Recent years have seen a rise in the erosion of the rule of law in Croatia and across wider Europe, with a backlash against democracy, human rights and those working in defence of human rights. Human Rights Defenders are at high risk of facing repression and various forms of criminalisation while protecting, promoting and safeguarding fundamental freedoms and basic human rights. 

This toolkit outlines and explores available mechanisms and institutions, protecting legislation, and advocacy avenues to approach when Human Rights Defenders experience criminalisation at the domestic, European or international level. It has now been translated into BCS (Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian) to support individuals, collectives and organizations targeted. A new section on Croatia has also been added, while sections on Bosnia and Serbia are being developed as an extension to the current edition. 

The report has been produced in collaboration and with the support of Heinrich Böll Stiftung Thessaloniki. The English version can be consulted here.