Peace Brigades International is very concerned about recent security incidents affecting human rights defenders accompanied by PBI in Colombia. PBI is working closely with all four to monitor the situation, and provide a protective accompaniment presence, as well as advocacy and psychosocial supports to help mitigate the risks. Your support is needed to ensure their safety and well-being. See the Amnesty International Urgent Actions below for Berenice and Andrea for more ways to take action.

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Forensic Anthropologist and Human Rights Defender Berenice Celeita

Berenice Celeita is a human rights defender and forensic anthropologist who founded the Association for Investigation and Social Action (NOMADESC) and was the winner of the 1998 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award. PBI has accompanied Berenice since 1999 and NOMADESC since 2011.  Nomadesc is a Colombian human rights organization that advises and accompanies social organizations and unions as well as civic, women’s, indigenous, afro-descendent, and peasant farmer organizations.

Amnesty International USA has issued an urgent alert and recommendations relating to new surveillance of Berenice that occurred immediately upon her return to Colombia following a recent advocacy tour to the United States and Canada organized by PBI. On her first night home on June 20^th, Berenice discovered that a white SUV had been parked since 10pm outside the house where she stays when in Bogota. She could see from her window that the SUV was occupied by two men who were taking pictures of the house. Berenice took several photos and a video of the car, and then called the local police station to report the suspicious vehicle, which by that time was around 12:30am. Immediately after, the car left the area.

During the advocacy tour, Berenice spoke to government and legislative officials and the wider public about civil society perspectives on the country’s peace talks, and concerns about continued human rights violations and violence against Afro-Colombian and indigenous communities, human rights impacts of free trade agreements, and extremely high levels of impunity for human rights violations. One of the emblematic cases of impunity for human rights violations that Berenice described was that of Operation Dragon, which was an alleged assassination plot uncovered in 2004 that sought to kill her and a number of other human and labor rights activists in the city of Cali. Implicated in the plot are three members of the Colombian army, who are currently on trial for their role in the crime.

Human Rights Defender and Attorney Andrea Torres Bautista

Andrea Torres Bautista is a human rights attorney and legal coordinator for Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation, which represents relatives of victims of enforced disappearances and herself the relative of a victim of enforced disappearance. PBI has accompanied the Foundation and the Foundation’s founder before she went into exile, Yaneth Bautista, who is also Andrea’s mother, since the mid-1990s.

Amnesty International has issued an urgent alert and recommendations relating to threats of sexual violence and death that Andrea has recently received. According to the alert, Andrea received a call on June 24^th from an unknown man who told her “[…] didn’t you understand that you should stop bothering us, we are going to kill you, but first we will rape you so that you respect men.” In addition, the alert draws attention to an incident that occurred a few days prior to the phone call in which the son of a victim of enforced disappearance, who is being represented by Andrea, was stabbed with a knife. Andrea also received phone death threats in April of this year, and in May, a witness in another disappearance case of Andrea’s was attacked.

Journalist and Human Rights Defender Claudia Julieta Duque

Claudia Julieta Duque, accompanied by PBI since 2010, is an investigative journalist, radio correspondent and dedicated human rights advocate who has been the victim of harassment, threats and surveillance, including being illegally monitored by the former state intelligence agency, the Depart. of Admin. Security (DAS).  This summer, the trial against José Miguel Narváez, Giancarlo Auqué Silvestri, and Enrique Ariza Rivas for the psychological torture of Claudia, her young daughter, and other members of her family, had been set to begin on June 24^th; however, the hearing was postponed when the prison agency, Inpec, failed to bring Mr. Narváez to the court building, resulting in the hearing’s postponement until July 6^th.

In the weeks leading up to the trial date, Claudia has experienced acts of intimidation, surveillance and harassment. Claudia and her colleagues have documented and denounced a series of recent security concerns, including an encounter between Claudia and suspicious individuals on Tuesday June 16. On that day, Claudia was on her way to the Specialized Criminal Court of Bogota where the trial is taking place, in the bullet-proof SUV provided by the UNP (National Protection Unit), when the vehicle was surrounded by a motorcycle and a taxi. Claudia and her colleagues report that the incident could have resulted in a direct attack if not for the fact that the driver of the motorcycle fled when he realized that Claudia was accompanied by members of PBI.

Human Rights Defender and Attorney Jorge Molano and other lawyers and victims of extrajudicial killings in Colombia

On June 23^rd Human Rights Watch released a report on impunity for high-level officials in extrajudicial execution cases that contributes important information to the search for justice in those cases. PBI is very concerned about the security of the lawyers who represent the victims’ interests and calls on the international community to join us in closely monitoring these cases.

One case of particular concern involves Jorge Molano, whom PBI accompanies, and his legal partner Germán Romero, who represent the victims’ interests in a case highlighted in the HRW report involving the murder of 2 civilians, and the attempted murder of another, in February 2008 in Manizales (Caldas), by members of the 57^th Mobile Battalion of the 8^th Brigade. So far, a lieutenant, corporal, and three soldiers have been convicted in the case. As the report describes, Generals Emiro Jose Barrios and Jorge Enrique Navarrete Jadeth are also implicated in the case, and the 53^rd Prosecutor of the Human Rights Unit has an investigation open into General Barrios’ alleged role. Attorneys Jorge Molano and Germán Romero as well as a mother of one of the victims, Alfamir Castillo, who has also served as a witness in the case, have received death threats and suffered other security incidents since the case was opened. With the renewed attention on impunity for extrajudicial executiion, PBI is concerned about the potential risks to lawyers and victims of these cases. PBI asks that the international community monitor these emblematic cases closely.

These defenders are counting on us to have their back. Will you stand with us?