PEOPLE POWER IN ACTION
Amnesty's Good News Roundup
From human rights wins, to stories of resilience and progress, there’s so much to celebrate!
Amidst the injustices that sometimes seem to surround us, it’s easy to overlook our victories and lose sight of the fact that humanity is still shining. When we come together, our collective efforts truly make a difference.
So, let’s delve into these moments of triumph and achievement, and check out some amazing wins over recent months.
PEOPLE FREED
📍 ANGOLA
Authorities arrested Neth Nahara on 13 August 2023 in her home in Angola’s capital Luanda after she broadcast a live video criticising President Lourenço. Neth is a singer and mother who featured in Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign. Thanks to more than 20,000 people like you who spoke out for Neth, she was freed on 1 January 2025!
But Neth isn't the only one. Just days after her release, four other Angolans who had been unjustly imprisoned for speaking out – Adolfo Campos, Hermenegildo Victor José (known as Gildo das Ruas), Gilson Moreira (known as Tanaice Neutro) and Abraão Pedro Santos (known as Pensador) – were also given a presidential pardon and released.
Neth sent a heartfelt message of gratitude to Amnesty International and all those who supported her:
"Hi everybody, my name is Neth Nahara. I’m free right now in my house. I got my release on January 1st. I want to say thank you to Amnesty International for everything you did for me. They asked for my freedom. Thank you, Amnesty, thank you."
📍 SAUDI ARABIA
Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University PhD student and mother of two, was arrested in Saudi Arabia for posting about women’s rights. The country has codified male guardianship and gender discrimination. Salma was given a 34-year prison sentence and spent over 300 days in solitary confinement.
But she didn't give up. And neither did Amnesty International supporters, who signed petitions, wrote letters, made phone calls and appealed for Salma's release to officials at Saudi Arabian embassies around the world.
It worked.
In February, Salma was released from prison. Amnesty International’s Middle East Researcher, Dana Ahmed, said:
“Salma’s release would not have been possible without the tireless campaigning of human rights activists around the world. While today is a day to celebrate, it’s also an opportunity to reflect on the many others serving similarly lengthy sentences in Saudi Arabia for their activities online. We urge the Saudi authorities to immediately release them and end their relentless crackdown on the right to freedom of expression once and for all.”
Want to take action for people like Salma? Join a group of compassionate people who response immediately to help people facing human rights abuses.
📍 USA
At long last, Leonard Peltier has been freed from prison.
Amnesty International has examined Peltier’s case extensively for many years, sent observers to his trial in 1977 and, along with millions of supporters around the globe, has long campaigned on his behalf.
In January 2025, President Biden commuted his life sentence, ending a nearly 50 year ordeal behind bars.
A Native American activist and member of the American Indian Movement (AIM), Peltier was convicted in relation to the murders of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in 1975. He has always maintained his innocence. Amnesty International has joined Tribal Nations, Tribal Leaders, Members of Congress, former FBI agents, Nobel Peace Prize winners and former U.S. Attorney James Reynolds, whose office handled Peltier’s prosecution and appeal, in urging his release.
📍 CAMEROON
In January 2025, Cameroonian hairdresser and single mother Dorgelesse Nguessan was released and finally reunited with her family!
She spent more than four years in detention. Why? Simply for attending a peaceful protest organised by the opposition party Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon.
Dorgelesse’s case was featured in the 2022 Write for Rights campaign. Amnesty Advocates in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world have been campaigning for her release since then.
Dorgelesse had never been politically active, yet she joined the protest because she was concerned about Cameroon’s economy. She was charged with “insurrection” and “public demonstrations”, before being sentenced to five years in prison by a military court.
Amnesty International is keeping the pressure on Cameroonian authorities, who are still holding dozens of other protesters in arbitrary detention.
