Human Rights Watch mourns the death of Peter Benenson, the founder of Amnesty International who died in Oxford, England, on February 25, 2005.
Benenson was one of the founders of the modern human rights movement. Inspired by the conviction that the moral outrage of individuals could move governments around the world, he defined a form of activism that remains vibrant throughout the world today through Amnesty International and many other human rights groups.
“His belief in the power of naming and shaming governments which abuse the rights of their citizens was crucial to the development of human rights activism” said Ken Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, “His approach provides the basis for much of our daily work even today.”
