Individuals at risk of human rights violations are at the heart of Amnesty International’s work. The organisation has gained widespread praise and recognition of its work through the tireless efforts of its supporters like you, who have been assisted by a dedicated group of staff and volunteers, championing the rights of those who endure first hand the failure to respect human rights.

A shared platform

One of Amnesty International’s greatest achievements in its 50 years of human rights work has been to empower individuals to work for and with other individuals, bridging the gap between people whose human rights are violated and those people who are prepared to campaign on their behalf.

We have moved our strategy away from working on a case to working for and with individuals at risk. This puts the individual at the heart of our work, respecting that individuals are active participants in the struggle for their rights and the rights of others, just as much as Amnesty International supporters. Amnesty International therefore provides a platform for our supporters to campaign alongside individuals at risk.

Who are individuals at risk?

"I love texting, tweeting, blogging and emailing as much, if not more, than the next person, but there are some occasions when nothing, but nothing, can replace the power of the hand-written letter"

Stephen Fry

Individuals at risk of human rights violations are found throughout the world. They are people, just like you and I, whose human rights have been violated or are under threat of violation.

When Amnesty International takes up campaigning for an individual at risk, it becomes known as an Amnesty International case. A case may be an individual person, a group of people or a community of people.

Recognising that Amnesty International cannot campaign for all the cases that are reported to the International Secretariat, the Australian section of Amnesty International works closely with the International Secretariat in London to determine which cases the Australian section publicly campaigns for.

To understand some of the categories that apply to our individuals at risk work, here are some frequently used terms for our work.

Prisoners of conscience - people who have been detained solely for peacefully exercising their rights and quite often detained under the guise of a law that has been loosely interpreted and applied to their situation.

Unfair trials - people who have been detained and subjected to a trial that does not meet international fair trial standards.

Human rights defenders – those who speak out and act to defend their rights and the rights of others.

Enforced disappearances – people who have gone missing with no information about where they have gone or what has happened to them and no way of contacting them. Family, friends and colleagues are left without knowing anything about their plight, even if they are dead or alive.

Death penalty – the ultimate violation of human rights, a cruel and inhumane punishment applied by the state against individuals.

Tortured and ill-treated – the lack of information on and access to someone who has been detained that brings about the fear that they may be tortured or ill-treated, given the circumstances of their detention. It is also recognised that individuals who have been detained, especially incommunicado, face the greatest risk of torture.

Fear for safety – where a person simply is not believed to be safe. This can occur within and outside detention. It can include detainees being denied medical attention or civilians receiving threats of violence.

What can you do?

If you are one person, you can:

  • Visit our Online Action Centre and take online action any time.

  • Join the Urgent Action Network and write appeals for the most time-critical individuals at risk cases. Get in touch with your nearest Action Centre to join.

  • Receive our quarterly magazine Human Rights Defender by joining Amnesty International and act on the information provided about cases.

If you are an Action Group, you can:

  • Join the Urgent Action Network and write appeals for the most time-critical individuals at risk cases. Get in touch with your nearest Action Centre to join.

  • Register for a Group Casefile and campaign for an individual at risk. There is a registration form that explains what a Group Casefile is and how if fits in with out Individuals at Risk Program. It is a year long commitment to campaigning for a case. Download Group Casefile Registration Form