As Brazil reels from the murder of city councilor Marielle Franco, it is instructive to remember the broader backdrop of repression. Brazil leads the list in murders of ecological and agricultural activists in the Americas, with 46 being slain last year alone.
The information is taken from Biodiversidad en América Latina y el Caribe.
In 2017, 312 activists in 27
countries were killed for their non-violent activities, according to data
compiled by Front Line Defenders.
Dedicated to the more than 300 human rights defenders killed this year, the FDL’s Annual Report on Human Rights Defenders at Risk opens with two pages that list the names of those who died. The report details the physical attacks, threats, judicial harassment and smear campaigns used by state, non-state and corporate actors to obstruct the peaceful work of human rights defenders around the world.
More than two thirds, 67% of the total number of murdered activists, defended rights over land, the environment and indigenous peoples, almost always in the context of activities of extractive industries, megaprojects and large companies.
Of the cases collected, only 12% of all murder cases resulted in the arrest of suspects. Impunity for acts of violence and chronic lack of protection for defenders at risk continues to generate a climate of frequent killings, the organization said. Of the cases in which data on previous threats were collected, 84% of the defenders had received at least one personal death threat before being killed.
"Throughout the world, defenders continue to tell us that police and government officials refuse to respond to requests for protection after death threats," said Executive Director Andrew Anderson at the launch of the report in Dublin. "The killings almost always occur after a series or pattern of threats, which indicates that if the police take preventive measures and the authorities take the threats against the defenders seriously, the murders could be drastically reduced."
In addition to the high murder rate in 2017, criminalization remained the most common strategy used to obstruct the crucial work of human rights defenders. In 2017, thousands of activists were arrested on false accusations, subjected to prolonged legal proceedings, costly and unfair or sentenced to long prison terms. In several countries, the authorities accused defenders of "waging war on the state" and "secession," charges that can lead to the death penalty. In the Middle East and North Africa, human rights defenders faced charges related to terrorism, state security and espionage. In Vietnam, the government organized a systematic campaign against bloggers, academics and journalists in 2017, with activists arrested, accused, labeled "enemies of the state" and subjected to imprisonment for up to ten years and additional time under house arrest.
The report also highlights that international pressure on governments attacking the activists is crucial. In 2016, six activists in Sudan were arrested and prosecuted for "conspiracy to conduct intelligence and espionage activities in favor of foreign embassies" and "waging war against the state." Three of them were detained for almost a year and two were tortured. But after an extensive campaign of national and international pressure, the six received a presidential pardon in August 2017.
In many of the cases denounced by Front Line Defenders, both judicial harassment and physical attacks were preceded by defamation and smear campaigns at the local level. Female human rights defenders around the world reported increasing campaigns of sexual defamation aimed at bringing them into disrepute and hindering their activism by undermining their local support networks.
In response, according to Executive Director Andrew Anderson, Front Line Defenders is working to promote the safety of human rights defenders with a range of protection programs. In addition to training in risk management and digital protection, political advocacy at national, international and EU level, emergency relocation and almost 500 protection grants provided to activists at risk in 2017, Front Line Defenders also works with human rights activists to design visibility strategies that counteract the campaigns of defamation and disrepute that place them in situations of risk.
Dedicated to the more than 300 human rights defenders killed this year, the FDL’s Annual Report on Human Rights Defenders at Risk opens with two pages that list the names of those who died. The report details the physical attacks, threats, judicial harassment and smear campaigns used by state, non-state and corporate actors to obstruct the peaceful work of human rights defenders around the world.
More than two thirds, 67% of the total number of murdered activists, defended rights over land, the environment and indigenous peoples, almost always in the context of activities of extractive industries, megaprojects and large companies.
Of the cases collected, only 12% of all murder cases resulted in the arrest of suspects. Impunity for acts of violence and chronic lack of protection for defenders at risk continues to generate a climate of frequent killings, the organization said. Of the cases in which data on previous threats were collected, 84% of the defenders had received at least one personal death threat before being killed.
"Throughout the world, defenders continue to tell us that police and government officials refuse to respond to requests for protection after death threats," said Executive Director Andrew Anderson at the launch of the report in Dublin. "The killings almost always occur after a series or pattern of threats, which indicates that if the police take preventive measures and the authorities take the threats against the defenders seriously, the murders could be drastically reduced."
In addition to the high murder rate in 2017, criminalization remained the most common strategy used to obstruct the crucial work of human rights defenders. In 2017, thousands of activists were arrested on false accusations, subjected to prolonged legal proceedings, costly and unfair or sentenced to long prison terms. In several countries, the authorities accused defenders of "waging war on the state" and "secession," charges that can lead to the death penalty. In the Middle East and North Africa, human rights defenders faced charges related to terrorism, state security and espionage. In Vietnam, the government organized a systematic campaign against bloggers, academics and journalists in 2017, with activists arrested, accused, labeled "enemies of the state" and subjected to imprisonment for up to ten years and additional time under house arrest.
The report also highlights that international pressure on governments attacking the activists is crucial. In 2016, six activists in Sudan were arrested and prosecuted for "conspiracy to conduct intelligence and espionage activities in favor of foreign embassies" and "waging war against the state." Three of them were detained for almost a year and two were tortured. But after an extensive campaign of national and international pressure, the six received a presidential pardon in August 2017.
In many of the cases denounced by Front Line Defenders, both judicial harassment and physical attacks were preceded by defamation and smear campaigns at the local level. Female human rights defenders around the world reported increasing campaigns of sexual defamation aimed at bringing them into disrepute and hindering their activism by undermining their local support networks.
In response, according to Executive Director Andrew Anderson, Front Line Defenders is working to promote the safety of human rights defenders with a range of protection programs. In addition to training in risk management and digital protection, political advocacy at national, international and EU level, emergency relocation and almost 500 protection grants provided to activists at risk in 2017, Front Line Defenders also works with human rights activists to design visibility strategies that counteract the campaigns of defamation and disrepute that place them in situations of risk.
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