A message from Ken Macdonald QC

I have recently joined Reprieve as its new Chair and I’m writing to thank you for supporting us over the years and helping us to shine the light of law into the darkest prisons.

Thanks to Reprieve, 66 men are now at home with their families instead of languishing without charge in Guantánamo Bay, while over 300 prisoners have been spared execution in the United States and elsewhere around the world. That’s a remarkable track record – and a tribute to every person who works here. We won’t give up bringing daylight into prison cells.

Reprieve is small, completely fearless, and uses the law in extraordinary ways to deliver justice and to save lives. At the heart of our work is the legal principle of habeas corpus – the idea that every prisoner deserves the right to challenge their imprisonment. Since you support our work, I’ve no doubt you share our respect for this powerful value, rooted in the rule of law.

I’ve been so impressed to see at first hand how fiercely Reprieve fights for prisoners’ habeas rights throughout the world. Last week our Secret Prisons team provided urgent assistance for a British man being held incommunicado and at risk of torture in the Horn of Africa. He has now been released, thanks to our work. As Bisher al Rawi, a former Guantánamo Bay prisoner who now works hard for Reprieve, has said: “Reprieve exists to provide a voice for the powerless. Reprieve lawyers fought tirelessly for me until I was finally freed in March 2007 after five years of unlawful imprisonment without charge. Without Reprieve’s help and support I would have had no help, no voice would have been raised to speak for me.”

I am writing to you today because your regular support is essential in enabling us to secure the long-term future of our work, to reach the darkest prisons in countries like Somaliland, and to help free prisoners like Bisher. Please join us in defending habeas corpus around the world by setting up a regular donation or, if you’re unable to make that commitment at the moment, by making a donation of whatever you can.

If you’re already a regular supporter, it would be wonderful if you would consider increasing your standing order to Reprieve. Even an extra £2 a month makes a huge difference to a small charity like ours.

Reprieve currently relies heavily on funds from trusts and foundations to carry out our vital work. This income stream is uncertain, and we are now trying desperately to ensure that Reprieve is protected from the knock-on effects of government cuts. To do this, we need support from individuals. We believe that, while other sources of funding may come and go, there will always be those, like you, who share our values and want to see them in action.

By making a regular donation, you will also become a vital part of a unique organisation, with a remarkable record of habeas corpus achievements and, I’m sure, many more to come.

Please consider helping us by setting up a regular donation today. Thank you.

All the best,

Ken Macdonald QC

Chair