List of assassinated human rights activists

This is a list of murdered political dissidents and human rights activists. The list is chronological.

Intended victims Year Date Title at the time Place Country Assassin(s)
Olympe de Gouges17933 November French playwright and political activist whose writings on women's rights and abolitionism brought her execution by guillotine Paris  France men
Elijah Parish Lovejoy18377 November American journalist, newspaper editor and abolitionist Alton, Illinois  United States mob
Abraham Lincoln186515 April President of the U.S. and anti-slavery activist Washington, D.C.  United States John Wilkes Booth
John W. Stephens191322 February American state senator who assisted freed slaves Yanceyville, North Carolina  United States Ku Klux Klan
Francisco I. Madero191322 February President of Mexico Mexico City  Mexico Victoriano Huerta
Song Jiaoren191322 March Chinese republican leader of Kuomintang Shanghai  China Wu Shiying
Jean Jaurès191431 July French Marxist anti-war activist Paris  France Raoul Villain
John Chilembwe19153 February Malawian philosopher and educator Shire Highlands  Nyasaland British colonial officers
Leo Jogiches191910 March German Marxist revolutionary Berlin  Germany Freikorps
Karl Liebknecht191915 January German revolutionary Berlin  Germany Freikorps
Rosa Luxemburg191915 January Polish-German revolutionary Berlin  Germany Freikorps
Charlemagne Péralte19191 November Haitian nationalist leader Port-au-Prince  Haiti U.S. Marines
Emiliano Zapata191910 April Mexican peasant leader Chinameca  Mexico Jesús Guajardo
Mustafa Suphi192128 January Turkish communist leader Black Sea  Turkey Turkish agents
Michael Collins192222 August Irish independence leader Béal na Bláth  Ireland Irish Civil War
Giacomo Matteotti192410 June Italian anti-fascist Rome  Italy Blackshirts
Avni Rustemi192422 April Albanian teacher and activist Tirana  Albania Jusuf Reçi
Takiji Kobayashi193320 February Japanese author Tokyo  Japan police
Augusto César Sandino193421 February Nicaraguan revolutionary Managua  Nicaragua United States Marine Corps
Antonio Guiteras19358 May Cuban politician Matanzas  Cuba Cuban government
Walter W. Liggett19359 December American journalist Minneapolis, Minnesota  United States Blumenfeld
Abdul Rahman Shahbandar1940June Syrian nationalist Damascus Syria National Bloc members
Leon Trotsky194021 August Soviet dissident Coyoacán, Mexico City  Mexico Ramón Mercader
Marx Dormoy194126 July French socialist politician Montélimar  France Comité secret d'action révolutionnaire
Carlo Tresca194311 January American newspaper editor New York City  United States NKVD
Mahatma Gandhi194830 January Indian independence movement leader New Delhi  India Nathuram Godse
Jorge Eliécer Gaitán19489 April Mayor of Bogotá Bogotá  Colombia El Bogotazo
Julien Lahaut195018 August Belgian Republican politician Seraing  Belgium François Goossens
Leonardo Ruiz Pineda195221 October Venezuelan lawyer Caracas  Venezuela police
Albert Patterson195418 June American attorney Phenix City, Alabama  United States Sheriff Albert Fuller
George W. Lee19557 May American civil rights leader and minister Midnight, Mississippi  United States Unidentified shooter
Lamar Smith195513 August American civil rights leader, farmer, and veteran Brookhaven, Mississippi  United States Unidentified shooter
Dr. Thomas Hency Brewer195618 February American co-founder of a NAACP chapter Columbus, Georgia  United States Luico Flowers
Ali Boumendjel195723 March Algerian militant and lawyer El Biar French Algeria Paul Aussaresses
Maurice Audin195711 June Algerian student Algiers French Algeria André Charbonnier
Ruben Um Nyobé195813 September Cameroonian anti-colonialist Boumnyébel  Cameroon French army
