Sir, – How ironic that Amnesty International, an organisation that does such a vital and necessary job in defending those who cannot defend themselves, and who are frequently the only ones to give a voice to the voiceless in vulnerable situations, should be calling for more easily available abortion ("Ireland's law on abortion violates human rights, says Amnesty secretary general", June 9th). – Yours, etc,
DONAL DEASY,
Richmond,
British Columbia,
Canada.
Sir, – I support a liberalisation of Ireland’s abortion laws. And yet I find it disquieting that Amnesty International is taking such a robust stance in relation to the issue, which for me, yet again, is a sign of mission creep in an organisation whose laudable aims were historically centred on freeing prisoners of conscience, ending torture and consigning the death penalty to the dustbin of history.
With those ambitions not yet fulfilled, I wonder does the effort put into campaigns regarding abortion and gay marriage alienate a sizeable number who could sign up to Amnesty’s goals on penal reform but who would balk at a wider interpretation of human rights? – Yours, etc,
DAVID CLARKE,
Edinburgh.