Human rights defenders in Colombia are subjected to threats, intimidation, forced disappearances, physical assaults, torture, killings, illegal searches on their homes and offices and stigmatisation as a result of their activies in defence of human rights. The perpetrators of these human rights violations are frequently armed opposition groups or paramilitary groups who claim to support the current government. Human rights defenders are often stigmatised as guerrillas or guerrilla supporters or are denoted as communists in order to discredit their legitimate and peaceful work. There is a reported trend of an increase in the number of threats received by email and that there is a growing tendency to confiscate or steal computer hard drives from the offices of human rights organisations.

The report of the UN SRSG demonstrates that groups of human rights defenders who are most targeted are “trade unionists, ethnic minorities, internally displaced persons, women, social and peasant organisations, teachers, university lecturers, students, health workers, Church representatives and sexual minorities” . Journalists who report on human rights abuses have also been subject to intimidation and attacks. Another key concern for Colombian human rights defenders is the Justice and Peace Law enacted in December 2005, to which they are strongly opposed as it has exacerbated the existing climate of impunity in the country and has allowed perpetrators of human rights violations to continue unimpeded. Ms. Hina Jilani, the UN SRSG on the situation of human rights defenders, carried out an official country visit to Colombia from 23 – 31 October 2001 and in 2004 she carried out a follow up country visit.