Access to justice and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights and contribute as much to the development of human beings as to the fulfilment of their vital needs

Confronting the obstacles facing marginalised people seeking justice for human rights violations in fragile states requires both a flexible approach and time. With your donations, we can carry out complex projects designed to apply over the long term.

Your donations enable us to maintain our independence from the political agendas of governments and institutional donors.

“It doesn’t matter how good a justice system is if people can’t use it. Nothing is more important than the ability of people to use the justice system and to gain advantages of it in terms of health, education and all other social possibilities.”
(Larry Taman)

“Legal stakeholders, NGOs and lawyers can change society. Together, we can put an end to the culture of tyranny and give people confidence in the legal system.”
(Dakher Aloui)

“I firmly believe that we can use the law to bring about positive changes in our societies.”
(Delphine Djiraibe)

ASF is an open network to which you can make a direct contribution, be it through becoming a member of our General Assembly, or using your skills to work on our projects through the International Legal Network.

The needs of justice are enormous and they drive our organisation forward to constantly evolve, be it in the subject fields we cover, the approaches we adopt or the parts of the world in which we work. We need you in order to achieve this.

Donating to ASF is quick and easy. Donate by credit card, bank transfer or smartphone.

Your donations to ASF are tax-deductible: if your donations total €40 or more in a single tax year, you will be able to deduct up to half of your contribution from your taxable income.

ASF encourages everyone to share their experiences and to drive forward, together, change through law.

Lawyers cannot promote change on their own. Our organisation works with all kinds of people to bring about long-term access to justice: paralegals, community stakeholders, medical-social support services, psychologists and more.

Our expertise in the field of legal aid has been built up over 25 years of experience in fragile and/or developing states. We share this expertise through the publication of studies and analyses freely accessible.

ASF jointly sets up and implements its projects alongside national organisations. These partnerships enable us to maximise the impact of our shared actions and to properly meet the expectations of the beneficiaries of our projects.

ASF learns from its experience and includes its action in the information taken during the roll-out of projects in the field.

“Without the justice system and the trial, I would never have been able to come forward as a victim. Without ASF, I would be forgotten. My hope is that the person who did this will never do it again. We’re testifying so that if other women go through the same thing, they will have the courage to testify as well.”

To help to restore the dignity of vulnerable people and their ability to actively overcome abuse.

Over the course of 2016, over a thousand people detained illegally were released thanks to the action of ASF.

In Burundi, the rights of marginalised people were better respected in provinces where ASF was active than in those where it did not operate.

ASF places particular importance on gender equality among staff at HQ and at our various field sites. In the regions where we operate, ASF also strongly promotes the recruitment of national staff and very rarely employs expatriates.

Your donations enable us to respond to emergency situations, for example providing support for lawyers threatened because they defend human rights.

“Thanks to ASF, my daughter now holds a registry office document, and legally exists. She will be able to enrol in school and this will make all the formalities throughout her lifetime much easier”
(Arsène, Central African Republic)

“Starting from scratch, we have made our dreams come true.”
(Dominique Kamuandu, Coordinator of the ASF Programme in DR Congo)