Human rights defenders in Guatemala are subjected to death threats, physical attacks, acts of harassment, surveillance, stigmatisation, judicial harassment, arbitrary detention, forced disappearance and killings. Many of the violations are carried out by clandestine security organisations and illegal groups.

In post-conflict Guatemala there has been a marked increase in attacks against human rights defenders since the year 2000 with a significant rise in the number of killings of human rights defenders, despite the signing of the peace accords in 1996. While the number of attacks against defenders of civil and political rights continues at a seriuos level, there has been a dramatic increase in attacks against defenders of economic, social and cultural rights.

According to the report on the situation of human rights defenders of the UN SRSG, human rights defenders in Guatemala can be classified according to the rights which they defend including: “peasants, religious, LGBTI, indigenous, Mayans, trade unionists and those searching for the truth. A large percentage of them are dedicated to investigating violations of human rights which occurred during the armed conflict and others participate in the promotion of social, cultural and economic rights and the rights of indigenous peoples”.

Human rights defenders are confronted with a growing trend in relation to the security of the premises of their homes and organisations which are frequently subjects of raids. Since 2004, human rights defenders have also faced a form of harassment referred to as the “criminalisation of the defence of human rights” in which both active human rights defenders and those exercising the right to freedom of assembly through demonstrations are targeted and face criminal charges.

Another group of defenders comprises of judicial officers who work to defend human rights including judges, prosecutors, public defenders, and police commisars. In some sections of the human rights defenders community there is a reluctance to be identified as a defender as it carries negative connotations as they may be labelled as an internal enemy such as a communist or supporter of the guerrilla. A climate of impunity in regard to human rights violations still prevails in the country despite the establishment of the governmental Unit of Coordination for the Protection of human rights defenders, administrators and judicial officers, journalists and social communicators.

In November 2006, Front Line and the National Movement for Human Rights of Guatemala launched a new report, “Front Line Guatemala; Attacks Against Human Rights Defenders 2000 – 2005”. Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN SRSG on the situation of human rights defenders, carried out an official country visit to Guatemala from 26 May until 1 June 2002. She hoped to carry out a follow up mission in October 2006 but this has been postponed at the Government's request.