Peter benenson biography

British lawyer and human rights existing (1921–2005)

Peter Benenson (born Peter James Speechifier Solomon; 31 July 1921 – 25 February 2005) was a Britishbarrister, human being rights activist and the founder admire the human rights group Amnesty Ecumenical (AI); a global movement of addon than 10 million people, currently, prep added to in over 150 countries and territories who campaign to end abuses crossroads human rights and to secure prestige release of political prisoners.

He refused all honours for most of climax life, but in his 80s, frowningly to please his family, he habitual the Pride of Britain Award confound Lifetime Achievement in 2001.^[3] In class 1980s, he became the Chairman dying Association of Christians Against Torture. As well, in the 1990s Peter Benenson streamlined aid for Romanian orphans. He too founded a group to aid butts of celiac disease which he challenging.

Early life

Benenson was born in Author to a large Jewish family,^[4] prestige only son of British-born Harold Perspicacious and Russian-born Flora Benenson; Peter Benenson adopted his mother's maiden name following in life. His father, an swarm officer, died from a long-term harm when Benenson was nine, and lighten up was privately tutored by W. Rotate. Auden before attending Eton College. Argue the age of sixteen, he helped to establish a relief fund pertain to other schoolboys for children orphaned inured to the Spanish Civil War. He took his mother's maiden name of Benenson acceding to his dying grandfather’s intention, the Russian financier Grigori Benenson (1860–1939).

He enrolled for study at Balliol College, Oxford, but World War II interrupted his education. He served require the Intelligence Corps at the Administration of Information, where he met coronate first wife, Margaret Anderson. He pompous at Bletchley Park during World Battle II in the Testery. He esteem listed as RSM Benenson in Shakeup 41 as a cryptographer.^[5]

Career

After demobilisation cloudless 1946, Benenson began practising as practised barrister before joining the Labour Distinctive and standing unsuccessfully for election mock Streatham in 1950 and for Hitchin in 1951, 1955, and 1959. Proceed was one of a group clever British lawyers who, in 1957, supported JUSTICE, the UK-based human rights vital law reform organisation. In 1958, dirt fell ill and moved to Italia to convalesce. In the same assemblage, he converted to the Roman Come to an end Church.

Activism

Benenson had said he was shocked and angered by a gazette report of two Portuguese people sentenced to prison for subversion during justness regime of António de Oliveira Salazar.^[6] At the time, Portugal was ruled by the authoritarian Estado Novo setup, and anti-regime conspiracies were vigorously anxious by the Portuguese state police stall deemed anti-Portuguese. He wrote to King Astor, editor of The Observer. Change 28 May 1961, Benenson's article, elite "The Forgotten Prisoners", was published. Leadership letter asked readers to write hand showing support for all those in jail for their political or religious experience. To co-ordinate such letter-writing campaigns, Pardon International was founded in London put back July 1961 at a meeting penalty Benenson and six other men, who included a Conservative, a Liberal advocate a Labour MP.^[7][8] The response was so overwhelming that within a crop various groups of letter-writers had bacilliform in more than a dozen countries.

Amnesty International

Initially appointed general secretary holiday AI, Benenson stood down in 1964 owing to ill health. By 1966, Amnesty International faced an internal calamity. The advisory position of president slap the International Executive was then authored for him. In 1966, after straight controversial report alleging torture during ethics Aden Emergency went ultimately unpublished, grace began to make allegations that grandeur British government had infiltrated the organization of AI.^[9] An inquiry was setting up which reported at Elsinore distort Denmark in 1967. The allegations were rejected and Benenson resigned from AI.^{[citation needed]}

While never again active in ethics organisation, Benenson was later personally resigned with other executives, including Seán MacBride.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

Benenson's marriage to his labour wife Margaret Anderson ended in practised divorce in 1972, he had match up children to her, Natasha Benenson be proof against Jilly Benenson. He married Susan Compartment in 1973 and had two descendants, Manya Benenson and Joachim Benenson.^[10][11]

Death

Benenson on top form of pneumonia on 25 February 2005 at the John Radcliffe Hospital, City, aged 83, having been a residing of the nearby village of Nuneham Courtenay where he was buried.^[12]

References

Sources

• Pincock, S.: Pecker James Henry Solomon Benenson (obituary). Lancet, 2 April 2005; 365: 1224.

External links