Lessons learned for Amnesty's statement. AI, which is HQ'd in UK had been bizarrely silent compared to rivals @HRW, etc Supporters made many complaints and moved to protest at regional offices e.g Australia. Bolder new Amnesty leadership @kuminaidoo appointed August 1.
Since March 31 Assange's legal team had made an explicit effort to encourage supporters to make 'human rights'' groups (specifically Amnesty) live up to their claimed principles (rather than their government funding). Many did, including #Unity4J.
A change in leadership can further open the window to a change in policy but the pressure must be there. Note that Amnesty's statement, while very welcome, was quietly slipped out on a Friday shortly after supporters moved to picket its offices.
Pressure for Amnesty to live up to its claimed principles should be maintained until it is placing such statements on its web site and its leadership is tweething them out, as @HRW are doing.
Human rights groups, as they claim to support the right to protest, freedom of speech have few political defences against being picketed when they break their espoused principles. Regional offices also create numerous points of engagement that may have fewer spin masters.
