Human rights defenders are heroes, they should be celebrated and protected.
Human rights defenders stand up for human rights. They are students, activists, journalists, lawyers, citizens, migrants, community workers, trade unionists, teachers, doctors, nurses and come from all walks of life. They stand up for human rights peacefully and respect all human rights.
In many parts of the world, human rights defenders risk their safety, their lives and well-being to challenge human rights violations. Human Rights Defenders and their families can be targeted with the intention of stopping their human rights work. They are also stigmatised or face charges of terrorism and other criminal charges, imprisoned, enforced disappeared and tortured. They are often physically attacked, harassed or even killed. Their reputation is often tarnished. Human rights defenders face assets freezes and travel bans.