Celebrating the human rights wins of 2023

January

USA
Amnesty International USA has been working hard to end gun violence across the country. In Illinois and Michigan, Amnesty joined advocates to help pass several gun safety laws. Thanks to Amnesty’s advocacy and campaigning work, Illinois is now the ninth state to ban assault weapons, and Michigan has established universal background checks for all firearm purchases.

May

EU
On 26 May states adopted a major treaty, The Ljubljana-The Hague Convention on international cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other international crimes. Two legal advisers from Amnesty were present during the diplomatic conference raising concerns and making recommendations.

This was a major win for human rights and Amnesty International, which has been contributing to this treaty since its inception 10 years ago. The treaty includes several of Amnesty’s calls, such as expanding states’ jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes; including torture and enforced disappearance as crimes covered by the treaty; the non-applicability of statute of limitations; a section on victims’ rights, including a definition of victims; the refusal of mutual legal assistance or extradition when there are substantial grounds for believing that a request has been made for the purpose of prosecuting or punishing a person on the basis of sexual orientation; and a broad and innovative provision on non-refoulement.

July

Australia
Following a campaign by activists and organizations including Amnesty, the Australian Capital Territory  tabled legislation to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 12 years old, and eventually raise the age to 14 in July 2025. However, children accused of ‘series offences’ will continue to be subject to police investigation including strip-searches, being dragged through courts, and locked in prisons.

Ghana
Ghana’s Parliament voted to remove the death penalty from the 1960 Criminal and Other Offences Act and the 1962 Armed Forces Act, making the country abolitionist in practice. Through these steps, Ghana took a major step towards abolishing the death penalty.

Malaysia
Legislative amendments to repeal the mandatory death penalty came into force in Malaysia on 4 July, also abolishing the death penalty in full for seven offences. The courts were given the power to review the sentences of the more than 1,000 people on death row and use their discretion to decide between the death penalty or terms of imprisonment and, regrettably, whipping – a cruel punishment prohibited under international human rights law. With the official moratorium on executions of 2018 still in place, these reforms have the potential to reduce the number of death sentences imposed and represent an important milestone in Malaysia’s journey towards abolition.

Both developments are a victory for all those who have tirelessly campaigned to consign this cruel punishment to history, including Amnesty International.

August

Taiwan
Following Taiwan’s #MeToo movement and Amnesty International Taiwan’s advocacy to end online sexual violence, the Government passed an amendment to Taiwan’s “Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act”, demanding internet platforms or service providers restrict the browsing of, or remove, webpage materials related to these crimes.

September

USA
President Biden announced the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which Amnesty International USA has been advocating for since 2018.

October

Austria
After more than two years of negotiations, the Austrian coalition government agreed on an access to information law. Amnesty International Austria has actively supported this legislation since the beginning. Although the proposed law has some weaknesses, it is nonetheless a step towards greater transparency for the authorities and state-owned companies.

Argentina
The Congress of Argentina approved the Olimpia Law, which seeks to prevent gender-based violence online and hold perpetrators accountable. Amnesty International Argentina has been calling for this law to be passed for several years, having released reports revealing how one in three women in Argentina have experienced online violence.

The new law is named after Olimpia Coral Melo, an activist who has been campaigning for violence-free digital spaces for girls and women.

“I am a survivor of sexual violence. I was on the verge of suicide. I felt guilty but my mother supported me,” she told Amnesty International Argentina.

March

Australia
After tireless advocacy by students from the Pacific supported by thousands of Amnesty activists, Australia became one of 132 countries to co-sponsor Vanuatu’s initiative to take climate change to the International Court of Justice. Other Amnesty sections and other civil society organizations also worked tirelessly to secure governmental commitment to this crucial initiative. This is landmark moment in the fight for climate justice as it means the court will give a legal opinion on the obligations of governments to protect the human rights of present and future generations against the effects of climate change.

