History - Beginnings
Amnesty International was founded in 1961 by British lawyer Peter Benenson.
He became angry after reading a report about two Portuguese students who had been sentenced to seven years' imprisonment. Their crime? Raising their glasses in a toast to freedom.
Benenson and others began to think of ways to persuade the Portuguese government - and other oppressive governments - to release victims of injustice. His idea was to bombard the authorities with letters of protest.
But how to do this? Benenson decided to use the media to publicize the situation of political prisoners, and to urge concerned people everywhere to take action to free these prisoners. He and others organized a one-year campaign - an "Appeal for Amnesty, 1961."
The campaign was launched on May 28, 1961 in a front page appeal in the London Observer newspaper. The article - called "The Forgotten Prisoners" - was soon reprinted and broadcast around the world.
Benenson called on people to protest the imprisonment of men and women around the world because of their political and religious beliefs. These detainees were to be called "prisoners of conscience." Suddenly, a new phrase entered the vocabulary of world affairs.
The reaction to Benenson's article was widespread and enthusiastic. Thousands of people - from London to Montevideo, from trade unionists to nurses to children - offered their help. Many sent in donations. They also sent information about other prisoners of conscience.
Six months later, Benenson and others announced that the one-year action was being converted into an international movement. Amnesty International was born.