Amnesty International began in 1961 when British civil rights lawyer Peter Benenson published an article called "The Forgotten Prisoners" in London's Observer newspaper. It was about six men, all of whom had been imprisoned solely for the peaceful expression of their beliefs. Benenson would later coin the term "prisoner of conscience."
"The Forgotten Prisoners" was more than a newspaper article. It was also an appeal and the opening tactic in a campaign that Benenson and his friends had been planning for months. Called "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961," the campaign was based on what was at the time a startling premise: that a barrage of letters written by ordinary individuals could exert pressure on government authorities. The Observer article asked readers to write letters on behalf of the six featured prisoners. The story was picked up by newspapers in other countries—the US, India, Italy, Holland, Denmark, South Africa, Belgium and others—and the response was overwhelming. Letters came flooding in—to Peter Benenson, as well as to the targeted governments. People sent donations, proposed other prisoners to support, and wanted to become involved. Soon Amnesty's first "adoption groups" were formed to work on the cases of individual prisoners, and branches of the movement began to appear in other countries. It became clear that the year-long campaign Peter Benenson had envisioned was growing into something larger.
Today Amnesty International has 1.7 million members in 162 countries. The organization is known for its research, and its mandate has evolved to cover a broad spectrum of human rights. But the heart of Amnesty's work remains the plight of individuals and the effort that other individuals can make on their behalf. As Amnesty International said in it's Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech:
"Human rights are the birthright of every single individual. Human rights will not be protected if left solely to the government. The ordinary individual can make a difference."
Amnesty's first prisoners of conscience, those featured in Peter Benenson's Observer article, all eventually gained their freedom:
Constantin Noica - This philosopher from Romania was sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment because while he was "rusticated" (sent temporarily away from his university as a punishment), his friends and pupils continued to visit him. He was freed.
Rev. Ashton Jones - A leading figure in CORE Freedom Rides against segregation in the southern United States. A sixty-five-year-old minister, Jones was repeatedly beaten up and three times imprisoned. He was freed.
Cardinal Mindszenty - Cardinal Mindszenty of Hungary had been under house arrest in the US Embassy for many years for opposing his country's communist government. He was freed.
Archbishop Josef Beran - This Czech archbishop had been in prison for 13 years when the Appeal for Amnesty campaign started. He survived two concentration camps during the Nazi occupation. In 1948, he was arrested and locked up for delivering a sermon protesting the new Communist government that had seized power in a coup. He was freed. In 1967, he celebrated his freedom by lighting an Amnesty candle in Rome.
Toni Ambatielos - A Greek communist who was imprisoned for his trade union activities. He was freed.
Dr. Agostino Neto - Dr. Neto was an Angolan poet and doctor who suffered terrible brutality at the hands of the ruling Portuguese authorities. He was flogged in front of his family, then imprisoned without a trial for the "crime" of trying to improve health care for his country. He escaped while under house arrest. He went on to become the first President of Angola. (At least 11 former AI prisoners of conscience have gone on to become heads of state or government.)
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