July

Malaysia
In a positive move, The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Act 2023 and the Revision of Sentence of Death and Imprisonment for Natural Life (Temporary Jurisdiction of The Federal Court) Act 2023, were officially published in Malaysia’s Federal Gazette on 16 June, with the former coming into effect on 4 July

Once the Minister of Law announces a date for the law on re-sentencing to come into effect, people sentenced to death can apply for a review of their mandatory death sentence . In addition to repealing the mandatory death penalty and introducing sentencing discretion for all applicable offences, the death penalty has been abolished in full for seven offences. Amnesty International has been calling for an end to the death penalty globally for over 45 years and these new bills are a significant step towards total abolition for Malaysia.

February

Taiwan
In a major step forward for LGTBI rights, Taiwan announced moves to allow same-sex marriages between Taiwanese people and foreign nationals whose countries of origin are yet to permit same-sex marriage. In another key move, the Taiwan government has permitted joint adoption for married same-sex couples. Amnesty International Taiwan has been working closely with local groups to campaign and secure wider LGBTI rights.

South Korea
So Seong-wook and his partner Kim Yong-min held a wedding ceremony in 2019 and live together as a married couple. However, their relationship is not recognized under South Korean law, and they’ve been unable to enjoy the same rights as heterosexual couples, including access to healthcare.

After launching a campaign with the support of Amnesty, So and his partner Kim became the first same-sex couple to be able to register a “dependent” under the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS), only for it to be cancelled eight months later. In February, South Korea’ High Court ordered the NHIS to resume healthcare access for a partner in a same-sex relationship – the first step towards recognising the rights of a couple in a same-sex relationship.

May

Iran
Iranian activist Zahra Sedighi-Hamadani was sentenced to death in 2022 for supporting LGBTI rights. Amnesty supporters called on Iranian authorities to release her, and she was finally freed after serving more than a year behind bars.

June

Australia
Queensland passed new laws in June that remove barriers to updating birth certificates. The newly passed laws mean transgender, non-binary and gender diverse people will no longer be forced to undergo invasive “sex reassignment surgery” before being able to correct their gender identity documents. This is incredible news for Amnesty Australia’s Queensland LGBTQIA+ network who are working closely in partnership with other local organizations in the fight for LGBTI rights.

September

Hong Kong
A Hong Kong court granted a partial victory to LGBTI activist Jimmy Sham, who has been bidding to have his overseas same-sex marriage recognized since 2018. The ruling, following a campaign from Amnesty International, was an important step forward and a moment of hope for Hong Kong’s LGBTI community, who have long been denied equal rights due to the city’s outdated and discriminatory laws.

March

Global
Amnesty International’s Security Lab exposed a sophisticated hacking campaign by a mercenary spyware company targeting Google’s Android operating system as well as iPhones. The findings were shared with Google’s Threat Analysis Group, which focuses on countering government-backed cyber-attacks, and Apple. Google along with other affected vendors, including Samsung, were able to release security updates protecting billions of Android, Chrome and Linux users from the exploit techniques used in this attack, while Apple also followed up with a security patch.

USA
The spyware crisis is causing major implications for the future of human rights, and Amnesty International has been calling for an immediate global ban on invasive spyware. March saw a significant win for the human rights movement, as US President Biden signed an Executive Order restricting the U.S. government’s use of commercial spyware technology. Three days later 11 governments issued a statement committing to joint action to counter the proliferation and misuse of commercial spyware.

April

South Korea
After nine years of court proceedings, South Korea’s Supreme Court ruled that Google must disclose whether it provided personal information such as the email addresses of Korean human rights activists, including Amnesty International Korea, to US intelligence agencies. The ruling holds multinational corporations like Google accountable for the privacy rights of its users.

October

EU
Amnesty International Tech’s Disrupting Surveillance Team collaborated with the European Investigative Collaborations media network to publish two reports that exposed the global proliferation of surveillance technologies and the failure of governments and the EU to properly regulate the industry. The Predator Files shed light on the Intellexa alliance and its surveillance products, including highly invasive spyware Predator.

