On 10 December, International Human Rights Day, we are sounding the alarm together with more than 50 organisations and 300 citizens. All over the world, social movements and human rights defenders are under threat. This trend has been going on for years, but has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Activists are victims of intimidation, harassment, false accusations, illegal arrests, kidnappings and even murder.
Human rights defenders and social movements under pressure
Bernardo Caal Xol, from Guatemala, was arrested more than two years ago in his native region of Cobán. Multinationals, including Spanish ones, are building dams in this region, appropriating land and polluting the environment. What's more, the multinationals have diverted the water so that the villages are facing water shortages. Bernardo organised the local indigenous communities and was therefore sentenced to 7 years and 4 months in prison.
In the Honduras neighbour, fighting to protect the environment puts you in mortal danger. This country is one of the most dangerous for environmental activists. According to Global Witness, more than 120 activists have been murdered since 2010, while others are in prison. Eight activists from the village of Guapinol have been detained since 2015 because of their opposition to two mining companies that are poisoning water sources for thousands of people.
Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world for trade unionists and human rights activists. In October, Jayder Quintana, an 18-year-old trade union activist and human rights defender, was murdered. He was a member of the Fensuagro trade union. Since the signing of the peace agreement in 2016 between the Colombian government and FARC, more than 1,000 activists have been murdered.
In the Philippines, Zara Alvarez was a campaigner for the right to health and human rights. On 17 August 2020, Zara was brutally murdered because of her commitment to her community. Several Belgian NGOs have reported this case to the Philippine ambassador. To date, there has been no reaction.
Thierry Bodson, the President of the FGTB, and sixteen other trade unionists were given suspended prison sentences and fines ranging from 600 to 4,800 euros by the Liège criminal court on Monday 23 November for «maliciously obstructing traffic». After the conviction of the president of the FGTB Antwerp Bruno Verlaeckt two years ago, this new conviction of trade unionists is extremely worrying. It jeopardises social action, the right to strike and the right to picket. Stop the criminalisation of social movements.
Open letter
We have sent an open letter to the Minister of the Interior and Foreign Affairs with clear demands. We are calling for the protection of social movements and for Belgium to pursue a coherent foreign policy on the protection of human rights.
More than 300 citizens are reinforcing the demands in a video
