Forgotten Prisoners: Amnesty International Sparks Human Rights
British lawyer Peter Benenson published an article titled "The Forgotten Prisoners" in The Observer on May 28, 1961, describing the cases of six prisoners of conscience from different countries and political systems who had been jailed for their beliefs. The article launched the "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961" and asked readers to write letters to governments demanding the release of political prisoners. The response was overwhelming: within a year, the campaign had grown into Amnesty International, with groups operating in seven countries. The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977. Amnesty's innovation was making individual letter-writing a tool of political pressure, demonstrating that sustained, organized public attention could shame governments into releasing prisoners. The organization now has over 10 million supporters in 150 countries.
May 28, 1961
65 years ago
Key Figures & Places
What Else Happened on May 28
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