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Amnesty International reports 31 wins for human rights in last 6 months

June 30, 2026

On 29 June 2026, Amnesty published a roundup of what can be achieved when we stand together in solidarity. Despite the increasingly fractious state of the world, governments and civil society have come together to pass important laws and resolutions to tackle human rights harms, following protests and petitions from activists and campaigners.

Here a few examples but the list is worth reading in total:

In January, human rights defender Sean Binder and 23 others connected to a Search and Rescue NGO were acquitted in Greece after years on trial. Amnesty International has been campaigning in support of Sean’s case since 2018.

Eleven members of the Istanbul Bar Association’s executive committee were acquitted on 9 January, after facing charges for “spreading terrorist propaganda” and “publicly disseminating misleading information”. The 11 had been on trial over a statement issued by the Bar Association on 21 December 2024 about the killing of two journalists in northern Syria and the arrest of journalists and lawyers at a related peaceful protest in Istanbul the day before.

Human rights defenders who had been arbitrarily detained in Venezuela were released between January and May 2026. They included Javier Tarazona, Rocío San Miguel, Kennedy Tejeda, Carlos Julio Rojas and Eduardo Torres, Darío Estrada, Rosa Chirinos, and Yevhenii Trush.

Eight years after the murder of human rights defender Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes  in Rio de Janeiro, and the attempted murder of Fernanda Chaves, a press officer working for Marielle, those responsible for orchestrating these crimes have finally been convicted. The conviction is a major step forward in the fight against political violence and impunity in Brazil. It is also a testament to the persistence of Marielle’s family, social movements and civil society organizations, such as Amnesty International, in demanding truth and justice over the years. Amnesty International Brazil is continuing to call for broader measures to prevent political violence and ensure effective protection for human rights defenders, especially Black leaders, women and those who challenge entrenched systems of inequality and discrimination.

Adamu Oseni (aka Hussaini Oseni) was released on 18 February 2026 after years of campaigning by Amnesty International Nigeria. Oseni had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Ondo State High Court, for possessing a phone linked to an armed robbery, despite evidence he was not involved in the crime. After Amnesty International Nigeria submitted a pardon request on his behalf in 2024, his sentence was reduced to 20 years before he was finally released.

Million Beyene, a journalist and managing editor at Addis Standard, was abducted from the newsroom in on 15 April, by three men wearing plain clothes. It is believed he was targeted because of his work as a journalist. Amnesty International launched an Urgent Action on 27 April and he was released to his family on 28 April.  Upon his release, he said: ”I am currently receiving medical treatment and doing my best to recover. The experience has been difficult, and I am still coping with its impact, but I remain strong. I am deeply grateful for all your support and efforts on my behalf. It truly means a lot to me.”

A Norwegian court rejected Greece’s request to extradite Tommy Olsen, founder of the NGO Aegean Boat Report, who is wanted on criminal charges connected to his work documenting human rights violations against refugees and migrants at Europe’s borders. Following his initial arrest in Norway, Amnesty launched an Urgent Action calling on Norway to reject his extradition and stating that the charges against him were not supported by evidence and were an abuse of anti-smuggling legislation. Olsen still faces criminal proceedings against him in Greece and is subject to a European arrest warrant. Amnesty International will continue to campaign against the criminalization of solidarity with refugees and migrants.

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FIDH and Transparency International jointly tackle corruption with a new human rights-based guide

June 29, 2026

Against a backdrop of rising corruption worldwide, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Transparency International and Transparency International France have joined forces to produce a guide for civil society organisations involved in the human rights and anti-corruption movements. So stated the two NGOs on 25 June 2026.

Corruption is not a victimless crime. When it allows funds intended for public services to be misappropriated, it deprives people of their rights—including the right to healthcare, justice, education and a healthy environment. Moreover, when it leads to the capture of public institutions, it undermines the rule of law, restricts access to justice and enables impunity.

The guide “Breaking the Silos: A Practical Guide to Fighting Corruption with a Human Rights-Based Approach” offers practical tools to better document the impacts of corruption, pursue redress and strengthen the accountability of those responsible, whether they be individuals, companies or states. It emphasises the importance of placing victims at the centre of efforts and of promoting access to justice and redress. The guide is available in English, French and Spanish.

This guide is based on a simple conviction: the movements fighting corruption and defending human rights must join forces to strengthen our actions and develop joint strategies to confront a phenomenon that inflicts profound harm on societies around the world.

