For the documentation of killings of human rights defenders
The HRD Memorial is a global initiative of 14 national and international human rights organisations committed to promoting the memory and improving data collection on HRDs who are killed in reprisal for their human rights work. HRD Memorial partners gather both annual data and historic data on killings dating back to 1998, when the UN Declaration on human rights defenders was adopted.
The HRD Memorial brings partner-verified data together under the HRD Memorial umbrella. HRD Memorial partners verify cases through interviews to local HRDs, organisations and families, exchange of information with regional and international organisations, and open source research.
The cases of killings documented by the HRD Memorial include murders, deaths in custody and post-custodial deaths. The latter refers to deaths of HRDs that occur after a period of arbitrary detention, once the HRDs are released, that are caused by the torture and ill-treatment, including medical negligence, they were subjected to while in detention.
The listing of cases as “Anonymous” on pages XX respond to security risks the community and family of the HRD faced at the time of publication of this report. All cases listed as “Anonymous” have been fully verified by HRD Memorial partners.
Partners in the HRD Memorial include:
ACI-Participa (Honduras); Amnesty International; Comitê Brasileiro de Defensoras e Defensores de Direitos Humanos (Brazil); Comité Cerezo (Mexico); FIDH; Front Line Defenders; Global Witness; Human Rights Defenders’ Alert – India; IM-Defensoras (Mesoamerica); Karapatan (the Philippines); OMCT; El Programa Somos Defensores (Colombia); Red TDT (Mexico); and UDEFEGUA (Guatemala).
The HRD Memorial presents a unique, verified dataset that highlights the scale of the killings of HRDs worldwide, keeps their memory alive, celebrates their courage and achievements, and offers solidarity to their families, friends and colleagues.
For 2025, the HRD Memorial has counted on the invaluable support of the following organisations and individuals to verify cases of killings of HRDs:
Abdullah Abbas; Alianza por los Derechos Humanos de Ecuador (Ecuador); Amaru Ruiz, Fundación del Río (Nicaragua); Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ (International); Comissão Pastoral da Terra (Brazil); Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos, CNDDHH (Peru); Defence of Human Rights (Pakistan); Ekaale Epakan (Kenya); Fundación Periodistas sin Cadenas (Ecuador); Human Rights Watch (International); Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, HRCP (Pakistan); Libya Crimes Watch, LCW (Libya); Peace Brigades International (Nicaragua); The Coalition of Somalia Human Rights Defenders, CSHRD (Somalia); ZMINA Human Rights Centre (Ukraine)
The HRD Memorial is committed to continuing to develop and refine its methodology and verification processes to ensure that they continue to be robust and up-to-date.
For statistics relating to threats against human rights defenders
Each year, Front Line Defenders records hundreds of violations against human rights defenders through its public and private casework, digital protection, and protection grants programmes. The statistics presented in this report are derived from 3,960 violations reported to Front Line Defenders, between 1 January and 31 December 2025. Of those, 2,739 violations were recorded under our casework and grants programme and they are presented together as they are recorded against the same list of violations, while 1,221 threats and violations were recorded under Front Line Defenders’ digital protection work.
Front Line Defenders often documents multiple threats and violations per case, digital support or grant, as this is the reality of the situation for HRDs, who very often face multiple types of threats and attacks at once.
It is important to note some caveats with the data presented:
For the purpose of calculating the most reported violations against HRDs, the category “threats/other harassment” was considered only when recorded as a standalone violation. Given that “threats” are such a common violation, they tend to be inconsistently reported by HRDs, particularly when accompanied by other types of violations, or only reported when they reach a relatively high threshold of severity.
Incidents of killings have been removed from this dataset. The data on killings are reported separately in the HRD Memorial dataset.
The groups of HRDs presented under “Areas of human rights defence” are listed in Front Line Defenders’ internal Terminology Guidelines, in which “Issues working on” includes the following: Abuse of Power / Anti-Corruption; Abolition of Death Penalty; Access to Healthcare; Afro-Descendants Rights; Anti-Racism; Anti-Slavery / Anti-Trafficking; Children’s / Youth Rights; Citizens’ Rights / Participation; Climate Justice; Digital Rights; Disability Rights; Disappearances / Enforced Disappearances; Environmental Rights; Extractive Industries / Megaprojects; Freedom of Assembly; Freedom of Religion or Belief; Food Sovereignty; Housing Rights / Forced Evictions; Human Rights Documentation; Human Rights Movements; Impunity / Justice; Indigenous Peoples’ Rights; Labour / Trade Union / Workers Association; Land Rights; LGBTIQ+ Rights; Minority Rights; Peacebuilding; Peasant / Campesino Communities; Poverty / Economic Insecurity; Prisoners’ Rights while in prison; Refugees / IDPs / Migrants; Right to Education / Student Rights; Self-Determination; Sexual & Reproductive Health and Rights; Sex Worker Rights; Torture / Police Brutality; Women’s Rights / Feminism.
For the purpose of reflecting the most targeted “Areas of human rights defence,” the categories of environmental rights defenders, land rights defenders and indigenous peoples’ rights defenders have been disaggregated. By disaggregating this data, Front Line Defenders seeks to analyse particular trends within each of those targeted groups across different countries.
Front Line Defenders recognises that human rights movements often take varying forms in the different regions. For the purpose of reflecting on their work, “Human Rights Movements” refers to collective efforts or organisations to promote, protect, and advocate for human rights as recognised under international legal frameworks.1
The information Front Line Defenders receives is dependent on HRDs being aware of the organisation; as such, this data cannot be seen as wholly representative for all HRDs in all countries. Therefore, this data should serve as an indicator – but not a comprehensive report – of the scope of the violations, threats and risks that human rights defenders face on a daily basis.
Front Line Defenders recognises that there are myriad threats and violations that HRDs may experience, but which go unreported. This may be because they do not believe that the violation they are experiencing is serious enough to seek assistance or are not in a comfortable position to discuss and report it. There is also the possibility that they do not have access to support to be able to report the threat or violation, or may feel that silence is a better option to ensure their safety.
Expert Contributions from Human Rights Defenders
The Global Analysis is further informed by contributions from HRDs as they reflect on the nature of their work and the major challenges they face. The reflective analyses included in this report were submitted to Front Line Defenders following an invitation to contribute to the analysis of trends of threats and risks faced by human rights defenders globally.
We would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to the following human rights organisations:
Alianza de Organizaciones por los Derechos Humanos del Ecuador;
Association for the Protection of Saharan Prisoners in Moroccan Prisons (LPPS);
FDAPID (Foyer de Développement pour l’Autopromotion des Personnes Indigenteset en Détresse);
Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo (GAM) ;
Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF);
SUARAM Malaysia;
Swaziland Human Rights Defenders Network;
Tunisian League of Human Rights.
1These movements operate based on principles enshrined in key treaties, declarations and customary international law including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948), International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) and the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders (1998).
