Environmental Human Rights Defenders fight for human rights related to a good and healthy environment. In international terms, these people are termed EHRD (Environmental Human Rights Defenders). Environmental Human Rights Defenders do not have to be activists, environmental campaigners, or employees of environmental civil society organizations. Environmental Human Rights Defenders can be anyone, either individuals or groups, in their personal or professional capacity, and in a peaceful manner, trying to protect and advance human rights related to the environment, including water, air, land, flora, and fauna1United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) (2023). Who are environmental defenders? https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/environmental-rights-and-governance/what-we-do/advancing- environmental-rights/who.
The 2024 edition of the report is entitled “New Regime, Old Threats: Environmental Fighters at the Critical Point of Power Change.” This report presents the situation experienced by Indonesian environmental human rights defenders throughout the transition year of regime change. The dynamics in the political year cannot be separated from the problem experienced by Environmental Human Rights Defenders. They experience criminalization, intimidation, physical attacks, and even murder. Using various articles in criminalization cases illustrates how vulnerable environmental activists are even though the state already has various protection instruments such as laws and ministerial regulations.