Since its publication, UN experts and EU MEPs have reiterated Amnesty International’s calls for further investigations, tighter export controls and a global ban on highly invasive spyware. National governments have taken steps towards investigating Intellexa and establishing tighter regulations on the use and proliferation of spyware, and EU MEPs have adopted a resolution criticising the lack of follow-up to Parliament’s proposals on curbing spyware abuse.

Australia and New Zealand
On 16 March, FIFA confirmed that Visit Saudi would not sponsor the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand – a huge win for all activists, and current and former players who have spoken out for human rights.

Prior to the announcement, Amnesty supporters called on New Zealand’s Sports Minister Grant Robertson to speak out on Saudi Arabia’s appalling human rights record, urge true reform and pressure FIFA to do the same. This decision proves human rights do matter in sport.

Chile
On 24 February, a court in Chile reopened the investigation into human rights violations against Moisés Órdenes, who was attacked by a group of Carabineros officers while peacefully demonstrating in October 2019. Last December, a public prosecutor had closed the investigation into seven of the 13 officers charged with the attack, but Moises’ family and lawyers felt the investigation had been far from exhaustive. Thanks to calls from Amnesty International, those seven officers will now face investigation once again.

Global
At Amnesty International, the pursuit of international justice for crimes committed in conflict is an organizational priority. In recent months, members of the Crisis Response Programme, together with regional office colleagues and the international justice team, have provided evidence and assistance to international investigative mechanisms documenting and building case files for war crimes and crimes against humanity following our reports in a variety of countries, including Myanmar, Syria and Ukraine.

Ukraine
Our evidence contributed to the Report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine published on 15 March, the findings of which echoed our report, ‘Like A Prison Convoy’: Russia’s unlawful Transfer and Abuse of Civilians in Ukraine During ‘Filtration’.

Slovakia
In April, the European Commission referred Slovakia to the EU Court of Justice (ECJ) for continuing to fail to effectively tackle segregated education of Roma students contrary to the Race Directive. This is the first time that the Commission has made a referral decision against any country for breaching the Directive which guarantees equality and non-discrimination irrespective of race or ethnic origin across a range of socio-economic goods and services.

Amnesty International, along with the European Roma Rights Centre, has researched and campaigned on the issue of segregated education in the country for a number of years, and this is a big win for the organisation.

Argentina
After taking a wrong turn in 2020, teenager Blas Correas, from Cordoba, Argentina, was shot dead by police. Amnesty International has been supporting Blas’ family for the past three years to ensure justice is served. Following the trial earlier this year, two police officers were sentenced to life imprisonment. The rest will serve a four-year sentence, while two were acquitted. The court ruled that this was a case of institutional violence and repeated Amnesty’s calls for security forces to carry out training for staff.

June

Switzerland
Switzerland amended its rape law to a consent-based definition and, in July, the Netherlands’ House of Representatives voted to amend the Sexual Offences Act by introducing a consent-based definition of rape. The bill is expected to be fully passed — following a vote by the Senate — within the next months.  
These are huge victories for activists, survivors and allies, as well as for Amnesty International’s Let’s Talk About Yes campaign and advocacy in the region.

Syria
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) established an independent and international institution to clarify the fate and whereabouts of tens of thousands of missing and forcibly disappeared people in Syria. It will offer a single avenue to register cases, as well as provide families with long-awaited answers about what happened to their loved ones. Amnesty International provided support to the Syrian families and survivors who have been leading the charge to create such a body, by facilitating meetings between them and member states to convince them to support the institution.

South Africa
Earlier this year, Amnesty International South Africa was admitted as an amicus curiae (a friend of the court) to provide insight and knowledge into the application of a declaratory order calling for Russian President Vladimir Putin to be arrested if he attended the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Leadership Summit in South Africa. Before the matter could be heard in court, it was announced that President Putin would no longer attend the summit. The Court subsequently granted an order calling for his arrest if he did arrive. It was a huge win for justice and accountability, and Amnesty International’s litigation efforts showed the power of the movement.

