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Monthly Mailing for Amnesty UK Local Groups

Hi friend,  
 

Welcome to your November 2025 Local Group Mailing. ☀️

In this month's edition of the Local Group Mailing you will be able to read about:
 


Please note that Decembers Newsletter will be shorter due to the Holiday Period starting. 
if you do wish to share any updates, please send your entries and stories to Charlotte by the 12 December at the latest.

Please do get in touch with any questions or queries.

Wishing you all a lovely December!

The Local Activism Team!

Office Led Campaigns

Write for Rights - 2025

Update to Write For Rights Cases

We would like to share with you a Write For Rights Update: Case withdrawn from Write for Rights!

  • changing and uncertain political situation in Kyrgyzstan and fast-deteriorating operating and security environment, and after undertaking a thorough risk assessment on behalf of those colleagues and partners working on this case and/or working with Amnesty International in Kyrgyzstan, we have made the difficult decision to stop all public facing work on the Write for Rights case of Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy.

This means that all action on this case must stop immediately. We understand that some groups will have taken action already, our global teams understand that.


Write for Rights Campaign Resources
 

Prevent

OPEN MEETING ON RACIAL JUSTICE: AGAINST THE 'PREVENT' DUTY
 

📅 Sunday 30 November 1:30-3:30pm
📍 Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount St, Manchester, M2 5NS


Join Amnesty Manchester for an open meeting exploring the chilling effects of the ‘Prevent’ Duty on human rights in the UK. We’re delighted to welcome Dr Layla Aitlhadi, Director of Prevent Watch, as our keynote speaker. The event will also feature a panel discussion with Jan Cunliffe (JENGbA), Ameen Hadi (Chair, NW TUC Black Workers Committee), and Davina Kaur (Amnesty International UK, Anti-Racism Network).

This is a free event! Come along to learn, share, and discuss how we can mobilise together for racial justice across Greater Manchester.
 

Social Security

OUR RESPONSE TO THE 2025 BUDGET –PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION

On Wednesday 26 November, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, laid out the annual Budget for the United Kingdom. In it, the UK government committed to scrapping the two-child benefit limit, which will take an estimated 450,000 children out of poverty, a move that is very welcome, and long overdue. 

The UK government must now go further to meaningfully support the millions who feel overlooked and ignored as their bills, rent and food costs keep rising, whilst the money coming in stays the same. These problems are widespread, our polling shows that this Christmas, two thirds of those who celebrate are worried about financial struggles casting a shadow over the holidays.  

This Government must make poverty eradication it’s key priority and recognise that a decent standard of living is a human right, not a gift to be given or taken away. 
 

SIGN OUR PETITION to the Prime Minister to make sure the social security system works for everyone.
Sign our Petition!
 

Resources

IOPT

Netanyahu is still a wanted man

While a fragile ceasefire is setting in in Gaza, we know that there can be no peace without justice and no justice without accountability. Last year the International Criminal Court put out an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu – Israel’s Prime Minister who has presided over a genocide in Gaza. Remind your community of this fact and demand his arrest by putting up these wanted posters in public spaces around your community.

You can order your poster by contacting the Activism Team.   

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Social Security in the UK

EVERYDAY RIGHTS - RESOURCES


 
A selection of badges and Stickers can now be ordered. 
 
  • ESCR Stickers - Poverty = Political Choice 15 PER SHEET
  • ESCR Stickers - I (heart) Everyday Rights 15 PER SHEET
  • ESCR Badges - Poverty = Political Choice SINGLES
  • ESCR Badges - I (heart) Everyday Rights SINGLES
 
 

Action Across Amnesty

Country Coordinators

Syria
Syria - Turkish occupation has lead to HR violations

TW: torture, sexual violence

Since March 2018, the Afrin region has been under the control of Turkish-backed armed factions operating under the name of the Syrian National Army.

Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria along with other human rights organisations have revealed a widespread pattern of serious violations - amounting in many cases to crimes against humanity.

 

These violations include:

·       The displacement of Kurdish residents, who now endure harsh conditions in refugee camps.

·       The illegal seizure of homes and agricultural lands, notably olive fields - the main source of livelihood for many residents.

