UN says 729 human rights activists killed in Colombia since 1994

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/20/colombia-human-rights-activists-murders

Version 0 of 1.

A total of 729 human rights activists have been killed in Colombia in the past two decades, according to the United Nations. That’s an average of nearly three a month.

Related: Colombians dare to hope as end of decades-long civil war appears in sight

Thirty activists were killed in the first nine months of this year, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ office in Colombia said in a statement released on Friday. A further 20 activists have been the targets of attempted murder in 2015, the statement said.

The statement says an “insecure and hostile environment” persists for rights workers in the Andean nation, with authorities unable to guarantee their safety.

The figures are being published as talks on ending Colombia’s half-century-old internal conflict enter their third year. The government says it expects a final deal in early 2016.

The chief prosecutor’s office responded on Friday by saying investigating violence against activists is a priority.