1. Nigeria: Shell paid out over Niger Delta oil spills
<\/strong>
In January, after years of pressure from Amnesty and its supporters, Shell\u2019s Nigerian subsidiary announced a \u00a355m settlement to 15,600 farmers and fishermen in Bodo, Nigeria, whose lives were devastated by two large Shell oil spills in 2008 and 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2. Myanmar: Activist Dr Tun Aung released 3. El Salvador: Guadalupe, jailed for a miscarriage, was freed<\/strong> 4. Hong Kong: Employer found guilty of abuse 5. Mexico: Charges dropped against torture survivor 6. Three countries abolished the death penalty in three months 7. Togo: Torture became a crime<\/strong> 9. Joan Baez and Ai Weiwei became Amnesty ambassadors of conscience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Legendary folk singer Joan Baez and world-renowned artist Ai Weiwei \u2013 both committed activists \u2013 were the joint recipients of Amnesty International\u2019s Ambassador of Conscience Award for 2015 in March. The award recognizes those who have shown exceptional leadership in the fight for human rights. #FreeTheFive. \u00a9 Amnesty International<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 11. Azerbaijan: Two prisoners of conscience released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 12. The Philippines: We made sure Jerryme\u2019s torture will be investigated<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 13. India: Victory for free speech<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 14. Norway: Historic breakthrough on transgender rights<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 15. China: We spoke out to #FreeTheFive<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 16. Cambodia: Ten women human rights defenders released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 17. China: Death sentence of Li Yan commuted to a prison term<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 18. USA: Turning the tide against mass surveillance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 19. USA: Omar Khadr released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 20. UAE: Three sisters released from secret detention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 21. Ireland: Ireland said YES! to full marriage equality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 22. Nigeria: Torture survivor pardoned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 23. USA: Chicago agrees to compensate torture survivors<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 24. Italy: Italy\u2019s Roma won a landmark victory<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 25. USA: Marriage equality is a right<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 26. Swaziland: Two prisoners of conscience released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 27. Chad: Activist released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 28. Myanmar: Prisoners of conscience released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 29. Syria: Human rights defender Mazen Darwish freed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 30. Sudan: Two pastors released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 31. Thailand: Journalists acquitted<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 32. Egypt: Al Jazeera staff freed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 33. Europe: We all declared \u201cRefugees Welcome\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 34. Kenya: Evicted communities promised compensation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There was good news in October for two communities under threat from a road expansion in Mombasa County, Kenya. The highways authority involved admitted it was wrong to force more than 100 people from their homes, and promised to provide compensation and improve its plan for resettling those affected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 35. South Africa: Better health care for women in Mkhondo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 36. Vietnam: Blogger Ta Phong Tan released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 37. Cuba: Graffiti artist released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 38. Sri Lanka: Turning point for victims of war<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 39. Egypt: 17 witnesses acquitted<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 40. Sudan: Teenager has conviction overturned<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 41. USA: Shaker Aamer released from Guant\u00e1namo<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 42. China: Prisoner of conscience reunited with family<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 43. Afghanistan: Activists rescued from the Taliban<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 44. Egypt: Human rights journalist freed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 45. Indonesia: Activist Filep Karma finally freed<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 46. India: Singer arrested for satirical songs released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 47. Mexico: Two torture victims released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 48. Mongolia abolishes the death penalty<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 49. Azerbaijan: Human rights campaigner released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 50. Myanmar: Activist released<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 20 February 2016 In 2015, millions of Amnesty supporters like you pushed decision-makers to make change happen worldwide. You helped to release journalists and activists. Change discriminatory laws. Compensate victims of corporate crime. Pardon survivors of torture. And so much more. As