Keep On Keeping On -- Another "Good" Fight.

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----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From: Mom=*Family First*
To:
Date: Apr 14, 2009 7:29 PM
Subject: He may not live to see his next one.





A highly-regarded Libyan activist just spent his 68th birthday in detention.

He may not live to see his next one.


Help add your Representative's name to a letter of support for
Fathi el-Jahmi.


Health records show that Fathi el-Jahmi will likely die in prison of heart failure and complications from diabetes if he does not receive critical medical treatment. However, the prognosis leaves out the fact that Libya's poor prison system is to blame for years of neglectful treatment given to a man who was unlawfully detained in the first place.


This is the second time Fathi has been wrongfully imprisoned for publicly calling for greater political freedom in Libya. His health condition is severe and the Libyan government knows it.


We've got two strong allies in Congress willing to speak out against Libya's injustice. Representatives Wolf (R-VA) and Kirk (R-IL) are sponsoring our letter calling on Libya’s authorities to free Fathi el-Jahmi from detention and allow him to seek proper medical care. But they'll need our help to convince other members of Congress to join this effort to keep Fathi alive.


Urge your members of Congress to add their name to a letter of support for Fathi el-Jahmi.


Fathi's health is not what's killing him.



Fathi was briefly released from detention in 2004 because the emotion stirred by former Senator Joe Biden and other members of Congress calling for his release. Biden called Fathi "a courageous Libyan democracy advocate with serious health problems whose only crime was to speak truth to power.
"

It was the leadership shown then by Congress that helped lead to Fathi's release. Now, we need our representatives to stand in solidarity once again for Fathi, but this time to save his life.


Muammar al-Gaddafi, Libya's head of state, and other Libyan authorities will continue to let Fathi's life hang in the balance unless we expose this foul act for what it really is – a sad attempt to silence political opposition at all costs. We cannot just stand by while a bright flame of the human rights movement is extinguished.


Libya is seeking to improve its ties with the United States. And if we get enough members of Congress to sign the letter on Fathi's behalf, then Libya has a stronger incentive to heed our calls for justice. Email your Representatives and ask for them to stand in support of Fathi el-Jahmi.


Amnesty activists have a history of standing in Fathi's corner. His case garnered an outpouring of support and thousands of letters sent on his behalf during this past year's Global Write-a-thon.


In the following weeks, supporters will gather in front of the US mission to the United Nations and hold peaceful vigils as an act of solidarity for Fathi.


Add your voice to theirs. Tell your Representatives the story of Fathi el-Jahmi. Tell them that if we don't take a stand against Libya's gross misconduct, then we will lose a great human rights defender – and his health won't be to blame.

But for Fathi to have any chance at a future, we have got to make the present count.


Sincerely,

Michael O'Reilly
Campaign Director
Individuals at Risk
Amnesty International USA


Mom = *Family First*
Mom Two♥ ~Namaste'~
TIGER




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