Introduction

In 2023, the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 25th anniversary of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court were commemorated.

Amnesty International Italy, in its 48th year of activity, continued its commitment to research, advocacy campaigns, street actions, and lobbying activities, promoting tangible improvements in the human rights situation both in Italy and globally.

As is customary, data relating to the organization’s efforts throughout the year are presented in the 2023 Social Report, which aims to offer a detailed account of the organization’s priorities, challenges, successes, structure, and functioning.

The Presence of Amnesty International Italy Across the Country

The Italian Section of Amnesty International was established in 1975 and has since grown to include activists from across the country and of different generations.

Amnesty International Italy defines an activist as “any individual who engages in continuous activity within the organization’s structure, is officially registered and listed as a volunteer, responds to Amnesty International’s calls to action, and maintains a reciprocal relationship with the organization, sharing its values and participating in the construction and implementation of actions aimed at the protection of human rights and full involvement in decision-making processes.”

In 2023, the movement counted 31,887 members, of whom 1,339 were registered activists. Of these, 20% were aged between 14 and 25, 25% between 26 and 35, 19% between 36 and 50, and 22% between 51 and 65. These individuals were involved in local groups or national-level specialized activism.

There were 165 active local groups throughout the country, mostly located in northern Italy. Additionally, 71 individuals were involved in thematic or geopolitical coordination groups, and 78 in the so-called Task Forces, namely “Hate Speech,” “Observers,” and “Action-Research.” These forms of activism, in addition to traditional public awareness activities, included monitoring hate speech online and observing public demonstrations.

Amnesty International, being a profoundly democratic movement, calls upon its members to participate annually in the General Assembly, which is held in a different Italian city each year. The 38th General Assembly of the Italian Section took place in Vieste from 1 to 4 June 2023, and led to the election of Alba Bonetti as President of Amnesty International Italy. She serves as the organization’s legal representative and spokesperson both domestically and within the global Amnesty movement.

The Work of Amnesty International Italy in 2023

The work of Amnesty International Italy in 2023 focused on various campaigns, lobbying initiatives, human rights education, media communications, and artistic and cultural projects.

The Italian Section structures its activities annually through an Operational Programming process, based on decisions taken at global and regional levels—among Amnesty International Sections in Europe and Central Asia—and elaborates a national strategy that identifies priority areas, flexible topics, and areas of continuous engagement.

In 2023, the organization aligned with global and regional priorities, including the strengthening of freedom of expression and association, promotion of gender, racial, and intersectional justice, protection of the rights of refugees, migrants, and people with migration backgrounds, and the advancement of climate justice.

Activities were developed within specific campaigns, combining public mobilization with institutional engagement. Key campaigns included:

• “Protect the Protest”: A global Amnesty campaign denouncing violations of the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, with particular concern about shrinking civic space. In Italy, Amnesty denounced the criminalization of protest, conducting nine lobbying actions and coordinating with civil society organizations targeted for acts of peaceful civil disobedience. The “Observers” Task Force conducted ten missions to monitor public demonstrations across the country.
• “Equality, Justice and Intersectionality”: This campaign targeted gender-based, racial, and intersectional injustices. The “Hate Speech” Task Force monitored and countered online hate speech. Amnesty supported LGBTQIA+ rights during Pride events through 53 local groups and continued the lobbying campaign “Io Lo Chiedo: Il sesso senza consenso è stupro” advocating for reform of Article 609-bis of the Italian Criminal Code in line with the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention). Petitions, school education initiatives, and institutional meetings, including with the Minister for Family, Birth Rate and Equal Opportunities, Eugenia Roccella, and Deputy Minister of Justice, Francesco Paolo Sisto were conducted. Amnesty also advocated for the rights of sex workers through the “Sex Work is Work” initiative and for safe and free access to abortion through the distribution of the brochure “Your Choice, Zero Obstacles”.
• Within the framework of the “Migration” campaign, Amnesty International Italy, in the aftermath of the Steccato di Cutro tragedy (a shipwreck that occurred on 26 February 2023 off the Calabrian coast, in which 94 people lost their lives, including 35 minors), expressed serious concerns to the Italian government regarding the enactment of Decree-Law No. 20/2023 (“Urgent provisions on legal entry flows of foreign workers and on the prevention and combatting of irregular immigration”). Dialogues were also initiated with national institutions in relation to the European Pact on Migration and Asylum.
• “Climate Change and Human Rights”: Amnesty Italy reaffirmed its position that the climate crisis is a human rights crisis, joining civil society coalitions to advocate for climate justice and to raise awareness among governments and the public.
• “International Human Rights Crises”: The organization denounced the human rights impact of armed conflicts, focusing particularly on the apartheid regime imposed by Israel and the rights of the Palestinian people. After 7 October 2023, Amnesty demanded a ceasefire, the protection of civilians in Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages.
• “Individuals at Risk”: This campaign continued Amnesty’s work for the unconditional release of prisoners of conscience and the protection of those facing torture or discrimination due to their beliefs.
• “Abolition of the Death Penalty”: As since the foundation of its Italian Section, Amnesty continued its global campaign against the death penalty.