Salah Ben Youssef196112 August Tunisian lawyer and politician Frankfurt  West Germany Tunisian agents
Herbert Lee196125 September American civil rights and voting rights activist Liberty, Mississippi  United States E. H. Hurst
Mouloud Feraoun196215 March Algerian journalist and translator Algiers  Algeria OAS
William Lewis Moore196323 April American protesting racial segregation Attalla, Alabama  United States Unidentified/disputed shooter
Grigoris Lambrakis196327 May Greek anti-war activist Thessaloniki  Greece Emannouel Emannouilides and Spyros Gotzamanis
Medgar Evers196312 June American civil rights activist Jackson, Mississippi  United States Byron De La Beckwith
Louis Allen196431 January American voting rights activist Amite County, Mississippi  United States Disputed
James Chaney196421 June American civil rights Mississippi  United States Ku Klux Klan
Andrew Goodman196421 June American civil rights activist Mississippi  United States Ku Klux Klan
Michael Schwerner196421 June American civil rights activist Philadelphia, Mississippi  United States Ku Klux Klan
Humberto Delgado196513 February Portuguese anti-fascist Olivenza  Spain PIDE
Malcolm X196521 February American human rights activist New York City  United States members of the Nation of Islam
Pio Gama Pinto196524 February Kenyan journalist Nairobi  Kenya police
James Reeb196511 March American minister and civil rights activist Alabama  United States mob
Viola Liuzzo196525 March American civil rights activist Selma, Alabama  United States Ku Klux Klan
Jonathan Daniels196520 August American civil rights activist Hayneville, Alabama  United States Tom Coleman
Mehdi Ben Barka196529 October Moroccan revolutionary fighter and politician Paris  France French intelligence agents
Sammy Younge Jr.19663 January American civil rights and voting rights activist Tuskegee, Alabama  United States Marvin Segrest
Vernon Dahmer196610 January American civil rights and voting rights activist Hattiesburg, Mississippi  United States Ku Klux Klan
Osende Afana196615 March Cameroonian economist Ndélélé  Cameroon Cameroonian Armed Forces
Chit Phumisak19665 May Thai Marxist historian Waritchaphum  Thailand local villagers
Robert W. Spike196617 October American civil rights activist Columbus, Ohio  United States unknown
Wharlest Jackson196727 February American NAACP chapter treasurer Natchez, Mississippi  United States unknown
Benno Ohnesorg19672 June German anti-war activist West Berlin  West Germany Karl-Heinz Kurras
Che Guevara 1967 9 October Argentine revolutionary La Higuera  Bolivia CIA-assisted Bolivian forces
Martin Luther King Jr.19684 April American civil rights activist Memphis, Tennessee  United States James Earl Ray
Robert F. Kennedy19686 June U.S. presidential candidate Los Angeles, California  United States Sirhan Bishara Sirhan
Tom Mboya19695 July Kenyan Cabinet Minister Nairobi  Kenya Nahashon Isaac Njenga Njoroge
Fred Hampton19694 December American civil rights activist Chicago, Illinois  United States members of the Chicago Police Department
Krim Belkacem197018 October Algerian revolutionary fighter and politician Frankfurt  West Germany unknown
Dhirendranath Datta197129 March East Pakistani lawyer Moynamoti

East Pakistan

 Pakistani Army
Maximiliano Gómez197123 May Dominican Republic politician  Dominican Republic orders of Joaquin Balaguer
Ghassan Kanafani19728 July Palestinian writer Beirut  Lebanon Mossad
Outel Bono197326 August Chadian medical doctor and politician Paris  France French secret service and Chadian Government
Amílcar Cabral197320 January Guinea-Bissauan and Cape Verdean intellectual, poet, theoretician, and revolutionary Conakry  Guinea Portuguese intelligence agents
Víctor Jara197316 September Chilean teacher and theater director Santiago  Chile Pedro Barrientos
