Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

Today, 23 June 2014, Amnesty International launches its open source ‘Panic Button’ app to help human rights defenders facing imminent danger. The aim is to increase protection for those who face the threat of arrest, attack, kidnap and torture. In short:

The new Panic Button app is now available for public download on Google Playstore. The ‘Panic Button’ mobile app for Android, developed by Amnesty International in collaboration with iilab, activists, tech experts and volunteers from around the world, transforms a user’s smart phone into a secret alarm which can be activated rapidly in the event of an emergency, alerting fellow activists to the danger their colleague faces so that they can get help faster. Panic Button has been made available for global download in four languages after three months of private beta testing with hundreds of users from Amnesty International’s networks in more than 17 countries.

“We have long known that the first hours after somebody’s arrest are the crucial window of opportunity for a network to make a difference to their colleague’s release—whether it be flooding the police station with calls, arranging a protest, or mobilizing lawyers and organizations like Amnesty International for a campaign of international pressure.” said Tanya O’Carroll, Technology and Human Rights Officer for Amnesty International.