Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

16 March 2011



Human rights defender Nancy Fiallo Araque has in the past few months received repeated telephone death threats and has been followed in Bogotá, Colombia. She and other human rights defenders have been following judicial proceedings involving politicians suspected of having illegal links with paramilitaries.

On 8 February, Nancy Fiallo was wearing a red jacket and received a call in which someone said: “Doctor Fiallo this red jacket suits you well, you are looking pretty, too bad the worms are going to have to eat it.”(Doctora Fiallo le queda muy bien esa chaqueta roja, se ve bonita, lástima que se la tenga que comer los gusanos). On 18 January a caller told her: “Doctor Fiallo, don’t come back to court, don’t show your face where it does not belong or we will have to kill you, you are warned” (Doctora Fiallo, no vuelva a la Corte, no meta su carita donde no la llaman, o nos toca matarla, ya está advertida). Nancy Fiallo has been receiving threatening calls like these since 11 October 2010.

In 2010, Nancy Fiallo Araque and other women of the Women’s Civil Society Assembly for Peace (Asamblea de Mujeres de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz) and the Women’s Collective for Peace and Against War (Colectivo de Mujeres por la Paz y Contra la Guerra) began to maintain a permanent presence as observers in court hearings in order to monitor developments in judicial proceedings involving dozens of former members of the Colombian Congress and other politicians implicated of having illegal links with paramilitary groups.

On several occasions she and another woman of the Women’s Collective for Peace and Against War have been followed to the court. Nancy Fiallo has also been followed from her home to the court. On several occasions they have confronted the men who were following them and asked them what they wanted and why they were following them; there was no response.

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Spanish or your own language:

• Expressing concern for the safety of Nancy Fiallo Araque and human rights defenders belonging to Women’s Civil Society Assembly for Peace and the Women Collective for Peace and Against War.
• Calling on the Colombian authorities to implement immediate and effective protection measures for Nancy Fiallo as agreed with her. Calling on the authorities to undertake full and impartial investigations into the death threats against her, to make the results public and bring all those responsible to justice.
• Reminding the Colombian authorities to fulfil their obligations regarding the protections of human rights defenders as specified in the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 26 APRIL 2011 TO:

President

Juan Manuel Santos

Señor Presidente Juan Manuel Santos

Presidente de la República, Palacio de Nariño, Carrera 8 No.7-26, Bogotá, Colombia

Fax: +57 1 596 0631

Salutation: Dear President Santos/

Excmo. Sr. Presidente Santos


Minister of Interior and Justice

Señor Germán Vargas Lleras

Ministerio Del Interior y De Justicia

Carrera 9a. No. 14-10, Bogotá

Colombia

Fax: +57 1 599 8961

Salutation: Dear Minister /Estimado Sr. Ministro



Minister of Foreign Affairs

Sra. Ángela María Holguín

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores

Calle 10 No 5-51, Palacio de San Carlos, Bogotá, Colombia

Fax: +57 1 381 4721

Salutation: Dear Minister/

Estimada Sra. Ministra


Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.


Additional Information

Nancy Fiallo and other observers at the court hearings are gathering information that demobilized paramilitaries, often high ranking commanders, are providing as witnesses in the trials of former members of congress and other politicians suspected of illegal links with paramilitaries, in what has been termed as the “parapolitics scandal”. Former governors, military and police commanders, as well as businessmen are also among those providing testimony. The human rights NGOs are using the information made available through these court hearings to assist their work on other human rights-related cases.

Human right defenders and those campaigning for justice in Colombia have been particularly vulnerable to threats and killings in recent years. Most of these attacks are attributed to paramilitary groups. Guerrilla groups have also targeted human rights defenders and other social activists deemed to be a threat to their interests.

Over the last few years, the Supreme Court of Justice has investigated dozens of members of Congress over their alleged illegal links to paramilitary groups. Many have been found guilty and sent to prison. Several of the Supreme Court magistrates involved in investigating the scandal have been threatened and receive physical protection measures ordered by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.


UA: 74/11 Index: AMR 23/005/2011 Issue Date: 16 March 2011