Amnesty International remains deeply concerned by the continued detention of prisoner of conscience Senator Leila de Lima on politically motivated charges, based on unsubstantiated statements of people convicted for drug-related offenses. Amnesty International considers the targeting of Senator de Lima by the authorities as a blatant attempt to silence one of the most prominent critics of the violent ‘war on drugs’ and bar her from participating in public life. On the occasion of Senator de Lima’s 59th birthday, Amnesty International renews its calls on Philippine authorities to drop all charges against her and release her immediately and unconditionally, to allow her to carry on her vital work in defence of human rights.
