Within the framework of ProtectDefenders.eu, OMCT provided a grant In February 2018 to a Bolivian woman human rights defender, in order to support her temporary relocation within the country. This WHRD, a lawyer and NGO member, committed her life to the defence of women’s rights and in particular of women deprived of their liberty, offering pro bono representation to victims of negligence, mistreatment and corruption.
As a result of her work, two strongly influential local Public Prosecutors were found guilty of mistreatment against women deprived of liberty and subsequently dismissed. Since then, her life drastically changed as she began receiving threats against her own life and her three-year-old son. The threats have been intensifying since the end of 2017, when she started receiving threatening calls daily, was subjected to stalking, and endured an attempt to kidnap her and her son. Her situation became unbearable and she finally decided to resort to temporary relocation in order to protect her son’s life and to be able to continue her work free from threats.
Thanks to the financial support of OMCT in the framework of ProtectDefenders.EU, the WHRD is now living safely in another region of Bolivia with her son, with the hope to be able to resume her human rights activities shortly.
