environment-rights.org2018

Environmental HumanRights Defenders are facing a crisis

environment rights.org

is a new battleground for human rights. As demand for products like timber, minerals and palm oil continues to rise, governments, companies and criminals are exploiting land with little regard for the people who live on it. Those who take a stand are finding themselves in the firing line of State forces, private security companies and a thriving market for contract killers.

The environment

The wrongful use of criminal law and justice systems by governments and companies to obstruct the work of environmental and land defenders has become an increasingly common threat.

killings

Global Witness documented

in 2018, on average, over three per week.

164The most dangerous regions were *

Asia AfricaLatin-America

Use of forcein peaceful

protests

Enforceddisappearance

Violentattacks

Blackmail Travelbans

Illegal surveillanceand interception of

communications

Deaththreats

51%

Indigenous peoples

39% 9%

Most killings were linked with

Agribusiness

LoggingWater & dam projects

2017

13

Threats andattacks on

family

The faces of criminalisation

Baseless accusations, evidenciary problems and

bogus criminal lawsuits

Politically motivatedapplication ofcriminal law

Unreasonably lengthylegal proceedings

Misuse of anti-terrorism laws to deter and punish environmental defense

activities

Violation ofdue process

Denial of adequate time and means

for legal defense

Arbitrary useof preventative

pretrial detention

of land, territory and environmental defenders by the media, businesses and governments is increasing.

Smear campaigns are used to portray defenders of being ‘anti-development’, criminals and even terrorists.False accusations in social networks and the mediaare increasingly common ways to defame defenders.

Stigmatisation

*Percentage of global killings occuring in that region

Criminalisation

are most vulnerable.Between 2014-2018 almost 900 indigenousleaders were killed.

Women defenders

Unfounded statements of government officials

Bans on speeches denouncing human rights

violations and on peaceful social protests

Punishments to the receiptof foreign funding

in the framework of international cooperation

agreements

Forcible removalfrom participatory

spaces

Forced displacementand eviction

Attackson property

Destructionand theft ofinformation

Extractives industries 43

Other threats faced by defenders

killingsof global

10%Women face gender-specific threats and tend to be at a distinct disadvantage. Exclusion from the labour market and exclusion from landownershio and leadership positions increase their vulnerabilities. The double role of caregivers and defenders places increasedburders with a huge physical and psychologicalimpact.

Systematic discredit

Physical abuse

Smear campaigns

Sexual violence(incl. abuse and

harrasment)

Economic and socialviolence

Social rejectionfor not conforming

to gender stereotypes

Domestic violence

Threats andattacks to their

children

Differentiated risks and threats