·       Arbitrary arrests and forced disappearances.

·       Use of torture, including reports of sexual violence, including rape.

·       Control over occupied territories, including Afrin, where provision of education, health and financial services, as well as humanitarian aid, is directly overseen by the Governor’s office in the Turkish region of Hatay.
 

Please find here a letter for your MP on the subject. Turkey must stop Human Rights violations in north west Syria (Afrin) and to guarantee the safety and freedom of residents and guarantee safe return for residents who have had to flee due to war and violence.

 

Further, Türkiye must hold accountable those who have been responsible for Human Rights violations in the area since the occupation began and help the people of Syria rebuild their lives.

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Central Europe
16 Days of Activism flyer

16 Days of Activism: Voices of Resistance

Join Amnesty International UK Europe Team for a powerful event advocating for human rights for all women.

As part of Amnesty International UK’s 16 Days of Activism, this event, Voices of Resistance, brings together courageous women from around the world who are standing up against oppression, violence, and injustice.

Through conversation, testimony, and reflection, our speakers will explore what it means to resist, to raise your voice, even when it’s dangerous to do so, and how global solidarity can spark change.

Speakers include:
 

  • Olga Borisova (from Pussy Riot) – Artist, activist, and member of the world-renowned feminist protest collective Pussy Riot, speaking on resistance, art, and dissent in Russia.
  • Homira May – Afghan human rights activist advocating for women’s education and safety under the Taliban regime.
  •  Łucja Jastrzębska-Hawking – Country Co-ordinator for Amnesty International UK, actor and campaigner for bodily autonomy in Poland.


Together, they will discuss the realities of activism under authoritarianism, the personal costs of resistance, and the collective power of speaking out.
Get your tickets here!

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West and Central Africa
16 Days of Activism flyer

Women in Ghana accused of witchcraft
In Ghana witchcraft accusations lead to untold suffering, discrimination and violence. The victims, mostly older women, face severe human rights violations including brutal attacks, displacement, and social exclusion. Accusations of witchcraft usually start within the family or among community members following a tragic event such as illness or a death. Older women living in poverty, with health conditions or disabilities are at greater risk, as well as women who do not confirm to stereotypical gender roles.

The tragic case of Akua Denteh, a 90-year-old woman from Kafaba in the Savannah Region is just one terrible example. On 23 July 2020, after being accused of witchcraft, Akua Denteh was brutally beaten to death.

Many other hundreds of people have endured torture or been driven out of their communities to live in camps – the only place they have to go. Earlier this year Amnesty’s report ‘Branded for life: How witchcraft accusations lead to human rights violations of hundreds of women in North Ghana’ documented the situation across four informal camps where people, primarily older women, were living after witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks forced them to flee their communities fearing for their lives. At the time of Amnesty’s visits in November 2023 and April 2024 there were more than 500 people living in the camps, with insufficient access to health services, food, safe housing, clean water and economic opportunities.

The Anti-Witchcraft Bill, developed through extensive consultation, aimed to address this issue, including by:

  • Making it illegal to accuse individuals of witchcraft
  • Establishing protective measures and support systems for those who have been accused, including safe havens, psychological support and reintegration programmes into society
  • Providing a clear legal pathway for victims to seek justice and compensation


The bill was passed by Parliament in July 2023 but never signed into law by the former President. The Bill was reintroduced in March 2025 and once passed should be signed into law by the new President John Mahama.

Please sign the petition calling on President John Mahama to sign the Anti-Witchcraft Bill into law to protect women victimized by these accusations.
Sign the petition here!

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South Asia

Garment Workers in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
Stitched up

Two executive summary reports

The campaign on garment workers is to be launched on 27 November as a result of two years of Amnesty research work.  Our Activist Led Campaign will focus on violations of workers’ right to freedom of association in the four target countries: Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the steps that brands must take.

Two executive summary reports are now available:

1. Stitched Up: Denial of Freedom of Association for Garment Workers.
Examines the different ways in which workers are adversely affected by the restrictions on the right to freedom of association by states and by their employers.
 
