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| Shirin Ebadi Courtesy of BBC |
Many of us immersed in the human
rights world consider ourselves human rights advocates— promoters of fair
treatment for all, supporters of the rights of the oppressed, activists
committed to human rights standards.
Whether it is on a personal, local, national, or global level, human
rights defenders are those individuals who fight day after day to promote human
rights who ensure that no person or group is denied the basic, fundamental
rights that everyone deserves.
But what happens when it is these
very fighters who are deprived of their rights?
Sadly, more and more of these critical human rights defenders’ own
rights are being threatened and taken away.
Defenders are the targets of violence, intimidation, and repression which
aim to stop them from doing their critical work, and often carried out by their
very own governments. What can be done
to protect these important individuals in the face of repression? How do they still fight to be effective
advocates despite the many obstacles placed in their path?
