Courage Team hasn't added a story.

Support Courage's Emergency Funding Drive to defend Whistleblowers Worldwide



Today, Tuesday 12th July, Courage, the international organisation that protects whistleblowers and activists, launches a major funding drive for core costs. We manage the legal and public defence of truthtellers in the most politicised cases, from Edward Snowden to Chelsea Manning, from Barrett Brown to Lauri Love - and we fight for whistleblower protections and the public's right to know generally. Two years on from our launch, we have a fundraising target of £100,000 to secure. If we are unable to meet our needs for core funding within the next month we will be forced to step back our work.



Whilst we are just able to meet the immediate needs of our current individual cases we are launching this drive for core funding to enable us to stabilise, ensure we can pay the staff needed to manage and coordinate these cases, grow our core projects and to be better prepared to help the persecuted whistleblowers and activists who request our assistance every day.



Courage currently manages seven individual cases, including that of Edward Snowden, Courage's first case, which began when we ensured his security by getting him safely out of Hong Kong and asylum in Russia. We built and continue to run the most complete and searchable archive of all Edward Snowden's revelations. Our other cases include Lauri Love (who faces extradition to the US for alleged online protests); the European coordination for alleged WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning; award-winning journalist Barrett Brown, who is in prison for his reporting on corporate surveillance; Matt DeHart, who hosted an Anonymous server with documents destined for WikiLeaks; and Emin Huseynov, whom we assisted in securing asylum in Switzerland when he fled Azerbaijan amidst a human rights crackdown.



As we enter our third year the need for Courage becomes clearer each day, with requests for our assistance coming in regularly. We have also identified a number of areas where we are uniquely experienced to make a difference. For example, regarding solitary confinement in the US, whistleblower protection laws for the most politicized cases in Europe, and technical and legal advice for those thinking of blowing the whistle.



Sarah Harrison, Courage’s acting director and previously investigations editor at WikiLeaks, will be focusing on Courage over the coming months to ensure we are able to meet this need. She said today:

"I am pleased to be concentrating on this Courage funding drive now. Courage's work goes hand in hand with the work I have done with WikiLeaks over the last six years. It’s sorely needed, and I hope the public will help us now when we need it most to ensure we are there to help those that need us. If you wish to ensure Courage is around by the end of this year, to assist our current beneficiaries, take on new cases and expand our global work fighting for whistleblower protections and the public's right to know, please support Courage's core needs now."



We need your help to help those courageous enough to risk everything for your right to know: