<div dir="ltr">Solid report, but terrible news ...<div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/09/human-rights-activists-growing-risk-attacks-and-killings-study-claims">https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/09/human-rights-activists-growing-risk-attacks-and-killings-study-claims</a><br></div><div><br></div><div>

<header class="gmail-content__head gmail-content__head--article gmail-tonal__head gmail-tonal__head--tone-news" style="display:grid;color:rgb(18,18,18);font-family:"Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:common-ligatures;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><div class="gmail-content__headline-standfirst-wrapper" style="grid-area: headline-standfirst / headline-standfirst / headline-standfirst / headline-standfirst;"><div class="gmail-content__header gmail-tonal__header" style="grid-area: headline / headline / headline / headline;"><div class="gmail-u-cf"><h1 class="gmail-content__headline" style="margin:0px;font-size:2.125rem;line-height:2.375rem;font-family:"Guardian Egyptian Web","Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;display:block;font-weight:400;padding:0.1875rem 0px 2.25rem">'Attacks and killings': human rights activists at growing risk, study claims</h1></div></div><div class="gmail-tonal__standfirst gmail-u-cf" style="grid-area: standfirst / standfirst / standfirst / standfirst;"><div class="gmail-content__standfirst" style="font-size:1rem;line-height:1.25rem;font-family:"Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;font-weight:700;margin-bottom:0.75rem;color:rgb(18,18,18);padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;border-top:0px;padding-top:0.125rem;max-width:33.75rem;margin-left:0px"><p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.5rem">Research shows 34% rise in attacks against campaigners defending land, environment and labour rights in the face of corporate activity</p></div></div></div><div class="gmail-content__meta-container gmail-js-content-meta gmail-js-football-meta gmail-u-cf" style="min-height:2.25rem;margin:0px 0px 0.375rem;width:13.75rem;height:0px;background-repeat:repeat-x;background-position:50% 0%;background-size:0.0625rem 0.8125rem;padding-top:0.9375rem"><br><div class="gmail-meta__contact-wrap" style="padding-left:0px;padding-right:0px;float:left;max-width:100%"><p class="gmail-byline" style="font-size:1rem;font-family:"Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;font-weight:normal;display:block;padding-top:0.25rem;line-height:1.25rem;color:rgb(199,0,0);clear:both;margin-right:0px;border-top:0px;box-sizing:border-box;padding-bottom:1.125rem;min-height:0px;font-style:italic;width:134.672px"><span style="font-weight:700;font-style:normal"><a rel="author" class="gmail-tone-colour" href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/anniekelly" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(199,0,0);text-decoration:none"><span>Annie Kelly</span></a></span></p><p class="gmail-content__dateline" style="font-size:0.75rem;line-height:1rem;font-family:"Guardian Text Sans Web","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,"Lucida Grande",sans-serif;color:rgb(118,118,118);box-sizing:border-box;padding-top:0.125rem;padding-right:0px;min-height:0px;padding-bottom:0.75rem;border:0px;display:block"><time datetime="2018-03-09T13:12:46+0000" class="gmail-content__dateline-wpd gmail-js-wpd gmail-content__dateline-wpd--modified" style="display:inline-block">Fri 9 Mar 2018<span> </span><span class="gmail-content__dateline-time">13.12 GMT</span></time><time datetime="2018-03-09T22:01:14+0000" class="gmail-content__dateline-lm gmail-js-lm gmail-u-h" style="padding:0.125rem 0px 0px;display:inline-block;border:0px;height:0.0625rem;overflow:hidden;width:0.0625rem">Last modified on Fri 9 Mar 2018<span> </span><span class="gmail-content__dateline-time">22.01 GMT</span></time></p></div><div class="gmail-meta__extras" style="clear:both;min-height:2.8125rem;border:0px"><div class="gmail-meta__social" style="padding:0.375rem 0px 0px;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:0px;min-height:2.8125rem;background-repeat:repeat-x;background-position:50% 0%;background-size:0.0625rem 0.0625rem"><ul class="gmail-social gmail-social--top gmail-js-social--top gmail-u-unstyled gmail-u-cf" style="list-style:none;padding:0.375rem 0px;margin:0px 0px 0.375rem;overflow-y:visible;height:2rem"><li class="gmail-social__item gmail-social__item--facebook" style="float:left;min-width:2rem;padding:0px 0.1875rem 0.375rem 0px"><a class="gmail-social__action gmail-js-social__action--top gmail-social-icon-wrapper" href="https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=180444840287&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2018%2Fmar%2F09%2Fhuman-rights-activists-growing-risk-attacks-and-killings-study-claims%3FCMP%3Dshare_btn_fb" target="_blank" title="Facebook" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(199,0,0);text-decoration:none;display:inline-block"><span class="gmail-inline-share-facebook gmail-inline-icon gmail-rounded-icon gmail-centered-icon gmail-social-icon