Jeannot Randriamanana
Jeannot Randriamanana is a human rights defender and the communications officer for the Independent Observatory of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in Madagascar (Observatoire Indépendant des Droits Economiques, Sociaux et Culturels à Madagascar - OIDESCM). The human rights defender works to protect the right to information and promotes good governance. He has been posting on his social media about the poor state of school infrastructure in the district of Nosy Varika since December 2021.
Human rights defenders in Madagascar working on environmental rights including against illegal trafficking of natural resources, such as rosewood, and against extractive activities, as well as those working on corruption are particularly at risk. HRDs working in Madagascar confront impunity in many different facets of their work, and this hinders their capacity to work for the promotion of human and environmental rights.
HRDs are targeted by authorities with judicial harassment including arrest, pre-trial detention, prosecution, and trumped-up charges. Corrupt officials are sometimes involved with illegal trafficking themselves, or they turn a blind eye when extractive industries or traffickers exploit the bountiful natural resources on the island. HRDs are singled out by extractive companies and traffickers for their efforts to hold companies and industries accountable to basic human rights and environmental standards.
