Finally, human rights defender Leila de Lima can experience full freedom—after almost seven years of arbitrary detention and political persecution.  

On June 24, a Philippine court cleared Leila, a former senator and human rights defender, of the last criminal charges against her. In his decision, the judge granted Leila’s legal motion that called for the dismissal of her case. Seven months previously, the same court had granted her bail and temporary liberty.  

Leila’s ordeal began with her arrest in February 2017 on bogus, drug-related charges. She was detained for 2,454 days following her arrest. Amnesty International declared her a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely for her human rights work, and Amnesty activists pressed the Philippine authorities and demanded justice for her. 

The authorities detained Leila after she began looking into human rights violations committed under the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, the president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. The Duterte administration oversaw the extrajudicial execution of thousands of people suspected of using or selling drugs. Amnesty believes the government’s actions may amount to crimes against humanity.  

For exposing human rights violations in Duterte’s “war on drugs”, Leila was viciously targeted. After her arrest, Amnesty reported that the charges against her were false and that witness testimonies against her were all made up. 

Leila’s political persecution reflects the increasing impunity for human rights violations in the Philippines over the past decade—human rights violations that include the killings, threats and harassment of political activists, human rights defenders, and members of the media. 

As Leila fully regains her freedom, Amnesty is urging the administration of the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to ensure a safe and positive environment for Leila and for other human rights defenders who have been targeted because of their work.