Shot for speaking out - Protect human rights defenders like Malala in Pakistan

Published: Wednesday, October 24, 2012

14 year-old Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head on her way home from school on 9 October 2012. The shooting of Malala in Pakistan's Swat valley was not accidental. The teenager was targeted by the Taliban for being 'secular' and 'promoting  Western culture in Pashtun areas'. They attempted to kill Malala for asserting a girl's right simply to go to school. According to Amnesty International individuals working for equal rights for girls and women in north-west Pakistan face constant threats from the Taliban, as well as other armed groups and religious groups in the region. The shooting of Malala Yousufzai highlights the violence and persecution that many human rights defenders in the region face day after day.

Amnesty International calls on all supporters to ask Pakistan's government to protect human rights defenders. Take Action