The data gathered on the criminalization of indigenous peoples covering the period from 2017 to 2019 illustrate what Special Rapporteurs on human rights defenders, on human rights and environment and on the rights of indigenous peoples have described as a “global crisis” of attacks against environmental human rights defenders wherein a majority of them are members of indigenous communities.
The past three years show alarming trend in the persistence of criminalization and impunity against indigenous peoples despite available data showing only a glimpse of the true scale of the crisis.
