MEMBERS of Amnesty International Monmouth and District group are encouraging local people to show their solidarity with victims of human rights abuses around the world this winter as part of Amnesty's annual Write for Rights campaign.

The campaign, which runs throughout November and December, asks the UK public to send personal messages of support and solidarity to people behind bars or whose lives are in serious danger simply for exercising their human rights.

They are people like Saudi Arabian prisoner of conscience, Raif Badawi, imprisoned and sentenced to 1,000 lashes for founding an online forum for political debate, Chelsea Manning, the American soldier who leaked classified government information to the website Wikileaks currently serving a 35-year sentence in military prison and UK-educated Mohammed al-Roken, a human rights lawyer serving a 10-year sentence in the United Arab Emirates for criticising his government.

Anyone can take part, and everyone is welcome.

Writing just one line on a card while enjoying a coffee break is such a simple act and only takes a couple of minutes but the positive effect can be massive. This year, Amnesty Monmouth will be holding the Write for Rights event in Monmouth Priory on Saturday (December 20), from 10am to noon.

– Anthea Dewhurst, Monmouth.