​We prepare and submit urgent appeals to UN Special Rapporteurs and/or the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) in cases where violations are time-sensitive.

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Urgent appeals are used where there is:

• A risk of loss of life or life-threatening conditions;

• Imminent or ongoing serious harm of a very grave nature;

• Continued detention that may pose a serious danger to an individual’s health or life; or

• Other circumstances that warrant immediate intervention.​

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An urgent appeal is a request for the UN mechanism to intervene. If accepted, the Special Rapporteur(s) and/or the Working Group send an urgent appeal or letter of allegation to the Government concerned through diplomatic channels. The communication requests that the State take appropriate measures to ensure that the individual’s rights are respected.

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This process does not involve a final or conclusive legal assessment of whether a human rights violation has occurred or whether the detention is arbitrary. Opinions and communications issued by UN Special Procedures are not legally binding. Even where a violation is found, the State is not formally obliged under international law to comply. Its purpose is to trigger immediate international scrutiny and protective action.