STOP THE EXECUTION OF TROY DAVIS

The 30-day stay issued by the 11^th Circuit Court of Appeals expires on May 15th.

So now is the time for us to organize to save the life of Troy Anthony Davis. We're asking everybody to come out strong on May 19th – a day marked in human rights calendars across the world as the Global Day of Action for Troy Davis.

Whether you're holding a "Text TROY to 90999" sign on a busy street or organizing your local Amnesty chapter to hold a public demonstration or vigil, we need everybody to contribute their time on May 19th to make sure that the state of Georgia does not kill a man who may well be innocent. Register your Global Day of Action for Troy Davis activity or event now.

We know that time is short for organizing public events, but an execution date could be set as early as late May, so it is essential that action be taken soon. It's also really important that we get an accurate count of how many events and activities are taking place on May 19th, so we can share this information with officials in Georgia. Our emails and phone calls have gone a long way in buying Troy some much-needed time, but now we've got to take our action to the streets.

We appreciate the tens of thousands of you who have stood in Troy's corner while heart-stopping scenes have unfolded. On three separate occasions, Troy has been scheduled for execution. And on three separate occasions, his life was saved within a short period of time, even minutes, of his scheduled execution date.

Each time, those last minute stays came after people like you turned out by the thousands to rally in his defense. It was no coincidence. Troy's sister and long-time Amnesty activist, Martina Correia, has acknowledged Amnesty's powerful role in saving her brother's life each of those times.

Now here we are again with the clock winding down. While we can see little opportunity for legal recourse or second chances, we know that your advocacy has a strong record of making amazing things happen.

When we first introduced you to Troy Davis in early 2007, few people outside of Georgia knew about the injustice taking place. In the past two years, countless people have come to see Troy's case as a prime example of why the death penalty must be abolished – the risk of executing someone for a crime they did not commit is just too high.

We are serious when we say that we need everyone to support Troy Davis on May 19th by organizing their own event or awareness-raising activity.

After all, if you had 30 days left to fight for your life, wouldn't you want to know that you had thousands standing in your corner?

In Solidarity,

Amnesty International USA

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW:

1. Make calls, send emails and faxes demanding clemency for Troy Davis

• Governer Sonny Perdue

Phone: 404-656-1776
Fax: 404-657-5947
To send an email go to http://www.gov.state.ga.us/ and click on 'contact us'

• Georgia State Board of Pardons and Appeals

Phone: (404) 656-5651
Fax: (404) 651 8502
E-mail: Clemency_Information@pap.state.ga.us

2. Organize an Information table on your campus with info on prisons & the death penalty. Hand out Troy Davis fact sheets (available in english HERE and in Spanish HERE)

3. Organize a letter writing/phone call event. Provide pens, paper, envelopes and stamps to ensure that letters get mailed out. Have a list of addresses and phone numbers of state representatives, parole board and governor available.

4. Organize a teach-in or panel discussion at your school, community center or religious institution. Hand out fact sheets and a list of addresses and phone numbers of state representatives, parole board and governor so that people know what to do and who to contact.

5. Get creative! There are many ways we can work to help this brother and spread information about his case and the urgency of the situation. We cannot let the state execute him!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, ACT NOW!!! There's not much time left, the brother's LIFE depends on it

For additional info please visit Amnesty International
OR www.troyanthonydavis.org


Sample letter of support for Troy Davis:

I am writing to urge you to exercise leadership, as ((( insert person's title here ex: governor, senator, etc.))), to see to it that the death sentence of Troy Davis is commuted, in order to ensure that Georgia does not put to death a man who may well be innocent. I believe you have the power to do so, and I believe you must use it in this case.

In this extraordinary case, where a man with a strong claim to innocence may well be executed without a court ever holding a hearing on his claims, I urge you to act in the interests of justice and support clemency for Troy Davis. An execution in this case, without a proper hearing on significant evidence of innocence, would severely compromise the integrity of Georgia’s justice system.

As you may know, Mr. Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of police officer Mark MacPhail, a conviction based solely on witness testimony, and seven of the nine non-police witnesses have recanted or contradicted their trial testimony. The courts, citing procedural rules and time limits, have so far refused to hold an evidentiary hearing to examine these witnesses. Executive clemency exists, and executive action is required, to preserve justice when the protections afforded by our appeals process fail to do so.

I strongly urge you to take such action now and ensure that the death sentence of Troy Davis is commuted. Thank you for your attention to this extremely serious matter.

Sincerely,
Your Name



Azadeh
BAOC/FTP/G-REP