Amnesty International Italy has worked towards concrete change in favour of human rights also through a series of lobbying actions directed at the Italian authorities. One year after the formation of the new government that emerged from the 2022 parliamentary elections, the organization had hoped for a tangible commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. On the contrary, it has observed significant setbacks, including a worrying inertia in countering hate speech; an increasingly securitarian approach to demands for climate justice, accompanied by a tendency to criminalize climate activists; and, among other regressions, the adoption of short-sighted immigration policies.

In 2023, Amnesty International Italy carried out 154 lobbying actions (including three specifically aimed at the establishment of an independent National Human Rights Institution), conducted three hearings, held 27 meetings with Italian authorities, and was referenced 25 times in parliamentary acts. The objective of its lobbying and advocacy activities is to urge the government to take effective measures to address the persistent gaps in Italy with respect to the adequate protection and promotion of human rights.

In summary, the Italian Section of Amnesty International has been particularly active in its campaign for the release of all prisoners of conscience, including Patrick Zaki; in calling for a lasting ceasefire in the Occupied Palestinian Territories; in advocating for the amendment of Article 609-bis of the Penal Code; in expressing concerns regarding the above-mentioned “Cutro Decree” and the restrictions imposed on non-governmental organizations involved in search and rescue operations at sea; and in reiterating the problematic nature of Italian and European cooperation with Libya in the context of migration. It has also strengthened its calls for the decriminalization of defamation through the press and for the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution.

Patrick Zaki is Free

A landmark moment for Amnesty International Italy in 2023 was the release of Egyptian prisoner of conscience Patrick Zaki, detained solely for his human rights work and opinions expressed on social media.

Zaki, a postgraduate student at the University of Bologna, was arrested at Cairo airport on 7 February 2020. He was forcibly disappeared by Egyptian security forces and reappeared the next day before the Mansoura prosecutor’s office. He faced charges of “spreading false news,” “inciting protest,” and “inciting violence and terrorist crimes” based on ten Facebook posts. His pretrial detention was repeatedly extended amid a clear pattern of judicial persecution.

On 18 July 2023, Zaki was sentenced to three years in prison based on false accusations. The following day, Amnesty activists mobilized in numerous Italian cities to demand government intervention. On 19 July, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi granted Zaki a presidential pardon, and on 20 July he was released and returned to Italy three days later.

This outcome was the result of years of persistent campaigning by Amnesty International Italy, including the collection of 185,503 petition signatures, 51 lobbying actions, and over 635 public mobilizations—even during the COVID-19 pandemic. On his return, Zaki was welcomed by many activists who had tirelessly advocated for his release.

Conclusions

The year 2023 marked a period of intense engagement for Amnesty International Italy, characterized by impactful campaigns, strategic lobbying, and widespread public mobilization. From securing the release of Patrick Zaki to defending the right to protest and advocating for the rights of women, migrants, and LGBTQIA+ individuals, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to justice and equality.

In an increasingly challenging political and social environment, Amnesty Italy continued to serve as a critical and constructive voice, promoting meaningful change through the active involvement of civil society.

The 2023 Social Report confirms the ethical and financial solidity of the movement, grounded in transparency, independence, and democratic participation. While challenges remain, so does the unwavering determination to build a future in which human rights are universally respected.