The human rights defenders targeted killings (HRD-TK) dataset

Armed Conflict and Human Rights in Colombia

The article is devoted to highlighting the activities of international and national non-governmental organizations for the protection of human rights defenders; defining their place and role in the existing international and national human rights systems. Attention is focused on the activities of such non- governmental human rights organizations as: International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Observatory For Defenders, Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders (FLD), Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC), etc. It is noted that there is a significant trend towards an increase in the number of non-governmental organisations on the African continent in response to numerous violations of the rights of human rights defenders. These organisations include: Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), West African Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN), AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network), Network of Human Rights Defenders in Central Africa (REDHAC), Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI), DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP)), SouthernDefenders (Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN)). It is concluded that the importance and activities of international and national non-governmental organizations are that they are, first of all, an integral part of the international universal and regional mechanisms for the protection of human rights, since human rights defenders are guaranteed the rights provided for in international human rights instruments, and therefore, in case of their violation, they have the right to apply to the supervisory bodies of these treaties (the Human Rights Committee, the European Court of Human Rights, the Committee against Torture, etc.; secondly, the above mentioned organizations contribute to the protection of the rights and freedoms of human rights defenders, taking into account the specifics of the region and national legislation; focus on respecting gender equality; make significant efforts to improve the existing legal framework for the protection of human rights defenders, expand the rights of this category of persons, taking into account the changing situation in the world with human rights and modern challenges.

Introduction. The issue of protecting and promoting respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the International Charter is firmly on the international agenda. Although the primary responsibility for ensuring human rights rests with States as key actors in international law, human rights defenders play an important role in this area. The activities of human rights defenders, whose right «individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels» enshrined in United Nations Declaration 53/144 (1998), often involve significant risks. For example, human rights defenders themselves often fall victim to human rights abuses. Such cases not only violate the human rights of human rights defenders, but also pose a threat to a democratic society and the rule of law in general. The existence of such a situation requires an effective and timely response from states and international organizations, in particular at the international regional level. The main results of the study. The article analyzes the provisions of international regional legal acts (African Union, Organization of American States, Council of Europe, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe etc.) on the situation of human rights defenders. It is noted that the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (1998) serves as a model act in this area. The article emphasizes the need to develop and adopt within regional organizations acts on the legal status of human rights defenders and guarantees of their activities, which take into account the specifics of the geographical region. It is also noted that at the international regional level there are relevant monitoring bodies (Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Commissioner for Human Rights, Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and Justice Operators etc.), whose functions are to study the legal status of human rights defenders, collect information on violations human best practices in combating such violations. Results. The legal basis for the status of human rights defenders and guarantees of their activities at the international regional level (AU, OAS, OSCE, CoE, etc.) is based on the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (1998). At the same time, the adopted regional acts (resolutions, declarations, guidelines, etc.) enshrine guarantees and measures to protect the rights of human rights defenders, taking into account the specifics of the geographical region, cultural characteristics, traditions, religion. In addition, special monitoring bodies and procedures have been established within regional organizations to investigate human rights violations of the defenders, develop recommendations to states to prevent and eradicate such violations, and generalize and disseminate best practices in this area.

Legal protection of human rights defenders in Indonesia is crucial for the state to fulfil, promote and develop human rights. This research focuses on the reformulation of legal obscurity in regulations that have not legitimised the protection of human rights defenders. Various forms of vulnerability of human rights defenders in fact lead to human rights violations such as Criminalisation, Victimisation, Anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation), Cyber Attacks and physical attacks intended for human rights defenders which reinforce Impunity. The facts show that the activities of human rights defenders are very vulnerable, it is appropriate to require legal protection in each of their activities. The vulnerability of the activities carried out by human rights defenders, which basically aims to contribute to the quality of State administration in promoting human rights, shows that protection for human rights defenders is important to be reformulated. By considering several important issues that are the focus of the research, the protection of Human Rights Defenders consists of, for instance, legal protection, which is not only related to the establishment of laws and regulations that guarantee the protection of Human Rights Defenders, but also to the elimination of laws that have the potential to threaten, restriction and violate Human Rights Defenders, guarantees and support for the activities of Human Rights Defenders, including the effectiveness of Human Rights Defenders in the process of advocacy, such as the right to information, communication with both government and non-government organisations, and recognition of Human Rights Defenders' advocacy. This also covers the guarantee of defenders' right to immunity for their advocacy activities.

