61. In its jurisprudence regarding the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the UN Human Rights Committee has observed that the value placed by the Covenant upon uninhibited expression in a democratic society is particularly high in the context of public debate concerning figures in the public and political domain.84 This is due to the fact that “freedoms of information and of expression are cornerstones in any free and democratic society. It is the essence of such societies that its citizens must be allowed to inform themselves about alternatives to the political system/ parties in power, and that they may criticise or openly and publicly evaluate their Governments without fear of interference or punishment”.85 62. The same can be said about other rights which are instrumental for the realization of human rights. Therefore, the threshold to meet the principles of necessity and proportionality can be considered to be particularly high where limitations concern the exercise of rights in connection with human rights work. II. PHYSICAL INTEGRITY, LIBERTY AND SECURITY AND DIGNITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS A. Protection from threats, attacks and other abuses 63. In accordance with Article 12(3) of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defend- ers, the “[s]tate shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration.” 64. Articles 6 and 7 of the ICCPR, Articles 2 and 3 of the ECHR and Articles 4 and 5 of the ACHR require states to protect anyone within its territory and under its jurisdiction – including human rights defenders – from violations of their right to life and the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment. OSCE participating States have stressed “that everyone has the right to life […] and no one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.86 In addition, they have reaffirmed their determination to implement fully their common OSCE commitments to eradicate torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; to intensify their efforts to take persistent, 84  See Human Rights Committee Views in Bodrozic v. Serbia and Montenegro, Communication No. 1180/2003, October 2005. 85  Ibid. footnote 8 with reference to the Views in, inter alia, Aduayom et al. v. Togo, Communications No. 422-424/1990, 12 July 1996. 86  See Document of the Sixteenth Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Ministerial Declaration on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Helsinki 2008). Guidelines on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders 43