Kevin, a politically active journalist from Cameroon, sought refuge in the UK after being constantly targeted by government authorities for his work. He was arrested, detained and tortured numerous times for exposing and criticising the government. Being a member of a non-violent, self-determination organisation advocating for the independence of the Read more…
Adeeb and his family have lived their entire lives in Pakistan fearing for their safety. Being members of a minority sect within Shia Islam, they have been routinely harassed, threatened and, both physically and psychologically, abused. Adeeb was refused a government teaching position at a local school on religious grounds. Read more…
Shahidul Alam, an award-winning photographer, writer and activist from Bangladesh, was being held indefinitely and without bail after openly criticising the government’s violent handling of student led demonstrations. On 29 July 2018, two teenagers were killed by a speeding bus, sparking peaceful demonstrations by students calling for better road safety laws. In an interview Read more…
Farhad, an ambitious student from Iran, participated in student-led demonstrations against the Iranian dictatorship, calling for reform and freedom of press. For that, he was detained and tortured. In the lead up to the Iranian elections, Farhad also spoke out and distributed leaflets about the elections process. He was again arrested Read more…
We are delighted to announce that our long term friend and supporter, John Simpson, will be presenting our BBC Radio 4 Charity Appeal. Our appeal will broadcast on 28th April at 07:54 and 21:25 and on 2nd May at 15:27. We hope that the fantastic combination of John and BBC Read more…
Amina, a Christian Pakistani nurse, has been continuously harassed by one of her Muslim colleagues at the hospital where she works. Using either bribes or derogatory and abusive comments, he has been trying to convert her to Islam and force her to marry him. Refusing his advances and requests, the Read more…
![Petr Adam Dohnálek [CC BY-SA 3.0 cz (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/cz/deed.en)], from Wikimedia Commons](https://dev.prisonersofconscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/People-1-Kamil-Khartoum-University-360x240.jpg)
In Sudan, objecting to government decisions can be dangerous, as Kamil, a teaching assistant at the University of Khartoum, was to discover. After protesting on behalf of suspended students, he was persecuted and tortured by the Sudanese Security Authority. In April 2016, after a decision by the Sudanese government to sell part of Read more…
Anya, a Kurdish lawyer, human rights activist, and single mother from Turkey, has been subjected to ethnic persecution for as long as she can remember. At the age of 14, she became involved with a political party that promoted cultural and political rights of all Kurds. It was that same Read more…
In the past months we have seen unprecedented media coverage of the dreadful ordeals that so many refugees are facing as they flee for their lives from conflict and tyranny. The horrific and heartbreaking images beamed across the world are a stark reminder of how lucky we are to live in Read more…
A few words can put your whole existence into grave danger We are reminded constantly of how lucky we are to have the freedom to say what we want without fear of reprisals, unlike so many of the people we assist. It is hard to imagine what strength and courage it Read more…