Write for Rights 2020
We ask our supporters to take action to support people who find themselves under threat for standing up for human rights.
Their actions put pressure on people in power to stop human rights violations.
Appeals to presidents, governors, justice ministers and other decision-makers show them that the world is watching.
Last year, hundreds of thousands of people around the world took part in Write for Rights 2019, sending more than 6.5 million messages of support and appeals to authorities.
Read and take part in this year’s cases
Download Write for Right 2020 Cases Booklet
Gustavo Gatica was studying psychology in the capital, Santiago, when protests broke out across Chile over rising prices and inequality.
Like millions of others, Gustavo took to the streets in demonstrations that lasted for weeks and made global headlines.
But at 4pm on a Friday afternoon, Gustavo was shot in the face by police.
From a distance of no more than 30 metres, special forces fired rubber-coated lead bullets into Gustavo’s eyes.
“I felt the…water running from my eyes. It was the blood.” – Gustavo
Gustavo permanently lost his sight. But the police responsible for the shooting have never been held to account.
Gustavo wants justice, will you stand with him?
Email the Chilean authorities demanding a proper investigation.
Take Action
For much of her life, Nassima campaigned for women’s freedoms in Saudi Arabia. In doing so, she’s lost her own.
She was one of several prominent activists demanding women have the right to drive and the right to carry out their daily business without the permission of a male “guardian”‘.
Saudi Arabia’s guardianship laws required women to seek a man’s permission to go out. While these laws have been eased, women like Nassima who campaigned to end the guardianship system remain behind bars.
“When a woman feels that she can’t carry out basic tasks…without her male guardian, this restricts her humanity.” – Nassima
Nassima was arrested for her peaceful human rights work in July 2018. While in jail, she was ill-treated. She was placed in a cell alone, in complete isolation for an entire year.
She is allowed only one weekly phone call with her family, but is not allowed any visits – not even from her lawyer.
Her detention is part of a recent wave of arrests that target Saudi women human rights activists.
The UK government has influence, which is why we’re urging them to use the G20 this month to publicly call for the release of Nassima and other Saudi women rights campaigners.
Take Action
From day one, students Melike and Özgür dedicated themselves to defending lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) rights at their university.
As prominent members of the LGBTI+ Solidarity Group at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, they’ve organised numerous marches and events. They’ve engaged with an ever-growing number of students, against a backdrop of increasing homophobia and restrictions on freedom of expression in Turkey.
“We need your support, all around the world to defeat this homophobia and transphobia around us.” – Melike
The group of students have organised an annual Pride march on campus since 2011. Over the years, Pride on their campus grew in size and visibility.
However, in 2019, the university’s management told the students the Pride march that they had planned could not go ahead on campus. Undeterred, the Solidarity Group staged a Pride sit-in instead.
In response, the university called the police who used excessive force, including tear gas, against the peaceful protesters. Police arrested at least 23 students – including Melike and Özgür – and an academic. Some of those detained hadn’t even taken part in the protest.
Despite simply exercising their right to peaceful protest 18 students and the Academic are on trial. If found guilty, they face up to three years in prison.
Email the Minister of Justice urging them to drop the charges against the students.
Take Action
Do you champion human rights? If the answer is yes, you could be sentenced to 32 years in prison for “rebellion”.
That’s what happened to Germain in Burundi. For three years, he hasn’t seen his family. He has never even met his third child.
In 2017, Germain was arrested and taken to prison. He was found guilty of “rebellion” among other charges.
He was sentenced to 32 years in prison. “I feel the suffering that breaks the hearts of my sons…unfairly separated from their dear Daddy.” – Germain
Germain’s wife, Emelyne, gave birth four months after his imprisonment, meaning Germain has never held his child.
The prison where he is detained is overcrowded. He shares a space of 10m x 10m with more than 120 others.
There are reports of multiple Covid-19 deaths but authorities haven’t taken any action to reduce the amount of prisoners.
Burundi has a new President this year. Contact President Evariste Ndayishimiye calling on him to release Germain.