The organization has unconfirmed reports that Huseyin Celil, 37, will be put to death for alleged terrorist activities.

Celil's wife, Kamila Telendibaeva, clings to the belief that it can't happen.

Celil's sister tearfully called from China last week saying a police officer had told her Celil would be killed Aug. 10, but Canadian officials told Telendibaeva that the Chinese government said it wasn't true.

Telendibaeva hasn't seen her husband since he was arrested in Uzbekistan while they were visiting her family. 

Celil, a political dissident who came to Canada as a refugee, was arrested on a warrant from China. He had been sentenced to death in absentia in China.

He had championed the cause of the Muslim Uygur people in Xinjiang province, an area taken over by the Chinese more than 50 years ago.

Every day Telendibaeva's three children ask her "Where's Daddy?" Telendibaeva, who is due to give birth to her fourth child Aug. 20, tells them he is coming back soon.

She rejects the possibility that he could be executed but she worries that the Chinese authorities may torture him or mistreat him in some way.

"They can give him some medicine, some injections," she said. "They can hurt him and he can lose his health."

Ambra Dickie, a foreign affairs spokesman, said yesterday there are ongoing communications between the Canadian and Chinese government regarding Celil.

Canada has formally requested information on Celil's exact whereabouts and is seeking immediate consular access.

"We continue to make every effort to confirm Mr. Celil's well-being and to ensure he is afforded due process and that his rights are protected," she said. "Chinese authorities continue to maintain that they will not seek the death penalty."

Beth Berton-Hunter, an Amnesty International spokesman, said the organization has put out an Urgent Action call.

It is urging human rights supporters everywhere to appeal to Chinese authorities on Celil's behalf, including faxing the ambassador to Canada, Lu Shumin.