Azadi Charity, one of the best-known UK-based charities to launch operations since the fall of Kabul in 2021, has rebranded to “Free From Fear”. Building on the charity's exceptional track record of supporting high-value targets for the Taliban to evacuate from the country, Free From Fear will continue to focus its resources on Afghan resettlement in 2023.
Azadi was established in 2021 by four lawyers who were supporting Afghan regime targets to escape danger and resettle in safety. Since then, the same team has grown to 20 volunteers who combine expertise from legal and professional services, military operations, the special forces, government, and diplomacy. Together they have helped over 3000 people to be evacuated from Afghanistan and resettled them and their families in countries around the world.
Free From Fear will continue to build on this work with that same team. Since launching, the charity has been handling dozens of families and cases at a time as well as problem-shooting with a coordinated set of NGOs on the complex processes established by the UK government and others to resettle Afghans who worked with the West over the past 20 years. Free From Fear will continue to specialise in unique cases, from Afghan judges to military personnel, from intelligence officials to human rights defenders, and the high-value targets for the Taliban regime.
Having established in the challenging circumstances of the fall of Kabul, Free From Fear’s unique perspective and expertise will continue to help severely at-risk Afghans to resettle in the UK, Europe, USA, Canada and South America.
Managing Director of Free From Fear, Sarah Magill, said:
“Free From Fear doesn’t just represent a rebrand. It encapsulates what we do by bringing people to safety and securing their futures. The atrocities that are unfolding in Afghanistan, including public executions, the suppression of women and human rights violations provide as much evidence as anyone should need to get behind this charity and what we do. We are giving families new hope, in some cases new lives, and I’m immensely proud of what has been achieved to date. While we say goodbye to “Azadi”, I’m delighted to launch “Free From Fear” and look forward to working with our many partners, trustees and friends in 2023.”
For media enquiries or links to brand assets, please contact Harry at harry@freefromfear.uk
Notes to editors
1. Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, a host of international NGOs, human rights specialists and non-government entities have been helping people most at risk in Afghanistan to leave. One of these organisations is Azadi Charity.
2. The brutal Taliban regime continue to harass and detain people who worked for Western governments, human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, journalists, and female protesters who peacefully demand their right to work and other freedoms.
3. There are wide-ranging reports, including from Human Rights Watch, that more than a hundred people associated with the former government have been executed or forcibly
disappeared.
Background on Azadi Charity, now Free From Fear.
4. Established in 2021, Azadi is a British-registered charity set up by four lawyers supporting Afghan regime targets to leave danger and resettle in safety.
5. Although based in the UK, we do not just try to get people to Britain. We look at each family on a case-by-case basis, and explore what international links they have, before helping them to apply for the relevant pathway to safety.
6. We lobby and advocate where necessary and when it is in the interests of our beneficiaries.
7. In September 2022, the charity hosted its first event in the Houses of Parliament to continue to apply pressure on the government in support of our clients and objectives