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Colombia: Update - Further death threats against members of CREDHOSposted on: 2012/02/03

Members of Corporación Regional para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos - CREDHOS (Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights) have received further death threats.

Colombia: Send a message of solidarity to the Colombian human rights defender David Rabelo Crespo, detained one year ago todayposted on: 2011/09/13

On 14 September 2010, one year ago today, human rights defender David Rabelo Crespo was detained and is currently on trial for aggravated homicide, in a case about which many human rights organisations have expressed serious concern.

Please send David a message of solidarity today by clicking here – his case is so important, not only for himself, but for all human rights defenders in Colombia currently facing judicial processes.

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Colombia: UPDATE – Human rights defender Ariela Gelvis Quintero presents herself at the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia. posted on: 2011/08/12

On 29 July 2011 community leader and human rights defender Ms Ariela Gelvis Quintero presented herself before the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia in response to the publication of an Interpol list naming persons under investigation for alleged crimes including delinquency, rebellion, and terrorism.

Further Information

In a statement made prior to 'handing herself in' Ariela Gelvis Quintero declared “As you all know I have a warrant out against me, not only in Colombia, but in 187 other countries [Interpol's member countries]... This notice, for me, for my family, for my friends, for my colleagues and for everyone who knows me, is a vile lie, yet another injustice denigrating us by putting our names side by side with those of guerrilla groups, tainting our names, questioning our honour and furthermore putting at risk our physical integrity”. She is currently in detention in Arauca.

Read the original appeal

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Colombia: End the killings - End the impunityposted on: 2011/07/19

Since the inauguration of President Juan Manuel Santos on 7 August 2010 it has been reported that 107 human rights defenders have been killed, meaning that one person is killed every 3 days.

Further Information

Following his June 2009 visit the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston, noted that human rights defenders and victims' relatives are frequently intimidated and threatened and sometimes killed. Alston specifically cited stigmatisation of HRDs as guerrillas and terrorists by senior officials as a contributing factor.

Front Line is extremely concerned at the continued targeting of human rights defenders in Colombia. Front Line calls for an immediate end to the persecution of human rights defenders and for the Government of Colombia to guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Colombia are able to carry out their legitimate and peaceful human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

Colombia: UPDATE - Further death threats received by human rights defenders and members of Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes)posted on: 2011/06/14

Human rights defenders Juan David Díaz Chamorro, Ingrid Vergara Chavéz, Franklin Torres, Candelaria Barrios Acosta and Pedro Geney Arrieta received death threats in recent days as a result of their work in defence of human rights. All five human rights defenders are members of MOVICE in the Department of Sucre. Juan David Díaz Chamorro, Ingrid Vergara Chavéz and Franklin Torres are currently receiving protective measures from the Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos -CIDH (Inter- American Commission on Human Rights).

Further Information

On 10 June 2011 Ingrid Vergara, Franklin Torres, Candelaria Barrios Acosta and Pedro Geney Arrieta received an email containing death threats from " aguilas volando" (flying eagles). It warned the latter three human rights defenders: "Hacemos un ultimo llamado de advertencia: tienen un ultimo plazo para salir de la zona...desde este preciso momento hasta el dia martes deberan abandonar la zona o seran ejecutados' ( We are giving you a final warning: You have a last chance to get out of the area...From this moment until Tuesday you must leave the area or you will be executed).

Colombia: UPDATE Release of human rights defender Carolina Rubio Esguerra.posted on: 2010/11/22

Front Line welcomes news of the release of imprisoned human rights defender Ms Carolina Rubio Esguerra.

Further Information

Ms Esguerra, who is 8 months pregnant, was detained by members of the Seccional de Investigación Criminal - SIJIN (Criminal Investigation Unit) in Bucaramanga City, Colombia.

Ms Rubio Esguerra is head of the Santander branch of the Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos - FCSPP (Foundation Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners), an NGO set up as a group initiative involving various human rights organisations within Colombia, as well as the United States and Europe.

No further action is required at this point.

For additional background on this case please see Original Front Line Appeal on behalf of Ms Carolina Rubio Esguerra

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Colombia: Update – Threats against the family of detained human rights defender David Rabelo Crespo posted on: 2010/09/29

Front Line expresses its concern regarding recent threats against the family of Mr David Rabelo Crespo, a human rights defender who has been held in detention since his arrest on 14 September 2010.

Colombia: Six soldiers convicted of the killing of Sr Edwin Legarda husband of indigenous leader Aida Quilcuéposted on: 2010/06/17

The Observatory for the Protection of Human rights Defenders, a joint initiative of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), welcomes the announcement of the conviction of six soldiers for the assassination of Sr Edwin Legarda, husband of indigenous leader Sra Aida Quilcué.

Colombia: Release of human rights defender, Mr Andres Gilposted on: 2009/09/08

Front Line welcomes the release of human rights defender, Mr Andres Gil after almost 2 years of detention on 31 August 2009. Andres Gil is a leader and a member of the Executive Committee of the Cimitarra River Valley Peasant Farmer Association (ACVC), which works for farmer and peasant rights in the Magdelena Medio region of Colombia.

Colombia: Joint NGO statement to the United Nations Periodic Review re the situation of human rights defenders.posted on: 2009/03/20

Human Rights First, Front Line and the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders have issued a joint statement to the United Nations Periodic Review calling on the Government of Colombia to release all human rights defenders currently being held illegally in detention and to take immediate action to investigate threats against and attacks on human rights defenders.

Colombia - Attempted assassination of prominent human rights defender Jesús Emilio Tuberquiaposted on: 2008/11/06

Front Line is extremely concerned by reports of the attempted assassination of Jesús Emilio Tuberquia on 1 November 2008. Jesús Emilio Tuberquia is a leader and legal representative of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in the north-western department of Antioquia.

Colombia: Disappearance and presumed killing of human rights defender Armando Montañezposted on: 2008/02/06

Front Line is deeply concerned following reports of the disappearance and presumed killing of the human rights defender, Armando Montañez. Armando Montañez was a community leader and formerly a leader of the Asociación Nacional de Usuarios Campesinos (ANUC) and President of the Junta de Acción Comunal de la Vereda El Paraiso, in the district of Monterralo, in Aguazul, Casanare, Colombia.

Good News From Colombia: the peace community of San José de Apartadó will receive the Aachen Peace Prizeposted on: 2007/08/29

San José de Apartadó will receive the Aachen Peace Prize.

Members of the Peace Community San José de Apartadó have been repeatedly targeted in the past. A number of their community leaders and their families have been assassinated. Members of the Peace Community regularly receive death threats from paramilitary groups. The Peace community have reported that over 170 members of the Peace Community have been killed or disappeared since its establishment in 1997, reportedly at the hands of security forces, the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) and las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

Colombia: Human rights defender and community leader José Dionisio Lozano Torralvo assassinated on 12 August 2007posted on: 2007/08/17

Front Line is greatly saddened to learn of the assassination of José Dionisio Lozano Torralvo. He was Vice President of the Municipal Coordination of Social Organisations (Coordinación Municipal de Organizaciones Sociales) in San Ofofre, President of the Committee of Peasant Farm Workers (Comité de Usuarios Campesinos) in the region of Pajonal and leader of the National Movement for Victims of State Crimes (El Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado) for San Ofofre.

Human rights defender and community leader murdered in Colombiaposted on: 2007/05/17

Human rights defender, Francisco Puerta was assassinated reportedly by paramilitaries in front of the main transport terminal in Apartadó, Colombia on 14 May 2007.