All over the world criminal laws and other legal provisions are used to attack human rights defenders (HRDs) to hamper their work in the defense and promotion of human rights. Protection International’s first global report on the criminalization of HRDs: Criminalisation of Human Rights Defenders – Categorisation of the problem and measures in response (available also in French and Spanish) aims to respond to protection challenges for criminalized HRDs, civil society organizations, and rural communities.

To this end, the report illustrates the interplay among legal instruments, socio-political contexts, and practices by state authorities and non-state actors, which altogether ultimately contribute to stigmatizing, delegitimizing, and criminalizing HRDs. Counter-measures that may be adopted to combat criminalization are also discussed in the report together with many concrete recommendations to HRDs, State authorities, and justice institutions, as well as foreign governments, multilateral agencies, donors, and civil society organizations.

Available in French and Spanish.