Action Page for the Benghazi Six in Libya

Action Page for the Benghazi Six

October 29, 2005 -- We are coordinating action with a number of groups and individuals here with our goal being the release from prison of the five Bulgarian nurses and one Palestinian physician who have been in jail for the past seven years. The Libyan Supreme Court will hear their final appeal on November 15th. If the six lose that appeal, they are scheduled to be put to death by firing squad. We are working to coordinate international rallies at Libyan Embassies and Consulates around the world. We need your help in mobilizing supporters.

On October 17, 2005, the day US President George W. Bush called for the release of the Benghazi six, Libyan Foreign Minister Abdel Rahman Shalgam said: "[t]his is a legal matter which cannot be influenced by any political decision" in a statement to Arab satellite television network Al Jazeera as reported by Agence France Presse. Read a timeline of events for this case and also see our initial campaign on this issue.

Amnesty International, the International Council of Nurses and the American Nurses Association have issued statements condemning the planned executions of these professionals.

We need your help. Here's what you can do:

First, please send our instant letter or one of your own to the Libyan government.

Second, call the Libyan Embassy and register your objection to the jailing and death sentence of the nurses. Call 1-212-752-5775 (M-F).

Third, please mobilize all of your colleagues, family members and friends to join the rallies at the many Libyan embassies around the world on November 5th at 1 pm local time. (Click here to find the embassy closest to you.) Please circulate to your schools, hospitals, organizations, listservs, discussion boards and telephone trees to encourage nurses, students and non-nurses alike to protest this travesty of justice. If nurses' and physicians' close contacts with patients subject them to criminal prosecution and even execution for what seem to be systemic health care problems, health care workers will not just be unable to act as patient advocates, but may be deterred from serving vulnerable populations and having the kind of patient interactions that are critical to good outcomes.

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Organizations mobilizing for the rally and their contacts

Canada

York University, Ontario. Contact Sue Coffey and Adeline Falk-Rafael

USA

Organizations alerted:

Amnesty International--awaiting response;
International Council of Nurses--awaiting response;
Physicians for Human Rights--awaiting response;
Canadian Nurses Association--awaiting response;
Registered Nurses Association of Ontario--awaiting response;
Canadian Federation of Nurses’ Unions--awaiting response
California Nurses Association--awaiting response;
Columbia University, New York. Awaiting response
Royal College of Nursing--United Kingdom;
American Nurses Association--awaiting response.

Action that we need volunteers to spearhead

Please mobilize your schools, nursing organizations, discussion boards and listservs. Then let us know that you have done so and we will post those organizations and your contact information on our action page here.

Encourage your members to take send letters and call the Libyan Embassy.

Please let us know your suggestions. We are just beginning to build this page.