Stitched Up Executive summary
Abandoned by fashion

2. Abandoned by Fashion: Examines the Urgent Need for Fashion Brands to Champion Workers’ Rights.  Provides an insight into the policies, commitments and active promotion of the right to freedom of association and collective bargaining in key fashion brands and retailers’ supply chains. It identifies the steps that brands can take to promote the right to freedom of association, and, at the same time, help mitigate the endemic human rights abuses found throughout the industry, such as low wages, overwork, harassment and systemic gender discrimination and sexual violence.

The research surveyed 21 brands, though only six fully responded.  The UK is particularly important because we are the home of more of the brands than other countries.
 
Abandoned by Fashion Executive summary

Most of these workers are women.  Harassment and discrimination are important aspects of this campaign.  Caste and minority discrimination is also an important consideration.  The informal out-sourcing of some manufacture to precarious suppliers will be considered.

This Activist Led Campaign needs support from UK activists. Please contact Jerry Allen for more details.
 

AIUK and Amnesty Kenya Briefing
Abandoned by fashion

An Invitation: Defending LGBGTQI+ rights in Kenya - A Special Amnesty International Briefing 


We would be delighted for you to join an exclusive webinar hosted by Amnesty International UK and Amnesty International Kenya on Wednesday 3 December at 1:00pm.

The session will provide an overview of the rising threats faced by LGBTQI+ people in Kenya, including a proposed law that would criminalise same-sex relationships, restrict gender-affirming care, and prohibit organisations from supporting LGBTQI+ communities. Amnesty’s team will share the latest updates on the Bill, the current human rights situation, and their ongoing efforts to challenge these measures and protect those most at risk, with time included for questions at the end.

An Invitation: Defending LGBGTQI+ rights in Kenya - A Special Amnesty International Briefing 

 
Sign up here

The urgency of this work has never been greater as the proposed law, if passed, could severely impact the rights and safety of the LGBTQI+ community in Kenya. Despite our team's previous efforts to delay its introduction, there are growing concerns that the Bill will soon be tabled in Parliament. This makes it all the more crucial that we act now.

We hope you can join us for this important conversation and explore how your support can help prevent this harmful legislation from moving forward.
 

AGM Decision Update

Update November 2025

UK Section Board Activist Engagement: 2025 AGM Decision 07

The AIUK Section Board are very keen to increase communications and engagement with local groups. At this year's AGM there was a resolution on this issue. Since then, a Board member has been nominated to liaise with each Region and Nation, and they will be making contact with Regional/National representatives to do this (this has already happened in some cases). Where there is no representative, Philippa Griesbach will act as support. The list of Board members allocated to each Region/Nation is listed below. 

If, as a local group, you wish to contact them, please do so using their email address.


 

Board member Activism region/nation
Helen Horton NE England
Stuart Penny Northern Ireland
Abdul Abid NW England
Ramazan Jumazada London
Richard Kotter Scotland
Richard Wild South West
Duaa Abdulal Wales
Freshta Salam & George Randall Central England Network
Graham Bisset South England
Yasmin Thompson South East
Andy Townend East Anglia


             
Progress towards the implementation of resolutions passed at Amnesty AGMs can be found at https://www.amnesty.org.uk/annual-general-meeting
 

If you have any queries regarding the decisions, please email me using the address below.

Stuart Penny
Vice Chair Amnesty UK Section Board Stuart Penny
 

Message from the Board

AIUK Financial position: an update from the Section Board Chair

AIUK Financial position: an update from the Section Board Chair

Dear Lead Activists,

I hope this message finds you well, and I want to start by thanking you for everything you do to keep Amnesty’s voice strong in these challenging times. Your commitment and energy are vital as we face unprecedented threats to human rights both globally and here in the UK.

I want to share two important updates with you: changes in leadership and the financial position of AIUK.
Link to the full update from the Section Board Chair here.

I apologise for its length, but I wanted to be able to explain our financial situation to you in detail, including giving you some more information about the sale of the HRAC.

We are in a challenging financial situation and will need to make about 10% of cuts to our costs, because our income levels are not at the scale, we had anticipated to be able to sustain our increase in costs. This is a challenging time for AIUK, but we are committed to making careful decisions to protect the strength and sustainability of Amnesty in the UK. Thank you for standing with us and for everything you do to defend human rights.