governments continued to crack down on dissent and free speech, your pressure was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2472,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_opengraph-image-id":0,"_yoast_wpseo_twitter-title":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-description":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image":"","_yoast_wpseo_twitter-image-id":0,"_hero_title":"","_hero_content":"","_hero_cta_text":"","_hero_cta_link":"","_hero_alignment":"","_hero_background":"","_hero_size":"","_hero_show":"","_hero_type":"","_hero_embed":"","_hero_video_id":0,"_hero_hide_image_caption":true,"_hero_hide_image_copyright":false,"_nav_style":"","_disable_share_icons":false,"_disable_sidebar":false,"_display_author_info":false,"_hide_featured_image":false,"_hide_featured_image_caption":true,"_maximize_post_content":false,"_reduce_content_width":false,"_sidebar_id":0,"_stretch_thumbnail":false,"byline_context":"","byline_entity":"","byline_is_author":false,"disable_related_content":false,"download_id":0,"download_text":"","show_published_date":true,"show_updated_date":true,"term_slider":"","amnesty_index_number":"","recipients":"","recipients_refresh":"","recipients_refreshed":"","amnesty_umbraco_data":"","document_ref":"","amnesty_updated":"","footnotes":""},"category":[1584],"location":[1588,1587,1589],"resourceType":[],"topic":[],"class_list":["post-2471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","location-southeast-asia","location-thailand","location-world"],"datePosted":"February 20, 2016","mlpRelationships":{"1":3057,"2":2471},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=2471"},{"taxonomy":"location","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/location?post=2471"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resourceType?post=2471"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.amnesty.or.th\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=2471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/strong>
After more than two years of pressure and letter-writing from Amnesty supporters, Myanmar community leader Dr Tun Aung was released in January. He was jailed for 17 years after trying to calm a crowd during riots in 2012. Myanmar\u2019s National Human Rights Commission said your letters prompted them to look into his case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Carmen Guadalupe Vasquez was finally pardoned and walked free from prison in February. She was jailed for 30 years in 2007 on trumped-up murder charges after suffering a miscarriage when she was 18. She was suspected of having an abortion, which is banned in all cases in El Salvador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In February, a Hong Kong employer was found guilty for the extreme abuse she inflicted on two migrant domestic workers, Erwiana Sulistyaningsih and Tutik Lestari Ningsih. It should act as a wake-up call for the authorities to stop the widespread exploitation of tens of thousands of women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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The last charges were dropped against Claudia Medina, a Mexican woman who was tortured and forced to make a false confession in 2012. Amnesty supporters worldwide had taken action for her as part of the Stop Torture campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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In January Madagascar abolished the death penalty for all crimes. Fiji followed suit in February. And in March, the South American State of Suriname also removed the death penalty from its legal books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In March, torture became a crime in Togo. The fantastic announcement came 26 years after the West African country first signed up to the UN Convention against Torture.
8. Mexico: Torture survivor released
<\/strong>Mexico finally freed Alfonso Mart\u00edn del Campo Dodd, who spent 23 years in prison because of a confession extracted under torture. Amnesty has highlighted many cases where judges continue to accept testimonies obtained through torture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
10. India: Activists jailed for possessing \u2018Maoist\u2019 literature released
<\/strong>Human rights activists Jaison C Cooper and Thushar Nirmal Sarathy, who were arrested for possessing \u2018pro-Maoist\u2019 materials in their homes, were released on bail in March. Thousands in India supported an Amnesty International campaign seeking their release.<\/p>\n\n\n\nRead More<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Bashir Suleymanli and Orkhan Eyyubzade, both outspoken critics of Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, were released in March as part of a presidential pardon. Amnesty had been campaigning for their release along with 20 other prisoners of conscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Philippines police announced that letters sent by a \u201chuman rights organisation\u201d prompted them to investigate the shocking torture of Jerryme Corre, who was electrocuted, punched and threatened with death. Thousands of Amnesty supporters took action for Jerryme during Write for Rights 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In March, India\u2019s Supreme Court struck down a law on freedom of expression online which had been used to prosecute several people, including activists and critics of the government. The ruling was a crucial victory for freedom of expression in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April, the Norwegian government said it will change the law for people who want to change their legal gender. It followed our campaigning for John Jeanette Solstad Rem\u00f8, a transgender woman who was unable to change her legal gender without