SPARKING CONNECTIONS: Critical Voices Under Threat in Saudi Arabia with Hala al-Dosari
As part of Amnesty International’s “Sparking Connections” virtual human rights conference the Action Network on Women’s Human Rights (ANWHR) is hosting a conversation with Saudi women human rights defender Hala al-Dosari about critical voices under threat in Saudi Arabia and actions we can take in the lead-up to the Saudi-hosted G20 Leaders’ Summit in late November to promote human rights in the kingdom.
Date: Sunday November 15th
Time: 11am pacific, 12pm mountain, 1pm central, 2pm eastern, 3pm atlantic, 3:30 Newfoundland
Register for Sparking Connections HERE
Visit our website for schedule, speakers and more: https://www.aicanadagrassroots.ca
AITO Monthly Meetings Resume
AITO is excited to return to our regularly scheduled monthly members meetings.
November’s meeting will be held via Zoom on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 PM.
All groups, teams and networks are encouraged to attend to share a report on your plans and activities and find opportunities to collaborate and support each others’ work. For new members and volunteers, there are many learning opportunities and it is a great way to discover how the organization works and how you can become more involved.
Please RSVP at: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIofuurrTIjGd35NIp1g1HOAL6N9CVJcRjD
to reserve your spot and receive the virtual meeting link.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Good news
Amnesty International welcomes the temporary release of unjustly jailed human rights lawyer and women’s rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh from prison in Iran. She should never have been imprisoned for defending human rights! Now is the time to keep the pressure up and ensure Nasrin is not returned to prison.
“Every day that I spend out of prison, I am waiting to hear the news of the release of all political prisoners”
– Nasrin Sotoudeh, released on temporary medical leave
Nasrin has dedicated her life to peaceful human rights work, including defending women who peacefully protest against an Iranian law which compels women to wear hijab (headscarf) and loose clothing. In 2019, Nasrin received the harshest sentence recorded against a human rights defender in Iran in recent years — 38 years in prison and 148 lashes.
Amnesty members and supporters delivered more than 1 million signatures demanding that Iranian authorities overturn Nasrin’s unjust sentence. Our actions contributed to Nasrin’s release. Let’s re-double our efforts to ensure Nasrin isn’t sent back to prison.
The COVID-19 pandemic raises grave fears that prisoners like Nasrin could contract the virus. Prisoners are at particular risk because they are unable to take the same social distancing and hygiene measures as those outside of prison to protect themselves.
Across Iran, prisoners have pleaded with officials to address overcrowded, unhygienic and unsanitary conditions that put them at greater risk of COVID-19 infections, raising alarms about the authorities’ failure to sufficiently protect prison populations from the spread of the virus. Some prisoners have been denied adequate medical care, leaving them at greater risk from the virus if contracted.
Send an urgent message calling on Iranian authorities to quash Nasrin Sotoudeh’s sentences unconditionally and make her release from prison permanent.
1. Add your name to our urgent online petition
2. Send a tweet to Iranian authorities
Defending #womensrights is not a crime! @khamenei_ir please make the release of #WHRD Nasrin Sotoudeh unconditional!
Nasrin is among hundreds of prisoners of conscience jailed in Iran. No one should spend a single day in prison for peacefully exercising their rights.
Amnesty International supports the rights to freedom of religion and freedom of expression, including the right of Muslim women to decide whether to wear the hijab or other forms of Islamic dress. Amnesty International firmly opposes all forms of Islamophobia and condemns any and all acts of white supremacist racism and violence against Muslim communities.
Amnesty Aurora-Newmarket Group 