France
The European Court of Human Rights issued a decision in a case brought by 261 sex workers against France. The sex workers, including women and men from 20 different countries who live in France, alleged violations of their rights under Articles 2, 3 and 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights, as aspects of sex work are criminalized in France. The Court declared the case admissible and acknowledged the possible victim status of the complainants in a significant first step. In its decision, the Court cited testimonies from sex workers themselves — an important acknowledgement of the voices of sex workers. Amnesty International submitted an amicus curiae in the case.

August

Italy
Following years of lobbying from Amnesty International Italy, Father Franco Reverberi was extradited to Argentina, where he will finally be tried for crimes against humanity committed during the military dictatorship from 1976 to 1983. In a bid to avoid detention, Reverberi stayed in Italy to avoid the Argentinian justice system, benefiting from Italy’s justice system to refuse extradition. Amnesty International was also key in calling for the inclusion of torture in Italy’s criminal code.

October

Nigeria
Amnesty International published the report, My heart is in pain’: Older people’s experience of conflict, displacement, and detention in Northeast Nigeria, in December 2020. As well as documenting how older people in the country are disproportionately affected by conflict and how they’re consistently overlooked by humanitarian response teams, Amnesty International called for Nigeria to ratify the Protocol to protect the rights of older people. In a huge win for older people, the Nigerian government has listened to Amnesty International’s call and ratified this Protocol, marking a vital step toward fully protecting the human rights of older people in Nigeria.

Sudan
Amnesty International joined forces with other organizations to lobby the Human Rights Council to prioritize addressing impunity in Sudan. As a result, the UN HRC adopted a resolution to establish an independent international fact-finding mission for Sudan. The aim is to investigate and establish the facts, circumstances and root causes of all alleged human rights violations and abuses, and violations of international humanitarian law, including those committed against refugees, and related crimes in the context of the ongoing armed conflict. It is a small win for accountability efforts on Sudan.

November

Global
In an historic step towards a fairer and more inclusive international tax policy system, the UN General Assembly voted in favour of a resolution to begin developing a UN Tax Convention. This would allow all countries to participate more inclusively in global tax policy while improving their ability to protect and promote their taxing rights. Amnesty International has been an active member of a number of civil society coalitions, which have been pushing states to support fairer and more inclusive global tax policy-making, and will continue to participate in the development of the Convention to generate more resources for states to meet their human rights obligations.

Cambodia
Amnesty International’s report Nobody Wants to Leave Their Home: Mass forced evictions at Cambodia’s UNESCO World Heritage Site of Angkor was published in November following an eight-month long investigation in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

The day after the report’s publication, UNESCO said it is deeply concerned about Amnesty International’s allegations and has moved up the deadline for Cambodian authorities to issue a conservation report on Angkor. While officials in Cambodia have refused to acknowledge the forced evictions, they have invited Amnesty International to the country to further discuss the situation, an invitation that we have accepted.

Latvia
Latvia ratified the Istanbul Convention, the international treaty for preventing and combating violence of all kinds against women and girls, following years of campaigning from Amnesty International.

Peru / Venezuela
In a huge win for the rights of Venezuelan migrants in Peru, the Peruvian Congress passed a law cancelling the unjust fines accrued by Venezuelans who had overstayed their visas in the country. This means Venezuelans in need of international protection who wish to remain in Peru can access migratory regularization schemes and enjoy better protection of their rights. Peru is home to the second biggest population of Venezuelans abroad and the highest number of formal asylum seekers from Venezuela.

Amnesty International has advocated strongly on their behalf, publishing two reports highlighting the lack of protection for Venezuelans in Peru, particularly survivors of gender-based violence, and issuing an urgent action for the protection of Venezuelan children.

Australia
Following years of campaigning, the Australian government will finally allow 19,000 people who have lived in limbo for as long as 10 years , to become permanent residents and reunite with their families. This will enable them to see their families, study, travel and participate fully in Australian life.