The guide covers the steps involved in linking incidents of corruption to human rights abuses and developing strategies for accountability and redress, including:
 understanding the links between corruption, human rights, victims and causality;
 documenting human rights violations and patterns of grand corruption;
 protecting individuals, data, sources and whistleblowers;
 holding individuals, companies and states to account;
 using advocacy mechanisms and quasi-judicial channels;
 using asset recovery as a tool for justice and redress.

Recognising that corruption fuels human rights abuses is vital to protecting human dignity. By placing victims at the centre of efforts, the anti-corruption and human rights communities can make progress in combating grand corruption and its impact on people and their rights.

The PDF of the guide in English can be downloaded here. An interactive version of the guide will be available shortly.

https://www.fidh.org/en/issues/corruption/fidh-and-transparency-international-join-forces-to-tackle-corruption

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Human rights defenders increasingly face reprisals through transnational repression – #EndReprisals campaign!

June 23, 2026

Human rights defenders who engage with the United Nations are increasingly facing reprisals through transnational repression, as States seek to silence criticism beyond their borders.

The world is starting to recognise transnational repression. [see e.g. https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2024/03/19/transnational-repression-human-rights-watch-and-other-reports/] Now it must act to stop it. 

ISHR calls on States to raise cases of transnational repression as reprisals against human rights defenders who engaged with the United Nations. Here is the message it will send and it calls on anybody to sign up:

Excellency, 

In the past, you showed your support in preventing reprisals against those who engage with the United Nations by co-sponsoring the resolution on reprisals and/or publicly naming cases of reprisals against human rights defenders. 

The following human rights defenders have dedicated themselves to promoting and safeguarding human rights in their respective countries, including through engagement with the United Nations. Yet, instead of being protected, they are facing reprisals and transnational repression linked to their cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms. 

Through threats, criminalisation, surveillance, attacks on family members, professional sanctions, asset seizures and other forms of intimidation, these defenders continue to face consequences for engaging with the United Nations, even while living in exile. 

I urge your delegation to raise the following cases during the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly’s Third Committee and publicly condemn all acts of reprisals and transnational repression against individuals who cooperate with the UN. 

Basma Mostafa (Egypt) is an investigative journalist and human rights defender who fled Egypt in 2020 after reporting on enforced disappearances, torture and extrajudicial killings. Despite living in exile in Europe, she continues to face threats, harassment, surveillance and intimidation linked to her human rights work and engagement with UN human rights mechanisms. Her case was included in the UN Secretary-General’s reprisals report. 

Anna Kwok (Hong Kong) was the Executive Director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council. In connection with her international human rights advocacy and engagement with UN mechanisms, Hong Kong authorities issued an arrest warrant against her, revoked her passport and offered a reward for information leading to her arrest. Her case was included in the Secretary-General’s reprisals report, and reprisals have also extended to her family members. 

Armel Niyongere, Dieudonné Bashirahishize, Vital Nshimirimana and Lambert Nigarura (Burundi) are human rights lawyers who were forced into exile after cooperating with the UN Committee against Torture. Despite living in Belgium, they remain subject to the consequences of reprisals, including life sentences handed down in absentia and the freezing of their assets in Burundi. In 2025, the Committee against Torture found that Burundi had violated the Convention against Torture by retaliating against them for engaging with the UN. 

These cases underscore the urgent need for States to address transnational repression as a growing threat to the integrity of the UN human rights system and the safety of those who engage with it. 

I call on your delegation to publicly raise these cases during the Human Rights Council and the General Assembly’s Third Committee, condemn all acts of reprisals and transnational repression against those who cooperate with the United Nations, and urge the governments concerned to end these violations. 

Human rights defenders must be able to engage with the United Nations freely, safely and without fear of retaliation, whether at home or abroad. 

Yours sincerely, 

your full name will go here

New/Mode and International Service for Human Rights should email me with exciting updates about this campaign and others. This campaign is hosted by the International Service for Human Rights. The protection of your privacy is important to ISHR. On this page, you will find our most up-to-date Privacy Policy. 

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The world is beginning to recognise transnational repression. Now it must act to stop it. 

