LONDON - Alongside its litany of human rights abuses, Amnesty International broke with usual format and highlighted a separate list of "good news stories" in its annual report published here Tuesday.

In 2001, the London-based rights group said, many prisoners of conscience were released, other detainees had death sentences commuted, and the human rights situations of many other people saw measured improvement.

-The stop torture campaign: In its first five months, more than 19,500 subscribers from 188 countries sent e-mails to governments on behalf of eight individuals facing torture. Three have since been released.

-Urgent action: During 2001, amnesty initiated 408 "urgent action" appeals. Of 79 detainees referred to in 18 urgent action postings on its website, 32 have been released from prison or saved from torture or imminent execution.

-Legal matters: The International Criminal Court is to come into effect after the rome statute setting up the tribunal is ratified by 60 countries. The court will have jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

-The death penalty: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, five child soldiers had their death sentences commuted to life imprisonment. In Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf announced that all juvenile death sentences would be commuted to life. In the Philippines, outgoing president Joseph Estrada signed commutation orders for 103 death row inmates. In the United States, executions decreased for the second year in a row -- 66 people were put to death compared to 85 in 2000 and 98 in 1999.

-Africa: In the Democratic Republic of Congo, human rights leader N'sii Luanda Shandwe was freed after three months as a prisoner of conscience. A colleague, Golden Misabniko, was released a month later.

In Guinea, opposition leader Alpha Conde was released on a presidential pardon after nearly two and a half years in prison.

"Thanks to the support of Amnesty International members, I never felt alone," he said.

-Asia: The release of Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi in may this year was "a very positive development," amnesty said. It counted 280 political prisoners released since high-level talks between the military government and her national leage for democracy began in December 2000.

In Tibet, Jigme Sangpo, 76, its longest-serving prisoner of conscience, was freed eight years before the end of a 28-year sentence. He had spent most of the past 40 years behind bars.

Another Tibetan, Ngawan Choephel, was released in January. "It is important that you succeed in other cases like you succeeded in my case," he said.

-Americas: In Mexico, Rodolfo Montiel and Teodoro Cabrera were released in November. They had spearheaded an environmental campaign that led to their arrest, torture and jailing for two and a half years. In February this year, General Francisco Gallardo was released after being detained for more than eight years for criticising rights abuses by Mexico's armed forces.

In Uruguay, Sara Mendez was reunited with her son Simon Riquelo after a judge in Argentina confirmed that Riquelo, now 25, had been snatched from her as a baby while she was detained by the military and adopted by an Argentinian family.

-Middle East: Ghassan Muhammed Attamleh, an Israeli Arab detained without charge or trial apparently in connection with political activity, was released in June and thanked amnesty for its role. In Morocco, three Sahrawi prisoners of conscience were released after a year in jail for alleged connections with the Polisario front.

-Europe: In Armenia, two conscientious objecters were released early from jail terms for refusing military service. In Turkmenistan, a Christian was freed, and in Turkey, death threats against human rights activist Eren Keskin and a colleague were highlighed by amnesty and forced authorities to offer them some protection, AFP said.