Front Line is deeply concerned following information received in relation to threats made against Asesoría y Servicios Legales para Refugiados - ASELER (Legal Advice and Services for Refugees) during the past two weeks. ASELER is a non-governmental organisation based in Quito which provides legal advice and services to refugees and asylum seekers in Ecuador.

Further Information

On 9 January 2009, at approximately 12.45 p.m., a letter was brought to the ASELER offices after the porter of the building had found it on his desk. The letter, signed by the Secretariado del Estado Mayor Central de las FARC (Secretariat of the Central High Command of the FARC – the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), listed 11 Colombian refugees in Ecuador, five of whom are clients of ASELER, as military targets.

The letter also called for collaboration from comrades in acting against various organisations (in total 5 organisations), all of which have links to some of the people listed as military targets. In red, at the top of the letter, were the words “GRUPO DE BUSQUEDA Y LIMPIEZA FARC-EP Guerrilla Urbana” (FARC-EP Urban Guerrilla Group Search and Destroy Command) and the background of the letter consisted of the silhouette of a map of Colombian on which the text “FARCEP” was written above a picture of an open book and two crossed rifles.

The same day, ASELER lodged a complaint with the Public Ministry (complaint number 09-01-09075) for intimidation. Protective measures have also been requested from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for the people listed as military targets in the letter.

On 14 January 2009, a client of ASELER received a threatening letter signed by the Comando Central de las Águilas Negras de Colombia en Rearme (The Re-armed Central Command of the Black Eagles of Colombia), a Colombian paramilitary group.

This letter expressed the intent to end the life of four people, including one client of ASELER and his family. It further declared as military targets all human rights groups, human rights defenders, and social organisations that make the work of “Las Fuerzas Militares” (the military forces) difficult. Moreover, organisations that provide support to theaforementioned four people were listed as military targets in the letter.

ASELER lodged a complaint for intimidation with the Public Ministry for the threats against its client on 14 January 2009 (complaint 09-01-14129). Protective measures have also been requested from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights for the client. On 15 January 2009, at approximately 8.30 p.m., two people and their families – members of a refugee organisation called Asociación de Personas en Condición de Refugeo en el Ecuador – ASOREC (Association of People Seeking Refuge in Ecuador) who has provided accommodation to the abovementioned client of ASELER – found another threatening letter in the entrance to their house, in which they were declared military targets.

On 20 January 2009, after the threatening letter received by the members of ASOREC, another complaint was made. A request was also sent to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, asking that the protective measures in place be extended.

Front Line believes that the threats against ASELER, as well as the abovementioned persons and organisations, are related to their legitimate and peaceful human rights work. Front Line is seriously concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the members of ASELER.