This letter came about from the work of civil society organizations from the Spanish State during the International Forum “For the Right to Defend Human Rights: Criminalization of HRDs in Central America” which took place in Madrid on September 22, 2014.

Today, as we celebrate International Human Rights Defender's Day, the undersigned organizations, which work with and for Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), wish to highlight the increase in the number of attacks against HRDs in Latin America. In particular, we wish to emphasize our concern regarding the criminalization of civil society organizations, social movements, rural communities and indigenous peoples who demand respect for human rights throughout the region.

In criminalizing HRDs, various actions and forms may be identified, from fabricated charges to defamation by authorities and in the media, the circulation of rumors intended to provoke doubt surrounding the legitimacy and honor of a person or their profession, to legal prosecutions, the issuance of arrest warrants or detention. According to the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, the framing of defenders as “terrorists”, “enemies of the state“ or “threats to peace, public, national and moral security” by State agents, media and other non state actors is a worrying and increasing tendency which is used to de-legitimize their work and increase their vulnerability.

The criminalization of HRDs also implies the use of the State's punitive power by some authorities and justice organisms with the goal of harassing defenders. Arbitrary detentions or detentions which do not respect due process are of particular concern, as is the use of dubious criminal accusations that do not meet legal requirements, such as terrorism, aggravated seizure, contempt laws, etc.

HRDs are criminalized directly and indirectly by non state actors such as corporations, the media, private security forces and others. This practice is observed particularly within the context of the defense of economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights, environmental rights and the collective rights of indigenous peoples in areas where communities occupy territory of interest for the development of large scale economic projects such as mines, hydroelectric dams or logging.

The undersigned organizations wish to emphasize the importance of political dialogue, and therefore request that the EU and its member states enter into such dialogues with third party states and ask that their institutions and public authorities adopt measures to:

• Guarantee compliance with collective and individual human rights and protect those who defend and promote them. Specifically:
  • respect and safeguard the right to free, prior and informed consent of communities and indigenous peoples or other populations effected by projects that exploit natural resources;
  • make public declarations supporting the work of HRDs.

• Ensure that threats and aggressions denounced by social actors that defend and demand respect for human rights are investigated;

• Safeguard the correct functioning of the administration of justice, adopting all necessary measures to ensure:
  • immediate access to information regarding accusations or charges;
  • respect for international standards of due process in case of detentions and the rights of detained persons;
  • full and agile investigations of accusations and, in cases where there are grounds to initiate criminal proceedings, guarantee that the judicial proceedings and trial are not subjected to undue delays and that sentences handed down are proportionate to the crime committed.
  • the revocation of arrest warrants which have no legal standing or that have expired. If such warrants are issued, they should not remain active over extended periods of time;
  • the benefit at all times of these and other guarantees of due process and judicial independence, particularly when accusations are made against HRDs due to the work they carry out around the exploration or execution of large scale economic projects that exploit natural resources.

• Engage in dialogue to resolve conflicts. Specifically:
  • begin all dialogue processes ensuring respect for human rights and protection for human rights defenders;
  • ensure equilibrium in the participation of all parties and in the weighing of their concerns, statements and proposals and ensuring protection of human rights.

• Ensure that domestic judicial and administrative regulations do not obstruct human rights work, in accordance with international law.

Additionally, the undersigned organizations emphasize the importance of doubling efforts in order to achieve full implementation of the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders and welcome the adaptation of the Conclusions on the 10th anniversary of the Guidelines by the EU Council. Regarding the criminalisation of HRDs specifically, the undersigned organizations recommend that EU delegations and member states :

• Make use of declarations of support for the work of HRDs and publicly condemn grave threats or attacks against them;

• Attend hearings and trails of HRDs facing legal proceedings, especially rural HRDs and those working on ESC rights;

• Work toward increased collaboration between different sections within the EU delegations and member states, specifically between economic interests and the obligation to respect human rights;

• Guarantee the integration of a gender perspective in these requests; taking into account the different impact that Women HRDs suffer due to their gender in contexts of discrimination and violence against women.