gmail-social-icon--facebook" style="width:auto;height:2rem;border:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);padding:0px;box-sizing:content-box;background-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d;border-color:rgb(220,220,220);height:1px;padding:0px 0px 0px 0.625rem;display:block;text-align:left;float:left;min-width:0.9375rem;border-top-style:initial;border-right-style:initial;border-bottom-style:initial;overflow:hidden;width:0.0625rem"></div></div></div></div><figure class="gmail-media-primary gmail-media-content gmail-()" id="gmail-img-1" style="display:block;margin:0px 0px 0.375rem"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/mar/09/human-rights-activists-growing-risk-attacks-and-killings-study-claims#img-1" class="gmail-article__img-container gmail-js-gallerythumbs" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(199,0,0);text-decoration:none"><div class="gmail-u-responsive-ratio" style="width:620px;padding-bottom:371.875px;overflow:hidden"><span><img class="gmail-maxed gmail-responsive-img" alt="A demonstrator in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, protests following the murder of land rights activist Berta Cáceres" src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/59f415cb90f86b24308875e79154b9ccf7f7e9f3/0_86_3566_2139/master/3566.jpg?w=300&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=fa9773882345ac40dcb6de14e5b33002" style="border: 0px; display: block; width: 620px; height: 371.875px; top: 0px; left: 0px;"></span></div><span class="gmail-inline-expand-image gmail-inline-icon gmail-centered-icon gmail-rounded-icon gmail-article__fullscreen gmail-modern-visible" style="border-radius:62.5rem;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;width:2.75rem;height:2.75rem;background-color:rgba(51,51,51,0.6);margin:0.625rem;opacity:0"></span></a><figcaption class="gmail-caption gmail-caption--main gmail-caption--img" style="display:block;min-height:0px;max-width:none;padding:0.5rem 0px 0.375rem;font-size:0.75rem;line-height:1rem;font-family:"Guardian Text Sans Web","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,"Lucida Grande",sans-serif;color:rgb(118,118,118)"><span class="gmail-inline-triangle gmail-inline-icon gmail-hide-until-tablet" style="fill: rgb(199, 0, 0);"><span> </span></span>A demonstrator in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Honduras, protests following the murder of Berta Cáceres, the land rights activist who was killed in 2016. Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images</figcaption></figure></header><div class="gmail-content__article-body gmail-from-content-api gmail-js-article__body" style="word-wrap:break-word;line-height:1.4;margin-left:0px;padding-bottom:4.5rem;color:rgb(18,18,18);font-family:"Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;font-size:medium;font-style:normal;font-variant-ligatures:common-ligatures;font-variant-caps:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;white-space:normal;word-spacing:0px;background-color:rgb(255,255,255);text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/law/human-rights" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Human rights</a><span> </span>defenders who challenge big corporations are being killed, assaulted, harassed and suppressed in growing numbers, researchers have claimed.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">A survey by the<span> </span><a href="https://www.business-humanrights.org/" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Business and Human Rights Resource Center</a><span> </span>recorded a 34% global rise in attacks against human rights activists last year, including 120 alleged murders and hundreds of other cases involving threats, assaults and intimidation. The number of incidents were found to have risen sharply, with<span> </span><a href="https://business-humanrights.org/en/key-findings-from-the-database-of-attacks-on-human-rights-defenders-feb-2017" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">388</a>attacks recorded in 2017 compared with 290 the previous year.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">The research focused on attacks against activists involved in protests against corporate activities. Victims included unionists, protests, whistleblowers and indigenous communities.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/land-rights" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Land rights</a><span> </span>defenders and activists linked to the mining, agribusiness and renewable energy sectors were found to be in greatest danger. The researchers also highlighted an increased risk to lawyers, and to members of human rights and environmental civil society organisations working for corporate accountability.<br tabindex="-1"></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">In 42% of harassment cases, judicial intimidation was used in an attempt to suppress protests against business activities. This included arbitrary detention, criminalisation and aggressive lawsuits.<br tabindex="-1"></p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">The Business and Human Rights Center found that companies involved in mining, agriculture, energy and construction – particularly those headquartered in the UK, US, China, Canada and France – were the most likely to use legal means in an attempt to prevent human rights protests.