Released prisoners
Thanks to yours and others' action many activists have been released from prison including Rosalba Gaviria Toro. Rosalba was absolved of all charges and then released from prison and visited us in Ireland from December 4th - 6th 2011. Read more about that visit here.
Responding to reports of Rosalba Toro's recent visit (December 2011) to Ireland, the Colombian Ambassador claimed that "The government of Colombia is wholeheartedly committed to the protection, promotion and defence of the human and labour rights of every Colombian", more here Read President of JFC Jack O'Connors response here
Rosalba was among hundreds of political prisoners currently languishing in Colombia's jails. They include numerous trade unionists, student activists, community and indigenous leaders and human rights defenders - all imprisoned for their opposition to Colombian government policies. Their fight for fundamental human, social and economic rights have led them to be jailed - many without charge, held for years without trial. Leaders of civil society organisations and community groups are particularly targeted by the Colombian authorities as a tactic to weaken or destroy such organisations.
Rosalba Gaviria Toro with the JFC campaign leaflet The Irish Branch of Justice For Colombia has since November 2010 engaged in a campaign to free the political prisoners Jose Samuel Rochas and Rosalba Gaviria Toro.
Jose Samuel Rochas was detained on 10th September 2010 on charges of "rebellion". Mr. Rojas is a senior member of the Bajo Ariari Human Rights Committee. He was accused of giving classes in human rights and humanitarian law to Community Action.
Rosalba Gaviria Toro was detained on 9th March 2009 and was until recently, without being convicted of any crime, in the Villa Cristina jail in the city of Armenia. Rosalba has been an active trade unionist and human rights activist for many years, however, the
Colombian authorities have described her as a 'terrorist'. It goes against all legal norms for the Government to make such accusations before any judicial process, and has utterly undermined her right to a fair legal process.
Several affiliated unions and hundreds of trade union members have written letters urging these two political prisoners immediate release. The General Secretary of ICTU David Begg also wrote a letter to the Attorney General in Colombia just before a second trial against Samuel Rochas in February. The good news is that on the 15th of February, human rights defender Samuel Rojas was absolved of the charges against him. He has been released after more than five months in prison. The human rights organisations in Colombia said that his freedom is in a large part due to the pressure from the campaign.
On 1st Marcy 2012, Liliany Obando, Colombian trade unionist, academic and human rights defender, was freed after being detained for more than 3 years and 6 months in Buen Pastor Prison, Bogota. A crowd of Colombian and international supporters, including members of a JFC delegation, awaited her at the prison gates.
Liliany had been held in "preventative detention" since 8th August 2008 falsely accused of "rebellion" on the basis of evidence ruled inadmissible in a separate case. Her legal process suffered severe delays incurred by the authorities and the Colombian legal period for pre-trial detention expired in April last year. Ms. Obando's legal team repeatedly filed for her release on this basis, and on 29th February 2012, the Superior Tribunal of Bogota finally upheld their appeal.
Despite her release, the spurious legal case against Ms. Obando continues. Her security situation also remains of utmost concern, as she continues to be branded a terrorist. In particular, an El Tiempo newspaper article on 1st March describes her as "Liliany Obando of the FARC", an allegation which puts her life in grave danger.
Frances O'Grady, Deputy General Secretary of the TUC, who was present at Liliany's release, said "this is a step towards ending one injustice of so many against trade unionists in Colombia. The charges against Ms. Obando must be dropped and she must now be provided with due protection". In meetings with the Colombian government and the UK Embassy in Colombia the JFC delegation requested that she be provided with urgent protection measures.
Responding to reports of Rosalba Toro's recent visit (December 2011) to Ireland, the Colombian Ambassador claimed that "The government of Colombia is wholeheartedly committed to the protection, promotion and defence of the human and labour rights of every Colombian", more here Read President of JFC Jack O'Connors response here
David Begg, General Secretary ICTU, recently wrote to the Colombian Ambassador, He Mauricio Rodríguez Múnera, on Lillany's behalf seeking her urgent protection due to the dangerous accusations generated by the false judicial case against her. Read the letter in full.
Act Now - click here sign the e-mail letter and send!