The Journal of Human Rights Practice has dedicated a special issue on the protection of human rights defenders. This Special Issue has a unique focus on the issues and challenges that human rights defenders face and provides a critical analysis of protection initiatives and gaps.
In this collection of papers, practitioners and human rights defenders focus on the experiences of human rights defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Egypt, Colombia, Mexico, Burundi, Uganda, the North Caucasus, Mesoamerica and the East and Horn of Africa. They examine the risks that human rights defenders face and discuss strategies and tactics for their protection. Specific attention is also given to the risks posed by the development of new information and communication technologies and to the efficacy of protection tools such as human rights awards.

This entire special issue of the Journal of Human Rights Practice is available free of charge until 28 February 2013 at http://jhrp.oxfordjournals.org/content/5/3.toc.