"Attacks on human rights activists reach crisis point globally", 16 May 2017

Community leaders, lawyers, journalists and other human rights defenders across the world are facing unprecedented levels of persecution, intimidation and violence, warned Amnesty International [AI] today as it launched a new global campaign ['Brave'], demanding an end to the onslaught of attacks against brave individuals standing up to injustice. "What we are witnessing today is a full-frontal assault by governments, armed groups, corporations and others with power on the very right to defend human rights," [said] Salil Shetty, Secretary-General of AI. In a new briefing, ‘Human rights defenders under threat – a shrinking space for civil society’, published today to accompany the new campaign, AI details the unprecedented dangers those defending human rights face. It has become an increasingly deadly pursuit: In 2016, 281 people were killed globally for defending human rights, up from 156 in 2015, according to evidence from the NGO Front Line Defenders. [The report also talks about the role of business in attacks on HRDs:] Companies have a responsibility to respect human rights. The scope and meaning of this responsibility is clarified in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Despite this, HRDs continue to face serious threats and attacks either at the hands of businesses or in the context of their operations.