Amnesty names Indian as new secretary general

Amnesty International announced Monday the appointment of a new secretary general, Salil Shetty, an Indian national who has been director of the UN's Millennium Campaign for the past six years.

Amnesty International announced Monday the appointment of a new secretary general, Salil Shetty, an Indian national who has been director of the UN's Millennium Campaign for the past six years.

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"We are thrilled that Salil will be joining us and leading Amnesty International as we renew our fight to end injustice -- campaigning with those imprisoned because of their ideas, those on death row, those being tortured, and those who have their rights denied because they live in poverty," said Peter Pack, chairman of the London-based rights group's executive committee.

Shetty ran British development charity ActionAid for five years until 2003, when he joined the UN Millennium Campaign tasked with realising the Millennium Development Goals. He will take over at Amnesty in June.

"I feel privileged to be given this amazing opportunity at a time when the world needs human rights for all more than ever before," he said.

Amnesty's current secretary general, Irene Khan, will step down after eight years on December 31, leaving senior director for research and regional programmes Claudio Cordone to act as interim chief for six months.