Read the stories of human rights defenders who left their countries of origin, but the threats continue.  

https://ishr.ch/campaigns/endreprisals2026

seealso https://www.coe.int/en/web/civil-society/-/pace-condemns-transnational-repression-and-urges-new-laws-to-stop-it

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Kajeem, the Ivorian reggae-man who celebrates human rights

June 22, 2026

Amnesty International

On 22 June 2026, Amnesty International wrote about the inspiring Ivorian reggae artist/ human rights defender Guillaume Konan, known as Kajeem,

Guillaume Konan, known as Kajeem, is a singer and songwriter who grew up in Abobo, a neighbourhood of Abidjan, the economic capital of Côte d’Ivoire. Now 57, he began his career in the 1990s in rap music before moving on to reggae. Kajeem is committed to defending rights and freedoms, and speaks out against restrictions on civic space in his country, particularly the right to freedom of expression. He has been working with Amnesty International for over a dozen years as a human rights ambassador.

Following the song “Osons le courage” (Let’s be brave) in 2023, which called on youth to resist injustice, he released in June 2026 the song “En toute liberté” (In total freedom) with artists Didier Awadi from Senegal and Soum Bill from Côte d’Ivoire, and the support of Amnesty International.

“I made my first visit to prisoners when I was 12, as a Catholic boy scout. It was a very formative experience for the young boy I was. I couldn’t understand how people could be put in those terrible conditions, no matter what they had done. So, when I started playing music as a teenager, I gravitated toward genres that stand up for the underdog. Freedom of expression was one of the first rights I sought to assert. Nowadays, the laws in Côte d’Ivoire regarding the internet are so vague that they have become pretexts for imprisoning whomever the authorities please. There is no worse oppression than the one carried out under the guise of the law. Being able to speak out against injustice is a fundamental right, and until the day I die, I will fight for it…. I write songs that denounce a system, not individuals.Ivorian singer Kajeem

I’ve faced various forms of pressure. Today, radio hosts are pressured not to play certain songs, and sponsors are pressured to stop supporting certain artists. The first song of mine which provoked threats was “Sergent 2 togos” (Sergeant 2 togos) released in 2006, which exposed police extortion at roadside checkpoints. I often joke that in other countries, when you’re threatened, you go to the police for protection. But I was being threatened by the police! I had to leave the country for six months.

When I released the song “Tu tournes film” (You’re shooting a movie) in 2023, I faced the same issues, but in a much more intense way. The song “Tu tournes film,” meaning “You’re just blowing hot air”, is about broken promises. An election pledge is a social contract made with the voters, but if you remind those guys of their promises, they get upset!

I woke up one morning to over 1,600 hate messages, including death threats. But I’ve never been very scared by that kind of thing, I think it’s counterproductive because a song has a life of its own, even if its author is dead! People shouldn’t see me as an enemy. I write songs that denounce a system, not individuals.

People may feel that human rights are a luxury they cannot afford because they have basic needs to meet. But how many people earn a lot of money while living under total oppression? We cannot prioritize our needs by saying, “Let’s eat first and worry about that later.” Human rights do not apply only to a certain category of countries or individuals, they are universal.

For me, the future is bright, as every day we see youth getting engaged despite all the distractions offered to them. I think of myself as a sad optimist, unlike the cheerful pessimists who seem happy but no longer believe in anything and just want to enjoy the moment. When you become aware of the realities, it makes you a little sad, but it motivates you because it shows you the work that needs to be done, and every morning, you head back into the fray.

Watch the video clip “En toute liberté” (In total freedom) with artists Kajeem, Didier Awadi and Soum Bill

In 1988 I was in Abidjan for the historic Human Rights Now! world tour concert organized by Amnesty. After that I kept running into the Amnesty team in the field, whether I was working with the Red Cross, visiting detainees, or organizing events at the university to raise awareness of human rights. We were working on the same issues, so I felt less alone. To me, Amnesty is truly like family.   Our song “En toute liberté” is for all those fighting for human rights, so they have a rallying cry.”

To mark the release of the song “En toute liberté” and as part of the campaign Resist run by Amnesty International, Kajeem and Amnesty International Côte d’Ivoire are organizing a digital campaign, as well as discussions on the right to freedom of expression at universities across Côte d’Ivoire.

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Front Line Defenders Global Analysis 2025/26 gives a detailed and sobering view of the violations against HRDs

June 16, 2026

At least 358 defenders killed in 28 countries for their peaceful work in 2025

Courageous human rights defenders (HRDs) around the world often chart the course in the struggle against injustice but need the international community’s support to sustain their lifesaving work amid an increasingly hostile landscape, Front Line Defenders said as it launched its flagship report on 15 June 2026.

The Front Line Defenders Global Analysis 2025/26 gives a detailed panorama of the violations against HRDs at risk in countries around the world last year.