compulsory medical treatment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chinese authorities released five women\u2019s rights activists on bail on 13 April, following a worldwide campaign for their freedom. Wei Tingting, Wang Man, Wu Rongrong, Li Tingting and Zheng Churan were arrested for planning to mark International Women\u2019s Day by launching a campaign against sexual harassment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ten housing rights campaigners in Cambodia were released and given a royal pardon in April. Nine of the women were from Boeung Kak Lake community, where 3,500 households have been evicted since August 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In April, the Chinese authorities commuted the death sentence of Li Yan, who had killed her violent husband after she had endured months of domestic abuse. The death sentence is expected to be reduced to a prison term after two years of good behaviour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US government\u2019s mass surveillance of communications received a major setback on 7 May, when an appeal court ruled that the National Security Agency’s (NSA) bulk collection of phone records is illegal. More than 100,000 people signed our #UnfollowMe campaign petition telling governments to ban mass surveillance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In May, Omar Khadr was released after spending 12 years in prison, mostly in the notorious Guantanamo Bay facility. Omar was just 15 when US forces captured him in Afghanistan in 2002. Amnesty activists worldwide had campaigned for his release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a global social media outcry, three sisters, Asma, Mariam and Alyazia al-Suwaidi, were released from secret detention on 15 May. Having tweeted about their brother\u2019s unfair trial, the sisters were questioned by United Arab Emirates police in February and disappeared for three months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In May, Ireland became the first country in the world to introduce full civil marriage equality by a popular vote. “This decision] sends a message to LGBTI people everywhere that they, their relationships and their families matter,\u201d said Amnesty Ireland\u2019s Executive Director, Colm O\u2019Gorman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On 28 May, Moses Akatugba, a Nigerian death-row inmate, was pardoned after nearly 10 years in jail. He had been tortured to confess to a crime he says he never committed. Over 800,000 activists had sent letters demanding justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chicago City Council finally agreed to pay compensation to people who suffered racially-motivated torture at the hands of former Chicago Police commander Jon Burge and detectives under his command. It followed sustained campaigning from Amnesty supporters and our partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An Italian court ruled in May that moving Romani families to an ethnically segregated camp outside Rome was illegal. The landmark verdict followed years of Amnesty campaigning alongside others to stop Italy\u2019s Romani people being forcibly evicted, segregated and discriminated against.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In June, the US Supreme Court delivered a historic ruling affirming same-sex couples’ legal right to marry. \u201cThis is a joyous day not just for loving and committed same-sex couples, but for everyone who believes in human rights and equality for all,\u201d said Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magazine editor Bhekithemba Makhubu and human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko were released in June after spending more than 15 months in prison in Swaziland. They had been convicted for publishing articles which raised concerns about judges\u2019 independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In July, land rights activist Djeralar Miankeol was released from prison in Chad after all charges against him were dropped. A court of appeal overturned an earlier verdict that had found him guilty of insulting the judiciary, after he had questioned the competence of judicial officials in a radio interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At least 11 prisoners of conscience \u2013 including journalists, peaceful protesters and community leaders from the repressed Muslim Rohingya minority \u2013 were released in a mass prisoner amnesty in Myanmar. Amnesty called for authorities to clear the country\u2019s jails of the scores of peaceful activists who still remain behind bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mazen Darwish, a human rights activist jailed on trumped-up terrorism charges in Syria, was released in August after three-and-a-half years in prison. He is director of the Syrian Centre for Media and Freedom of Expression, which works to document human rights violations in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two South Sudanese pastors, Reverend Yat Michael and Reverend Peter Yen, were released on 5 August after being sentenced to time already served in Khartoum, Sudan. It is believed that the two pastors were arrested and charged due to their religious convictions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two journalists in Thailand who had been on trial for reproducing parts of an article on human trafficking were acquitted in September. Editor Alan Morison and reporter Chutima Sidasathian were found not guilty of criminal defamation and for violating a provision of the Computer Crime Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Al Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed were released in September as part of a presidential decree which granted pardons to 100 people in Egypt. They had been convicted of \u2018spreading false news\u2019 along with their colleague, Peter Greste, after being arrested in 2013.