Silvio Frondizi197427 September Argentine intellectual and lawyer Buenos Aires  Argentina Argentine Anticommunist Alliance
Carlos Mugica197411 May Argentine Roman Catholic priest and activist Villa Luro  Argentina Rodolfo Almirón
José Tohá197415 March Chilean journalist Santiago  Chile military
Omar Benjelloun197518 December Moroccan journalist and trade union activist Casablanca  Morocco Chabiba islamia
Herbert Chitepo197518 March Rhodesian ZANU-activist Lusaka  Zambia Rhodesian Security Forces
Josiah Mwangi Kariuki19752 March Kenyan socialist politician Nairobi  Kenya Kenyan police
Roque Dalton197510 May Salvadoran poet, essayist, journalist, political activist, and intellectual San Salvador  El Salvador People's Revolutionary Army
Boonsanong Punyodyana197628 February Thai socialist politician Bangkok  Thailand unknown
Enrique Angelelli19764 August Bishop of La Rioja Sañogasta  Argentina Argentinian military
Orlando Letelier197621 September Chilean economist, ex-ambassador Washington, DC  United States Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional
Stephen Biko197712 September South African anti-apartheid activist Pretoria  South Africa South African Police Forces
Janani Luwum197717 February Ugandan archbishop Kampala  Uganda Idi Amin regime
Rutilio Grande197712 March Salvadoran priest Aguilares  El Salvador mob
Mir Akbar Khyber197817 April Afghan intellectual and editor Kabul  Afghanistan Hekmatyar's Hezbi Islami
Henri Curiel19784 May Egyptian left-wing political activist Paris  France OAS and Charles Martel Group
Georgi Markov197811 September Bulgarian dissident London  United Kingdom Bulgarian secret service
Harvey Milk197827 November American LGBT human rights activist San Francisco, California  United States Dan White
George R. Moscone197827 November Mayor of San Francisco San Francisco, California  United States Dan White
José Miguel Beñaran Ordeñana197821 December Spanish Basque activist Anglet  France car bomb
Allard K. Lowenstein198014 March American civil rights activist New York City  United States Dennis Sweeney
Óscar Romero198024 March Archbishop of San Salvador San Salvador  El Salvador mob
Walter Rodney198013 June Guyanese historian, political activist and scholar Georgetown  Guyana unknown
Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz198017 July Bolivian writer, dramatist, and journalist La Paz  Bolivia Luis Garcia Meza
Enrique Álvarez Córdova198027 November Salvadoran politicians San Salvador  El Salvador Brígada Anticomunista Maximiliano Hernández Martínez
John Lennon19808 December British anti-war activist and ex-Beatle New York City  United States Mark David Chapman
Pierre Declercq198119 September French New Caledonian politician Nouméa  New Caledonia unknown
Anwar Sadat19816 October President of Egypt and peace activist Cairo, Egypt  Egypt Egyptian Islamic Jihad
Attati Mpakati198324 March Malawian dissident Harare  Zimbabwe Malawian agents
Benigno Aquino Jr.198321 August Filipino opposition leader Manila  Philippines Filippino agents
Alan Berg19841 January American attorney and talk radio show host Denver, Colorado  United States Silent Brotherhood
Henry Liu198415 October Taiwanese writer and journalist Daly City, California  United States Bamboo Union
Jerzy Popiełuszko198419 October Polish Roman Catholic priest Włocławek  Poland Polish Security Service
Gérard Hoarau198529 November Seychellois politicians London  United Kingdom France-Albert René regime
Shahnawaz Bhutto198518 July Pakistani democracy activist Nice  France Zia ul-Haq regime
Murtaza Bhutto198520 September Pakistani democracy activist Karachi  Pakistan police
Éloi Machoro198512 January New Caledonian Kanak politician Canala  New Caledonia French gendarme