“This reform is long overdue and will change the lives of people who have been living for years on temporary protection,” said Zaki Haidari, Amnesty International Australia’s Refugee Rights Campaigner. “Many people like myself who sought refuge in Australia have been living here for as many as 10 years and have suffered unnecessarily from successive Australian governments’ cruel temporary protection policies. As a human rights organization, Amnesty is relieved to see the happiness this brings.”

Canada
Following pressure from Amnesty International, Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan joined British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Manitoba on the list of Canadian provinces that have ended their contracts with the federal government to detain migrants in provincial jails.

The decisions taken by these four provinces are encouraging steps towards putting an end to a harmful system. Rather than detaining migrants for administrative reasons, Amnesty is calling for the Canada Border Services Agency to rely on local, rights-respecting, community-based alternatives to detention.

Switzerland
In a historic victory for human rights, Switzerland’s National Council amended existing legislation to recognize that “sex against the will of another person” is rape.

The amendment marks the end to the outdated definition of rape that required the use of physical force, threat or coercion, and considered only women as victims. The law now recognizes that all sex without consent is rape. In close collaboration with activists and gender rights campaigners, Amnesty International  worked tirelessly to support this legislative change. It’s a crucial win for all survivors of sexual violence in Switzerland and an important step along the road to combating widespread sexual violence in Switzerland and improving access to justice for survivors.

Iran
Amnesty’s research, campaigning and advocacy work continues to have a positive impact on the lives of women rights activists imprisoned in Iran. In February, Yasaman Aryani and Monireh Arabshahi were released from prison after serving four years of their 16-year sentence. They had been arbitrarily imprisoned in 2019 for speaking out against Iran’s discriminatory forced veiling laws.

Amnesty International launched an urgent action for Yasaman and Monireh’s immediate release, and her story was also part of Amnesty’s  2019 Write for Rights campaign.

Benin
After giving birth, four women were detained in a hospital ward in Benin because they were unable to pay their hospital fees. Amnesty International wrote to authorities, calling for their immediate release and highlighting the State’s obligation to protect the right to health and freedom of these women. Three days later, the four women were released from the hospital.

Europe
On 1 June, after years of negotiations and advocacy by Amnesty International, other civil society partners and activists, the EU Council approved the EU’s accession to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). This represents a historic moment in addressing gender-based violence across the EU.

April

South Africa
Amnesty International South Africa, with the support of the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, piloted Digital Disruptors, which equipped 15 young activists with the knowledge and tools to develop youth-led campaigns. The Digital Disruptors called for the local government in Orange Farm, located outside Johannesburg, to implement Gender-Based vVolence (GBV) policies that promote positive change. The Digital Disrupters also transformed a hotspot for crime and violence into a place where residents felt safe to learn about and host dialogues and solutions to GBV in the area.

August

Paraguay
Paraguay’s National Council for Children and Adolescents approved the National Programme for the Prevention and Care of Child and Adolescent Victims of Sexual Abuse, which was one of the key recommendations of Amnesty International’s report, “They are girls, not mothers”.

November

Following two years of advocacy from Amnesty International, the Council of Europe (CoE) integrated Amnesty International’s recommendations into their 2024-2028 Human Rights Education (HRE) roadmap. In a huge win, Amnesty International’s proposal to “localize human rights education” is now the centrepiece of the new roadmap as the CoE commits to adapt to varying local contexts to make HRE more relatable and accessible to youth in the region.

USA
Majid Khan, Ahmed Rahim Rabbani, Abdul Rahim Rabbani, Ghassan al-Sharbi and Said Bakush were released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center between February and April, after enduring years of arbitrary detention.

Former detainee Mansoor Adayfi, released to Serbia in 2016, was able to take his first trip abroad in 21 years to speak on a panel in Norway in June after Amnesty International helped him secure a passport from the Yemeni government.

“I would like to thank Amnesty International for all the work they have done on behalf of former Guantanamo detainees and on behalf of humanity, because Amnesty International is one of the most important fronts that is fighting against torture, fighting against oppression, against injustice around the world,” said Mansoor. “The first time I heard about Amnesty International was in Guantanamo, the lawyers brought us reports and letters. When you know that there is someone there for you, fighting for you, calling for your release, it helps you to feel like you are human. It gives you hope.”

