Lidstaten van de Raad van Europa negeren steeds meer hun verplichtingen om ervoor te zorgen dat mensenrechtenverdedigers veilig kunnen werken. Als gevolg hiervan krijgen activisten die zich bezighouden met reddingsacties op zee, humanitaire of juridische bijstand, grensbewaking, berichtgeving in de media, belangenbehartiging en rechtszaken om vluchtelingen, asielzoekers en migranten in Europa te helpen, steeds vaker te maken met verschillende vormen van repressie.

Uitdagingen waarmee mensenrechtenverdedigers te maken hebben zijn onder meer:

• Hostile and stigmatising rhetoric by government officials, parliamentarians and by some media;
• Violence and threats, and lack of action by the authorities to address these;
• Criminalisation of humanitarian or human rights work with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants due to an overly broad application of smuggling laws;
• Denial of access to crucial places to do human rights monitoring or provide assistance, such as detention and reception centres and border zones.

Stappen die lidstaten moeten zetten zijn onder meer:

• Reforming laws, policies and practices unduly interfering with the activities of human rights defenders;
• Ensuring that smuggling laws do not criminalise any form of human rights or humanitarian work with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants;
• Lifting restrictions on access to places and information;
• Ending stigmatising and derogatory rhetoric;
• Establishing effective safety procedures for defenders faced with violence and threats and effectively investigating such incidents.

Protecting the Defenders - Ending repression of human rights defenders assisting refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in Europe

Bron: www.coe.int