In solidarity

Helen Horton
Section Board Chair, Amnesty International UK
Full update from the Section Board Chair
 
 

November Fundraising Update

Individual Giving 

Christmas Raffle

The Amnesty Christmas raffle will be closing soon! Play before December 5th to be in with a chance of winning £10,000 or one of 86 other amazing prizes! 

Buy your tickets today to help play your part in the fight for human rights.
PLAY TODAY

Fund the Fightback against Authoritarianism

Modern society is facing a tipping point. Free speech and peaceful protest are fundamental human rights, but recently we’ve entered a dangerous new era, and these rights are being eroded.

Here in the UK and around the world, we’re seeing leaders pursue ever more authoritarian practices and step up their assaults on human rights. Resistance is crucial.

Amnesty International is fighting back and you could help. Donations could help fund the developments of reports that expose attempts to curb our right to protest and could help mobilise thousands to raise their voices and make sure parliament hears our demands to protect our freedom of expression.

Your gift could also help support legal challenges against worrying new authoritarian laws and secure rulings that safeguard the rights and freedoms future generations will depend on.
GIVE TODAY

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Local Group Fundraising Update

Local Group Fundraising Update - November 2025

This month’s fundraising update focuses on the Mayfair and Soho Group’s annual Act of Witness event held every year on Human Rights Day. This wonderful event raises awareness of the scale of work we have as human rights activists while also celebrating some of the successes we’ve had down the years. As well as this, it manages to raise vital funds every year!
 
October Fundraising Report
 
 

Community Organising
 

Refugee Week: Climate & Migration Community Film Festival 2025
Our shared futures festival

Our Shared Futures: Climate & Migration Community Film Festival 2025 is a free, community-powered festival that brings together stories of climate, displacement, resilience, and hope. This festival is curated and produced by Counterpoints Arts in partnership with Earth Refuge, CMJ (Climate & Migrant Justice Organising Group), and City of Sanctuary UK.
 

📅 21–30 November 2025
📍 Across the UK and online

How it works
Anyone can take part by hosting a screening – in a cinema, community centre, school, library, workplace, pub, outdoor space, or even at home.
 

  • Films are available free of charge via online streaming (21–30 Nov only)
  • All rights & licenses are covered
  • Discussion guides & resources are provided


🎬 Simply choose a film, invite people, and press play.
Register here!

Amnesty Website and piloting our new Online Community Platform
Our shared futures festival

Update your group’s information


In January, we will be launching the new Amnesty website and piloting our new Online Community Platform, due to go live in April. As part of this process, we’ll be creating new group pages and want to ensure they include the most up-to-date information about your group.

 

Please complete this form; the information you provide will be used to build your public group page.

 

If you have any questions, please email Abi Odell.
Information Form 
 

New office Address

Please see below the New office address for Amnesty International UK
 
Amnesty International United Kingdom Section
2nd Floor, Peter Benenson House
1 Easton Street
London
WC1X 0DW
 

Editing Local Groups Webpages

Please see below guidance on editing Local Groups Webpages.
 
In order to start editing web pages we would need to assign editing rights to your e-mail address. To do so could you please be so kind and “register” via the following link. Sign in.
Once you have done this, please email Philippa with email address/es used to sign up with, and we will assign editing rights to your e-mail address.
 
 

Your Local Group Mailing

If you would like to message Amnesty supporters in your Local Area, you can do this by requesting a Your Local Group mailing - YLG to be sent to out.

Requesting a Your LG Mailing to invite members and supporters in your region.

To request the mailing please email Activism team activism@amnesty.org.uk
 
  • Advising them the Post codes you wish to send the mailing to
  • When you are looking to send out the mailing (date). Please note that we normally require a notice of 7-10 workdays
  • Provide the Blurb and any links and images you wish to share

Important note on timeline of requesting Your LG Mailings:
If you are looking to advertise an event with Your LG Mailing, we recommend for the mailing to be sent about 1 week prior to the event. As we require a notice period of 7-10 workdays to schedule a mailing, we kindly ask for Your LG Mailings to be requested ideally 3 weeks prior to the event.
 

