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Amnesty International plays a specific role in the international protection of human rights. Its activities focus on prisoners:
• It seeks the release of prisoners of conscience. These are people detained anywhere for their beliefs, colour, ethnic origin, language or religion, who have not used or advocated violence.
• It works for fair and prompt trials for all political prisoners and on behalf of such people detained without charge or trial.
• It opposes the death penalty and torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment of all prisoners without reservation.
Amnesty International's work is based on principles set forth in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The rights proclaimed by the declaration apply to all people. They have been incorporated into many countries' constitutions and laws and have been further elaborated in other human rights standards adopted by the United Nations.
These universal rights include the right to freedom of expression, conscience and religion; the right to freedom from arbitrary arrest and detention; the right to a fair trial; the right to life, liberty and security of person; the right not to be tortured. Amnesty International works to protect these rights by its efforts to secure the release of prisoners of conscience, fair and prompt trials in political cases and an end to torture and executions.
By concentrating on a specific program in the human rights field, Amnesty International does not imply that the rights it does not deal with are less important. Amnesty International is convinced of the indivisibility and mutual dependence of all human rights. The movement concentrates on its own defined area in order to be as effective as possible and to put its limited resources to the most efficient use. Amnesty International therefore takes up only those cases that fall within its object, as set out in its Statute. This object is commonly referred to as Amnesty International's "mandate".