Côte d’Ivoire
Twenty-six people peacefully showing their support for the former president’s political party, were sentenced in March to two years in prison for “disturbing public order”. Amnesty International publicly reacted to the detentions and called on authorities to ensure fair judicial proceedings for the protestors – the campaign caused a ripple effect across Côte d’Ivoire’s traditional and social media. On 22 March, the activists were given a four-month suspended sentence and released.

Bangladesh
Bangladeshi journalist Shamsuzzaman Shams was arrested in the early hours of 29 March  after publishing a story about the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. His whereabouts were unknown for over 10 hours, after which the police confirmed he was in custody and had been charged under the draconian Digital Security Act.

Amnesty International rallied support, issuing an urgent action demanding his release. On 3 April, Shams was granted bail and released from prison – a ground-breaking move, as most prisoners are subject to a lengthy pre-trial detention. Amnesty International has been campaigning against the Digital Security Act, publishing research about the way it has been weaponized by the authorities. The organization will continue to campaign for the charges against Shams to be dropped.

Iran
Following a grossly unfair trial, protesters Arshia Takdastan, Mehdi Mohammadifard and Javad Rouhi were sentenced to death, because they dared speak out about 22-year-old Mahsa Amini who died in custody. Amnesty International moved quickly, issuing an urgent action calling for the death sentence to be overturned. In May 2023, the Supreme Court quashed their convictions and overturned their death sentences. Later that month, Arshia’s lawyer posted publicly on Twitter that he had been released from prison on bail.

Pakistan
Following an unlawful raid on her house, Mahal Baloch from Pakistan was detained together with her young children and other family members in February. After her family was released, Mahal remained held without charge until her release on bail in May. The policed alleged Mahal was part of an armed separatist group, who had previously carried out suicide bombings, and that she had provided a confession. During her detention Mahal was the target of a smear campaign and forced by the authorities to appear in TV interviews.

Amnesty International moved quickly, issuing an urgent action for Mahal. She was granted bail three months after her arrest.

Türkiye
In May, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Türkiye had violated the rights to a fair trial and to freedom of association of Amnesty International Türkiye and its then-chair, Taner Kılıç, by imposing an administrative fine on the organisation in 2008.

Global
The four human rights defenders in the Buyukada case — Taner Kılıç, İdil Eser, Özlem Dalkıran and Günal Kurşun, who were convicted in July 2020 on baseless charges — were finally acquitted. Their release comes six years after Taner’s initial arrest.

The four expressed gratitude to Amnesty International: “For six years, we have watched the wheels of injustice grind as the baseless claims levelled against these four brave human rights defenders have been accepted as fact by successive courts. Today’s ruling revealed the true purpose of such politically motivated prosecutions: using the courts as a weapon to silence critical voices.”

In July, the prosecutor appealed Taner’s acquittal, and Taner, Idil and Özlem appealed the grounds (lack of evidence) of their acquittals. These appeals are still pending.

Austria
Kamran Ghaderi and Massud Mossaheb, two Austrian-Iranian citizens arbitrarily detained in Evin prison, were unconditionally released on 2 June, and finally able to return home to their families in Vienna. They had both been convicted after unfair trials based on forced “confessions” obtained by torture and other ill-treatment.

“Not only did you help to make public the injustice that was done to me; you also gave me courage by letting me know how many compassionate and good people there are in this world,” said Massud. “Please continue to stand up for others!”

Angola
Tanaice Neutro, an Angolan activist who uses his music to protest, was arrested in January 2022. After he had been unjustly imprisoned for one year, Amnesty rallied support, raised awareness and started campaigning on his behalf. Our supporters’ efforts were rewarded with his release in June.

“What impresses me most is knowing that to be supportive and show solidarity, you don’t need to know the person, their story is enough,” said Teresa, Tanaice’s wife. “You didn’t know my husband in person and yet you are supporting him.”