The report also reveals statistics gathered and verified by the HRD Memorial – which Front Line Defenders coordinates – documenting the killings of at least 358 HRDs in 28 countries in 2025. The countries with the highest number of killings documented were Colombia (165), Mexico (43), Palestine (43), Brazil (22) and Honduras (13). Defenders working on land, environmental and peasant communities rights (23.46%); HRDs working on Indigenous peoples’ rights (17.03%); and those documenting violations in conflict (9.78%) were the most commonly targeted. (See pp. 6-13 for complete data.)

“From drastic funding cuts and raging conflicts, to creeping repression even in countries that once supported them, 2025 saw some incredibly challenging times for human rights defenders around the world,” said Alan Glasgow, CEO of Front Line Defenders. “Defenders show tremendous resilience to uphold human rights – we owe them a debt of gratitude and support to keep their fight alive.”

Wide-ranging risks to HRDs

According to Front Line Defenders’ data, arbitrary arrest/detention continued to be one of the most commonly reported violations against HRDs around the world, in addition to threats/other harassment, surveillance, legal action and death threats (see pp. 14-21 for a more detailed breakdown, including by region and by gender).

Globally, the five most targeted areas of human rights defence were: LGBTIQ+ rights (9.5%); freedom of expression (9.4%); women’s rights (6.9%); human rights movements (6.1%) and freedom of assembly / protest movements (5.4 %). While they account for smaller proportions individually, land, environmental and Indigenous Peoples’ rights account for 8.7% of the total when considered collectively.

Regionally, the most commonly reported violations against HRDs were: arbitrary arrest or detention in the Middle East and North Africa (32.5%) and Asia-Pacific (16.1%); death threats in the Americas (24.2%); threats or other harassment in sub-Saharan Africa (15.3%); and legal action in Europe and Central Asia (14.9%). Front Line Defenders also documented a wide range of digital threats against HRDs, including online surveillance/censorship, social media online threats of violence or harassment, phone surveillance, interrogation and having their devices confiscated or destroyed.

The combination of the more repressive environment and reduction in funds was felt in practice: human rights defenders had to stop their work and shutter their organisations.

Voices of determination

The report includes numerous voices of HRDs speaking directly about the challenges they face.

Among them are contributions from HRDs in Guatemala, DRC, Malaysia, Tunisia, Ecuador, Eswatini/Swaziland, Occupied Western Sahara, and Egyptian HRDs facing transnational repression while in exile in Europe.

Lutfiye Zudiyeva, a prominent Crimean Tatar woman human rights defender and journalist who has been criminalised for her work, penned a foreword to the report in which she said: “For this movement to be sustainable and to effect long-term systemic change, we need consistent support from the international community, from governments, and from citizens. HRDs should be supported, and be able to live and work without fear, knowing that they are not alone.”

View an interactive online version of the Global Analysis

Download the full Global Analysis as a PDF

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/human-rights-defenders-need-support-sustain-fearless-work-increasingly-hostile

Environmental Defenders Remain Among World’s Most Targeted Activists

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Kashmir human rights defender and MEA laureate Khurram Parvez to be granted bail but not free yet

June 10, 2026

On 10 June 2026 the Al Jazeera and Wire came with the breaking news that after 4 years of illegal detention Khurram Parvez was granted bail. The Delhi high court on 10 June granted bail to the Kashmiri human rights defender in a case in which the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

LiveLaw reports that a division bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Ravinder Dudeja allowed Parvez’s appeal challenging a trial court order passed on December 17, 2024, denying him bail. “We have granted bail, subject to various conditions,” the bench said. The full order is awaited. The Delhi High Court granted Khurram Parvez bail in thisNovember 2021 case but he will remain in jail in a separate case from March 2023.

Parvez’s arrest in 2021 and his incarceration since then had invited global censure. In 2023, Parvez was named one of the recipients of the 2023 Martin Ennals Award. The award, named after a famed British human rights activist, recognises “outstanding activists who pioneered human rights”. See: https://www.trueheroesfilms.org/thedigest/laureates/81468931-79AA-24FF-58F7-10351638AFE3

https://thewire.in/law/jailed-for-over-four-years-kashmir-activist-khurram-parvez-gets-bail-in-nia-case

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/10/kashmiri-rights-activist-wins-partial-court-victory-but-remains-behind-bars

https://sabrangindia.in/article-21-may-trump-uapa-bail-bar-delhi-high-court-grants-bail-to-kashmiri-rights-defender-khurram-parvez-after-4%C2%BD-years-in-jail

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New ISHR online course for environmental human rights defenders

June 3, 2026

ISHR introduces a new on-line course on advocacy for environmental human rights defenders, a practical, self-paced resource for activists, community leaders, and allies to defend the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment using UN and regional mechanisms.