This article explores the issues of ensuring the safety of human rights defenders and the existing international mechanisms for countering security challenges faced by this category of individuals. It focuses on the provisions of international legal instruments that define the status of human rights defenders and emphasize the current problems related to ensuring their safety. The article highlights the provisions of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of 1998, which serves as the foundational universal international act for the protection of human rights defenders. It also analyzes resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council (3/2 Promotion and protection of human rights in Nicaragua, 43/28 Situation of human rights in the Syrian Arab Republic, 44/20 Promotion and protection of human rights in the context of peaceful protests, and 44/19 Situation of human rights in Belarus), which express serious concerns regarding unlawful actions against human rights defenders in the respective states. Additionally, the article reviews the reports of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, which draw attention to the heightened risks faced by those advocating for land rights, the environment, peace, access to justice, sexual diversity, freedom of expression, and gender equality. The article also analyzes the proposals put forward by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights regarding actions to implement the 1998 Declaration and to ensure the safety of human rights defenders. Information is presented on existing negative practices of human rights violations committed against defenders, provided by the international organization Front Line Defenders, which operates to protect human rights defenders at risk. It is emphasized that common violations against human rights defenders include arbitrary detention and arrest of journalists and media workers, restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression, enforced disappearances, torture, arbitrary detention, criminal prosecution, forced displacement, stigmatization, administrative obstacles, smear campaigns aimed at discrediting defenders, and more. Vulnerable groups of human rights defenders who are at risk in any society are identified, including women human rights defenders, members of national minorities, among others. Relevant conclusions and recommendations are provided.

The role of women human rights defenders in Colombia is fundamental. The conditions of socioeconomic inequality, gender-based inequalities and discrimination, and the armed conflict have been complex scenarios in which women’s leadership in the defence of human rights and peace have played a leading role. The creation of diverse collective processes and social networks at the local and national levels have been crucial strategies in the work of women defenders, their advocacy, and their forms of resistance. Their impact is undeniable. However, the work of women human rights defenders in Colombia has not been easy and has been frequently threatened. Hundreds of women human rights defenders have left the country as exiles over the past three decades or have been forcibly displaced within the country to protect their lives, many have suffered direct attacks, and some of them have been killed. The forms and impacts of violence against them have differential characteristics with respect to other defenders, which reveal the presence of gender stereotypes. In addition, indigenous, peasant, and lesbian, bisexual and trans women (LBT women) defenders face aggravated risks. Paradoxically, their visibility in the defence of peace has had very high costs for them after the signing of the Peace Accord between government and FARC-EP guerrillas in 2016. Women here are at a differential risk not only because they support the Peace Accord implementation in contexts where there are sectors that oppose it, but because they have gone beyond the low-key behaviour that is still expected for women in the political arena in many places of Colombia. Despite all this, they continue to lead the defence of human rights and their political advocacy has led to the creation of specific protection programmes for them by the Colombian state, the implementation of which is currently a challenge.

The Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms passed in 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly marked a milestone for the defence of human rights. This article considers some of the limitations around the concept of and term ‘human rights defenders’, and sets out some considerations for the development of a critical and ethical approach elaborating on criteria in the declaration of how to better understand and define human rights defenders through their practice. This article argues that such an approach, utilising insights from relevant critical theory, should be developed on the basis of the principles and values that recognise that although rights are universal, they are not applied everywhere in the same way or for all individuals equally. This article posits an approach in which the defender is understood, and constructed, as a relational agent situated in human rights work. Such a focus, this article argues, can not only help defenders, and those who work with them, to better understand and reflect on their experiences and improve their praxis, but can also lead to tangible improvements in the practices and policies employed for protecting human rights defenders throughout the world.

Background: Every millennium, decade, and century, as well as every passing day, humanity wakes up with a dream of a ‘new world’, a world without wars and bloodshed. Despite this thousand-year-old dream, wars and their devastating consequences hang menacingly over humanity’s head like the sword of Damocles. For this reason, wars have been and will remain a key focus of researchers and philosophers. By studying the numerous causes and consequences of war, the necessary measures to guarantee security and peace worldwide can be determined. Although human society strides towards prosperity, the likelihood of war has not diminished but continues to threaten, with unparalleled ferocity, the existence of human life, peace, and security. The numerous agreements and treaties, both bilateral and multilateral, between different states have only temporarily avoided the outbreak of conflicts and wars. Therefore, the concepts of peace, defence, and the prevention of war remain at the centre of research today. Research works in these fields are geared towards a universal idea: ‘the protection of basic human rights’. Methodology: This paper’s research methodology involves analysing data on the role of the UN as a defender of freedom and human rights. To achieve this, an extensive literature review was conducted. The review covers literature sources in both Albanian and foreign languages, written by well-known authors and provides a large amount of information and thoughts on the topic under consideration. The authors of some of the used works include Thomas Hobbes, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Immanuel Kant, John Locke, Brian Tamanaha, Alexis Tocqueville, and Servet Pëllumbi. The research was conducted step-by-step and argument-by-argument using the logic of reasoning and the analysis of ideas. The relevant research works relate to the UN’s role as a provider and guarantor of human rights and freedom. Results and Conclusions: In the opinion of the UN, the concept of democracy is closely related to the concept of protecting peace, freedom, and human rights. This is also the reason why the UN cannot remain indifferent in the face of cases of violation of freedoms and human rights under the pretext of respecting ‘state sovereignty’. The UN is today’s most important and powerful organisation for protecting human freedoms and rights, world peace, and international security. Based on the above discussion, a democratic society is nothing but the result of new relations between the power and freedom of an individual. ‘Human rights and freedoms’ do not constitute a mere bureaucratic formula but a request of the people for the development of the society in which they live. They resemble a ‘spiral’ that has only ascended since various theorists first presented their ideas on ‘human rights’. Infringement on human rights would simultaneously mark the infringement and the end of democracy itself.

