IACHR publishes Third Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in the Americas

Washington, DC—The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published today its Third Report on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders in the Americas.

In this report, the IACHR warns about the specific risks faced by defenders of land, territory, and the natural environment, as well as by indigenous and Afro-descendant leaders. The IACHR further notes the differentiated, intersectional risks faced by women and LGBTI persons who are rights defenders, based on their gender, sexual identity or orientation, and activism. The IACHR also highlights the risks that are inherent to the defense of individuals in human mobility contexts.

The report shows that worrying levels of violence persist against all these groups. The risks they face go from smear campaigns and stigmatizing discourse to threats, attacks on personal integrity including murders, and disappearances. Despite being extremely serious, attacks on human rights defenders are shrouded in high levels of impunity.

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