THANK you for publishing a tribute to Ted Stevens in last Friday’s edition.

I first met Ted in the Bournemouth group of Amnesty International in 1999 and it was a privilege to be able to campaign alongside him. Ted combined in-depth knowledge of human rights issues with a passion for righting the wrongs of the world.

One of his proudest moments was receiving a personal email from Governor of Illinois Pat Quinn, in March 2011, announcing that following a letter campaign in which our group had taken an active part, he had just signed the Senate Bill abolishing the death penalty in his state.

Such clear-cut victories when fighting for human rights are rare but for Ted and for our group, they make all the hard work seem worthwhile.

GENEVIÈVE TALON

Chine Crescent Road, Bournemouth