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.
On 2 july 2026 the undersigned bar associations, law societies, lawyers’ organisations, and human rights institutions, expressed serious concern regarding the enforced disappearance, incommunicado detention, public humiliation, and criminal prosecution of Ugandan lawyer and senior opposition figure Advocate Erias Lukwago on misprision of treason charges.
Advocate Lukwago is a prominent lawyer from Uganda, former mayor of Kampala, and co-lead counsel for opposition leader Dr. Kizza Besigye, and Haji Obeid Lutale, in proceedings that have attracted significant national, regional, and international attention. These proceedings include a suit against Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the son of Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, in connection with alleged statements repeatedly threatening Dr. Besigye’s life on social media.
According to information placed before the High Court Uganda, on 15 June 2026, armed individuals reportedly dressed in Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) attire surrounded Advocate Lukwago’s residence, scaled the perimeter wall, forcibly entered his home, and removed him without producing a warrant or disclosing his destination. A habeas corpus application filed on his behalf alleged that he was taken by military personnel, held at an undisclosed location, and denied access to his family, legal counsel, and physician. The application further alleges that senior military officials publicly claimed responsibility for the operation through social media posts.
We are particularly concerned by widely circulated statements and images reportedly published by Uganda’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba through his official social media/X account, before Advocate Lukwago was brought before court. These statements appeared to claim responsibility for his detention, threaten him with physical punishment, subject him to public humiliation and ridicule, and suggest that he was being held in military custody. Such conduct is wholly incompatible with constitutional governance, the presumption of innocence, the dignity of detained persons, judicial independence, and the rule of law.
On 17 June 2026, Advocate Lukwago was produced before the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Makindye in Kampala and charged with misprision of treason under Section 25 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 128), arising from allegations that he failed to disclose information relating to alleged treasonous activities. The charge comes after almost two years of him handling the same matter that he is being enjoined to. He denied the charge, and was remanded to Luzira Prison until Monday 22 June 2026, when his case was due to be mentioned and a ruling on bail delivered.
On 22 June 2026, Advocate Lukwago was produced before the Makindye Chief Magistrate’s Court for the ruling on his bail application, which had been sought on medical grounds in light of his deteriorating health. The ruling was deferred, reportedly citing the sensitivity of the case and security concerns at the court premises, and indicated that it would instead be delivered electronically through the Electronic Court Case Management Information System (ECCMIS). On 23 June 2026, bail was denied, arguing that despite Advocate Lukwago’s fixed housing and a documented medical condition requiring continuous treatment, these factors were insufficient to warrant his release. While directing the prison authorities to refer him to Mulago National Referral Hospital for a comprehensive medical assessment, the court ordered that he remain remanded at Luzira Prison, with the substantive case due to be mentioned again on 30 June 2026. We are deeply concerned that bail was denied notwithstanding credible and documented concerns regarding Advocate Lukwago’s health and the conditions of his detention, and urge for his medical needs be addressed
We note that misprision of treason under section 25 of the Penal Code Act (Cap. 128) is framed as a failure to disclose known treasonous intent. The application of this provision to a practising lawyer raises serious concerns regarding legal professional privilege and the duty of confidentiality — key obligations to the right to effective legal representation, which a lawyer cannot lawfully set aside. We further note that the East Africa Law Society, the apex regional bar association in East Africa, has already expressed grave concern regarding the circumstances of Advocate Lukwago’s detention and has emphasized that advocates must never be targeted or subjected to reprisals for carrying out their professional duties.
A Pattern of Interference with Defence Counsel This incident cannot be viewed in isolation. It forms part of a documented pattern of arrests, intimidation, reprisals, and interference directed at lawyers and legal representatives involved in politically sensitive matters in Uganda.
Most notably, human rights lawyer Eron Kiiza, a member of Dr. Besigye’s legal team, was arrested, assaulted, summarily convicted by the General Court Martial, and imprisoned on 7th January 2025 while attempting to represent his client. In a further reported incident, lawyer Ronald Iduli, also a member of the defence team, was allegedly subjected to an early morning raid of his family home on December 10, 2024. Reports further indicate that, on a separate occasion, lawyer Mariam Lutale was forcibly removed from a courtroom by uniformed personnel following a verbal protest directed at the presiding judge. We are gravely concerned by these cumulative reports and call for their independent investigation.
