MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The deaths increased from 185, reported in 16 countries in 2015, the non-profit said in its report.
"A lack of prosecutions also makes it hard to identify those responsible, but we found strong evidence that the police and military were behind at least 43 killings, with private actors such as security guards and hitmen linked to 52 deaths," the report said.
Almost 40 percent of the murdered activists were indigenous peoples, the report added.
According to Global Witness data, Brazil was the deadliest country for environmentalists in 2016 with 49 deaths, followed by Colombia (37), the Philippines (28) and India (16).