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">“Our research highlights that companies do play a significant role in attacks on human rights defenders – the first time that this data has been systematically collected,” said Ana Zbona from the Business and Human Rights Resource Center.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">The researchers found that human rights defenders raising concerns about business operations are often criminalised on fabricated charges. Documented cases include activists accused of being involved in assassinations in Guatemala, arson attacks in Chile, and fraud and tax evasion in Turkmenistan, Russia and Azerbaijan.</p><div id="gmail-dfp-ad--inline1" class="gmail-js-ad-slot gmail-ad-slot gmail-ad-slot--inline gmail-ad-slot--inline1 gmail-ad-slot--rendered" style="overflow:initial;width:18.75rem;margin:0.25rem auto 0.75rem 1.25rem;min-width:18.75rem;min-height:17.125rem;text-align:center;background-color:rgb(246,246,246);float:right"><div class="gmail-ad-slot__label" style="font-size:0.75rem;line-height:1.25rem;height:1.5rem;background-color:rgb(246,246,246);margin:0px auto;padding:0px 0.5rem;border-top:0.0625rem solid rgb(223,223,223);color:rgb(110,110,110);text-align:left;box-sizing:border-box;font-family:"Guardian Text Sans Web","Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,"Lucida Grande",sans-serif">Advertisement</div><div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/59666047/theguardian.com/global-development/article/ng_6__container__" class="gmail-ad-slot__content" style="border:0pt none"></div></div><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">“Judicial harassment deters communities, workers and activists from speaking out against corporate abuse. Legal harassment often forms part of a broader campaign which can include physical attacks and killings,” said Zbona.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">“Impunity from the state and the declining strength of unions has a big role to play, as well as a growing competition for natural resources that is only gaining pace.”</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">Although attacks occurred in every region across the world, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Guatemala and the Philippines – which collectively accounted for 212 of all incidents – were identified as the countries where attacks were most probable.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">Last week,<span> </span><a href="https://www.icmm.com/en-gb" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">the International Council on Mining and Metals</a><span> </span>acknowledged that attacks on human rights defenders were on the increase and called on relevant government authorities to take action.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">“Defenders continue to face harassment and fear for their safety when they speak out,” the council said in a statement. “This is deeply concerning for companies that are committed to human rights, openness and transparency. While we may not always agree with positions taken by human rights defenders, ICMM recognises freedom of expression and assembly as fundamental human rights.”</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">Last month, a report by Frontline Defenders said that in 2017 there was a “well resourced and coordinated strategy of defamation, criminalisation and violence deployed to intimidate, marginalise and silence human rights defenders”.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">The group received reports on the murder of 312 rights defenders in 27 countries.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 1rem;padding:0px">“In 2017 the alarming rise in attacks is just a continuation of what has become a very open and very aggressive attack on civil society and anyone who advocates against or challenges corporate power,” said Katie Redford, director of EarthRights International, a civil society group that provides legal assistance to human and environmental rights activists.</p><aside class="element element-rich-link element--thumbnail element-rich-link--upgraded" style="display:block;float:left;clear:both;width:13.75rem"><div class="gmail-rich-link gmail-tone-feature--item gmail-rich-link--pillar-news" style="background-color:rgb(246,246,246);margin:0px;overflow:hidden"><div class="gmail-rich-link__container" style=""><div class="gmail-rich-link__image-container gmail-u-responsive-ratio" style="width:220px;padding-bottom:132px;overflow:hidden;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.1)"><img src="https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6b71c3a47b765a2b04fa74d7c7bcfcef8d1fc8e1/0_191_5184_3110/master/5184.jpg?w=460&q=55&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&s=c244d61a89a1b603dc2a1e05f312cd66" style="border: 0px; width: 220px; height: 132px; top: 0px; left: 0px;"></div><div class="gmail-rich-link__header" style="font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.5rem;font-family:"Guardian Egyptian