Fort Calata198527 June South African anti-apartheid activist Port Elizabeth  South Africa South African Police Forces
Matthew Goniwe198527 June South African anti-apartheid activist Port Elizabeth  South Africa South African Police Forces
Sicelo Mhlauli198527 June South African anti-apartheid activist Port Elizabeth  South Africa South African Police Forces
Sparrow Mkhonto198527 June South African anti-apartheid activist Port Elizabeth  South Africa South African Police Forces
Hugo Spadafora198513 September Panamanian activist La Concepción  Panama Panamanian government
Olof Palme198628 February Prime Minister of Sweden Stockholm  Sweden unknown
Jaime Pardo Leal198711 October Colombian lawyer and union leader La Mesa  Colombia Colombian mafia
Dulcie September198829 March South African anti-apartheid political activist Paris  France South African agents
Chico Mendes198822 December Brazilian trade unionist and environmentalist Xapuri  Brazil Darci and Darly Alves da Silva, Jerdeir Pereira
David Webster19891 May South African anthropologist Troyeville  South Africa South African Civil Cooperation Bureau
Jean-Marie Tjibaou19894 May New Caledonian Kanak politician Ouvéa  New Caledonia Djubelly Wéa
Abdul Rahman Ghassemlou198913 July Head of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan Vienna  Austria Iranian agents
Luis Carlos Galán198918 August Colombian journalist Bogotá  Colombia Colombian mafia
Anton Lubowski198912 September Namibian anti-apartheid activist Windhoek  Namibia South African Civil Cooperation Bureau
Segundo Montes198916 November Salvadoran priest San Salvador  El Salvador Salvadoran army
Ignacio Ellacuría198916 November Salvadoran philosopher and theologian San Salvador  El Salvador Salvadoran army
Richard de Zoysa199018 February Sri Lankan journalist and actor Rajagiriya  Sri Lanka Sri Lanka-linked death squad
Farag Foda19929 June Egyptian professor Heliopolis  Egypt Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya
Marsha P. Johnson19924 July Gay liberation and AIDS activist New York City  United States Unknown (described by witnesses as a "group of thugs")
Tavio Amorin199229 July 1992 Togolese politician Lomé  Togo police
Tahar Djaout199326 May Algerian journalist and poet Algiers  Algeria Armed Islamic Group
Chris Hani199310 April South African Anti-apartheid activist Boksburg  South Africa Janusz Waluś
Melchior Ndadaye199321 October Burundian intellectual and politician Bujumbura  Burundi Burundi Army
Jorge Carpio Nicolle19933 July Guatemalan newspaper publisher Chichicastenango  Guatemala mob
Cheb Hasni199429 September Algerian musician Oran  Algeria Armed Islamic Group
Jon Simmons19941 October LGBT rights activist Los Angeles  United States Unknown
Johan Heyns19945 November South African Anti-apartheid activist Pretoria  South Africa White South African extremists
Iqbal Masih199516 April Pakistani child activist Muridke  Pakistan unknown
Jaswant Singh Khalra19956 September Indian human rights activist Jhabal  India Kanwar Pal Singh Gill
Yitzhak Rabin19954 November Prime Minister of Israel and peace activist Tel Aviv, Israel  Israel Yigal Amir
Kudirat Abiola19969 June spouse of Nigerian presidential candidate Moshood Abiola Lagos  Nigeria team of six men
Abdelhak Benhamouda199728 January Algerian trade unionist Algiers  Algeria unknown
Lounès Matoub199825 June Algerian musician Beni Aïssi  Algeria police
Azem Hajdari199812 September Albanian anti-communists Tirana  Albania Fatmir Haklaj, Jaho Mulosmani, and Naim Cangu
Sanjaasürengiyn Zorig19982 October Mongolian activist Ulaanbaatar  Mongolia unknown
Galina Starovoytova199820 November Russian dissidents St Petersburg  Russia Russian state security service
Norbert Zongo199813 December Burkinabé publisher Sapouy  Burkina Faso Burkinabé agents
