Protect human rights defenders like Malala in Pakistan

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About this action

14 year-old Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head on her way home from school on 9 October.

No one should fear for their life for standing up for basic rights.

The shooting of Malala in Pakistan’s Swat valley was not accidental: the teenager was targeted by the Taliban for being 'secular' and 'promoting Western culture in Pashtun areas'. They attempted to kill Malala for asserting a girl’s right simply to go to school. Read blog about the attack on Malala Yousufzai

No safe place for those who speak out against injustice

Individuals working for equal rights for girls and women in north-west Pakistan face constant threats from the Taliban, as well as other armed groups and religious groups in the region. The shooting of Malala Yousufzai highlights the violence and persecution that many human rights defenders in the region face day after day.

Systematic, targeted attacks

Attacks on human rights defenders by the Taliban and other armed and religious groups are frequent. In July, women’s rights worker Farida Afridi was shot at close range in a street in north-west Pakistan. Human rights defender Zarteef Afridi was killed in a similar targeted shooting six months earlier.