Human Rights Defenders Under Siege
Will be published approx. on 20. November 2025
Book
Hardback
328 pages
978-1-0353-5591-4 (ISBN)
Description
In this timely book, human rights academics, activists and officials in the field discuss the achievements and challenges since the 1998 adoption of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). The book includes a balanced combination of theoretical approaches and case studies with a global reach, developed under the institutional umbrella of the Association of Human Rights Institutes.
Chapters provide an overview of HRDs, moving from an introduction to conceptual issues, to considering the shrinking space for civil society and the increasing obstacles to HRDs working to protect the rights of migrants in Europe. They also explore the unprecedented restrictions and attacks faced by HRDs implemented by State authorities and non-State actors, encompassing intimidation, arbitrary detention and criminalization.
Human Rights Defenders Under Siege is a crucial resource for scholars and students in human rights law, public international law, and politics and public policy. Policymakers and practitioners will also benefit from its valuable insights, due to the increase in programs and funding schemes for the protection of HRDs.
Chapters provide an overview of HRDs, moving from an introduction to conceptual issues, to considering the shrinking space for civil society and the increasing obstacles to HRDs working to protect the rights of migrants in Europe. They also explore the unprecedented restrictions and attacks faced by HRDs implemented by State authorities and non-State actors, encompassing intimidation, arbitrary detention and criminalization.
Human Rights Defenders Under Siege is a crucial resource for scholars and students in human rights law, public international law, and politics and public policy. Policymakers and practitioners will also benefit from its valuable insights, due to the increase in programs and funding schemes for the protection of HRDs.
Reviews / Votes
'This book highlights the global relevance of the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. Its chapters identify the multiple obstacles that these defenders face today including severe restrictions on civic spaces and threats to democracy, ultimately highlighting how these factors impede defenders' contribution to the further development of human rights. It is an important tool not only for academics but for human rights defenders in the field.' -- Jose Aylwin, President, Observatorio Ciudadano Foundation, Chile 'The authors in this timely collection contribute nuanced analysis to key debates concerning the security and protection of human rights defenders at risk. Their rigorous discussion of issues such as the definition of human rights defenders, the dynamics of "shrinking" civic space, and the multifaceted modalities of resistance, demonstrates the critical role of academia in protecting the right to defend human rights.' -- Alice M. Nah, Durham University, UK 'This timely, broad-ranging, and important book offers critical insight into the urgent challenges facing human rights defenders--the immune system of global civil society. It offers fresh perspectives anchored in a rich consultation with hundreds of advocates, thoughtfully framed by leading law and human rights scholars. The issue focus on migration and the action program for academia advance a unique contribution.' -- Alison Brysk, University of California Santa Barbara, USAMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cheltenham
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-0353-5591-4 (9781035355914)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Edited by Felipe Gomez Isa, Professor of International Human Rights Law and Gorka Urrutia Asua, Senior Lecturer of Sociology and Director of the Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
Content
Contents
Foreword xiv
Preface xv
PART I INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPTUAL ISSUES
1 The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders: From
Momentum to Contestation 2
Felipe Gomez Isa
2 What's in a Name? The Debate on Human Rights Defenders
in the European Union 23
Dolores Morondo Taramundi
