Work of Amnesty International

Press, 2 August 1985, Page 16

Work of Amnesty International

Sir, — Notwithstanding a Soviet claim that Amnesty International is “... completely maintained by imperialist security services ....” the organisation has opposed the violation of human rights in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, East Timor, Guatemala, India, Iran, Kenya, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Turkey and the Philippines. Neither “system” has a clean slate, and for this reason A.I. remains politically nonaligned. — Yours etc., P. E. CARTER. July 31, 1985. Sir, — M. Creel states that Amnesty International’s work for human rights appears to be a front for anti-Sovietism and seems solely concerned with human rights in socialist countries. Amnesty International is an entirely non-political and impartial organisation working for the release of prisoners of conscience (those who have not used or advocated violence and are imprisoned because of their beliefs, race, creed, etc.), and the

abolition of torture and the death sentence for all prisoners. A.i.’s mandate is to uphold basic human rights. It is, therefore, unable to align itself with the causes of ethnic minorities etc., as M. Creel implies it should. If it were to do so it would lose credibility and hence effectiveness. The majority of cases that we have dealt with in our involvement in the A. I. Urgent Action Network have been from non-Leftist countries such as South Africa and Right-wing Latin American countries. — Yours, etc., DIANA CROPP, MONICA RICHARDS. July 31, 1985.