On World Environment Day, and in parallel to the 1st European Forum on Environmental Human Rights Defenders, ISHR is introducing its new online course entitled ‘Advocacy for environmental human rights defenders: a pathway’. A conceptual, legal, and strategic resource to help environmental human rights defenders and their allies translate local environmental struggles into coordinated international and regional advocacy. [https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/05/12/first-european-forum-on-environmental-human-rights-defenders-3-4-june-2026/]

Environmental human rights defenders are those who protect our planet and defend the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. They are Indigenous Peoples, farmers, scientists, journalists and young activists from all over the world.

Despite their vital role, more than 2,253 of them were killed, harassed, or persecuted between 2012 and 2024 according to Global Witness. More recently, the Business and Human Rights Centre found that the most dangerous sectors in which to pursue activism to defend rights are mining, agribusiness and fossil fuels.

Behind those numbers are stories of resistance and solidarity.

Why a new course for environmental human rights defenders?

The past few years saw an increased number of positive developments for the protection of the environment and environmental human rights defenders.

This includes the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the Human Rights Council’s Resolution 40/11 recognising the role of environmental defenders, the Escazú Agreement enshrining the latter’s rights in Latin America and the Caribbean, and the creation of the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention. All these developments also require defenders to understand how and when to use these mechanisms. 

I became an environmental human rights defender by coincidence. I need practical tools like this to help me navigate spaces for my advocacy. The ISHR Academy is really a useful one! Christopher Opio, Uganda 

The pathway is divided into three independent chapters

Module content on the ISHR Academy

Chapter 1 examines the legal and conceptual foundations of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, the role of environmental human rights defenders in addressing the triple planetary crisis, including accountability of States and non-State actors.

Chapter 2 provides strategic and practical guidance to advance environmental justice through UN human rights mechanisms like the Human Rights Council, the Special Procedures, the Treaty Bodies or the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and translate local defence into international advocacy.

Chapter 3 dives into regional mechanisms and other tools, in particular, for the protection of environmental human rights defenders. This includes rapid response mechanisms in Europe and Latin America, and other options designed for African and Asia-Pacific defenders through regional institutions and tools. 

Free, self-paced, modular and flexible, each chapter can be taken independently, enriched with case studies, videos, and additional resources. You set the pace according to your needs.

How do I know if this is for me? 

You know that bringing international attention could create pressure for change, but you don’t know where to start? You have an idea of who the Special Rapporteur on climate change is, the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights does, but don’t know the steps to engage with them?

The pathway walks you through exactly this.

Whether you are a community leader facing displacement, an environmental lawyer seeking international leverage, a representative of a grassroots organisation whose government has stopped listening, a young advocate learning to navigate international spaces, or an NGO supporting defenders on the frontline — this pathway was built for you.

Environmental human rights defenders are often the first to raise the alarm. I often meet people who face pressure or harassment for defending environmental rights and without knowing that international tools can support them. In this module, I will explain what my mandate can do and how defenders can engage with it.

Astrid Puentes Riaño, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment

By the end of this pathway, you will be able to:

  • Understand who environmental human rights defenders are, the contexts they operate in, and the legal frameworks for their protection
  • Identify international and regional advocacy avenues, within the UN and beyond, to advance the right to a clean, healthy environment
  • Plan strategic engagement with mechanisms based on your context, and hold governments and non-State actors accountable.

Start learning now at the ISHR Academy!

ISHR warmly thanks all the human rights defenders, experts, Special Rapporteurs and UN staff who supported us in building this course.

https://ishr.ch/latest-updates/new-online-course-for-environmental-human-rights-defenders-on-the-ishr-academy

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Arbitrarily detained lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic in Serbia must be released says ICJ

May 30, 2026
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On 15 April 2026 The ICJ condemned the continued deprivation of liberty of Serbian lawyer Cedomir Stojkovic and the criminal proceedings against him on charges of incitement to violent overthrow of the constitutional order and disclosure of official secrets, which appear to constitute reprisals for the exercise of his right to freedom of expression. On 4 April 2026, Serbia’s Bar Association (Advokatska komora Srbije) expressed concern that the political nature of the charges against him and the three-year period covered by the indictment “give rise to the suspicion that his detention, along with other measures imposed against attorney Stojkovic, are being used as a means of coercion, rather than as a means of ensuring the unobstructed conduct of criminal proceedings.” The Bar Association demanded that Stojkovic be released pending trial.