This pattern of interference has since extended to regional counsel. On 22 June 2026, shortly before the scheduled bail ruling, Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua, a former Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs of Kenya, leader of the People’s Liberation Party, and the leader of the legal team representing Dr. Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale, was denied entry into Uganda at Entebbe International Airport, and deported to Kenya. Ms. Karua had travelled to Kampala to support Advocate Lukwago’s defence team and observe the proceedings. She was reportedly held incommunicado at the airport and had her telephone taken from her before being returned to Kenya without any explanation, while other members of the delegation, including the President of the Law Society of Kenya, were cleared to enter. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/01/08/ugandan-human-rights-lawyer-sarah-bireete-detained/]
The cumulative effect of these incidents has been to significantly reduce the number of lawyers willing and able to participate in proceedings of direct public interest. This is a matter of serious concern for the administration of justice and for the rights of the accused to legal representation of their choosing in Uganda.
Applicable Legal Standards
Lawyers must be able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, harassment, threats, surveillance, arrest, detention, or other reprisals. The targeting of lawyers because of the clients they represent or the causes they advance strikes at the heart of the administration of justice and undermines public confidence in the rule of law.
Principle 16 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers provides that governments shall ensure that lawyers are able to perform all their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, or improper interference and shall not suffer, or be threatened with, prosecution or other sanctions for actions taken in accordance with their professional duties.
Principle 18 of the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers also provides that lawyers shall not be identified with their clients or their clients’ causes as a consequence of discharging their professional functions.
The circumstances surrounding Advocate Lukwago’s detention and prosecution are especially troubling because they appear to have arisen in the context of his professional representation of politically sensitive clients and while he was preparing to effect service of court process in proceedings involving those clients. Such actions taken against a lawyer in circumstances that appear connected to the discharge of professional duties raise serious concerns regarding interference with the independence of the legal profession and the administration of justice.
Call to Action
Accordingly, we call upon the Government of Uganda, the diplomatic community and all relevant authorities to:
Ensure a prompt, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation is conducted into the circumstances surrounding Advocate Lukwago’s enforced disappearance, detention, treatment, and alleged ill-treatment.
Ensure that any threats, intimidation, or interference directed at Advocate Lukwago in connection with his professional representation of his clients are promptly and efficiently investigated.
Ensure that all allegations of unlawful detention, torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and violations of due process are independently investigated and that those responsible are held accountable.
Guarantee Advocate Lukwago’s safety, physical integrity, dignity, access to legal counsel of his choice family members, and medical treatment.
Ensure that all criminal proceedings against Advocate Lukwago are dropped for being an abuse of process and the privilege and privacy of communications between lawyers and clients or conducted strictly in accordance with the Constitution of Uganda, international human rights law, and fair trial guarantees.
Respect and protect the independence of the legal profession and ensure that lawyers are able to carry out their professional duties without intimidation, hindrance, harassment, reprisals, or improper interference.
Ensure that public officials, including military officials, refrain from statements or conduct that may undermine the presumption of innocence, interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings, intimidate lawyers, or otherwise prejudice the administration of justice.
Ensure that all lawyers and human rights defenders in Uganda can perform their professional duties without fear of reprisals, harassment, or undue interference, in accordance with international standards, notably by implementing the United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.
Ensure the security, safety and dignity of the lawyers representing Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale; and
The immediate reversal of the illegal declaration of Kenyan Senior Counsel Martha Karua, as persona non grata – a term alien to the domestic law of Uganda and reserved for diplomats in accordance with the Vienna Conventions – and guarantee her safe passage and entry into Uganda to proceed with her work of legally representing Dr. Kizza Besigye and Haji Obeid Lutale in their defense of the treason charges against them that carry a death sentence.
We further call upon regional and international bodies, including the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the East African Community, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, and other relevant regional and international mechanisms to closely monitor this matter and take all appropriate measures to safeguard the independence of the legal profession and the rule of law in Uganda.
The independence of lawyers is not a privilege of the legal profession. It is a safeguard for society as a whole. When lawyers are intimidated, detained, threatened, or prosecuted because of their professional activities, access to justice, the right to a fair trial, and the rule of law itself are placed at risk. An attack on one lawyer for carrying out his or her professional duties is an attack on the administration of justice itself.
Signatories:
African Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF)
Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC)
Constitution Defenders Forum
Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (Conseil des Barreaux Européens, CCBE)
Deutscher Anwaltverein (German Bar Association)
Foundation Day of the Endangered Lawyer
Human Rights Institute of the Brussels Bar
Institute for the Rule of Law of the Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA-IROL)
International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL)
International Association of Russian Advocates
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
International Observatory for Lawyers at Risk (OIAD)
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.