Tanaice said: “I still can’t believe that the world’s largest human rights organization decided to take up my case. I am grateful for all the support Amnesty has given me and my family.”

Rwanda
Elias Bizimungu, a 33-year-old journalist and member of youth movement LUCHA, was arrested at an army checkpoint and taken into custody at the beginning of a two-day peaceful mobilization against Rwanda’s support for the M23 rebel group. After he was tried and condemned by the military court, Amnesty International launched a campaign calling for his release. He was finally acquitted by a civilian court and released in June.

Venezuela
Carlos Debiais, a Venezuelan photographer unfairly detained since 12 November 2021, was finally released from prison on 6 June 2023, following a campaign from Amnesty International and its supporters. Venezuela’s prison authorities had refused to comply with a release warrant issued in April 2022, extending his arbitrarily detention by an additional 14 months. Although he has been released, he must still report to the court every 60 days.

“Thank you on behalf of myself and my family for the incredible work you did making my case known and for helping me in the complicated situation I was put in. Fortunately, I am now free,” said Carlos. “Thank you to the entire Amnesty family.”

EU
Amnesty International advocates for more European Union (EU) support for human rights defenders worldwide as part of the block’s external relations. This year the EU is providing an additional €30 million to the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism which plays an important role in assisting at risk human rights defenders and their family members. In parallel, Amnesty also advocates to ensure that EU Delegations and EU member states’ embassies worldwide provide support to human rights defenders and their families through trial observation, prison visits, public statements and diplomatic engagement with non-EU countries.

Trial observation played an important role in achieving impact for many human right defenders, including Taner Kılıç, Amnesty Türkiye’s Honorary Chair, and Idil Eser, Amnesty Türkiye’s ex-director, whose baseless and politically motivated convictions were finally quashed in June, following a global campaign from Amnesty.

Egypt
Human rights lawyer Mohamed Baker was released thanks to a presidential pardon after spending four years in arbitrary detention solely for his crucial human rights work. Amnesty International has campaigned extensively on his case and he was part of Write for Rights 2022.

Yemen
Yemeni journalists Mohammed al-Salahi and Mohammed al-Junaid were released from the Huthi-run Security and Intelligence Services detention centre in Hodeidah, Yemen, after nearly five years in detention. During their detention, they were subjected to a series of gross human rights violations, including enforced disappearance, torture and other ill-treatment, and denial of access to their lawyer. Amnesty International has been campaigning for their release since 2018.

Australia
Chau Van Kham, a 73-year-old Australian citizen and Vietnamese pro-democracy activist, returned to Sydney earlier this year as a free man. Chau was detained within hours of arriving in Vietnam in 2019 and sentenced to 12 years in prison for being a member of the Viet Tan political party. Amnesty International Australia considered Chau to be a prisoner of conscience who was detained solely for his peaceful political beliefs.

Dan Nguyen, Chau Van Kham’s lawyer, thanked Amnesty International for its support: “We share the happy news that Mr Chau Van Kham is well and has returned to his family today. We thank the many organizations and individuals in Australia and all over the world who have helped to lobby for his freedom.”

Zimbabwe
Earlier this year, Joanah Mamombe and Cecillia Chimbiri were acquitted of one of the charges after they were arrested in 2020 for leading an anti-government protest. It was a significant step forward for the pair, which allowed them to start healing from their ordeal. As part of Amnesty International’s Write for Rights campaign 2022, our supporters took action while Amnesty International Zimbabwe supported them throughout their trials.

While reading the letters of support, Joanah said: “Thank you so much to our Amnesty International friends for writing all these letters. We are now beginning our journey to heal.”

Taiwan
Taiwanese citizen Morrison Lee was finally able to return home after being wrongfully charged of crimes endangering China’s national security. During his ordeal, he was forced to confess on television — a common practice used by the Chinese government to crack down on activists and human rights lawyers. Amnesty International Taiwan campaigned for his release.