“The prosecution of a lawyer for social media posts expressing criticism of the authorities is incompatible with Serbia’s obligations under international human rights law and standards,” said Temur Shakirov, ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme Director. “The Serbian authorities must release Stojkovic and ensure that lawyers can exercise their right to freedom of expression without fear of reprisal.”

The political nature of the charges, the breadth of the indictment covering social media posts over a three-year period, and the severity of the restrictive measures imposed on him, including pre-trial detention, house arrest and a prohibition on posting on social media and on participating in public life, give rise to serious concern that he is being prosecuted to punish him for his public criticism of the Serbian authorities.

Stojkovic was arrested on 29 December 2025 and held in pre-trial detention for 30 days before being transferred to house arrest on 27 March 2026. He remains subject to restrictive measures, including a prohibition on posting on social media and on participating in public life. The charges relate to 17 social media posts published over approximately three years, which the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade has characterized as incitement to violent overthrow of the constitutional order and disclosure of official secrets.

On 24 March 2026, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers addressed a communication to the Serbian Government expressing concern that several provisions of a series of amendments and newly adopted laws relating to the judiciary and the prosecution authorities “may not be in line with international human rights standards related to the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial, including: the impartiality of the prosecution service, the separation of powers, and the ability of judges and prosecutors to perform their functions free from undue influence, pressure or interference.”

https://www.icj.org/serbia-arbitrarily-detained-lawyer-cedomir-stojkovic-must-be-released

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ProtectDefenders.eu Annual Report 2024–2025: 10 Years of Protection

May 28, 2026
EU Flag

On 28 May 2026, an important milestone was reached: ten years since the creation of ProtectDefenders.eu. Over the past decade, the EU Human Rights Defenders Mechanism has supported more than 97,000 defenders worldwide and become one of the most comprehensive international protection initiatives for human rights defenders at risk.

The anniversary comes at a challenging moment. Across all regions, defenders face escalating repression, shrinking civic space, conflict, transnational repression, digital surveillance and increasing restrictions on fundamental freedoms. At the same time, funding ecosystems supporting civil society and human rights work are under unprecedented pressure, while protection needs continue to grow.

Together, they send a strong and timely political signal: human rights defenders are essential to democratic and resilient societies; protecting them is a shared responsibility; and continued political and financial support for the EU Human Rights Defenders mechanism remains critical at a time when demand for protection far exceeds available resources. Their contributions also reaffirm the importance of ensuring the continuity and future strengthening of the Mechanism as part of the EU’s broader commitment to human rights worldwide.

Despite an increasingly difficult environment, ProtectDefenders.eu directly supported more than 10,460 human rights defenders in over 110 countries during the reporting period through emergency assistance, temporary relocation, advocacy, legal and psychosocial support, digital protection and organisational resilience initiatives. Yet the report also highlights a stark reality: current resources allow the Mechanism to respond to only a fraction of the legitimate requests for support received.

As the report makes clear, this is not the time to scale back protection efforts. It is a moment to reinforce collective commitment, strengthen protection systems and invest in the resilience of those who defend rights and freedoms around the world.

Click to see full PDF document

https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/albania/protectdefenderseu-annual-report-2024%E2%80%932025-10-years-protection-impact-and-solidarity_en

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ISHR submits 66 cases of reprisals across 24 States to UN

May 28, 2026

In response to the annual call for inputs from the UN Secretary-General, ISHR, on 28 May 2026, has submitted 66 cases of intimidation and reprisals against human rights defenders engaging with the UN from 24 countries.

ISHR’s submission shows that reprisals against people engaging with the United Nations remain widespread and increasingly sophisticated. Human rights defenders continue to face travel bans, arbitrary detention, surveillance, online harassment, attacks on family members, and misuse of national security laws aimed at silencing cooperation with UN human rights mechanisms.

Key trends highlighted in the report include the growing recognition of transnational repression as a form of retaliation, increasing self-censorship among defenders, and the expanding use of digital surveillance and legal restrictions to intimidate civil society. At the same time, the report notes stronger international attention to reprisals within the Human Rights Council, General Assembly, and Treaty Bodies, alongside continued gaps in accountability and protection for those targeted.

ISHR also submitted information and followed-up on numerous cases, including in Algeria,  Bahrain, Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Djibouti, Egypt, France, Guatemala, India, Israel & United Sates of America, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Thailand, Venezuela, Vietnam and Yemen. 

Downloads pdf English

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