Resources 2.6 • Securityinabox.org is a resource for helping HRDs and people at risk to protect their digital security and privacy (a project of Front Line Defenders). • Digital protection resources from Front Line Defenders • Open Global Rights, Adapting tech tools for human rights monitoring: lessons from Burundi (20 July 2021) Supporting well-being HRDs frequently experience extraordinary levels of stress and trauma due to their work and the threats they face. Prioritizing the psychological safety and well-being of HRDs is crucial for their health, overall security, and sustained capacity to carry out their work. Showing moral support for HRDs who are targeted is an important way NHRIs can help support their well-being and resilience. Example: Showing moral support for HRDs facing reprisals: the prolonged arbitrary detention of Leila de Lima Leila de Lima, former Chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), and a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial ‘war on drugs’, spent more than six years in police custody on politically motivated charges. She was granted bail in November 2023, after two of the three charges against her were dropped. The allegations, originating from Duterte’s claims that she received payoffs from convicted drug gangs to fund her 2016 senatorial campaign, have been at the centre of an ongoing legal battle. In 2009, while serving as CHR Chairperson, De Lima was vocal in her opposition to the war on drugs and initiated an investigation into the alleged activities of the Davao Death Squad, which included reported summary executions of drug suspects. Later, while in the Senate, De Lima again opposed Duterte’s anti-drug campaign policies and their human rights consequences, initiating another investigation into reported extrajudicial killings. Human rights organisations, including the APF, denounced De Lima’s prolonged detention and called for her immediate release. While in detention, the court proceedings against her were marked by various delays including witnesses failing to appear in court and changes in judges overseeing her case. Pip Dargan, APF’s Principal Adviser, recalls: “We tried to show solidarity to let Leila de Lima know that she was still part of the APF NHRI family. In 2017, on International Human Rights Day, the APF attempted to visit her in detention but was barred by the Philippine National Police. I and former commissioners from Australia and New Zealand wrote to her regularly to let her know we were thinking of her and supporting her. She was very appreciative of the ongoing contact. With others, the APF co-signed a letter from eminent Australians to the Foreign Minister of Australia at the time, Marise Payne, asking her to pay attention to de Lima’s case, to which she responded. The CHR was actively engaged in supporting de Lima. As Leila de Lima was still a serving Senator, her Senatorial staff were able to visit her regularly in detention and deliver our personal letters. She showed incredible fortitude during this extremely difficult time. Sometimes situations can seem hopeless, but we shouldn’t underestimate the value of moral support for HRDs who are targeted. It can offer people a measure of comfort and strength during what are often extremely challenging and isolating experiences. When considering how to respond, NHRIs must also bear in mind the “do no harm” principle, for themselves and their staff as well”. De Lima’s case, which reflects a broader deterioration of human rights in the Philippines, highlights the challenging environment faced by Human Rights Defenders (HRDs), political activists and journalists across the region. 14 Relocation and Respite Toolkit