Bank Account Set Up for Amnesty Local Groups

Please note that it has come to our attention that, over the past month, several banks and building societies have started charging interest on bank accounts held by Amnesty Local Groups.
We are very sorry if your local group has been affected by this issue. Although we do not currently have specific guidance on which banks or building societies align with Amnesty's values and ethical finance policies, we have been able to compile a list of banks and building societies which, to the best of our knowledge, are not currently charging interest bank accounts.

Please see below for current recommendations: 
 

  • NatWest: this is free if you’re a customer with them already. More details here
  • Co-Operative: this is free if you’re a customer with them already. More details her
 
 

Learning at Amnesty UK

This month the Human Right's Education team is highlighting one new course and two trainings opportunities!

There are no trainings this month, but we will be back in the new year with a new schedule of training for 2026 with lots more useful and inspiring sessions to help you feel more confident in your activism and have the most impact! In the meantime, you can still access all of our self-paced learning online either:


If you're looking for something specific you might like to try our Gender Justice course where you’ll delve into the fundamental concepts of gender justice, examine the motivations and impacts of anti-gender movements, and discover strategies to support and advance gender justice.

In Solidarity the Human Rights Education Team!
 
 

What you have been up to

Diss Group
Diss group during a protest


 🍉 Solidarity with the people of Palestine 🍉


As part of the global solidarity actions for Palestine, Diss group is currently holding regular vigils on Saturday morning in Diss marketplace. They are currently getting between 30-40 people standing with them each week. If you would like to attend those vigils, please contact the group here.

Keep up showing your solidarity with the people of Palestine and send your photos to be included in the next local groups mailing.
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Telford Amnesty Group
Telford AI group activities


Telford Amnesty group held an enjoyable and well attended Poetry and live Music evening at the Gratitude Cafe in Wellington on 20 September. Local poets including our group’s former secretary Paul Francis read their poems on the theme of the evening ‘Social Justice’. We also read from Alaa Abdel Fattah’s book. ‘ You have not yet been defeated ‘

We also had a successful session on Saturday 18 October, writing Urgent Action letters for the release of Tunisian human rights lawyer Ahmed Souab, now detained for peacefully carrying out his duties.
We made butterfly cards and wrote letters for the release of Nasser Zefzafi imprisoned for his peaceful activism on behalf of the Rif community in Morocco.

__________

Perth Amnesty Group


Kashmir Forum

Following a successful Iftar which we held in 2024 together with Perth Minorities Association (PMA) we have developed a close working relationship with them on human rights issues.  The focus of our work so far has been on Kashmir where some PMA members have family ties and where human rights are under threat.
We have recently held online discussions with Cherry Bird, one of Amnesty’s country coordinators who has a keen interest on the Kashmir situation, a leading member of PMA, and a Kashmir based human rights activist.  The aim is to develop a forum with the purpose of raising awareness about the human rights situation in both the Indian and Pakistan administered regions of Kashmir and to develop actions that reinforce and complement  Amnesty’s Kashmir campaign.

Membership
We are keen to widen the membership of this forum and it would be great to hear from anyone who would like to take part, but  particularly from people who have family ties to Kashmir.
For more information please contact:
Barrie Rutherford
Perth Amnesty Group
j.rutherford725@btinternet.com
 

You can read a full update here

__________

York Group
Amnesty York activist and Rachael Maskell Labour MP for York Central

The international End Gender Apartheid Petition


On 7 November 2025, Amnesty York met Rachael Maskell, Labour MP for York Central, to discuss how she might help in promoting this petition to the government. Rachael told us that she had already attended a meeting in parliament on GAP, hosted by Helena Kennedy. She felt it was a vital, and indeed, obvious step to take. She undertook to create an Early Day Motion on the petition, present a question in parliament under the Women and Equality rubric and write to Foreign Office with the aim also of press coverage in York. 

__________
 

Bognor Regis Group

On Saturday 6 December 10:00 – 12:00 the group is organising a Write for Rights Action.
If you are local to the area, you are invited to complete the
2025 Write for Rights cards at Margaret Robertson’s house in Barnham and meet up with other Amnesty members for a catch-up and refreshments (tea, coffee, cakes).
 

