Amnesty International will launch its annual global letter-writing campaign on 10 December (Human Rights Day) to fight injustice and support people whose human rights are under threat at a time when global order hangs in the balance.
As the war in the Middle East and Sudan rages on, and anti-abortion narratives and policies continue, activists from around the world are putting their lives on the line to speak out against oppression and injustice. Many are being threatened, jailed and even killed. This year’s Write for Rights campaign features people whose human rights have been violated. Joel Paredes, from Argentina, was blinded by rubber bullets while peacefully protesting in his hometown of Humahuaca; Manahel al-Otaibi, from Saudi Arabia, was jailed after freely expressing herself on social media; while the Wet’suwet’en land defenders have been criminalized for protecting their ancestral land in Canada.
““By writing letters, signing petitions and sharing stories, you can support activists whose lives are in danger.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
“People have been jailed, shot, tortured, forcibly disappeared and murdered, simply for speaking out to defend human rights, for protesting or voicing their anxieties about the state of the world. This is intolerable. Amid persistent conflicts, shrinking civic space and an intensifying climate emergency, we need to hear their voices more than ever,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“By writing letters, signing petitions and sharing stories, you can support activists whose lives are in danger and demand that governments stop clamping down on rights and freedoms. You can demand justice and hold governments to account. Those responsible for human rights violations thrive in the midst of silence and indifference. They shrink when we come together, speak loud, organise, and unite across the divisions they create. So join us. Take a stand for human rights.”
Defending human rights
This year, Amnesty International’s Write for Rights Campaign will be supporting a number of individuals and groups who are defending human rights. Individually and collectively, they stand for the world we want, not the world we live in. They include:
- Neth Nahara, from Angola, jailed for criticizing the president on TikTok.
- Wetʼsuwetʼen Land Defenders, from Canada, who are fighting to protect their ancestral lands.
- Joel Paredes, from Argentina, blinded by rubber bullets at a peaceful protest.
- Kyung Seok Park, from South Korea, fighting for the rights of people with disabilities.
- Dang Dinh Bach, from Viet Nam, imprisoned for defending the environment.
- Maryia Kalesnikava, from Belarus, abducted and jailed for demanding change.
- Manahel al-Otaibi, from Saudi Arabia, imprisoned for supporting women’s rights.
- Oqba Hashad, from Egypt, detained and tortured for his brother’s activism.
- Şebnem Korur Fincancı, from Türkiye, convicted for defending human rights.
Şebnem Korur Fincancı is currently waiting to hear the outcome of her appeal against her unjust conviction, but she still maintains hope in humanity. A forensic medical expert, she has decades of experience documenting torture in Türkiye and around the world. Şebnem was in Germany for a meeting about prisons and health, when a reporter asked her about the Turkish Armed Forces’ use of chemical weapons. She was shown some video footage and asked what she thought of it. Later, during a short live TV broadcast where she was invited to comment on the images, she said the video suggested the use of chemical gas and she called for an independent investigation.
“The political authority in Türkiye said that I had committed a serious crime, that I had slandered the Turkish Armed Forces and that they would deal with me accordingly,” said Şebnem. “In 2023, they convicted me of [terrorist] propaganda and sentenced me to two years, eight months and 15 days. Now the case is before the Court of Cassation, which will likely uphold my conviction. My only fear is the fear of submission. As long as I don’t bow, I maintain my hope.”
Giving people hope
Over the past few years, Amnesty supporters have made a real difference to people’s lives, providing hope during the darkest of times.
From Brazil to Guatemala, Kyrgyzstan to Zimbabwe, activists have been freed and justice has been served – as in the case of Rita Karasartova a human rights defender and expert in civic governance from Kyrgyzstan.
For over a decade Rita dedicated her life to providing independent legal advice to people whose rights were being violated by a corrupt and unreliable legal system. Alongside 26 others, Rita was arrested in October 2022 for opposing a new border agreement giving control of a freshwater reservoir to Uzbekistan and charged with attempting to “violently overthrow the government”. Rita was part of Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign last year, and following calls from people around the world, Rita and at least 21 other defendants were acquitted on 14 June 2024.
“Your timely actions – these petitions, signatures and the huge number of letters that went to the court and the prosecutor’s office were all very powerful,” said Rita. “It was empowering to us all. The acquittal was totally unexpected. We had been playing with all sorts of scenarios and different outcomes in our heads, but we didn’t think we would all be acquitted! Thank you all.”
Join this year’s campaign and become part of a community working to make the world a more just and compassionate place. Join Write for Rights today.
