Greetings from Amnesty International Group 22 (Pasadena/Caltech)! We hope you are keeping safe and well. We haven't sent out any newsletters since March, so this message is my attempt to keep you informed about our activities and update you on our group's adopted Prisoners of Conscience. Group 22 is not holding any regular meetings during the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are doing virtual Zoom sessions for Letter Writing on the second Tuesday and Book Group on the third Sunday of the month. Please let us know at aigp22@caltech.edu if you are interested in joining us online. We're very grateful to Group Coordinator Kathy for continuing to manage our letter writing efforts and we thank group member Paula for being our Zoom host. Kathy reported that Zoom attendees on June 9 sent 61 emails and mailed 17 written letters for current Urgent Actions. Kathy's list of UAs for June is at https://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/current_ua.html. This will be updated for our next Letter Writing on July 14. Our Book Group selection for June was "Lands of Lost Borders: A Journey on the Silk Road" by Kate Harris. It's the story of two young women's cycling adventure through 10 countries including Turkey and Tibet. Kathy was our Zoom host. Stevi led the discussion and provided supplementary info. A benefit of going online is that Martha was able to join us. Martha started Rights Readers Book Group in 1999 and led the discussions until she moved to Wisconsin in 2008. She continues to provide us with book choices for our monthly selection. The book for July is a novel, "In the Midst of Winter" by Isabel Allende. The Zoom discussion is planned for Sunday, July 19, at 6:30 pm PDT. Group 22 works for two Prisoners of Conscience: disappeared human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng in China and imprisoned human rights defender Narges Mohammadi in Iran. Gao Zhisheng has been missing since August 2017, but he is not forgotten. In April the organization China Aid chose Gao to receive its annual Lin Zhao Freedom Award. https://www.chinaaid.org/2020/04/disappeared-lawyer-receives-lin-zhao.html To take action for Gao, see our sample letter at https://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/GaoPOC/gao_sample.pdf Narges Mohammadi was forcibly transferred from Evin Prison in Tehran to distant Zanjan Prison in December 2019. There has been great concern for her during the COVID pandemic because she has a number of pre-existing medical conditions. The authorities have refused to grant her a furlough. Her mother visited her in May and reported that Narges was distressed at having to witness executions in Zanjan Prison. https://women.ncr-iran.org/2020/06/16/narges-mohammadi-i-was-sent-here-to-witness-executions-every-moment/ To take action for Narges, see our sample letter at https://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/POC-Narges/narges_sample.pdf Peace and all good, Joyce, Kathy, and Stevi --------------------------------------------------------------------- Amnesty International's mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights. Amnesty International Group 22 (Caltech/Pasadena) aigp22@caltech.edu http://www.its.caltech.edu/~aigp22/home.html To unsubscribe from this list, please send an email to the above address requesting this.