Judicial harassment was the most common violation experienced by human rights defenders (HRDs) in Asia from 2021 to 2022.

State actors–such as the police–were the top perpetrators.

The forum coincides with the 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which requires states to protect HRDs. Nevertheless, violations against HRDs still persist in Asia.

HRDs call for stronger mechanisms for protecting and creating an enabling environment for human rights work.