For International Human Rights Day on 10 December, REWE has once again dispensed with the logo presence on the jerseys of the 1. FC Köln players. Background: the motto of the FC's season partnership with Amnesty International "ZesammeFürMenschen".
Last weekend, the stage of Germany's top men's and women's football leagues was used for the "FC-Doppelpass" season partnership: Under the motto #ZesammeFürMenschen, Amnesty International Germany and 1. FC Köln sent out a signal at the women's and men's home matches at the weekend that human rights must be respected and protected worldwide. A campaign that has never been seen before in this form in the Bundesliga.
At the men's home match against 1. FSV Mainz 05 (Sunday, 10 December 2023), main and kit partner REWE made the logo presence on the FC jersey free for the message #ZesammeFürMenschen in the name of human rights.
Lionel Souque
"10 December is International Human Rights Day. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For this reason, our FC will be wearing a special jersey against Mainz on this day. We are therefore happy to make room on the jersey for the motto of the FC's season partnership with Amnesty International "Together for People". And thus do without our REWE logo. As a clear sign of our commitment to human rights - because human rights are non-negotiable," said Lionel Souque, CEO of the REWE Group in the run-up to the so-called Human Rights Match Day.
There were a number of programme items as part of the men's home game. Musician Stephan Brings sang the song "Liebe gewinnt" before kick-off and all fans in the RheinEnergieSTADION were invited to set an example together by switching on their mobile phone torch and shining a light in dark times. Fans were able to find out more about the partnership between Amnesty International and the 1. FC Köln Foundation and about Amnesty International's activities at information stands.
The actions at the weekend centred on the case of women's rights activist Nahid Taghavi, who has German and Iranian citizenship and lives in Cologne. The now 69-year-old German-Iranian woman, who has lived in Cologne for over 40 years, was unlawfully arrested in 2020 during a visit to Iran, sentenced to ten years in prison and tortured in custody.
