Solidarity with Colombian Human Rights Defenders
Rights & Democracy calls on Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez to uphold his government's responsibility to support and protect the work of human rights defenders.
Montreal - October 3, 2003 – ? Rights & Democracy calls on Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez to uphold his government's responsibility to support and protect the work of human rights defenders.
During his address before the United Nations General Assembly on September 30, 2003, President Uribe said he would reserve the right to reject human rights organizations' criticisms of his Democratic Security policy, and to implement only selected recommendations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Bogot?. These remarks come after a speech at the inauguration ceremony of the new Commander of the Colombian Air Force on September 8, 2003, at which President Uribe accused human rights organizations of being a front for terrorism.
President Uribe's comments put people's lives at risk. Such antagonism toward human rights defenders will only aggravate a climate of insecurity in which members of human rights groups are routinely harassed by Colombian security forces, and attacked by illegal armed actors.
Rights & Democracy is particularly concerned that members of the Inter-Ecclesiastical Commission for Justice and Peace - founded by Father Javier Giraldo SJ, recipient of Rights & Democracy's 1997 John Humphrey Freedom Award - are currently being threatened with legal action.
In the past year, Colombian human rights organizations have documented the detention of at least 16 human rights defenders, trade union leaders and journalists; including individuals that were living under death threats, and had been accorded Precautionary Measures by the Interamerican Commission on Human Rights.
Rights & Democracy is concerned that the stigmatization of human rights defenders will serve to undermine critical policy debates such as the proposed amnesty for demobilized members of paramilitary groups, or the recently-signed agreement to exempt United States citizens in Colombia from prosecution before the International Criminal Court.
Rights & Democracy urges the Colombian government to accept and implement the recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights for Colombia.
We urge the Colombian government to ensure the protection of human rights defenders, in accordance with Presidential Directive 07 of 1999 and Ministry of Defence Directive 09 of 2003, which instruct all public servants to refrain from making statements that question the legitimacy of, or incite harassment of, human rights organizations.
For More Information
Angela Laird
call 514-283-6073