PART II SHRINKING SPACE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY
3 Shrinking Space for Civil Society: Paradoxes and Responses
in the Defence of Human Rights 43
Antoine Buyse
4 Exploring Strategies to Counter the Shrinking Civic Spaces
Trend. Lessons learned from civil society initiatives in
Kosovo and the Philippines 52
Lena Muhs
5 Reducing Human Rights Defenders to Silence in Turkey 72
Zelal Pelin Dogan
6 Time to Take Action against SLAPPs: Defending Human
Rights Defenders. Experiences from the PATFox Project 94
Alessia Schiavon
7 Lawfare against human rights defenders: Zimbabwe's Private
Voluntary Organizations Amendment Bill and the Patriot Bill 112
Kevin Toro Sanchez
8 Surveillance, Suppression, and Solidarity: Unveiling Law
Enforcement Tactics Against the Anti-Law Enforcement
Violence Movement in Minnesota 127
Amelia Shindelar
9 Stigmatizing Indigenous Human Rights Defenders as
Terrorists: A Case Study of Social Protest and Peruvian State
Repression to Secure Extractivism 142
Sarah Kerremans
PART III INCREASING OBSTACLES TO MIGRANTS'
RIGHTS DEFENDERS
10 Saving Lives is not a Crime! Legal Persecution of Migrants'
Rights Defenders at Greek and Spanish Borders 164
Araitz Pena Mallona
11 Beside Criminalization of Solidarity: The Legal Exclusion of
Human Rights Defenders from Refugee Camps in Europe 180
Isabella Leroy
12 No Aid Without Surveillance: The Facilitators Package and
the Expansion of Crimmigration Towards Civil Society 198
Gustavo de la Orden Bosch
PART IV ACADEMIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
13 Collaboration between Academia and Human Rights
Defenders for Refugee and Migrant Children: Lessons
Learned in the Balkans 215
Bogdan Krasig and Nikolina Milig
14 Bridging Academia and Human Rights Defenders: The
Student Pro Bono Legal Work Connection 240
Aikaterini Koula
15 History of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) 260
Manfred Nowak and Imke Steimann
BILBAO DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS 293
Foreword xiv
Preface xv
PART I INTRODUCTION AND CONCEPTUAL ISSUES
1 The UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders: From
Momentum to Contestation 2
Felipe Gomez Isa
2 What's in a Name? The Debate on Human Rights Defenders
in the European Union 23
Dolores Morondo Taramundi
PART II SHRINKING SPACE FOR CIVIL SOCIETY
3 Shrinking Space for Civil Society: Paradoxes and Responses
in the Defence of Human Rights 43
Antoine Buyse
4 Exploring Strategies to Counter the Shrinking Civic Spaces
Trend. Lessons learned from civil society initiatives in
Kosovo and the Philippines 52
Lena Muhs
5 Reducing Human Rights Defenders to Silence in Turkey 72
Zelal Pelin Dogan
6 Time to Take Action against SLAPPs: Defending Human
Rights Defenders. Experiences from the PATFox Project 94
Alessia Schiavon
7 Lawfare against human rights defenders: Zimbabwe's Private
Voluntary Organizations Amendment Bill and the Patriot Bill 112
Kevin Toro Sanchez
8 Surveillance, Suppression, and Solidarity: Unveiling Law
Enforcement Tactics Against the Anti-Law Enforcement
Violence Movement in Minnesota 127
Amelia Shindelar
9 Stigmatizing Indigenous Human Rights Defenders as
Terrorists: A Case Study of Social Protest and Peruvian State
Repression to Secure Extractivism 142
Sarah Kerremans
PART III INCREASING OBSTACLES TO MIGRANTS'
RIGHTS DEFENDERS
10 Saving Lives is not a Crime! Legal Persecution of Migrants'
Rights Defenders at Greek and Spanish Borders 164
Araitz Pena Mallona
11 Beside Criminalization of Solidarity: The Legal Exclusion of
Human Rights Defenders from Refugee Camps in Europe 180
Isabella Leroy
12 No Aid Without Surveillance: The Facilitators Package and
the Expansion of Crimmigration Towards Civil Society 198
Gustavo de la Orden Bosch
PART IV ACADEMIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS
13 Collaboration between Academia and Human Rights
Defenders for Refugee and Migrant Children: Lessons
Learned in the Balkans 215
Bogdan Krasig and Nikolina Milig
14 Bridging Academia and Human Rights Defenders: The
Student Pro Bono Legal Work Connection 240
Aikaterini Koula
15 History of the Association of Human Rights Institutes (AHRI) 260
Manfred Nowak and Imke Steimann
BILBAO DECLARATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS 293