Lawyers challenging those responsible for human rights violations pay an extremely high price - becoming targets of intimidation and repression because of the nature of the cases they take on.

They may have their work obstructed, be followed, watched, harassed, subjected to spurious prosecutions, killed or ‘forcibly disappeared’. Many are forced into exile in fear of their lives. In Colombia alone many lawyers are murdered each year, the vast majority with impunity.

Around one in three of the human rights defenders PBI works with are lawyers, and many more provide legal advice and support alongside other work.

PBI UK has recently created the Alliance for Lawyers at Risk, a network of British lawyers who contribute their time, expertise and political influence to support threatened lawyers accompanied by PBI.