflict minerals trade in the DRC

Armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are making multimillion-dollar profits from minerals commonly found in our cell phones and other electronics such as coltan, cassiterite, wolframite. These profits fuel a vicious cycle of rape, war and other human rights abuses in eastern Congo.

Right now, the House of Representatives is weighing a piece of legislation that would make it easier to identify imports into the United States that contain these 'conflict minerals'. The list of Representatives who want to stop the dangerous conflict minerals trade is growing, but the bill needs more co-sponsors if we’re going to break the cycle of violence.

» Send an email to your Representatives right now and urge them to co-sponsor the Conflict Minerals Trade Act
» Learn more about conflict minerals in the DRC

Anti-immigration law in Arizona

Arizona's draconian new law, SB1070, requires anyone who the police "reasonably suspect" of being an "illegal immigrant" to produce papers proving they are here legally. If for any reason you don't show documentation, you'll be criminally prosecuted for trespassing, jailed and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to face deportation.

The Arizona law is an assault on the very notion of human rights because a "reasonable suspicion" cannot be formed without resorting to racial profiling.

International law guarantees human rights to all without distinction of race or color.

» Urge your Senator to craft a fair, humane immigration policy that respects human rights
» Read the latest news about immigration reform

Troy's hearing date has been changed!

The new date for Troy's evidentiary hearing is June 23, 2010. Originally, the judge set the hearing date for June 30; however, following requests from lawyers involved, the date was moved to June 23.On his hearing date, Troy will finally be able to present crucial evidence about his case that may prove his innocence.

Troy has nearly been executed three times for a murder he may not have committed. This announcement comes after several months of waiting and is a big opportunity to present new testimony and evidence in a court of law.

Starting now, and leading up to his hearing date, it will make all the difference to Troy to know that we're standing in his corner.

» Pledge to stand with Troy Davis the day before his hearing date - now June 22nd

» Lend your face for justice - add your picture to our photo mosaic of Troy Davis

» Get the latest updates on the Troy Davis case