Amnesty International is the world's largest human rights movement, with more than 3 million members in more than 150 countries.

Amnesty International has issued more than 20,500 Urgent Actions highlighting specific human rights appeals and 10,500 Urgent Action follow-ups since the programme started in 1973.

Amnesty International is a democratic movement shaped by elected representatives from around the world.

Amnesty International was established in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a London lawyer.

Amnesty International has conducted more than 3,300 research missions and published more than 17,000 reports about human rights around the world between 1961 and the end of 2010.

Amnesty International’s annual report on the state of the world’s human rights has been published every year since 1961 and is produced in more than 25 languages.

Amnesty International has offices in 80 countries.

Amnesty International has campaigned for prisoners of conscience since its inception, and is currently working for their release in at least 48 countries around the world.

Amnesty International’s iconic logo of a candle wrapped in barbed wire was inspired by the ancient Chinese proverb: “It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness”, reflecting Peter Benenson’s hope that its work would shine a light in the darkest of places where human rights abuses go unpunished.

Amnesty International won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for “having contributed to securing the ground for freedom, for justice, and thereby also for peace in the world”.