**AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELEASE**

Join Amnesty International to “Write for Rights” in recognition of Human Rights Day! On or
around December 10th millions of people across the world use the power of letter writing
to protect individuals or communities whose human rights have been denied. Everyone
can participate! You don`t need to have any previous letter writing or Amnesty
International experience. Amnesty welcomes all those who are keen to keep shining the
light on human rights. Our messages help convince government officials to release
people imprisoned for expressing their opinion (called “prisoners of conscience” by
Amnesty), stop the use of torture, commute death sentences and end other human rights
abuses.

The focus later today is on four selected cases:

1. Atena Daemi, a woman from Iran, who was jailed for opposing the death penalty &
advocating for women’s rights. Atena has suffered so much already. She’s been
beaten, pepper sprayed, and forced into solitary confinement. Still she continues to
fight for human rights. Earlier this year, she went on a hunger strike to protest her
transfer to the notorious Evin prison. Her health has deteriorated alarmingly while in
custody. Tell Iran: Atena Daemi must go free without more delay.

2. Gulzar Diushenova, a disabled woman from Kyrgyzstan, who advocates for people with
disabilities. She has made it her life’s mission to ensure that people with disabilities
can live with dignity and move around freely. She continues to face barriers. But
Gulzar presses on with determination. Her personal experience has strengthened her
commitment to her human rights work. Ask Kyrgyzstan to support Gulzar’s fight for
change.

3. Stop forced evictions of the Sengwer Indigenous People of Kenya. Since 2012, attacks
on the community have left nearly 5,000 people homeless. The latest round of forced
evictions began on December 25, 2017 (last Christmas). Forest Service officers
burned 341 homes, killed one Sengwer man and sent another to hospital with gunshot
wounds. We must support Sengwer people in their fight for their ancestral land.

4. Geraldine Chacón, a woman human rights defender from Venezuela, grew up wanting
to defend other people, and has been harassed for educating youth. Her mother says,
“Any injustice she saw, she fought against.” This passion inspired Geraldine to work
for an organization which empowers young people in some of the poorest areas of
Caracas, her home city. But in February 2018, this young, enthusiastic member of her
community was arrested in her home by armed officials. The authorities wrongly linked
her with “resistance” groups they accused of organizing violent anti-government
demonstrations. After four months in jail in appalling conditions, Geraldine was
conditionally released in June 2018. Ask Venezuela to stop harassing Geraldine
now.

Filed under: Local News