Is it permissible to pay a bribe to release an oppressed prisoner, and is that considered part of zakat?

Bribery is forbidden and a major sin, unless one uses it to obtain their right or to avert injustice or harm from themselves, in which case it is permissible and may even be obligatory, with the sin falling upon the recipient of the bribe. Bribery is not considered part of zakat, for zakat is designated for the eight categories mentioned in the Quran. If the prisoner is poor, it is permissible to give him zakat and to authorize someone to receive it on his behalf.