The concept of women human rights defenders is not as an attempt to exclude women from the role of human rights defenders in general, but because their involvement in human rights defense efforts is often underrecognized and invisible. Inequality in the relationship between men and women is still a marginal discussion due to the inferiority of women. The idea that women's human rights are part of human rights (women's rights are human rights), including defenders of their human rights, needs to be fought for. Local social, religious and cultural values ​​are problematic for women's human rights defenders. State responsibility and legal protection for women human rights defenders is a common concern. Reflecting on the Declaration of Human Rights Defenders shows that the world community has guaranteed the rights of every human being. The approach used is a normative juridical approach with Statute Approach. This research approach is approach. Issues of human rights, state responsibility, and legal protection for women human rights defenders are not taken seriously by the state. The lack of provisions to protect women human rights defenders places them in a vulnerable and dangerous situation. There is a legal vacuum to protect women human rights defenders. This can be used as a reference in developing security protection for women human rights defenders and their institutions because they are vulnerable to violence and criminalization by various groups. Keywords: Responsibility, Protection, Human Rights Defenders, Women

The chapter elucidates the various effects the Brazilian Program for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (PPDDH) has in practice through an analysis of interviews conducted during fieldwork (in six Brazilian states) for the PhD research from which this book originates. It divides the samples into three categories to assess the perceptions of (1) protected human rights defenders themselves, (2) civil society actors, and (3) state officials. The second section analyses the answers of these three groups to the question: Do you think the PPDDH is important? It reveals that interviewees said the PPDDH is important or very important because it protects the life of human rights defenders, is a place where they can get help, helps redress the balance between powerful and vulnerable groups, and works as an articulador politico (political articulator or engager). It also exposes that a few interviewees said the PPDDH is not important because it has not been a priority to the state and, as a result, it has not yet been able to protect human rights defenders efficiently. The third section analyzes the answers of the aforementioned three groups to the question: Do you think the PPDDH does what it promises, that is, do you think it really protects those people designated as human rights defenders? It shows that interviewees said the PPDDH does what it promises, that is, it does protect human rights defenders because it protects the life of human rights defenders and is a place where they can get help. It discloses that interviewees said the PPDDH protects human rights defenders only partially or not at all because the State does not provide the PPDDH with the resources it needs to work well and that the PPDDH depends on other actors to provide protection for human rights defenders. The final section answers the research question: How has the PPDDH functioned since its creation in 2004? Is the PPDDH really fulfilling its stated aims by protecting people who have been designated as human rights defenders?

This Special Issue of the Journal of Human Rights Practice is dedicated to critical reflection on the protection of human rights defenders (HRDs). In this article we consider existing research and knowledge about the protection of HRDs, highlight the contributions of the policy and practice notes in this collection, and put forward current issues and questions on the protection of HRDs for further exploration. Specifically, we highlight eight areas for research: the definition and use of the term ‘human rights defender’; perceptions of risk, security and protection; culture, gender and diversity (with particular emphasis on protecting women human rights defenders); the use of legal and administrative mechanisms for repression; the effectiveness of protection mechanisms; strategies and tactics for protection; fostering enabling environments for the defence of human rights; and the impact of technology and digital security on HRDs. In the last section of this article, we highlight the importance of more collaboration between academics, practitioners and HRDs for the effective evolution of protection mechanisms and practices. We reflect on the merits and challenges of collaborative applied research, suggesting how this can be done effectively.

Founded in 2005, the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project (EHAHRDP) functions as the Secretariat to the East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net). Its core mandate is to offer protection to and promoting the rights of human rights defenders (HRDs) throughout the East and Horn of Africa subregions. In this policy and practice note we reflect on strategies, tactics and results in four core areas of interrelated work: protection, security management, advocacy, and capacity and coalition building. We argue that a concerted, holistic approach to the protection of HRDs is necessary to mitigate the worst risks that HRDs face as well as to foster an enabling environment for the effective defence of human rights. This involves complementing urgent responses to HRDs at immediate risk with the provision of prevention-oriented security management training, as well as conducting sustained institutional and public advocacy. We also stress the importance of capacity building as well as coalition building and networking in this work. Supporting the growth of national HRD coalitions helps to bring protection expertise down to the national level, strengthening the regional network model. Finally, we put forward areas of work that need further development in the context of the East and Horn of Africa.

