Prisoners of Conscience Appeal Fund

Established in 1962 as the relief arm of Amnesty International, the Prisoners of Conscience Appeal Fund is the only agency in the UK making grants specifically to prisoners of conscience – individuals who have been persecuted for their conscientiously held beliefs, provided that they have not used or advocated violence. Their grant recipients include political prisoners, human rights defenders, lawyers, environmental activists, teachers and academics who come from many different countries. The Fund’s grants cover general hardship relief, furniture, medicines, travel costs, family reunion costs, education, requalification and resettlement costs, and medical treatment and counselling after torture.