The people waiting, and the people who came home
Behind every number on this site is a family. This section exists to give those families a place to be heard, in their own words, on their own terms.
Known to us
Most entries here are official statements. Some carry a short personal note from our team, marked Known to us, because we know the people who came home and waited with their families at the border. Those notes stay exactly as they were written.
Share your story
If you are a defender who has returned, a family member of someone who is still held, or an organization working with families, you can contact us through the form on our Voices for Freedom page. The form is read by Chris Sampson and three volunteers. Nothing you send is shared beyond that.
How we handle what you tell us
Nothing about a person who is still in captivity is published without written consent from the family. Returned defenders decide what is said about them. We publish a name only if the family gives it, the official record already carries it, or the person has spoken publicly. Children are named by first name or not at all, and photographs of children are published only with the parents’ agreement. Anything we publish can be removed at the family’s request, within 24 hours, with no questions asked.