Bishop Juan José Gerardi199826 April Guatemalan Roman Catholic bishop San Sebastian Church  Guatemala Guatemalan military personnels
Larisa Yudina19988 June Russian journalist Elista  Russia unknown
Jaime Hurtado199917 February Ecuadorian politician Quito  Ecuador Christian Steven Ponce
Jean Dominique20003 April Haitian journalist Port-au-Prince  Haiti unknown
Carlos Cardoso200022 November Mozambican journalist Maputo  Mozambique Nyimpine Chissano and Aníbal dos Santos
Filemon Lagman20016 February Filipino workers' leader Quezon City  Philippines unknown
Phoolan Devi200125 July Indian activist New Delhi  India Sher Singh Rana
Pim Fortuyn20026 May Dutch politician and LGBT human rights activist Hilversum, Netherlands  Netherlands Volkert van der Graaf
Jarallah Omar200228 December Yemeni politician, intellectual Sana'a  Yemen Ali Ahmad al-Jarallah
Zelimkhan Yandarbiyev200413 February Chechen exiled separatist writer Doha  Qatar FSB agents
Brian Williamson20045 June Jamaican LGBT+ rights activist Kingston  Jamaica Dwight Hayden
Munir Said Thalib20047 September Indonesian human rights activist Schiphol  Netherlands Pollycarpus Budihari Priyanto
FannyAnn Eddy200428 September LGBT rights activist Freetown  Sierra Leone Unknown
Deyda Hydara200416 December Gambian newspaper reporter Banjul  Gambia Yahya Jammeh regime
Elmar Hüseynov20052 March Azerbaijani journalist Baku  Azerbaijan Azerbaijani regime
Dorothy Stang200515 March Brazilian-American missionary Anapu  Brazil Clodoaldo Carlos Batista and Raifran das Neves Sales
Filiberto Ojeda Ríos200523 September Puerto Rican independence activist Hormigueros  Puerto Rico FBI
Anna Politkovskaya20067 October Russian journalist Moscow  Russia three Chechen men
Aleksandr Litvinenko200623 November Russian dissident London  United Kingdom FSB agens
Hrant Dink200719 January Turkish-Armenian editor, journalist and columnist Istanbul  Turkey Ogün Samast
Gareth Williams200714 February Gay rights activist Mandeville  Jamaica mob
Gabriel Mkhumane20081 April Swazi opposition leader Nelspruit  South Africa Swaziland government agents
Tonderai Ndira 2008 13-22 May Zimbabwean political dissident Harare  Zimbabwe Zimbabwean agents
Natalya Estemirova200915 July Russian human rights activist Ingushetia  Russia unknown
David Kato201127 January Gay rights activist and teacher Mukono Town  Uganda Sidney Nsubuga Enoch
Raymond Taavel201217 April LGBT rights activist Halifax  Canada Andre Noel Denny
Sakine Cansız20139 January Turkish Kurdish women's rights activist Paris  France Turkish agents
Chokri Belaïd20136 February Tunisian lawyer El Menzah  Tunisia Kamel Gaghgadhi
Avijit Roy201526 February Bangladeshi online activist Dhaka  Bangladesh Ansarullah Bangla Team
Boris Nemtsov201527 February Russian political activist Moscow  Russia two Chechen men
Diana Sacayán201513 October Argentinian transgender rights activist Buenos Aires Argentina Gabriel David Marino
Berta Cáceres20163 March Honduran environmental activist, indigenous leader La Esperanza  Honduras employees of DESA
Xulhaz Mannan201625 April Bangladeshi LGBT rights activist Dhaka  Bangladesh Ansar-al-Islam, an Al-Qaida affiliate
Marielle Franco201814 March Brazilian politician, feminist, and human rights activist Rio de Janeiro  Brazil the Brazilian Government, allegedly
Arman Loni20192 February Pashtun civil rights activist Balochistan  Pakistan Pakistani police, allegedly[1]
Marc Angelucci202011 July US Men's Rights Activist and Attorney California, US  US Roy Den Hollander [2]

References
  1. "Pakistan rights group to protest killing of activist". Aljazeera. 4 February 2019.
  2. "Slaying of men's rights activist in California linked to suspected shooter of federal judge's family, FBI confirms". The Mercury News. 2 July 2020.
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