PHILIPPINES: Joint statement on the harassment and threats targeting human rights lawyer Maria Kristina Conti
The undersigned organisations express grave concern over the escalating campaign of red-tagging, harassment, and threats targeting human rights lawyer Maria Kristina Conti in the Philippines.
Atty. Maria Kristina Conti is a prominent human rights lawyer, Secretary-General of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-National Capital Region (NUPL-NCR), and Treasurer of the Confederation of Lawyers of Asia and the Pacific (COLAP). She has played a central role in providing legal assistance to victims of grave human rights violations, particularly those committed in the context of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called ‘war on drugs’. Atty. Conti is also registered as Assistant to Counsel at the International Criminal Court (ICC) with a potential role in the proceedings related to former President Duterte.
Since Duterte’s arrest on an ICC warrant in March 2025, Atty. Conti has faced an alarming escalation of threats. She has been subjected to red-tagging, vilification, malicious online attacks, and anonymous threats directed at both herself and her family. This concerted campaign appears to be a direct reprisal for her legitimate work as a lawyer and her engagement with international accountability mechanisms. These acts not only endanger Atty. Conti but are clearly intended to silence her and deter others from carrying out human rights-related legal work in the Philippines.
Signed :
- Lawyers for Lawyers
- Law Society of England and Wales
- Association Democratic Jurists, Italy
- International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
- The Defence Commission of the Barcelona Bar Association
- European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights (ELDH)
- Progressive Lawyers’ Association, (ÇHD), Turkey
- International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL)
- Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man
- Al Mezan Center for Human Rights
- The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR)
- Democratic Lawyers Association of Bangladesh (DLAB)
- Portuguese Association Democrática Juristas
- Indian Association of Lawyers
- National Lawyers Guild International (US)
- The Center of Research and Elaboration on Democracy/ Legal international Intervention Group (CRED, GİGİ)
- Observatoire international des avocats en danger (OIAD)
- Asociación Americana de Juristas
- Swiss Democratic Lawyers
- Foundation Day of the Endangered Lawyer