Web","Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;font-weight:normal;padding:0.125rem 0.3125rem 0.5em;box-sizing:border-box;min-height:2.25rem"><h1 class="gmail-rich-link__title" style="margin:0px;font-style:inherit;font-variant:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-stretch:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;padding:0px"><a class="gmail-rich-link__link" style="background:transparent;color:inherit;text-decoration:none">‘We lost a great leader’: Berta Cáceres still inspires as murder case takes fresh twist</a></h1></div><div class="gmail-rich-link__read-more" style="padding-left:0.3125rem"><div class="gmail-rich-link__arrow" style="display:inline-block"><span class="gmail-inline-arrow-in-circle gmail-inline-icon" style="fill: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></span></div><span> </span><div class="gmail-rich-link__read-more-text" style="font-size:0.875rem;font-family:"Guardian Egyptian Web","Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;display:inline-block;height:1.875rem;line-height:1.625rem;padding-left:0.125rem;vertical-align:top;font-weight:500;color:rgb(199,0,0)">Read more</div></div><a class="gmail-rich-link__link gmail-u-faux-block-link__overlay" href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2017/nov/17/berta-caceres-murder-case-honduras-land-rights" style="background:transparent;color:inherit;text-decoration:none;overflow:hidden;text-indent:200%;white-space:nowrap;opacity:0"></a></div></div></aside><h2 style="margin:0px 0px 0.0625rem;font-size:1.25rem;line-height:1.5rem;font-family:"Guardian Egyptian Web","Guardian Text Egyptian Web",Georgia,serif;font-weight:900">Case studies</h2><ul style="list-style:none;padding:0px;margin:0.8em 0px 1rem"><li style="margin-bottom:0.8em">On 24 January 2018,<span> </span><a href="https://business-humanrights.org/en/mexico-labour-activist-quint%C3%ADn-salgado-killed-amidst-workers%E2%80%99-strike-at-torex-gold-mine-company-comments" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Quintin Salgado</a>, a labour activist and leader of the Los Mineros workers union, was attacked and killed by unknown assailants. Salgado had been working with striking miners at the Media Luna mine in Guerrero, Mexico, owned by Canadian mining company<span> </span><a href="https://www.torexgold.com/" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Torex Gold</a>. Workers have been striking since November 2017 in an effort to secure better working conditions and the right to freedom of association. Salgado, a former worker at the mine, was the third person involved in the strikes to be killed. In a statement following the murder, Torex Gold said: “The Company has no way of knowing who was behind the killing. It is our understanding that Mr Salgado was well known to authorities and that the investigation continues. It is truly sad that Los Mineros and their supporting unions have chosen to exploit these human tragedies to further their political agendas.”<br tabindex="-1"></li><li style="margin-bottom:0.8em">On 9 January, Ronald David Barillas, a member of the Xinca indigenous parliament, was killed in Santa Rosa, Guatemala. Barillas, a vocal critic of the sugar agroindustry, had opposed the Escobal mining project, owned by Canadian firm<span> </span><a href="http://www.tahoeresources.com/" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Tahoe Resources</a>. In a statement, the mining company said: “As an open, transparent and law abiding company, we will cooperate with authorities as requested. We are committed to the search for truth, strengthening the rule of law, and the fight against impunity in Guatemala … We recognise human rights activists are particularly vulnerable to violence and persecution. We denounce any attempts by others to threaten, frighten, or attack members of community activism groups or human rights organisations.”</li><li style="margin-bottom:0.8em">Prosecutors in Cambodia are seeking criminal charges and pre-trial detention for three prominent human rights defenders, Moeun Tola, Pa Nguon Teang and Buddhist monk Venerable But Buntenh. If convicted, they face up to three years in prison.<span> </span><br tabindex="-1"></li><li style="margin-bottom:0.8em">Last month, palm oil company<span> </span><a href="http://www.socfin.com/en" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Socfin<span> </span></a>and its Cameroonian subsidiary Socapalm began defamation proceedings in Paris against two NGOs, Sherpa and ReAct, and French media outlets Mediapart, L’Obs and Le Point, over reporting of protests by farmers living near plantations run by the two companies. Socfin is part-owned by French conglomerate Bolloré, one of the world’s largest companies.<span> </span><a href="https://www.asso-sherpa.org/op-ed-we-wont-be-silenced-by-bollore-gag-suits" class="gmail-u-underline" style="background:transparent;color:rgb(136,1,5);border-bottom:0.0625rem solid rgb(220,220,220);text-decoration:none">Sherpa claims</a>that, collectively, Socfin and Bolloré have launched more than 20 defamation suits against 40 journalists, NGOs and media organisations since 2009.</li></ul></div></div></div>