Help stop the bloodshed in Syria. ©Demotix/Nour El Refai Dear Activist, For six weeks the Syrian government has been violently repressing pro-democracy protests that have been taking place throughout the country. So far more than 500 people have died and hundreds others remain held incommunicado at unknown locations where they are at risk of torture and other ill-treatment. The country is also closing off to the world with few journalists and International NGOs having access. It is therefore a crucial time for people like you to show the Syrian authorities that their actions have consequences to which they will be held accountable by signing the petition below. The petition calls on President Bashar al-Assad to stop the killings by immediately reigning in his security forces and to respect the Syrian people's right to peaceful protest. We are aiming to get thousands of people around the world to sign this petition by 18 May, two months after the bloodshed began in Syria. This petition will be delivered to Syrian embassies around the world and we will do our best to deliver it to President Bashar al-Assad himself. Your signature matters! Help stop the bloodshed in Syria. In solidarity, Online Communities team Alaphia, Buddha, El-Mutamid, Franziska and Shehzaad Find us on Twitter and Facebook at the Activism Centre.   Amnesty International International Secretariat 1 Easton Street London, WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org