The contribution of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to protectenvironmental defenders

Abstract

Environmental defenders are people, who, by their activity in defense of the environment and the reporting of environmental injustices, suffer harassment, threats, victimization and even murder. Environmental defenders are defenders of human rights, persons acting individually or collectively to contribute to environmental protection and defending human rights of victims of environmental degradation. Their situation is particularly alarming in Latin America: therefore is this important to analyze the work of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in this field, first, as the first court to recognize and protect environmental defenders, contributing to visualize their situation, and secondly, to defend the most vulnerable groups against environmental degradation. The aim of this paper is to analyze the case law developed by the Court in defense of human rights defenders in general and environmental defenders, in particular.