Looking out for Human Rights Defenders: PBI Interview with Michel Forst, new Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders for the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
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Paris, 2 July, 2014. |
Operation Dragon: “A case of alarming and shameless impunity,” says lawyer Jorge Molano
UPDATE: On January 22, a court conviced three retired members of the military in connection with Operation Dragon. Learn more in our more recent article here.
In his 25 years as a human rights lawyer, Jorge Molano has represented victims in many emblematic cases such as the Palace of Justice where Coronel Luis Alfonso Plazas Vega was convicted after appeal for the crime of aggravated forced disappearance
Appeal with 2000+ signatures delivered to Colombian President
More than 2000 signatures have been sent to Colombian President Manuel Santos as part of an appeal requesting protection of a rally organized by Colombia’s National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE). The campaign was led by PBI partner Latin America Working Group. PBI USA requested supporters from across the US to send appeals to the president and appreciates the large number of responses. See letter and signatures at:
Mexico's military accused of Human Rights violations will be tried in civilian courts
PBI would like to congratulate the work done by Mexican human rights defenders and activists that fought and campaigned over decades to make this momentous decision possible.
Critical security situation for Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission and communities of the Curbaradó and Jiguamiandó
PBI again expresses its profound concern for the threats against and monitoring of members of the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission (CIJP). PBI accompanies the CIJP in the region of Urabá (in the Cacarica, Curbaradó and Jiguamiandó river basins), in Bogotá, and periodically in other areas of the country, since 1998.
UN Report on Women Rights Defenders released, PBI participates
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders (HRDs), Margaret Sekaggya, released <media 7291>the yearly report on HRDs</media>. She focuses on women HRDs. PBI played a large role in producing the report and is a member of the WHRD International Coalition that produced it.