This year’s Annual Report arrives at a moment unlike any other in our history. It marks ten years since ProtectDefenders.eu was established, this is a decade of emergency support, temporary relocation, capacity-building, and solidarity with the people who risk everything to defend human rights. We publish it with immense pride, deep gratitude, and a renewed sense of purpose.
The report is about the thousands of defenders supported, the crises responded to, the lives protected. But it is also a celebration of ten years of collective effort, of a growing network, and of the courage of the people at the heart of everything we do. And we are also very grateful that high representatives of the human rights environment such as Mary Lawlor, Kasja Ollongren and Mounir Satouri, have supported us in this report.
“Over the past decade, the mechanism has been one of the most important global initiatives dedicated to the protection of people at risk for defending human rights.” — Mary Lawlor, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (2020 – 2026)
Human rights defenders play an indispensable role in protecting fundamental freedoms, promoting accountability for grave crimes, and building democracy. Our work exists to ensure they are never left to do that alone.
What this anniversary means
Ten years on, the political stakes have never been higher — nor has the recognition of what this mechanism represents.
“Amidst this deepening darkness, the courage of human rights defenders remains a steadfast beacon of hope. I invite you to look beyond the numbers and see the faces of the individuals who refuse to be silenced. Their resilience is the true story of this year.” — Kajsa Ollongren, EU Special Representative for Human Rights
“Standing with HRDs means standing for the values that define and unite us as Europeans. The necessary human and financial resources to meet evolving threats should remain a clear political priority for the European Union and its Member States.” — Mounir Satouri, Chair, European Parliament Subcommittee on Human Rights
The environment for human rights defenders is deteriorating, shaped by rising authoritarianism, the erosion of civic space, arbitrary detentions, and a deeply troubling decline in funding for civil society.
This Year
Despite increasing challenges, ProtectDefenders.eu has used its resources effectively this year, providing rapid and comprehensive support to human rights defenders at risk. 98% of defenders reported a positive impact, improved security, or an increased ability to continue their work.
This year also saw deepened coordination across the consortium, enabling faster collective responses to complex crises, including in Sudan and the DRC. A gender-sensitive approach remained central to every intervention, with particular focus on women human rights defenders, including those championing environmental and indigenous rights.
Transnational repression is on the rise, with repressive states increasingly targeting defenders beyond their borders. Defenders from minority, indigenous, and LGBTQI+ communities face compounding vulnerabilities, with anti-rights rhetoric actively used to delegitimise their work. In active conflict zones, defenders face extreme physical danger with minimal protection infrastructure. And journalists and media workers face a particular escalation in risks, in a year that has seen press freedom reach a historic low in many regions.
The report maps these patterns region by region — from Latin America to the Middle East, from Sub-Saharan Africa to Southeast Asia — to provide a clear-eyed picture of where defenders are most at risk, and where support is most urgently needed.
But, what support looks like in practice?
Behind every statistic in this report is a person. Their courage, resilience, and commitment to human rights are what this mechanism exists to protect. This year, we want to share one story.
Following the return of Taliban rule in 2021, defending women’s rights in Afghanistan became not only dangerous but, in many cases, prohibited. Z.S., a woman human rights defender advocating for the rights of women and girls, continued her work despite these conditions.
Through ProtectDefenders.eu, in collaboration with the Catalan Commission for Refugee Aid, Z.S. was supported through a temporary relocation programme in Spain. The relocation provided immediate safety — but also something more: holistic support including psychosocial care, digital security training, and meaningful opportunities for advocacy at local, national, and EU levels. Collaborating with Ponts per la Pau, she extended her support to other women human rights defenders.
Z.S.’s experience illustrates a lesson at the heart of what we do: temporary relocation is not simply a protection tool. It is a catalyst for empowerment, combining safety with capacity-building and international advocacy.
Ten years. Thousands of defenders. One unwavering commitment. The full Annual Report is now available, we invite you to read it, share it, and stand with us.
