Recent years have seen a rise in the erosion of the rule of law across many places in 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 aims to support individuals, collectives and organisations. It 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. Following its translation into Greek and Bosnian-Serbian-Croatian, the toolkit has now also been translated into Italian.

The report has been produced in collaboration and with the support of The Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration (ASGI) and the Heinrich Böll Stiftung. The original English version of the toolkit can be found here.