For most activists, defending human rights is not just a profession, but a calling to service. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said many of these activists “work with a passion for social service and a passion to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
From conflict zones to post-conflict situations, they provide critical assistance to detainees and victims of torture, provide emergency relief assistance to populations in need, document violations and uncover the root causes of conflict.
Volker Turk said, “In fact, human rights defenders are the key to conflict resolution. They are ambassadors of dignity, justice and peace.”
Their work is invaluable, yet human rights defenders face high levels of risk, which is simply unacceptable. Some attacks on them amount to war crimes.
increasing risk
Journalists and humanitarian workers are at increased risk of being killed, kidnapped, harassed or detained.
Women are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, online threats and threats to family security.
Volker Turk stressed the need to ensure the protection of human rights defenders, calling it a legal and moral imperative to restore justice and peace.
Global protests
Volker Turk cited worrisome developments such as the criminalization of dissent, the suppression of peaceful protests and the banning of non-governmental organizations.
Human rights activists are often forced to work abroad due to these incidents. Because of this, they often face new forms of harassment and persecution, such as online surveillance.
“There is still no concrete information on the full impact of digital technologies on the work and security of human rights defenders,” said Volker Turk. In this situation, he emphasized on taking quick steps to deal with these modern threats.
Concrete steps are required
To this end, Volker called on the Turkish government to take concrete steps, including establishing a better-resourced national security system and supporting civil society networks to provide cross-border security. He emphasized the importance of quick response to emerging threats.
“Human rights defenders should not bear the burden of the risks involved in this work alone,” he said. Volker Turk emphasized the need to support non-governmental organizations facing risks and strongly oppose the practice of labeling human rights activists as terrorists, foreign agents or traitors.
“We should make every effort so that (human rights defenders) can do their work safely wherever they are,” he said.