Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

Compared to 2008, “The environment for defenders is more enabling now, but important challenges remain” she added. The degree of politicization of the environment in which defenders operate has worsened with respect to 2008: “I call on civil society and media to re-assess their position and role in society to make sure that they act independently and in a professional manner when checking and reporting on the State’s obligation to protect and promote human rights.”

Ms. Sekaggya highlighted that journalism in Togo, which is quite young, is not always exercised with “enough degree of professionalisme” and respect for basic ethics. However, she warned that the existence of defamation as an offence in the Criminal Code can be used to “unduly punish those who are critical of Government policies and considerably reduce the space for defenders to exercise the basic right to freedom of expression, which is key to claiming other rights.”

She also cited the need to strengthen the engagement between the National Human Rights Commission and human rights defenders, and to address the lack of trust that seems to exist between them.

Ms. Sekaggya pointed to the challenges faced by certain groups of defenders, notably women defenders and those working on women’s rights, trade unionists, and those working for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.