This thesis contributes to the literature by shifting focus from the empirical conditions facinghuman rights defenders (HRDs) to how these conditions are constructed and communicatedwithin Amnesty International’s annual reports and how this representation changes over time.The study analyses reports from 2002, 2016 and 2023.The study uses a qualitative longitudinal text analysis with elements of framing analysis. Itfocuses on how HRDs are described, which threats are highlighted and how responsibility isdistributed between different actors guided by framing theory.The findings show that HRDs are consistently framed as vulnerable actors defined throughrisk and repression. Over time, the framing becomes more complex. Overall, the study showsthat HRDs are increasingly placed within global crisis narratives while still being mainlyconstructed through vulnerability.