PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATES IN HEARING BEFORE THE IACHR ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN LATIN AMERICA

Along with more than 20 organisations, PBI proposes the creation of a Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders

Washington DC, 29 March 2011 – The climate of insecurity and violence in which human rights defenders and social movements must work in the Americas has reached alarming levels. This situation is created in part by the emergence of new forms of harassment carried out by state and non-state actors that act with their support or tolerance, including alleged paramilitaries, organised crime and businesses with economic interests in the region. These were the main points raised by Peace Brigades International and 22 other organisations from 11 countries that met together in Washington, DC during the 141th period of sessions held by the Interamerican Human Rights Commission (IACHR).

According to the United Nations, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, Brasil and Perú (in that order), are the countries that register the largest number of complaints of threats and aggressions against human rights defenders. In Mexico alone, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) documented the occurrence of 165 aggressions against human rights defenders between 2006 and 2010.

For their part, human rights organisations paint a picture of a reality that is even more worrying. According to their investigations in Colombia, more than 1,000 people who dedicate their lives to defending human rights were the victims of aggressions, including assassinations, threats, arbitrary detentions and tortures; and in 2010 alone, they recorded that at least 32 human rights defenders were murdered. The violations against people working for the rights of displaced persons, women leaders, people working for land rights, and trade unionists, are of particular concern.

Though Guatemala occupies third place in the United Nations list of human rights violations, reports from civil society show a larger number of attacks than in Colombia or Mexico, registering 1,072 aggressions against human rights defenders between 2007 and 2010, 45 of which were murders. Both national and international bodies present in the country have identified a level of impunity reaching structural levels, at 98% of all complaints registered. The presence of impunity levels as high as these entail serious security consequences and impede human rights defenders’ access to justice.

The situation is no better in other countries in the region of Central America; in Honduras, at least 50 people working on human rights issues were murdered between June 2009 and January 2011.

The civil society representatives present in Washingon, DC gave particular emphasis to the use by States of the legal apparatus to carry out illegitimate actions against human rights defenders and organisations; an example of this practice is the development of intelligence activities against human rights defenders.

The organisations requested that the IACHR create a rapporteur or specific office with responsibility for the protection of human rights defenders They also asked that the IACHR urge States to implement effective protection measures for human rights defenders and establish public policies to guarantee the conditions and security necessary for them to carry out their work, such as the investigation of violent acts and threats against them.

List of Organisations:

Peace Brigades International / Asociación Pro Derechos Humanos (Aprodeh) / Centro de Derechos Humanos de las Mujeres de Chihuahua / Centro de Derechos Humanos Miguel Agustín Pro Juárez (Centro Prodh) / Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos, A.C. (CMDPDH) / Comité de Defensa integral de Derechos Humanos “Gobixha”, AC. / Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras (COFADEH) / Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (CODHES) / Corporación Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo (CCAJAR) / Fundación Regional de Asesoría en Derechos Humanos (INREDH) / Instituto de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Centroamericana “José Simeón Cañas (IDHUCA) / Programa Venezolano de Educación Acción en Derechos Humanos (PROVEA) / Red Nacional de Organismos Civiles de Derechos Humanos “Todos los Derechos para Todas y Todos” (Red TDT) / Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos (UDEFEGUA) / Amazon Watch / Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional (CEJIL) / Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) / Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Montaña “Tlachinollan”, México / Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de las Casas, México / Corporación de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos del Pueblo (CODEPU) / Chile Global Rights / Organización Internacional Observatorio Ciudadano, Chile