We look forward to continuing our support for the work of HRDs and their crucial role in the protection and promotion of human rights and their construction of more just and equal societies around the world.

Madrid, December 9, 2014

 

Amnistía Internacional España

Asociación Paz con Dignidad

Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos de España (APDHE)

Asociacion de Investigación y Especialización Sobre Temas Iberoamericanos (AIETI)

Brigadas Internacionales de Paz (PBI)

Calala Fondo de Mujeres

Comisión de Derechos Humanos Hispano Guatemalteca (CDHHG)

Equipo GUAM

Fundación Madrid Paz y Solidaridad de CCOO-Madrid

Iniciativas de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (ICID)

InspirAction

Plataforma de Solidaridad con Chiapas y Guatemala de Madrid

Plataforma Justicia por Colombia, integrada por CEAR, IEPALA, OSPAAAL, COMADEHCO, Comité Oscar Romero y Ecologistas en acción.

Red de Apoyo a Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos Humanos (DEFENRED)

Solidaridad para el Desarrollo y la Paz, (SODEPAZ)

The following organizations have also subscribed to this letter:

Àgora Nord Sud

Alianza por la Solidaridad

Amigos de la Tierra

Asociación Andaluza por la Solidaridad y la Paz (ASPA)

Asociación Española para el Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos (AEDIDH)

Asociación para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Integrando (Asociación Integrando)

Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos- APRODEH- Peru

Ana Silvia Monzón, socióloga feminista, Guatemala.

Asociación Servicios de Capacitación Técnica y Educativa -SERCATE- Guatemala

Asociación Q'anil, Leonor Hurtado Paz y Paz, Guatemala.

Centro de la Mujer Flora Tristan - Perú

Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos integrada: Centro para el Análisis Forense y Ciencias Aplicadas (CAFCA), Centro Internacional de Investigaciones en Derechos Humanos (CIIDH), Centro para el Análisis Legal y Derechos Humanos (CALDH), Centro de Análisis Legal-Ambiental y Social (CALAS), Asociación El Refugio de la Niñez, Instituto de Estudios Comparados en Ciencias Penales de Guatemala (ICCPG), Oficina de Derechos Humanos del Arzobispado de Guatemala (ODHAG), Equipo de Estudios Comunitarios y Acción Psicosocial (ECAP), Unidad de Protección a Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos Humanos - Guatemala (UDEFEGUA), Unidad Nacional de Mujeres de Guatemala (UNAMG), Asociación Seguridad en Democracia (SEDEM).

Cooperacció 

Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos – Perú

Comision de Solidaridad, Justicia y Desarrollo, Chiclayo. COSDEJ- Perú.

Comité de Derechos Humanos y Desarrollo Humano de Pasco, Perú.

Economistas Sin Fronteras

Enginyeria Sense Fronteres

Entrepueblos/Entrepobles/Entrepobos/Herriarte

Entrepueblos-Andalucia.

Estudio para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer - DEMUS- Perú

Institut de Drets Humans de Catalunya

Instituto Peruano de Educación en Derechos Humanos y la Paz - IPEDEHP

Jesús Antonio Villar, Sagrada Tierra, Guatemala.

Justicia Alimentaria Global (VSF)

María Luisa Rosal Paz, Guatemala.

Mujeres Abriendo Caminos, Los Angeles

ONG Sagrada Tierra, Guatemala

Plataforma 2015 y más

Raul Molina Mejia, Profesor de Historia, Universidad Alberto Hurtado. Santiago de Chile.

Red de Mujeres Latinoamericanas y del Caribe en España

Red Regional agua, desarrollo y democracia -REDAD- Perú.

Red por la Paz y Desarrollo de Guatemala

Solidaridad Internacional –Andalucía