A A+ A++
17/3/2022

Front line defenders: Global Analysis 2021

On February 23rd the Front Line Defenders published its Global Analysis on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs) at risk around the world. 

The Global Analysis provides a general overview of the risks and threats that HDRs had to face in 2021, including i.a. surveillance, terrorism and national security charges, the backlash against feminist and LGBTIQ+ movements under the guise of preventing “gender ideology”, racism and corruption. According to the document, the most targeted ones were HRDs from three sectors: Environmental/Land/Megaprojects/Indigenous Peoples’ Rights (14,5%), Freedom of Expression (9,4%) and Human Rights Movement (9.3%). Based on the HRD Memorial1 report, the Global Analysis presents a list of HRDs lost in 2021 that includes names of 358 HRDs killed in 35 countries.

Apart from the global view, the report contains the subsections dedicated to particular regions - Sub-Saharan Africa, Americas, Asia & The Pacific, Europe & Central Asia and the Middle East & North Africa. Regarding Italy, in January 2021, Italy brought charges against a group of migrant rights defenders. The Trapani Prosecutor’s Office charged 21 individuals, including four HRDs from the search and rescue ship Iuventa, and three humanitarian organizations, i.a. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF),  with “aiding and abetting illegal immigration to Italy”. The report highlights a trend appearing in Italian state media (as well as Polish, Greek and French ones) - demonizing and dehumanizing the non-European “others”, which leads to attacks on the HRDs who support and advocate for the rights of migrants and refugees.

The Global Analysis also refers to the new policies to protect HDRs (adopted by the organizations and states) and international support for them (on the example of the EU).

The full report text can be found on the Front Line Defenders website.

 

Front Line Defenders was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the specific aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk (HRDs), people who work, non-violently, for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). Front Line Defenders addresses the protection needs identified by HRDs themselves.