Senator Leila de Lima has stood for human rights since the beginning of her political career, despite great personal cost to herself. She has faced down oppressive authoritarians at the highest levels of power while accepting the risks that it entails.
In particular, the Senator is a known critic of the Philippine Drug War of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. In February 2017, days after garnering international awards for her campaign against extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, she was arrested and charged for being linked to the drug trade during her stint as Justice Secretary, an accusation almost unanimously understood to be politically motivated. Three years later, she remains behind bars without having received any form of a fair trial.
In October 2017, the prestigious Liberal International Prize for Freedom was awarded to her for her stand against dictatorial regimes. She was designated as a “prisoner of conscience” by numerous international human rights organisations. In May 2018, Amnesty International conferred to her the first-ever “Most Distinguished Human Rights Defender” award during the Ignite Awards for Human Rights.
In a time of rising populism, insecurity and inequality, those of us who are resisting must do everything possible to recognise the people leading the fight on our behalf.
Read the full letter from LI President Hakima el Haité:
