An old friend, professor Bert Lockwood and his daughter Meredith, run a podcast series “Human Rights: Conversations Across Generations”. With great pleasure did one as it is true that much of the recent NGO history on human rights remains unrecorded so it will serve a purpose one day. It is now officially live. Listening Links:
On 17 July 2026 UN experts expressed concern over the arrest and detention of five Indigenous human rights defenders in Assam, warning that the charges against them could undermine the legitimate work of those defending Indigenous Peoples’ rights in the context of business activities.
“We are deeply concerned by reports that Indigenous human rights defenders have been deprived of their liberty in connection with their peaceful advocacy on behalf of Indigenous communities’ lands and rights,” the experts said. “Such arrests and prosecutions can have a chilling effect on civic space and discourage others from speaking out against abuses.”
Assam Police reportedly arrested Pranab Doley, Rajib Pegu, Brijit Kutum, Amit Nag and Bhaskar Saikia in connection with protests on 29 June 2026 concerning the planned construction of a luxury tourism project in Inglay Pathar, near Kaziranga National Park. The project is reportedly linked to an agreement between the Assam Government and Juniper Hotels, and associated with the Hyatt group.
In its recent report, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights noted that threats, arrests, surveillance, retaliation and legal harassment can undermine the safety and ability of Indigenous Peoples and Indigenous human rights defenders to participate freely in processes concerning business activities.
“States must ensure human rights defenders are able to exercise their right to protect, defend and promote human rights and carry out their work safely and without fear of intimidation, reprisals or criminalisation,” the experts said.
They expressed concern regarding reports that the local police responsible for these arrests have previously been associated with allegations of torture and other forms of ill-treatment, and urged authorities to ensure that all detained human rights defenders are treated with dignity and that their rights are fully protected.
The experts called for the immediate release of the detained defenders if their detention is linked solely to the peaceful exercise of their rights, urged authorities to ensure any criminal proceedings fully comply with international human rights standards, and called on authorities to suspend any land acquisition or development until affected Indigenous communities have been meaningfully consulted and their free, prior and informed consent has been obtained.
Since 2003, The Carter Center has hosted the Human Rights Defenders Forum, bringing together activists from around the world. In 2026, for the first time, participants gathered outside the United States to learn from each other and find inspiration.
Claudia Fuentes Julio has been appointed Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights at the United Nations. She shares her vision, priorities and personal journey into the field of human rights.
A former diplomat from Chile with more than two decades of experience in international relations, multilateral diplomacy and human rights, Fuentes Julio brings to the position a deep commitment to advancing human rights and strengthening cooperation among States, civil society and other actors to this end.
The Assistant Secretary-General is the head of the UN Human Rights Office in New York, advising and representing the UN High Commissioner Volker Türk at the UN Headquarters. As such, strengthening the cooperation between the UN Human Rights Office and the wider UN system is also one of her top priorities.
Fuentes Julio succeeds Ilze Brands Kehris of Latvia.
We, the undersigned organisations and partners from around the world, reaffirm our unwavering solidarity with human rights defenders (HRDs) who continue to face judicial harassment, arbitrary detention, and persecution for their peaceful human rights work. We call for the release of all unjustly imprisoned activists and demand an end to attacks against HRDs.
On the sixth anniversary of the Stand As My Witness (SAMW) campaign, 15 July 2026, we stand together to highlight the ongoing unlawful targeting of defenders and to renew our collective commitment to their protection and release.
Launched in July 2020, the Stand As My Witness campaign was created to shine a light on the misuse of repressive national laws to silence human rights defenders and to mobilise international solidarity in response. Since its inception, the campaign has worked to raise awareness of emblematic cases, coordinate joint advocacy actions, and challenge the growing criminalisation of human rights activism.
At its launch, the campaign issued a call urging civil society organisations and allies worldwide to stand in solidarity with detained and persecuted defenders. This call was endorsed by more than 190 organisations, helping to draw international attention to the misuse of judicial systems to suppress dissent and civic freedoms, and harm those who fight for justice.
