An kafa Amnesty International a London a watan Yulin 1961 ta lauyan kwadago na Ingila Peter Benenson tare da Farfesa na Shari'a da abokinsa Philip James. A cewar asusun Benenson, yana tafiya a cikin jirgin karkashin kasa na London a ranar 19 ga Nuwamba 1960 lokacin da ya karanta cewa an yanke wa ɗalibai biyu na Fotigal daga Coimbra hukuncin shekaru bakwai na kurkuku a Fotigal saboda zargin da ake yi na "yin giya ga 'yanci". Masu bincike ba su taɓa bin diddigin labarin jaridar da ake zargi a cikin tambaya ba. A cikin 1960, gwamnatin António de Oliveira Salazar ta Estado Novo ce ke mulkin Fotigal. Gwamnatin ta kasance mai iko a cikin yanayi kuma mai tsananin adawa da kwaminisanci, tana danne abokan gaba na jihar a matsayin masu adawa da Fotigal. A cikin jaridar jaridarsa ta "The Forgotten Prisoners", Benenson ya bayyana abin da ya faru a baya kamar haka: "Kowace rana a cikin jaridarku za ku iya samun wani a cikin mako kuma labarin daga Coimbra an yanke masa hukuncin shekaru bakwai na kurkuku a Fotigal saboda an yi masa hukuncin
Shekara ta 1961