Top expert calls Brazil to prioritise land ownership reform, end attacks against rights defenders

Anjali Sharma

GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 20th April. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Mary Lawlor on Friday said that Brazil needs to prioritise the demarcation and titling of land across the country, which is the root cause of most attacks against human rights defenders in the country.

Mary Lawlor said in a statement after an official visit to Brazil that “Human rights defenders are under extreme threat in Brazil. The Federal Government knows this but has so far failed to put the structures in place to provide them with better protection” or tackle root causes.

She said the Government recognises human rights defenders and their work, and understands the risks they face. But when human rights defenders challenge power structures that reinforce injustice, they are often violently attacked and face extremely high levels of risk.

“Again and again during my visit I heard from defenders who had survived assassination attempts, who had been shot at, had their houses surrounded, had death threats delivered to their door. I heard from defenders whose work had been criminalised,” Ms. Lawlor said.

She said the defenders most at risk in Brazil are from indigenous and traditional communities.

“In many cases, perpetrators of the attacks are known. Yet, there is rampant impunity for these crimes,” the expert said.

She noted that business and markets play a key role as drivers of conflicts, putting rights defenders at risk.

“The demarcation and titling of indigenous, quilombola and other traditional peoples’ land, as well as the revision of the legality of all existing concessions given to companies must be prioritised,” she said.

“The conflation of human rights defenders with criminals by local authorities – in particular defenders who are part of social movements and supporting the most vulnerable in society – is a clear problem and must end,” the expert said.

“The Federal Government needs to match the courage of human rights defenders in the country – and it must do so now,” Ms. Lawlor insisted.