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Publication
7 August 2017

Stories of resistance: the women leading the struggle for indigenous rights

María Magdalena Tun didn’t choose to become a human rights defender. But when private companies started evicting local communities in her region, polluting the rivers and destroying the forests, she realised she could not sit idly by: she had to defend the rights of her people.

Rights 
#Indigenous Peoples / Campesino Rights
Violations 
#Arrest / Detention / Imprisonment #Defamation #Judicial Harassment #Other Harassment #Physical Attack
Location 
#Global
Blog Post
16 July 2019

Home Turf: When Irish Environmental Defenders Receive Death Threats

By Anne Rimmer

Over the past 11 years I’ve led workshops for human rights defenders at risk in Africa, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and East and Central Europe. Many of the HRDs trained at those workshops on Risk Analysis and Protection Planning reported stigmatisation, online abuse, threats and attacks. But earlier this year I received a call for help from a much closer source.

Rights 
#Environmental Rights
Violations 
#Physical Attack #Threats / Intimidation #Violence
Locations 
#Ireland #Region: Europe and Central Asia
Blog Post
Andrea Rocca's Blog
2 February 2019

At Last, An End to a 5-Year Nightmare

By Andrea Rocca

In October last year, I had the privilege of meeting Damian Gallardo for the first time. It is a name I heard many times since 2013, when he was arrested in the middle of the night in his home in Oaxaca; since then Front Line Defenders – with many others – supported him and his family and campaigned for his release. I met him in what had been his home for five years, a high security prison outside Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco.

Rights 
#Labour Rights / Trade Union
Violations 
#Arrest / Detention / Imprisonment #Judicial Harassment
Locations 
#Mexico
Publication
6 March 2017

Bringing change, bringing hope

Ana Maria has helped hundreds of Dominicans of Haitian descent reclaim their rights, and resist racism and discrimination. Lorraine leads innovative education initiatives, to raise awareness about environmental rights in communities affected by coal mining in South Africa. Nisha successfully challenged a law discriminating against transgender people in Malaysia, and set up the first organisation providing support to the trans community in her country.

Rights 
#Civil & Political Rights #Environmental Rights #Gender/Women's Rights #Indigenous Peoples / Campesino Rights
Violations 
#Judicial Harassment #Other Harassment #Physical Attack
Location 
#Global
Closed Case
9 April 2018

Threats, attacks and killings against those connected to indigenous rights organisation COMUNDICH

On 29 March 2018, a group of hitmen killed Crisanto Garcia Ohajaca, the uncle of the COMUNDICH Executive Board vice-president, Eugenio Ohajaca. The leader of the Ch’orti’ de Morola community, which COMUNDICH is currently assisting, received a death threat two days after Crisanto Garcia Ohajaca’s murder. In the past few weeks, threats and attacks against those associated with the indigenous rights organisation, Coordinadora de Asociaciones y Comunidades para el Desarrollo Integral del Pueblo Ch’orti’ COMUNDICH, have increased.

Rights 
#Indigenous Peoples / Campesino Rights
#Land Rights
Violations 
#Physical Attack
#Threats / Intimidation
Location 
#Guatemala
HRD or Organization 
COMUNDICH
Closed Case
16 December 2019

Two killings in Anapu elevate concerns about lack of access to justice for land rights defenders in Pará

On 4 December 2019, land rights defender Marcio Rodrigues dos Reis was killed on a road close to Anapu. He was the main defence witness in a criminalisation case against human rights defender Padre Amaro. Marcio is the 15th rural worker killed in the area since 2015. Shortly after, on 9 December 2019, state councillor Paulo Anacleto was also found dead. The councillor was actively engaged in the investigations into the killing of Marcio Rodrigues dos Reis.

Rights 
#Land Rights
Violations 
#Killing
Location 
#Region: Americas
#Brazil
HRD or Organization 
Marcio Rodrigues dos Reis
Closed Case
19 January 2018

Arrests of human rights defenders alongside repression, killings and several injuries

Sudanese authorities are continuing a nationwide crackdown against protesters and human rights defenders, through arrests and the use of excessive force resulting in killings. Human rights defender Amal Habani was arrested on 16 January 2018 and taken to an undisclosed location by security forces in Khartoum. Human rights defender Nahid Jabrallah was arrested during a protest on 16 January 2018. Human rights defender Mohamed Aldouma was arrested during a protest in Omdurman on 17 January 2018.

Rights 
#Gender/Women's Rights
#Children's Rights
Violations 
#Arrest / Detention / Imprisonment
Location 
#Sudan
HRD or Organization 
Nahid Jabrallah
Closed Case
14 March 2019

Human rights defender Afzal Kohistani shot dead for seeking justice for “honour killings”

On 6 March 2019, human rights defender Afzal Kohistani was shot dead by unidentified gunmen in Gami Ada, Abbottabad, Kohistan region in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.

Rights 
#Gender/Women's Rights
#Impunity / Justice
Violations 
#Killing
Location 
#Pakistan
HRD or Organization 
Afzal Kohistani
Closed Case
19 January 2018

Arrests of human rights defenders alongside repression, killings and several injuries

Following her detention on 16 January, human rights defender Amal Habani was beaten with an electric rod by Sudanese forces during interrogation. She remains in detention despite an order for her release being issued on 20 January.

Rights 
#Gender/Women's Rights
Violations 
#Arrest / Detention / Imprisonment
#Torture / Ill-Treatment
Location 
#Sudan
HRD or Organization 
Amal Habani

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