Over the past six years, sustained advocacy, international pressure, and collective action have contributed to the release of more than 31 human rights defenders, demonstrating the tangible impact of global solidarity.
Despite these achievements, many activists remain unfairly jailed. We remain deeply concerned that attacks against human rights defenders continue to intensify across all regions. Governments are increasingly resorting to restrictive laws, politicised judicial systems, surveillance, digital repression, and arbitrary detention to target activists, journalists, environmental defenders, women human rights defenders, Indigenous leaders, and others working to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The CIVICUS 2025 People Power Under Attack Report states that civic freedoms are being curtailed in a record number of countries. Civil society is under severe attack in 122 of 198 countries and territories with detention of protesters, journalists and human rights defenders as among the top violations globally.
Through this joint statement, we call on governments worldwide to:
Immediately and unconditionally release all arbitrarily detained human rights defenders;
End the misuse of laws and judicial systems to criminalise peaceful activism and repeal laws seeking to silence dissent;
Guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly;
Cease propagating false information and anti-rights narratives, and use of digital platforms against civil society and human rights defenders; and
Ensure the protection and safety of all human rights defenders in accordance with international human rights law.
We emphasise that human rights defenders are not criminals and terrorists, but courageous and concerned individuals who work to advance justice, dignity, accountability, and freedom for all.
The Inter-American Court’s climate Opinion requires States across Latin America and the Caribbean to apply the standards of the Escazú Agreement—even if they have not yet ratified the treaty.
In a Blog Post Published on 2 july, 2026Luisa Gómez, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law, explains that one year after the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency, the debate is no longer whether countries across Latin America and the Caribbean must protect environmental defenders. That question has already been answered. The Court confirmed that all Member States of the Organization of American States (OAS)—to which the Advisory Opinion directly applies—must implement the highest standards of protection for those defending the environment.
To define those standards, the Court drew extensively on the Escazú Agreement, the first legally binding regional treaty promoting environmental democracy. In doing so, it reinforced the treaty’s significance, even in countries that have not yet ratified it, including Peru, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. The implication is clear: these States can no longer treat Escazú’s standards as external, optional, or irrelevant.….
The incorporation of Escazú’s standards into the Inter-American corpus juris marks an important step toward strengthening access rights and protections for environmental defenders in the context of the climate crisis.
But no Advisory Opinion changes reality on its own. These decisions generate change when they are used in litigation, legislative reform, public debate, and collective organizing to ensure that human rights standards addressing the climate crisis translate into concrete protections for those defending the environment.
Recently, in the Province of Mendoza, Argentina, a significant development unfolded regarding criminal charges against environmental defenders protesting against mining activities. Public authorities, citing the Advisory Opinion of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, requested the suspension of the prosecution. They argued that continuing with the charges would be unconstitutional and could criminalize social protest and environmental advocacy.
One year later, the true measure of the Advisory Opinion’s impact will not be found in its pages, but in how judges, legislators, communities, and environmental defenders use it to strengthen protections for both the environment and the people who defend it.
Click here to dive deeper into the practical uses of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights Advisory Opinion on the climate emergency.
Women human rights and environmental defenders face escalating repression simply because of their gender and need stronger international protections to continue their work, Right Livelihood Laureates warned at a United Nations side event last week.
The event, organised by Right Livelihood as part of the Women Laureates Hub and Exile Project programmes during the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, brought together Laureates and international experts to examine the specific threats and challenges faced by women activists solely because of their gender.
“Gender apartheid” in Afghanistan
“Human rights defenders in general are the core or the most important element of a democratic society,” said Dr Sima Samar, a 2012 Laureate and former Minister for Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan. “Among them, women human rights defenders are the main ingredient of democracy. We cannot say that ‘There’s democracy, but women should be at home,’ like the Taliban does in Afghanistan.” In her country, a total of 160 laws, decrees and orders have been passed to suppress women’s rights. Those include a ban on women working outside the home and on girls receiving an education beyond 6th grade.
