AMNISTIA Faleceu Peter Benenson, advogado britânico fundador da Amnistia Internacional (AI). Católico de ascendência judaica, Benenson fundou a AI em 1961, sensibilizado pelo drama de dois estudantes portugueses condenados a sete anos de prisão por, à mesa de um café lisboeta, ousarem brindar à liberdade.

Procurando alertar a opinião pública para o problema dos prisioneiros de consciência, Benenson publicou um artigo na edição do "Observer" de 27 de Maio de 1961, no qual chamava a atenção para as violações de direitos humanos que tinham lugar um pouco por todo o mundo:

"Open your newspaper any day of the week and you will find a report from somewhere in the world of someone being imprisoned, tortured or executed because his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government. There are several million such people in prison - by no means all of them behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains - and their numbers are growing. The newspaper reader feels a sickening sense of impotence. Yet if these feelings of disgust all over the world could be united into common action, something effective could be done.

In 1945 the founder members of the United Nations approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 18: Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in company with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance. Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers."

O artigo completo pode ser lido aqui.