The ProtectDefenders.eu monthly digest of alerts reports on the increasing numbers of killings of human rights defenders in Colombia. The epidemic has already reached extremely worrying heights during the first weeks of 2019, and at least six human rights defenders were killed in violent attacks, making the country the deadliest place in the world for HRDs. As demonstrated in a mission report published under ProtectDefenders.eu two years on the Peace Process with the FARC-EP, the State has failed to implement most of its obligations, including establishing an integrated presence in rural regions. This has led to a number of illegal armed groups fighting for control of the areas previously occupied by FARC-EP, which puts human rights defenders at an increased risk.
Moreover, ProtectDefenders.eu partners are alerting on the recent wave of arrests targeting human rights defenders in Sudan, in reprisal for the continuing protests. Over the last month, dozens of human rights defenders including women human rights defenders, lawyers, journalists, and academics have been arbitrarily arrested. The digest also features the ongoing pattern of repression and judicial harassment faced by human rights activists in China.
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