📍 CHINA
Idris Hasan, an ethnic Uyghur living in Turkey, was arrested in 2021 in Morocco on the basis of an Interpol red notice, which has since been cancelled. The Chinese Government reportedly considers him a “terrorist”, which Chinese law defines in an overly broad and vague manner, because of the work he had previously done for Uyghur organisations. For four years, he was imprisoned and at risk of being extradited to China.
Amnesty supporters in Aotearoa New Zealand who are part of our Rapid Response Network campaigned on behalf of Idris. And in February 2025, he was freed! Idris is now reunited and living with his family.
His wife expressed her gratitude for everything that Amnesty International has done:
"Thank you all very much, without your help we could not have saved my husband. God bless you all.
Actually, we were weak, we were oppressed, but it was the most powerful and cruel state in the world that wanted to take my husband back.
Most people had no hope that my husband would be saved, but beautiful people like you who defend human rights made efforts to save my husband and he was finally saved."
LIVES SAVED
📍 USA
Rocky Myers, who spent more than 30 years on death row in Alabama, has had his death sentence commuted to life in prison. What this means is that Rocky will not be executed.
Amnesty supporters from around the motu and across the world have gone the extra mile to show Rocky that his voice and his experience matter. You have signed petitions, sent beautiful holiday cards and birthday messages to Rocky and donated to appeals.
TJ Riggs, Alabama State Death Penalty Abolition Coordinator for Amnesty International USA said:
“We celebrate the news that Alabama Governor Kay Ivey has commuted Rocky Myers’ death sentence, even more so at a time when the state had initiated the process to set his execution date. After over 30 years on death row, this moment could not come any sooner. This is a first critical step towards justice for him and his family.”
📍 SINGAPORE
Pannir Selvam Pranthaman was convicted of importing diamorphine into Singapore. He was sentenced to Singapore's draconian mandatory death penalty in 2017, even though the judge found that he was a “courier” involved only with the transport of a prohibited substance.
In February 2025, the Court of Appeal of Singapore granted a stay of execution for Pannir. For now, his life has been saved.
Pannir has shown great resilience and channeled his energy into creativity, writing heartfelt songs and poems that speak of the anguish, hope and prayers of those on death row. Many of them have been shared through the Sebaran Kasih NGO founded by his sister, Angelia Pranthaman.
Every moment of hope counts as we continue the fight for justice and for the full commutation of his death sentence.
Amnesty International will not rest until the death penalty is a thing of the past.
JUSTICE ON THE RISE
📍 TÜRKIYE
Professor Şebnem Korur Fincancı, the renowned forensic expert and human rights defender, was acquitted of charges under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, accused of "publicly denigrating the Turkish state."
The charges were unfounded and should never have been brought in the first place. They stemmed from her comments made during a TV broadcast regarding a case of alleged torture in July 2021, as part of her essential human rights work.
Şebnem featured in the 2024 Write for Rights campaign, which galvanised tens of thousands of people around the world to campaign on her behalf. The widespread global support generated through the campaign helped shine a powerful light on the unjust treatment she has faced.
The struggle for the protection of human rights defenders in Türkiye continues. The Turkish authorities must ensure that defenders like Şebnem can continue their vital work without fear of persecution. The state has a duty to foster an environment where human rights can thrive, not one that seeks to silence those advocating for them.
RAINBOW RIGHTS
📍 THAILAND
It's official – same sex marriage has been legalised in Thailand!
Hundreds of couples across Thailand are getting married after the country’s historic marriage equality law took effect. Thailand is the first country in Southeast Asia to legalise marriage for LGBTI couples, following years of campaigning by activists.
While LGBTI people in Thailand continue to face discrimination, this is a moment of joy for those who fought for this victory.
Amnesty International’s Thailand Researcher Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong said:
“Thailand has taken an historic step. This landmark moment is a reward for the tireless work of activists, civil society organisations and lawmakers.
While there is no doubt that this is a key milestone, much more must be done to guarantee full protection of LGBTI people in the country.
Thai authorities must build on the momentum and take further steps that protect the rights and ensure the participation of LGBTI people and organisations.”
Thank you!
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