"“They’re doing this work very bravely, without any support.” For the people defending human rights and the environment in rural places, the isolation of their communities makes violence, surveillance and harassment more likely."
"When a gold mine in rural Liberia spewed three million gallons of cyanide-laced wastewater into soil and groundwater in 2016, affected Indigenous communities’ calls for accountability went largely unanswered.
Locals protested the Turkish company responsible and criticized its officials for failing to clean up the toxic mess.
In response, the Liberian government arrested, tortured and charged 73 people with crimes including “terrorist activity,” according to a complaint submitted to the United Nations. In a later trial, allegedly riddled with irregularities, two dozen people were convicted and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The situation is one of a slew of instances where human rights defenders in remote locations have faced retaliation, according to a new report from Mary Lawlor, U.N. special rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders. Such defenders are people who peacefully act to promote and protect human rights."
Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News April 7, 2025.
Advertisement 
