Surge in deaths of environmental activists over past decade, report finds | Environment | theguardian.com:
The killing of activists protecting land rights and the environment has surged over the past decade, with nearly three times as many deaths in 2012 than 10 years previously, a new report has found.
Deadly Environment, an investigation by London-based Global Witness documents 147 recorded deaths in 2012, compared to 51 in 2002. Between 2002 and 2013, at least 908 activists were killed in 35 countries – with only 10 convictions. The death rate has risen in the past four years to an average of two activists a week, according to the report, which also documents 17 forced disappearances, all of whom are presumed dead.
Members of the Peasant
Unified Movement of Bajo Aguan, Honduras, carry mock coffins bearing
pictures of people killed in land conflict clashes. There were 109
activist deaths between 2002-13 in Honduras, making it the world's
second deadliest country for communities defending natural resources.
Photograph: Orlando Sierra/AFP/Getty Images
