Tactics and tools for the protection
of Human Rights Defenders

30 August 2011

Human rights defender Mr Principe Gabriel González Arango was arrested on 18 August 2011 in the city of Pamplona and is currently being held in the city’s prison. Principe Gabriel González Arango is a student activist and Regional Coordinator of the Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (Colombian Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee).

Further Information

In 2009 he was awarded the Human Rights First human rights award for his work exposing degrading treatment of Colombian political prisoners.

On 18 August 2011, at approximately 1040 am, Principe Gabriel González Arango left his home in Pamplona, together with his sister, when they were approached by two armed men in civilian clothing in Plazuela Bolívar, about 20 metres from a police Centro de Atención Inmediata – CAI (Immediate Attention Centre).

The men, who - when asked - identified themselves as members of the Seccional de Policía Judicial e Investigación - SIJIN (Criminal Investigation Unit), asked Principe Gabriel González Arango for his identification documents. The human rights defender informed them that he had left them in his home and offered to return to get them.

The men then reportedly informed him that they knew who he was and where he lived and told his sister that she should leave. A white 4x4 vehicle (registration plate FHM – 437 from Embigado) pulled up with 2 more heavily armed non-uniformed men inside. Principe Gabriel González Arango was ordered into the vehicle but refused stating that they could be paramilitaries.

When the men tried to force him into the vehicle his sister grabbed a hold of him and began to make a lot of noise to attract attention. As a result of people gathering and the arrival of the policeman on duty in the CAI, Principe Gabriel González Arango was brought to the CAI where one of the SIJIN agents kneed him twice in the stomach and handcuffed him. The agent also threatened his sister that she would be charged with obstruction of justice.

After half an hour a police patrol car arrived to take Principe Gabriel González Arango and his sister to the police station. The human rights defender requested to speak to a lawyer, and once given access he was informed that he had been arrested on the basis of an outstanding arrest warrant from the Eight Circuit Criminal Court of Bucaramanga.

In 2006 Principe Gabriel González Arango was arrested on politically motivated charges of rebellion and association with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Following a period of 15 months in detention awaiting trial, he was acquitted of all charges on the basis that they were entirely unfounded.

In March 2009 the Superior Tribunal of Bucaramanga overturned the acquittal following an appeal from the prosecution, and Principe Gabriel González Arango was sentenced to seven years imprisonment. In December 2010 the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal on the case despite evidence that the prosecution relied on false accusations from two witnesses, one of whom could not actually identify or even name Principe Gabriel González Arango, and the second of whom admitted to providing statements under duress from the prosecutors.

Principe Gabriel González Arango had been living in exile but had returned to Colombia to be with his mother who was ill and has since passed away.

Front Line is concerned for his physical and psychological integrity of Principe Gabriel González Arango whilst in detention and believes that he was charged and sentenced solely as a result of his work in defence of human rights in Colombia.

http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/n...