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© www.amnesty.org

Amnesty International (commonly known as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization which defines its mission as "to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights." Founded in the UK in 1961, AI draws its attention to human rights abuses and campaigns for compliance with international standards. It works to mobilize public opinion which exerts pressure on individuals who perpetrate abuses. The organization was awarded the 1977 Nobel Peace Prize for its "campaign against torture" and the UN Human Rights Prize in 1978, but has received criticism for both alleged anti-Western and alleged pro-Western bias.