Türkiye
The convictions of Mücella Yapıcı and Hakan Altınay, both prisoners of conscience, were overturned and they were released from prison in September. Mücella and Hakan expressed gratitude for the letters they received while in prison from Amnesty International activists. They now face a retrial in the new year. The five remaining Fezi 7 prisoners remain in prison.

Sri Lanka
In 2020, Ramzy Razeek, from Sri Lanka, was detained for five months for posting a critical comment on Facebook. Amnesty International launched a call for his release and his case was finally dropped in September after the Sri Lankan Supreme Court ruled that his fundamental rights had been violated. The court also ordered the State to pay him damages.

Iran
Kambiz Kharout and Ebrahim Narouie, two men from Iran’s oppressed Baluchi minority, who were convicted and sentenced to death in relation to the 2022 “Woman Life Freedom” uprising in Iran, were released on bail after their convictions and death sentences were overturned by the Supreme Court. Kambiz Kharout was released in September and Ebrahim Narouie was released in October. Amnesty International has campaigned for their convictions and death sentences to be overturned since February 2023.

Somalia
A day after Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action calling for his release, Somali journalist Mohamed Ibrahim Osman Bulbul was granted bail from Mogadishu prison. He had been arrested in August just for doing his job. A few days later, on 11 October, the Bandir regional court dismissed all charges against Mohamed.

In a message sent to Amnesty International, Mohamed said: “I would like to express my deepest gratitude for your support and tireless advocacy for my freedom. Your Urgent Action has really played a huge role in ensuring that I gained my freedom. I am deeply touched by your solidarity.”

France
Detained since 7 January 2023, Mortaza Behboudi was released on 18 October following calls from Amnesty International France. After spending more than nine months in detention in Afghanistan, the 29-year-old French-Afghan journalist will be reunited with his family. He was accused of espionage by the Taliban who, since their return to power in August 2021, have continued to drastically reduce the human rights of the people.

Iran
The French-Iranian academic Fariba Adelkhah was detained in June 2019 in Iran. After calls from Amnesty International, she was released and allowed to return to France in October. She had been sentenced to five years in prison for “endangering national security”, a charge she has always denied. Upon her release, Fariba thanked Amnesty International: “Now all that is behind me. What remains are all these gestures of friendship and commitment, these mobilizations of the known and the unknown.”

Afghanistan
Afghani Education activist Matiullah Wesa was released on 26 October, after spending nearly seven months in prison for promoting girls’ right to education and criticizing the Taliban’s policy banning girls from seeking secondary education. Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action and campaigned until he was released. 

Matiullah’s brother, Attaullah Wesa, Co-founder and Executive Director of Penpath, said:

“We are grateful to Amnesty International and its 10 million members who stood by our side. The solidarity, support and advocacy from Amnesty and its members motivated us to fight for Wesa’s release and we are so thankful for their support. While we are still outraged with the Taliban’s court judgment and the seven months of freedom Matiullah lost, we will continue our advocacy on girls’ right to education in Afghanistan.”

Ethiopia
University lecturer Firew Bekele was released after spending three months in detention for his alleged role in writing and publishing a book called The Hijacked Revolution. He was a prisoner of conscience who should have never been detained in the first place. The head of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission visited Firew Bekele in prison and called for his immediate release following the publication of Amnesty International’s Urgent Action in September.

India
The administrative detention order for Sajad Gul, a Kashmiri journalist, was quashed after he spent 22 months in detention under the draconian Jammu & Kashmir Public Safety Act, following calls from Amnesty International.

Philippines
After nearly seven long years in arbitrary detention, prisoner of conscience and former Senator Leila de Lima was released on bail after a Philippine court on 13 November granted her bail application in the last drug-related charge against her. Amnesty International welcomed this positive development and called for this final case to be dismissed and for those behind her arbitrary detention and other violations of her rights to be brought to justice in fair trials. Amnesty International has been working on de Lima’s case since her arrest in 2017, reiterating in domestic and international statements that the charges against her were fabricated.