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.
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
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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.
Every 10 hours, a human rights defender, journalist or trade unionist is killed or disappeared. Every hour, a child dies in armed conflict. One in five people have experienced discrimination in the past year. These stark figures emerge from new data released by UN Human Rights. The human rights indicators offer a global snapshot of the state of human rights under four key Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators linked to SDG16 and SDG10.
“Behind every data point is a real life lived — or lost,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. “These new global human rights data show that discrimination, violence and exclusion are systemic and continue to affect those already at the margins.”
Violence against human rights defenders has reached record levels, with at least 5,995 killed since 2015. Discrimination remains widespread and deeply structured, with persons with disabilities facing a high burden at nearly one in three affected, alongside elevated gender-based discrimination against and, for the first time analyzed by our Office, sexual and gender minorities reporting two to three times higher rates than the general population.
Civilian deaths in armed conflict, while declining by 23 per cent in 2025 from an unprecedented peak in 2024, remain catastrophic. Despite these alarming trends, progress in data collection is expanding: discrimination data are now available in 124 countries, up from 15 in 2015, and with a growing range of population groups and grounds of discrimination covered. However, progress in establishing national human rights institutions that comply fully with international standards has stalled, with no overall increase in 2025, signalling that visibility and accountability mechanisms have not kept pace with the scale of the crisis.
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 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.”
On 4 May 2026 the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) remembered eight women organizers from the region who fought for a better region and in whose stories we find inspiration:
Lina Ben Mhenni
“I am the activist of all causes.”Lina Ben Mhenni was a Tunisian blogger, educator, and activist whose voice rose to prominence as Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution unfolded. Born in Tunis in 1983 and raised in a politically engaged family, she used her blog A Tunisian Girl to document censorship, women’s rights, and state repression well before the revolution began. When protests erupted after Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation in December 2010, she became a leading voice reporting from inside the country. Traveling to Sidi Bouzid, Kasserine, and Regueb, she documented police brutality, sharing photos and testimonies online despite a strict media blackout. After the revolution, she continued advocating for human rights, freedom of expression, and justice for victims and their families. She also launched initiatives to support prison libraries, delivering over 45,000 books across Tunisia. Recognized internationally, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011. She passed away in 2020 at the age of 36 after a long battle with lupus. [see also https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2020/01/29/in-memory-of-tunisian-human-rights-defender-lina-ben-mhenni/]
Sarah Hegazi
Sarah Hegazi was an Egyptian queer feminist and human rights defender. As a member of the Bread and Freedom Party in Egypt, she advocated for political prisoners, opposed the death penalty, and supported movements for freedom across the MENA region, including in Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, and Sudan. Her activism was intersectional, grounded in class struggle and solidarity. In 2017, she raised a rainbow flag at a Mashrou’ Leila concert in Cairo—an act that made her a target for state repression. As part of the anti-LGBTQI+ crackdown that followed, Sarah was arrested, detained, and subjected to torture. Sarah was fired from her job and experienced severe depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Out of fear for her safety amid continued targeting, bullying, and repression, Sarah was forced to flee Egypt in 2018. She traveled to Canada where she sought political asylum. While living in exile apart from her loved ones, and the country and community most dear to her, Sarah took her life on June 13, 2020. She was 30 years old.
Bahjaa Abdelaa Abdelaa
Bahjaa Abdelaa Abdelaa was a Sudanese human rights defender who worked tirelessly in support of Sudanese women. Born in Nyala, South Darfur, she was also an economist who graduated from the University of Khartoum in 2020. She was a member of the Women Revolutionary Group, which was created to advocate for women’s rights, gender equality, and social justice, as well as to support survivors of rape and sexual violence in Darfur. Bahjaa became known for her monitoring and documentation work, highlighting the pervasiveness of sexual violence during conflict. She was also part of the Darfur Collation of Women Human Rights Defenders (TMD). As the war raged in Sudan, and after receiving death threats due to her human rights work, on October 26, 2023, Bahjaa was shot and killed by unidentified gunmen while attending a relative’s funeral at Kalma camp for internally displaced people in Nyala. She was 26 years old.
