Wailim Wong, Amnesty International south west regional media officer, writes:

At this time of year Amnesty International members and ­supporters send greeting cards to victims of human rights abuses all over the world.

The annual Write for Rights campaign highlights 12 cases of individuals who have faced ­torture, persecution, unfair ­trials or detention, often for simply having the courage to say what they believe in.

This year’s cases include young student activist Phyoe Phyoe Aung, who was sent to prison after a protest against new education laws in Burma; Yves Makwambala and Fred Bauma, who were imprisoned in the Democratic Republic of Congo after launching a movement to increase civic education; and Teodora Del Carmen Vasquez, who was sentenced to 30 years in prison in El Salvador after giving birth to a stillborn baby, which the authorities said was evidence of an attempted abortion.

After last year’s campaign, one prisoner, Moses Akatugba from Nigeria, wrote: ‘I’ve never met these people, but they used their time, money and energy and I received thousands of ­letters and cards. They are the reason I am free; they are my heroes.’

Visit www.amnesty.org.uk/ write.