A year on since Syria’s uprising, let’s tell Russia to stop arming Assad’s brutal crackdown -- and push the world community to act!



Dear Phearum,

How much blood needs to be shed before the world helps Syria?

One year on from Syria’s uprising, the millions-strong Amnesty movement is joining forces to finally put an end to 12 months of unprecedented brutality. We’re appalled at the senseless shelling of civilians, the cold-blooded torture and the failure of the global community to act.

Last month, Russia and China blocked a UN Security Council resolution that could have stopped the slaughter. Instead, Russia continues to ship weapons into a country seemingly on the brink of civil war. Add your name to our petition telling Russia to stop the flow of arms and put pressure on the international community to act.

For every petition signature, we’ll light a candle at our solemn dawn vigil in Sydney this Thursday. It’ll not only be a massive show of solidarity, but we’ll use it to deliver a strong message to Russia - as the leading arms supplier to Syria - to stop the flow of guns, bombs and other munitions that continues to fuel President Assad’s bloody crackdown.

We cannot sit idly by and while defenceless people are slaughtered -- please sign our petition today. With each new name added, we’ll light another candle: be part of it.

Meanwhile, we’re compiling information essential to putting pressure on the international community to act. Highly trained Amnesty researchers have been on the Syrian border collecting stories and providing whatever help we can to those who’ve endured unimaginable horrors [1]. There we met Abu Suhaib, who was standing in a small crowd when security forces fired an anti-aircraft missile, sending shrapnel up through his leg and out of his left thigh, taking his thumb with it. And this week we’ve released satellite images that show beyond doubt that parts of Homs are being demolished by bombing [2].

Today, more than 6,500 civilians are dead, including at least 632 people who were killed during intensive shelling and sniper fire in the city of Homs. It may feel like whatever actions we take pale in comparison to the horrors we’re hearing about - but the truth is, we’re more powerful than we know. Last year we were among the first to respond to the crisis in Syria [3]. Today, let’s send a millions-strong message to the Russian government that we won’t let them off the hook for their role in this suffering -- and show the people of Syria they are not alone.

Join Amnesty supporters worldwide: sign the petition and light a candle with us today.

On behalf of many people you’ll probably never meet, but whose lives will be changed because you answered this call, thank you.

Michael Hayworth
Crisis campaigner
Amnesty International Australia

PS. You can help fund our team on the ground collecting stories so we can hold the Syrian regime accountable. Sign the petition, and then chip in to fund our research efforts.

[1] One family's dramatic escape from Syria, blog, 2 March 2012

[2] Satellite images from Syria, New York Times, 2 March 2012

[3] Syria crisis: Deadly shooting at Damascus funeral, BBC, 18 February 2011

Syria may be committing crimes against humanity, SKY News, 7 July 2011

Patients tortured in Syrian hospitals: Amnesty, ABC News, 26 October 2011