Amnesty International: Some Success Stories of 2019

Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK thanks human rights´advocates for their support.

Amnesty International12/26/2019

2 minutes read

Thank You

As we near the end of 2019, I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your support this year. You’re part of seven million people standing up for humanity and human rights. As we reflect on everything we’ve achieved, we know we couldn’t have done it without supporters like you.

We celebrated two huge wins for Northern Ireland this year. Same sex marriage was finally legalised and abortion was decriminalised.

Thousands of you took to the streets to strike for climate change, joining millions of others around the world.

Together, we helped secured the release of many wrongly imprisoned activists like Dr. Scott Warren, Malak al-Kashef and Aung Ko Htwe.

These are just some of the highlights from last year and none of them would have been possible without your support. It shows that, in these difficult and uncertain times, humanity can win.

Thank you for being a human rights champion. I’m so grateful to be facing the future with you.

Best wishes for the New Year,

Kate Allen, Director, Amnesty International UK

Some Success Stories

Dr. Scott Warren is free

Dr. Scott Warren – a humanitarian aid volunteer charged with “harbouring” two migrants – was found not guilty. He was facing 10 years in prison for helping save lives at the US-Mexico border. Thanks to thousands of you who took the time to sign petitions and send letters, Dr. Warren is free today.

Aung Ko Htwe freed

Aung Ko Htwe walked free on 6 September 2019 after completing the two years of his sentence. Thank you to the over 30,000 of you who took action and emailed the Myanmar authorities and helped free Aung Ko Htwe.

Shawkan released

Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abou Zeid, known as Shawkan, has finally been released after spending more than five and a half years in prison on trumped-up charges. Together, we campaigned for years to help free Shawkan, with thousands of you sending him messages of support and over 30,000 signing a petition for his release. Thank you for helping to secure his release.

Double victory in Northern Ireland

MPs voted to legalise same-sex marriage and extend access to abortion to Northern Ireland. These two historic wins are thanks to everyone like you, who fought to get here. Thank you.

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Amnesty International

Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is a non-governmental organization based in the United Kingdom focused on human rights. The organization claims it has more than seven million members and supporters around the world. The stated mission of the organization is to campaign for "a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights instruments." Amnesty International was founded in London in 1961, following the publication of the article “The Forgotten Prisoners” in The Observer on 28 May 1961, by the lawyers Peter Benenson and Philip James.
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