En los últimos años asistimos a un gran aumento de la conflictividad en torno a la defensa del agua. A pesar de que en 2010 el agua ha sido reconocida como derecho humano y cuenta con un extenso marco de protección, son muchas las vulneraciones de este derecho que se producen en el marco de proyectos extractivos, que causan gran impacto en los territorios en los que se implementan generando enfrentamiento con las comunidades y con las personas que defienden los recursos naturales. Las vulneraciones en las dimensiones del derecho al agua, como disponibilidad, acceso o calidad, se acompañan de múltiples violaciones en los derechos de las personas defensoras, que son asesinadas, perseguidas o amenazadas por la actividad que realizan, siendo muy altos los riesgos que enfrentan las mujeres defensoras, así como las comunidades indígenas. En muchos de estos proyectos se ponen en marcha mecanismos y estrategias de persecución, y criminalización que tratan de desactivar y desacreditar los movimientos colectivos, en un marco de impunidad de las empresas y complicidad de instituciones del estado. La gran conflictividad en torno a la defensa del agua evidencia que los marcos y mecanismos de protección del derecho frente a la actuación de muchas empresas resultan insuficientes. Ante la falta de mecanismos de protección efectivos por parte de los estados y las violaciones cometidas por muchas empresas transnacionales en el marco del extractivismo hídrico, también han ido surgiendo proyectos de resistencia y de defensa en los territorios, que han ido articulando la lucha y la defensa por los derechos al agua, poniendo en valor los significados del agua, nuevas narrativas y alternativas en torno a otros modelos de organización y relación con la naturaleza. Las propuestas y miradas de estos movimientos deben ser tenidas en cuenta para avanzar en las reflexiones y análisis que van configurando el marco de defensa en torno al derecho al agua y con ello también, la conceptualización de este derecho. Se hace un análisis del marco normativo de protección del derecho al agua y de los derechos de las personas que defienden los recursos naturales, seguido de un análisis de la realidad a través de informes que evidencian la vulneración de este derecho, mostrando con ello las debilidades del sistema de protección y la necesidad de mecanismos vinculantes. Por último, se analiza todo otro marco de defensa del agua, diferente al del derecho, que emerge desde los territorios a partir de los proyectos de resistencia colectiva que al mismo tiempo son alternativa y muestran otra forma de relación y organización del agua y el territorio. Para el desarrollo de este artículo se han tenido en cuenta investigaciones previas en distintos países de América Latina, concretamente en Guatemala, El Salvador o México, contrastadas con numerosas fuentes primarias y secundarias procedentes de resoluciones e informes internacionales, así como distintos análisis de estos últimos años. Por ello, muchas de las reflexiones se ilustran y ejemplifican a través de casos concretos, que han sido previamente investigados y documentados.

Human rights defenders are the protagonists in bolstering democracy and undertaking human rights change. As they face up the establishment and challenge the dominant groups controlling economic and political power, human rights defenders are more often than otherwise targets of state and non-state violence and, consequently, they need protection. Yet, what does Brazilian law say about the protection of human rights defenders? To whom belongs the obligation to protect human rights defenders in Brazil exactly? While considering the interaction of international law, politics and national law vis-a-vis the protection of human rights defenders fighting for democracy, human rights and social justice, this paper conducts an analysis of the legal framework for the protection of human rights defenders at the level of Brazilian jurisdiction. It does so in order to contend there is a legal obligation for the Brazilian State to protect human rights defenders and that there is a series of rights that are crucial for human rights defenders to be able to conduct their activities. The final section presents a brief conclusion in which this paper’s discussions are recapitulated. Keywords: Human Rights; Human Rights Defenders; Brazilian Law.

The term Human Rights Defenders (Pembela HAM in Indonesia) stands for any people or group whose activities revolve around the defense and promotion of human rights and other basic freedoms. In the course of their work, human rights defenders often experience verbal threats, attacks and even physical acts of violence that seriously hamper their activities.Women human rights defenders are an important part of human rights activism. However, they are a vulnerable group because of their position and status as women. Being vulnerable, the bodies, sexuality and identity of women human rights defenders have been violently attacked through the exploitation of gender stereotypes biased against women. However, it is apparent that women human rights defenders in Indonesia are not adequately protected. This paper employs normative analytical descriptive research methods by looking at the specificity of women human rights defenders as a vulnerable group facing specific attacks and violence, as well as examining various norms of protection. The Government of Indonesia through the existing legal norms has an obligation to fulfil the protection of women human rights defender, considering the vulnerability of women human rights defenders.