Celebrating 10 Years of Struggle and Resistance at La Puya
To the communities of San José de Golfo and San Pedro Ayampuc, We wish to express our congratulations this March 2 for your 10 years of brave peaceful resistance in defense of water, life, and community health and against mining and the Progreso VII Derivada project, owned by U.S. mining company Kappes, Cassiday & Associates […]
Launch of the Protection Network for Women Human Rights Defenders in DR Congo
[DR Congo] On November 29, the world celebrates Women’s Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) Day. On this occasion, Protection International (PI) is pleased to explain more about the challenges that WHRDs face daily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), especially in the eastern provinces— where women and girls have continued to bear the […]
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 […]
Protection International Signs a Joint Open Letter to Address Reprisals Against Paten Clan, Uganda
On September 9, a group of organizations that are members of the Coalition for Human Rights in Development and other allies sent an open letter to the African Development Bank and the Nordic Development Fund, calling on them to take immediate action to address reprisals against a community in Uganda impacted by the Wadelai irrigation […]
Thai Provincial Court Finds Somphon Chimrueng Guilty for the Attempted Assassination of Land Rights Defender Dam On-Muang
Cover photo description: Mr. Dam On-muang outside of the courthouse on 26 August 2021 On 26 August 2021, at 9:00 am, the Wiang Sra Provincial Court of Surat Thani delivered the verdict on Black Case No. O18/2564 concerning the attempted assassination of Mr. Dam On-muang. Mr. Dam is a land rights defender and a member […]
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 […]