#freeraif

I’m terribly sad tonight. I have just found out that a girl I never met died almost nine months ago. It’s weird how our emotions work. Sleeping doesn’t seem like an option so I find myself at my keyboard (with a scotch) for the first time in years – at least to write anything meaningful.

Christine started following me after I left a post on a forum – liking my comments, and sending DMs before…

Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, blogging… we take our freedom of expression for granted. However, in countries around the world people are jailed for peacefully expressing their views or protesting injustices online. Take Amal Fathy, for instance, imprisoned in Egypt for a Facebook page describing her experience of sexual harassment. Or Raif Badawi, condemned to seven years of prison and 600 lashes for creating a website protesting the persecution of Saudi liberals.

We are Amnesty International, and we defend the right of people everywhere to peacefully express their views. By inundating repressive governments with letters on behalf of prisoners of conscience like Amal and Raif, our members let these regimes know they are not forgotten. And our letters get results! High school students Afonso S. Muatchipuculo, António J. Fernando, and Justino H. Valente, sentenced in an unfair trial, were just released from a detention facility in Angola. Environmental activist Heri Budiawan, was recently set free in Indonesia.

He’s 33, married, with 3 children. And he’s been imprisoned for 5 years in Saudi Arabia. He’s received 50 lashes and is threatened with 950 more. For blogging. Amnesty International has been working to free him. He’s Raif Badawi.

If you live in the Malvern, PA (19355) area, join Amnesty International Group 342 for our monthly meeting this coming Wednesday, June 21, at 7:30 in Wegman’s café.  

 Human rights are in your hands.

Raif Badawi’s eldest child (10-year-old Terada) wants her father freed. Here is how you can help

TWEET #FreeRaif and @AmnestyOnline 

1. Tweet Saudi Arabia

Ministry of Justice: @MojKsa Ministry of Interior: @MOISaudiArabia National Society for Human Rights: @NSHRSA Ministry of Foreign Affairs: @KSAMOFA King Salman: @kingsalman

2. Get your government to pressure Saudi Arabia

UK: @UKinSaudiArabia Netherlands: @NLinSaudiArabia Canada: @CanEmbSA Sweden: @SwedeninKSA USA: @USEmbassyRiyadh Germany: @GermanyinKSA EU: @EUintheGCC

6. Sign A Petition