HRDs being interviewed by journalists

News

The Dire Working Environment for Women Human Rights Defenders in DR Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), especially in the eastern part of the country, over two decades of armed conflict and political instability have deteriorated the working conditions for human rights defenders. In 2020, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) documented 7,909 human rights violations and abuses throughout the DR Congo. […]

Protection International Interviews Burundian Human Rights Defender Germain Rukuki after Judicial Victory

In July 2017, the human rights defender Germain Rukuki was arrested in his home and later charged with “rebellion”, “threatening state security”, “attacking the authority of the State” and “participation in an insurrectionist movement”, although no conclusive evidence was ever presented to back the prosecution’s counts. Four years later, Germain Rukuki has been released from […]

Human Rights Defenders Poetry Challenge

Created by: Protection International, ProtectDefenders.eu, and the University of York An entire year has passed since the kick-off of our #StayWithDefenders campaign, and we would like to call attention to all those human rights defenders who steadfastly continue their work despite the fact that COVID-19 rages on. To honor the human rights defenders that have […]

The Importance of the IACHR Report on the Right to Social Protest in Colombia

A few days ago, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a report with recommendations on the human rights situation in Colombia in the context of the social protests that began on April 28. In this note, we highlight the main conclusions and explain the obligation of Colombia’s authorities to comply with the recommendations […]

Uprooted Yet Undeterred

Human rights defenders in Colombia continue to stand up for themselves and their communities regardless of forced displacement Dozens of refugees and internally displaced people are human rights defenders (HRDs), but they are not always effectively recognized as such. In this article, we tell some stories about these defenders in Colombia, the challenges their communities […]

450K People Forced to Flee Volcanic Eruption in Goma

Human rights defenders and Protection International staff were forced to put their work on hold, while the Nyiragongo volcano erupted in their backyard June 2021 – “The volcanic eruption of Nyiragongo came like a thief. The early warning system did not alert us as early as possible; the lava came suddenly and people were in […]

Collective Protection Networks for Remote Rural Communities: A Case Study of the Role of Social Networks in Protecting Rural Communities in Latin America

Working Paper No. 11 Protection International, May 2021 The Human Rights Defender Hub Working Papers Series This Working Paper Series aims to make research related to HRDs freely accessible and to promote further discussion and research. The papers in this series present recent research findings, highlight under-explored issues, and set out theoretical or methodological approaches […]