  • Feel free to drop in any time between 10:00 and 12:00 (you don’t need to come along for the full two hours!
  •  Bring along some suitable cards to sign. This year, we’ve been asked not to use religious cards, so ask you not to bring nativity scenes or jolly Merry Christmas type images, as these will not be appropriate.
  • All details about the cases and suggested messages will be provided on the day.
 

Please let Margaret know if you are planning to come along!
 

__________

Croydon Amnesty
Amnesty York activist and Rachael Maskell Labour MP for York Central

On Saturday 22 November the Croydon Amnesty Group took part in the Lantern Festival at Shirley Methodist Church in Croydon, promoting the Write for Rights campaign. They made Amnesty/Write for Rights related lanterns. There was a good turnout and lots of interest.

__________
 

Ipswich Amnesty Group

On Saturday 15 November the Ipswich Amnesty Group held a concert with Trianon Music Group, playing a lovely programme including Ivor Novello, Rodgers and Hammerstein, a WWII medley, Elgar and Saint-Saens.  They raised an estimated £415.
Thank you!

__________

Glasgow Amnesty Groups


On Saturday 25 October Members of AI from across Scotland took part in a peaceful rally recently in Edinburgh to demand a Scotland free from poverty.

Thousands marched from the Scottish Parliament buildings to a nearby park to hear local musicians and speeches demanding better action from government on jobs, housing and social security.

Too many people in 2025 are hungry, homeless, and scraping by on wages that don't meet their monthly bills.

1975 – 2025: Celebrating Fifty Years of Amnesty in Glasgow


Civic Reception held in Glasgow City Chambers, Glasgow

A centrepiece of celebrating Amnesty International being active in Glasgow since 1975 was the recent Civic Reception held in Glasgow’s City Chambers in October.
Glasgow’s Deputy Lord Provost, Bailie Christy Mearns officiated at the event, which was attended by over forty past and present members of Amnesty’s Glasgow Groups.
Helen Horton, Chair of the Board of Amnesty’s UK Section provided the keynote speech at the event, which also included short inputs from representatives of each of the three Glasgow Groups.  The event was attended by over forty Glasgow-based Amnesty supporters, comprising both current and former activists. A couple of original members from the formative days of Amnesty in Glasgow in the 1970s were in attendance.

Glasgow’s Deputy Lord Provost unveiled the plaque marking the occasion of fifty years of Amnesty in Glasgow.

On Friday 21 November members of Amnesty’s Glasgow Groups gathered in November to see a Ginkgo tree planted in a prominent spot in front of Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery. 🌳
 

__________

Chipping Norton Amnesty Group

 
The Chipping Norton Group has had another busy month.


Starting with a Charity Christmas Card Sale in neighbouring Charlbury (photo) where our Amnesty cards were snapped up!
Our well-attended November meeting saw us Writing for Rights.  

On the 25 November the group marked the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by raising our Human Rights flag on the town's flagpole.  

Meanwhile we are getting ready for more seasonal events - preparing a stall and raffle prizes for our town's "Lights On" evening and decorating our Amnestree for the Christmas Tree Festival.

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Harrogate & Knaresborough Group


The Surviving Evin Prison Exhibition in Ripon Cathedral
31 October – 16 November 2025

The Harrogate and Knaresborough Group was pleased to host the Surviving Evin Prison Exhibition in Ripon Cathedral from 31 October to 16 November. We are grateful to the Harrogate MP Tom Gordon for attending the launch event and we were also delighted to have Anoosheh Ashoori there on the Friday evening to meet Tom Gordon and members of the local group.

On Saturday morning Anoosheh attended the Cathedral again to engage with members of the public, who were glad to have the opportunity to hear about his experiences.

A high point of the event was the presentation to the group by Anoosheh of a framed collage containing a pressed morning glory flower which he had grown in the soil of Evin prison, a very special gift which was included in the exhibition display.

