Dear

This week we received some welcome news in the case of our friend and colleague, Mubarak Bala, President of the Humanist Association of Nigeria.

Many of you will know that Mubarak had been serving a 24-year prison sentence for allegedly sharing posts on social media which were deemed to have caused a public disturbance due to their “blasphemous” content. Following a successful legal appeal, we are pleased to report his sentence has now been reduced to five years.

Members and supporters of Humanists International will be well aware of Mubarak's case, having helped to raise the funds required to make his appeal possible. 

Following this week's decision, Mubarak now has one year left of his sentence to serve however our work is not over; the state still has the opportunity to appeal. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will work to support Mubarak until his safe release.

At Humanists International, we believe everyone should have the right to express their non-religious beliefs without facing repercussions like this.

Sadly, our research on the Freedom of Thought Report shows that 70% of the world’s population live in countries where the expression of humanist values is severely repressed. 

Worse still, outspoken humanists and atheists who do express their beliefs or criticize religion often face discrimination, ostracism, prison terms, or even death – be it from state-sanctioned punishment or vigilante violence.

The support we are able to offer humanists like Mubarak Bala is entirely dependant on the donations we receive each year.

Since the program officially launched in 2020, we have been able to help more than 750 people and demand for the service is always high, with new requests arriving every week.

If you would like to help someone facing persecution as a result of their non-religious beliefs this year, please consider a donation today. Every contribution we receive will be used wisely to help as many people as possible, prioritizing those at the greatest risk and whom we know we are best positioned to help.

Thank you in advance for your support and solidarity.

Best wishes

Gary McLelland
Chief Executive

P.S. Every month, on average, we receive 17 requests for help from individuals across the globe who are at risk for voicing their humanist beliefs. Please show your solidarity with a donation to protect a humanist at risk today. Thank you.