THE EUROPEAN
UNION
HUMAN
RIGHTS
DEFENDERS
MECHANISM
THE EUROPEAN
UNION
HUMAN
RIGHTS
DEFENDERS
MECHANISM
You have the right to defend rights
If you are a human rights defender at risk as a result of your work, ProtectDefenders.eu is to support you
Empowering and protecting human rights defenders at risk worldwide
More than 55,000 defenders supported by ProtectDefenders.eu
Have a look at our latest news
🚨Unprecedented repression against civil society in the aftermath of national elections and ahead of COP29 in #Azerbaijan
Hundreds of HRDs are behind bars for their opposition... towards the government, preventing free and constructive dialogue at COP29 https://tinyurl.com/2cs4ex3a
🚨Killing of environmental HRD and further repression of defenders working on land rights in #Honduras
Read our bulletin to know more about the escalating human rights ...situation in the country https://tinyurl.com/2cs4ex3a
🚨Violent repression continues amid one year of genocide in the #OPT
Human rights abuses continue against journalists and HRDs, as Israel has yet to be held accountable for the... severe violations occurred during its decades long occupation of Palestine. https://tinyurl.com/2cs4ex3a
Reaching out to those who are most at risk
Our programmes and staff are trained to respond to the specific needs of women human rights defenders, as well as LGTBI+ defenders, in all their diversity, through differentiated, flexible, and jointly defined and gender-sensitive protection strategies.
We seek to support and reach out to those defenders who are more isolated and less connected, and those who are particularly targeted and face specific risk, such as environmental, land, and indigenous peoples’ rights defenders; defenders operating in conflict areas, or defenders with disabilities.
The ProtectDefenders.eu Index of Alerts
5.073
Attacks against HRDS
Type of alert
(Year 2023)
Alerts by region
(Year 2023)
Field monitoring and advocacy
We monitor the situation of at-risk defenders on-site and carry out advocacy work to mobilise protection and adequate responses to their cases. Together, we call for an environment conducive to the defence of rights
ProtectDefenders.eu is calling on all European Union actors to urgently implement all appropriate measures at all levels to develop and promote an enabling framework for human rights defenders to access visas for the EU
This book is a result of the Human Rights Defenders Poetry Challenge, where we asked HRDs to tell us their stories and reflect on their struggles in defending human rights.
The PI’s Risk Analysis and Protection Plan Principles are 21 concrete statements, which outline the most essential and foundational concepts behind implementing the risk approach for protection—from conducting a situated risk approach to building an effective protection plan.
If you stand up for fundamental rights, you are a human rights defender
Regardless of whether you are a journalist, a farmer, a teacher, a committed citizen, a student, or a lawyer, regardless of your age, your background, your sexual orientation, your gender identity and expression, and of your sexuality. Regardless of whether you defend the rights of a minority, the environment, democracy, the rights of your land or your community, or any other rights.
You have the right not to be persecuted, attacked, or threatened. You have the right to no retaliation against you, your community, or your family. You have the right to be protected, empowered, enabled, and accompanied. You have the right to defend rights.