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From Greece to Germany, volunteers joined forces to help newly-arrived refugees and migrants get food, clothes and medical attention \u2013 plugging glaring gaps in the EU\u2019s broken asylum system while Europe\u2019s leaders continued to grapple for solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Women and girls in Mkhondo, South Africa, now have better access to pregnancy healthcare. One clinic increased its antenatal service from two to seven days a week, dramatically reducing waiting times. Government officials have also visited the town to assess and monitor the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vietnamese blogger and free speech campaigner Ta Phong Tan was released in September after serving four years of a 10-year prison sentence. She had been convicted for \u201cconducting propaganda\u201d against the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cuban graffiti artist and prisoner of conscience Danilo Maldonado Machado was released from jail in Havana in October. He had been in prison for nearly a year after he painted \u201cRa\u00fal\u201d and \u201cFidel\u201d on the backs of two pigs. We hope his release will herald a new approach to freedom of expression and dissent in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A crucial resolution adopted at the UN Human Rights Council offered victims of Sri Lanka\u2019s armed conflict the prospect of finally getting truth and justice. The resolution recognizes terrible crimes committed by both parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An appeal court upheld the acquittal of women\u2019s human rights defender Azza Soliman and 16 others who witnessed the killing of activist and poet Shaimaa al-Sabbagh. Spurious charges had been brought against them after they testified as witnesses against the security forces. Azza Soliman thanked Amnesty for our support and solidarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Court of Appeal in Sudan overturned the conviction of Ferdous Al Toum, a teenager who had been found guilty of \u201cindecent or immoral dress\u201d and sentenced to 20 lashes and a fine of 500 Sudanese pounds. We believe the result is due in part to your activism and international pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shaker Aamer was released after being detained in Guant\u00e1namo Bay without charge or trial for 13 years. He was one of the first detainees to be sent to the notorious camp in 2002, and the last UK resident to be detained there. Amnesty supporters campaigned for his release for more than 10 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In October, former prisoner of conscience Chen Zhenping was reunited with her family in Finland. She was released from prison in China in March, but had been harassed and kept under tight surveillance until her arrival at Helsinki airport. She was jailed for eight years in August 2008 for practising Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In October, we worked with local partners to evacuate 40 people, including human rights activists and their family members, when the Taliban captured Kunduz province and made incursions in two other provinces. In the last year, Amnesty has recorded an alarming number of attacks against women and men who champion the rights of women and girls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activist and journalist Hossam Bahgat was released days after Amnesty International and the international community had condemned his arrest. His detention was another sign of Egypt\u2019s continued attacks against independent journalism and civil society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activist Filep Karma was finally freed from prison in Indonesia in November. He had been jailed for more than a decade after raising a Papuan independence flag at a political ceremony in 2004. Amnesty supporters have long campaigned for Filep\u2019s release, including 65,000 messages of support written during Write for Rights 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dalit folk singer and activist S Sivadas, or Kovan, who was arrested over two satirical songs which criticized the Tamil Nadu state government and the chief minister, was released on bail. Over 13,000 people in India supported an Amnesty campaign seeking his release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two torture victims in northern Mexico were released within hours of each other in December. Bus driver and father of four Adri\u00e1n V\u00e1squez (pictured, left) was freed more than three years after he was tortured by state police and accused of being a high-level drug trafficker. Just hours later, Cristel Pi\u00f1a, a 25-year-old mother of two, was released more than two years after being brutally beaten and tortured with sexual violence until she agreed to confess to extortion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In December, Mongolia\u2019s parliament became the latest to consign the death penalty to the history books, in a major victory for human rights in the country. It followed years of pressure from Amnesty and its supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leyla Yunus, one of Azerbaijan\u2019s most prominent human rights defenders, was released in December. She had been convicted in August for \u201cfraud\u201d and other purported crimes related to her NGO work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Activist Thein Aung Myint was released from prison in Myanmar after receiving reductions to his sentence. He had been serving a year-long sentence for taking part in two peaceful protests in Mandalay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"