There was a steady flow of visitors throughout the two weeks and a great deal of interest was generated by Anoosheh’s inspirational story. Dozens of exhibition leaflets and Write for Rights booklets were distributed, several people signed up for our e-group to receive more information and we were pleased to welcome some new members to our letter writing group.

It was a lovely venue and we are grateful to the Cathedral staff for their generous hospitality.

We plan to show the display again in Harrogate in the New Year.


Future Events

The Harrogate and Knaresborough Group is holding our annual Refreshment Day fundraiser in St Peter’s Church, Harrogate, on Saturday 13 December from 10:00am till 2:00pm. All welcome to come along and enjoy home-made soup, sandwiches and cake.

On the same day we will be running our Write For Rights event, inviting people to write letters and send cards for Human Rights Day.

Following the Amnesty event there will be carols in the Church at 3pm and 4pm, all welcome.
 
Special Mentioning

Manchester Local Group

🕯️ On Friday 31 October the Manchester Group held their 
100th vigil for the people of Palestine! 


The Group continuing with the weekly vigils (see new flyer), keeping it under review, but at the moment there seems to be no improvement whatsoever for the people of Palestine. 

Thank you, Manchester Amnesty Group!
 
Upcoming Events

South West Regional Network

Alena Chekhovich, a human rights defender from Belarus will talk about the dreadful situation in her home country and take questions from activists.
 

📅 Thursday 4 December 2025 7.30pm
📍 Online 
 

 In Belarus, peaceful dissent is criminalized as “extremism”. Independent media and civil society have been severely curtailed. Torture and other ill-treatment are endemic and carried out with impunity. Hundreds of NGOs have been forced to close, and many people have fled abroad.

Alena is a lawyer and legal analyst at Belarusian human rights organisation Human Constanta and international relations manager at the initiative LegalHub.
She works on behalf of vulnerable communities, in particular refugees and stateless people, in Belarus. Her main focus is on discrimination, arbitrary detention and exile of foreigners, detention conditions, access to justice and the rule of law, torture and other inhumane treatments, and on strategies to reduce statelessness and raise awareness of the right to international protection.

Alena has, through her human rights work, become subject to intimidation and targeted harassment in Belarus. She had to leave Belarus in December 2022 and now works in exile.

The webinar is open to all Amnesty and other human rights activists.

To find out more about the new SW Network please email us at aswenetwork21@gmail.com
Register for free for this event!

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Mayfair & Soho Group

Amnesty Soho & Mayfair group invites you to their annual Act of Witness event
 

The annual Act of Witness is an event and fundraiser when we remember by name over 200 people for whom Amnesty has worked, interspersed with human rights-related poetry and prose. It's followed by a social gathering, and other London Region groups have joined us in recent years.

📅 10 December 2025 6.30pm
📍 St Anne's Soho, 55 Dean Street, WC1D 6AF London

 If you would like to sponsor the event or are looking for more information please click here.
Please donate here

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Manchester Local Group

Genocide, Apartheid, War Crimes - 75 Years of Injustice.
On 12 December Mike from the Manchester Group is giving a 75 Year of Injustice talk in Stretford Manchester.
 

📅 12 December 2025 7.30pm - 9:30pm
📍 Stretford Public Hall, Chester Road, Manchester, M32 9AY
Register for free for this event!

 
 

Upcoming Dates

See more on the Amnesty Events page. Post your events on the website via this link.

30 November 1:30pm - 3:30pm - In person event - Local Group Event: "Open Meeting on Racial Justice Against the Prevent Duty" Manchester

4 December  7:30pm - 8:30pm - South West Regional Network Online Event Alena Chekhovich Register for free

10 December  7:30pm -  Local Group Online Event Amnesty Soho & Mayfair annual Act of Witness event
 Register for free

12 December 7:30pm - 9:30pm - In person event - Local Group Talk: "Genocide, Apartheid, War Crimes - 75 Years of Injustice" Manchester  Register for free

13 December 10:00am - 2:00pm - In person event - Local Group Event: " Refreshment Day fundraiser" St Peter’s Church, Harrogate

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Amnesty International United Kingdom Section. A company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (01735872). Registered office 2nd Floor, Peter Benenson House, 1 Easton Street, London, WC1X 0DW.

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