[JURIST] Two UN human rights experts on Tuesday called on [press release] the Philippines government to investigate the deaths of three human rights defenders in the province of Surigao del Sur, Mindanao. One activist, the director of the Alternative Learning Center for Agriculture and Development (ALCADEV) [advocacy website], was found murdered in one of the ALCADEV classrooms in the town of Sitio Han-ayan on September 1. This occurred after members of the Philippine Army and paramilitary forces had taken control of the school’s function hall. The two other activists, both representatives of the Manobo community, were shot in front of their community members by alleged paramilitary forces. In the press release, the experts did acknowledge that the Philippines government made an announcement earlier this week that there are ongoing probes into the murders. The experts noted:

We urge the Philippines authorities to ensure that such investigation into these tragic events be carried out independently to identify and bring perpetrators to justice… Military occupation of civilian institutions and killing of civilians, particularly in places such as schools which should remain safe havens for children from this type of violence, are unacceptable, deplorable and contrary to international human rights and international humanitarian standards.

The killings come less than a month after five members of an indigenous Manobo family were murdered [UN News Centre report] by members of the Philippine Army.

Safety and protection of human rights activists continues to be a global issue. In August a group of UN human rights experts condemned [JURIST report] an Azerbaijan court for the convictions of prominent human rights activists Leyla and Arif Yunus. The experts called the convictions “politically motivated and representative of the continuing repression of independent civil society in Azerbaijan.” In April the US Department of State (DOS) released a statement [JURIST report] condemning the imprisonment of human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev and calling for his release. Also in April a coalition of human rights groups urged [JURIST report] Venezuelan authorities to stop intimidating and harassing human rights organizations. According to the groups, the government has employed tactics intended to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of 28 international and Latin American human rights organizations by making allegations that the organizations do not support Venezuelan democracy.