History - First "Urgent Action"
Amnesty issued its first "Urgent Action" in 1973 on behalf of the imprisoned Brazilian professor Luiz Rossi. The result was a sign of many successes to come.
It was feared that the detained Rossi would be tortured. Immediate, urgent action was needed to keep him safe.
Within hours, Amnesty supporters around the world deluged the Brazilian government with faxes, telegrams and phone calls demanding Rossi's safety and release - and it appears they were listened to.
Today, Rossi is one of many people who say the appeals of Amnesty members were crucial to his situation: "I knew that my case had become public, I knew they would no longer kill me. Then the pressure on me decreased and conditions improved."
Urgent Actions are now one of Amnesty's most successful action techniques. Over the years, the movement has issued more than 16,000 Urgent Actions on behalf of people in immediate danger of abuse. In one-third of these cases, positive change has been reported.