THERE were nine cases for Amnesty supporters to choose from at the latest letter-writing session held by the Minehead group.

These included appeals to Iran, Vietnam, Egypt and the USA in respect of a human rights lawyer, activists on environmental and LGBT issues.

People also wrote to plead for Leonard Pettifer, a Native American in poor health, who has been in prison for four decades, often in solitary confinement.

His family lives 2000 miles away, making visits almost impossible. It has emerged that the FBI coerced a witness and withheld evidence at his trial.

Letters, which were written on July 18 at the Quaker Meeting House, are sent to the authorities, and/or to the respective Embassies in London.

The next meeting of the branch is on Thursday September 5 at 3pm at The Beach Hotel.