“It is a crime against humanity – that is why we call it gender apartheid,” Samar said, calling for the codification of gender apartheid in the Convention on Crimes Against Humanity. She also warned that some European countries are beginning to normalise the Taliban’s restrictions by framing them as cultural or religious practices. “It’s not our religion, it’s not our culture,” Samar said. “Please, do not use the excuse of respecting the culture and religion in Afghanistan.”
Women environmental defenders also face heightened risks compared to their male counterparts, warned Diana Nabiruma, Programmes and Communications Manager at 2022 Laureate organisation Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO).
“In Uganda today, unfortunately, what we see is that laws are used to repress not only environmental and human rights defenders but women in particular,” Nabiruma said. Uganda currently has five laws restricting civic freedoms and activist work, including a recently passed law on foreign funding.
Nabiruma has observed stark differences in how men and women environmental defenders are treated, especially by authorities. “Women do not speak up; women are more repressed than men are,” she said. “When they protest, they are asked, ‘Who will marry you? You’re a terrible person!’ There’s a lot of anti-gender rhetoric, which forces women to become silenced, so they don’t demand their rights to be protected.”
A “problem for democracy,” not just for women
Eva Zillen, Senior Adviser at the Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, a Swedish organisation that received the 2002 Right Livelihood Award, said that their 2026 report on the situation of women and queer rights activists in conflict-affected countries confirmed many of the trends her fellow Laureates were witnessing on the ground. One striking finding: for the first time since 2008, fewer activists reported feeling threatened. This isn’t progress, the organisation said, just an indication that digital hate speech has become so normalised that it’s no longer recognised as a threat. “A lot of activists are withdrawing: self-silencing has become a form of self-protection, and they are leaving social media,” Zillen said. “This is not a problem for the women’s movement; this is a problem for democracy.”
The report identified governments and state authorities as the leading source of threats against women human rights defenders, alongside traditional and community leaders, religious actors and anti-gender movements. “These four are working together, and they are using the anti-gender narrative,” Zillen said. “It has to do with gaining power or sustaining power, and this is a narrative that has proven to be very successful.”
Olivia Ekobe, Human Rights Officer at the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), said her organisation documented over 60 cases of women human rights defenders facing risks last year alone, underscoring the need for gender-sensitive monitoring.
Ekobe outlined three recommendations: civil society organisations must increase visibility around the criminalisation of women human rights defenders and the protections available to them; states must end this criminalisation and adopt adequate legal frameworks; and donors must increase funding for women-led local organisations. “We have a responsibility to help create an environment where women HRDs can carry out their work without fear,” she added.
The side event was held as the culmination of a week-long workshop in Geneva for women Right Livelihood Laureates and fellows of the Exile Project, a programme in collaboration with the Global Campus of Human Rights.
The recommendations include practical actions that states can take to protect women human rights defenders and provide guidance on how to engage with other states on the matter.
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.
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.
Invite to a special virtual fireside webinar on Wellbeing, Resilience, Healing, and Collective Care among human rights defenders. Moderated by Wellbeing Team Lead, Karis Moses Oteba, this interactive conversation will bring together human rights defenders, mental health practitioners, and wellbeing advocates to explore practical approaches to navigating burnout, fostering healing, building resilience, and sustaining activism in challenging environments. The webinar will also feature powerful testimonies from human rights defenders across Africa, who will share their lived experiences and the wellbeing practices that have enabled them to continue their work while caring for themselves. This is more than a webinar, it is an opportunity to connect, reflect, learn, and reaffirm that those who defend human rights also deserve care, healing, and support.
Event Details 📅 Date: Tuesday, 30 June 2026 ⏰Time: 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM East African Time (EAT)
Register and join the conversation by using the link below:
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 