Thursday April 2, 2009, 2:47 pm
Demand Release of Detained Colombian Activists, Victims of Baseless Prosecutions

"If they cannot assassinate you, they follow you, threaten you and prosecute you. They prosecute us for whatever matter."
- Francisco Ramirez, human rights lawyer and president of the Colombian Mine Workers' Union SINTRAMINERCOL

Malicious criminal investigations by prosecutors are endangering Colombian human rights defenders and undermining their work, according to a new report by Human Rights First.

The report, Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia: In the Dock and Under the Gun, details the cases of unfounded prosecutions against 32 activists. Colombian prosecutors accuse human rights defenders of membership in a guerrilla organization and rely heavily on false testimony from ex-guerrillas and inadmissible intelligence reports. Baseless prosecutions are attempts to silence and discredit human rights activists.

Cases are often eventually dropped, but by then the defenders have been left exposed to threats and violence by paramilitary groups. And some defendants, such as Martin Sandoval, Carmelo Agamez, Miguel Gonzalez, and Andres Gil, remain in detention today.

The Colombian government has set the tone for this pattern of unfounded prosecutions. For example, this month, the Colombian President and Defense Minister publicly claimed that renowned human rights investigator and journalist Hollman Morris was "[hiding] behind his journalism to become a permissive accomplice of terrorism." Shortly after these false claims, Morris received many death threats. The Attorney General stated that at the request of the government he would open a criminal investigation into Morris for alleged ties to terrorism.

Take action now to urge the Colombian Government to:

* release human rights defenders such as Sandoval, Agamez, Gonzalez, and Gil who are unjustly detained as a result of specious criminal investigations; and
* respond to this widespread problem by implementing the systemic reforms contained in Human Rights First's report, which seek to end the baseless prosecutions of human rights defenders.

Thursday April 2, 2009, 5:26 pm
Action taken and noted with thanks Tom.

The letters we send really do have an impact. They force decision makers to pay attention to human rights defenders and the essential rights they seek to protect.

Friday April 3, 2009, 6:25 pm

Name added!

Friday April 3, 2009, 6:30 pm
signed and noted, thanks Tom

Friday April 3, 2009, 7:20 pm
Signed, and I do hope that these letters and petitions make a difference.

Saturday April 4, 2009, 7:20 am
Noted and signed. And yes Kit these letters and petitoins DO make a difference. Last night I was on the phone with a fund raiser from NRDC and he assured me that it does. I also get many e-mails from other groups with updates on my actions. So KEEP on SIGNING y'all !!!! TY Tom.

Saturday April 4, 2009, 8:14 am
SIGNED.

Saturday April 4, 2009, 2:39 pm
Noted and signed with many thanks Tom.

Sunday April 5, 2009, 10:00 am
Noted and signed. Thank you Tom!

Sunday April 5, 2009, 10:18 am
Noted and signed, with thanks Tom!

Sunday April 5, 2009, 3:52 pm
Signed and sent!
Thanks, Tom!
noted.

Sunday April 5, 2009, 8:54 pm
Thank you Tom, signed "Thank you for choosing to make your voice heard"