Americas: Human rights activists increasingly targets of violent attack says new report

People who stand up for human rights and speak out for minorities are themselves increasingly becoming the target of violent attacks and systematic intimidation across the Americas, according to a new report from Amnesty International out today. The report Transforming pain into hope: Human rights defenders in the Americas (PDF), reveals an alarming increase in intimidation of human rights workers by state security forces, paramilitary groups and organised criminal gangs. It also exposes a consistent failure of the authorities to protect the human rights of those who speak out for others