Giselle Khoury
Known as the “grande dame of Arab journalism” for her pointed interview style, Giselle Khoury was a Lebanese journalist and television personality whose career spanned almost four decades, defined by her commitment to freedom of expression and pluralism. She began at LBC in 1985, later joined MBC, and also contributed to the launch of Al-Arabiya. She became known for hosting major political programs such as Bil Arabi and Studio Beirut, where she interviewed leading political figures from across the region. Her work continued with BBC Arabic and Sky News Arabia. As one of the first women Arab journalists to host such high-profile programs, she helped reshape the media landscape. After the 2005 assassination of her husband, journalist Samir Kassir, she co-founded the Samir Kassir Foundation to support independent journalism, monitor press freedom, and nurture new generations of media professionals. She passed away in October 2023 at the age of 62 after a battle with cancer.
Bassma Kodmani
Bassma Kodmani was a Syrian academic, advocate, and political figure, whose career bridged research, policy, and activism. She co-founded the Arab Reform Initiative (ARI), a collaborative think tank “to articulate a home-grown agenda for democratic change in the Arab region,” serving as Executive Director from 2005 to 2019. When Syrians peacefully took to the streets in 2011, Bassma took a temporary leave from ARI to serve as Head of Foreign Relations and spokesperson with the Syrian National Council, the opposition body organizing for a democratic alternative at the time, until her resignation in 2012. In 2016, she participated in the Geneva peace talks as part of the delegation of the democratic opposition. Holding a PhD from Sciences Po, Bassma authored and edited multiple works on Middle Eastern politics and conflict and was a renowned political thinker. Her vision for a Syria that embraces the equal participation of all Syrians is one that continues to inspire younger scholars today. She died of breast cancer at the age of 64.
Shireen Abu Akleh
“I chose journalism to be close to people. It might not be easy to change the reality, but at least I can bring their voices to the world.” Shireen Abu Akleh was a Palestinian-American journalist and one of the most recognizable voices in the Arab world. Born in Jerusalem in 1971, she spent over 25 years covering the realities of life under Israeli occupation. After studying journalism at Yarmouk University, she began at Voice of Palestine radio and Radio Monte Carlo before joining Al Jazeera in 1997. At a time when few Palestinian women worked as field reporters, she became a leading correspondent. She rose to prominence during the second intifada in 2000, reporting from the ground and centering the lived experiences of Palestinians—from political prisoners to families affected by displacement and violence. On May 11, 2022, Shireen was shot and killed in a targeted attack by Israeli Defense Forces, while wearing a press vest and while covering a raid in Jenin. Her funeral, which was attacked by Israeli police forces, drew hundreds of mourners and widespread solidarity.
Salwa Bugaighis
Salwa Bugaighis was a Libyan lawyer, human rights advocate, and political figure. She was active in the 2011 Libyan Revolution, which ultimately overthrew Muammar Gaddafi. Based in Benghazi, she built her career defending political prisoners and advocating for justice under an authoritarian regime. From the start of the uprising, she was on the front lines, helping to organize protests and becoming a member of the National Transitional Council. She later resigned in protest over the lack of women’s representation. She continued her work through national dialogue initiatives aiming to bridge divisions across Libya’s fragmented society. Bugaighis was known for her outspoken criticism of armed groups and extremists. Even in the face of threats and violence, she remained committed to building democratic institutions and a more inclusive Libya. In June 2014, after returning home following her vote in the country’s parliamentary elections, she was assassinated in a targeted attack in which gunmen stormed her home, shot and stabbed her, and abducted her husband. She was 51 years old. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2020/11/12/libyan-human-rights-defender-hanan-al-barassi-gunned-down-in-benghazi/]
Yanar Mohammed
Yanar Mohammed was a prominent Iraqi feminist and human rights defender. In 1998 while living in Canada, she founded the Defense of Iraqi Women’s Rights, which in 2004, became the Organization of Women’s Freedom in Iraq (OWFI). At this point, Yanar had relocated back to Iraq, and the group created the first shelters for women fleeing domestic violence, sex trafficking, and threats of honor killings. In the years since, OWFI has operated a network of safe houses and shelters around the country and helped hundreds of women. Yanar served as editor of the feminist newspaper Al-Mousawat and participated in protests in Tahrir Square. She regularly advocated for marginalized groups in Iraq, including displaced communities and LGBTQI+ individuals. For years, Yanar received death threats for her work, at times having to restrict her movement. In March 2026, unidentified gunmen shot her outside her home in Baghdad. She was 66 years old. See https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2026/03/06/on-2-march-2026-woman-human-rights-defender-yanar-mohammed-was-killed-in-baghdad/.
Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards 