Senator Ben Cardin initiated legislation to protect human rights defenders around the globe

On 31 January, the head of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Ben Cardin, who authored the Global Magnitsky Act, joined Congressman Jim McGovern and Senators Chris Murphy, Tim Kaine, Jeff Merkley, Cory Booker, Chris Van Hollen, Ed Markey and Peter Welch to introduce the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Bill of 2024.

This legislation would expand the U.S.'s ability to protect people under attack for peacefully defending human rights and democracy.

"Human rights defenders are heroes in the struggle for democracy and freedom," Cardin said. "Nonetheless, attacks against them are growing rapidly around the world, underscoring the urgent and critical need for the U.S. to do more to protect and support them.

Discussions about the new law noted that around the world, journalists, civil society activists, environmentalists, and ordinary people who speak truth to power are increasingly under attack both at home and abroad.

The U.S. has a responsibility not only to protect human rights, but also to actively protect those who stand up for them.  This bill will provide real help to human rights defenders when they face detention or arrest.

"The Protection of Human Rights Defenders Act 2024 is a critical legislation act that will help strengthen and improve the U.S. government's ability to support human rights defenders around the world," said Amnesty International spokesperson Andrew Fandino, recalling that 401 human rights defenders were killed worldwide in 2022.

The bill being presented would create a new visa category to provide up to 500 human rights defenders at risk with a multi-entry, multi-year visa to the United States.

Ten human rights officers should be added to the State Department and to Embassies with poor human rights records.

It is essential to expand the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship programme, with the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) to accept up to 20 human rights defenders at risk each year.

In addition, to allocate $20 million annually from FY 2024 to FY 2028 to carry out this work.