Home

killings

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.

  • Read more
  • Share this

More killings in Ciudad Juarez

It is unbelieveable that the killings of human rights defenders and witnesses to their deaths go on in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. How do we campaign to get an end to them?

9 days ago, 17 year old Juan Ernesto Maciel, a key witness to the murder of the daughter of human rights defender Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, along with his father, Mr Manuel Dámaso Maciel García, and his aunt, Ms María Maciel Garcia, were killed at their home in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. Juan had been scheduled to appear in court as a witness in the days following his killing.

On the night of 15-16 March 2011, a group of at least six armed men reportedly broke into the home of Manuel Dámaso Maciel García, María Maciel García and Juan Ernesto Maciel and shot all three individuals dead with automatic weapons before fleeing the scene. Two younger children, aged one and three years, were spared.

Those responsible reportedly travelled to and from the scene in two aging automobiles.

Tags:
View all blogs

Guatemala: Open letter to Government re killings of human rights defenders and state of insecurityposted on: 2010/02/25

Human rights defenders and members of the international human rights community have sent a Joint Open Letter to the Guatemalan authorities demanding action on foot of killings of human rights defenders and protesting at the general climate of insecurity.

Philippines: Front Line Mission reports on the dangers to human rights defendersposted on: 2007/09/27

A Front Line delegation expressed grave concern about ongoing killings and enforced disappearances of human rights defenders in The Philippines at the end of a two week visit to the country. Front Line representatives met with human rights defenders in Manila, Central Luzon, Zambales, Mindanao and Cebu as well as with the army, the police, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Commission on Human Rights and the Ministry of Justice.

Front Line Palestine: Killings Harassment and Intimidation of Human Rights Defenders in the Occupied Palestinian Terrritory

Defending human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) is a complex and dangerous task. The historical, political and legal framework of operation is disputed, although certain key understandings and conclusions can be drawn. Human rights defenders face the challenging situation of operating to defend human rights violations resulting from the Israeli occupation as well as those committed by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Tags:

Meeting to discuss situation of human rights defenders in Colombia with Vice President Francisco Santos, March 2004posted on: 2004/06/28

Meeting to discuss situation of human rights defenders in Colombia with Vice President Francisco Santos

The Director of Front Line, Mary Lawlor, met with Vice President Francisco Santos, Tuesday 23rd March 2004, to raise the ongoing grave situation for human rights defenders in Colombia, including widespread death threats, assassination attempts, intimidation, harassment, “disappearances”, lawsuits, arbitrary detentions, torture and murder, as well as the gender specific risks faced by women human rights defenders in Colombian society. Vice President Santos has responsibility for human rights in the Colombian government.