back to homepage

Cet appel sera publié dans la section française de note site web dans quelques jours: www.frontlinedefenders.org/fr Este llamamiento será publicado en breve en la versión española de nuestra página web: www.frontlinedefenders.org/es Данное сообщение сейчас переводится и появится на русскоязычной версии сайта через несколько дней www.frontlinedefenders.org/ru سيتمترجمةهذهالمناشدةوستظهرفيالقسمالعربيمنموقعناالالكتر www.frontlinedefenders.org/ar

17 November 2010

Colombia – Human rights defender Carolina Rubio Esguerra detained by Colombian Criminal Investigation Unit

On 16 November 2010, human rights defender Ms Carolina Rubio Esguerra was detained by members of the Seccional de Investigación Criminal - SIJIN (Criminal Investigation Unit) in Bucaramanga City, Colombia, and is currently being held at the SIJIN Headquarters. Carolina Rubio Esguerra is in her ninth month of pregnancy. Ms Rubio Esguera is head of the Santander branch of the Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos - FCSPP (Foundation Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners), an NGO set up as a group initiative involving various human rights organisations within Colombia, as well as the United States and Europe. She also represented Colombia in a recent assembly held by the International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia (OIDHACO), and is the facilitator of the Santander branch of the Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (National Movement of Victims of State Crimes).

Following her detention on 16 November, the SIJIN announced that they were going to hold Ms Rubio Esguerra overnight at their headquarters in Bucaramanga while awaiting further legal advice pertaining to the legality of her detention and the possibility of conducting an investigation. Carolina Rubio Esguerra was summoned to appear before the district attorney Luz Daris Navas, accused of crimes of rebellion. At present the full nature of the accusations remain unknown.

The detention of Carolina Rubio Esguerra forms part of an on-going campaign of arrests and intimidation against human rights defenders in Colombia, since President Juan Manual Santos took office over three months ago.

Front Line is concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Carolina Rubio Esguerra, particularly taking in to account that she is nine months pregnant. Front Line is worried about the current situation for human rights defenders in Colombia, who in recent months have become the target of harassment, intimidation, and arrests.

Front Line urges the Colombian authorities to:

1. Immediately and unconditionally release human rights defender Carolina Rubio Esguerra as Front Line believes she is being detained solely as a result of her legitimate work in the defence of human rights;

2. Conduct a thorough, impartial, and credible investigation into the detention of Carolina Rubio Esguerra with a view to publishing the findings and bringing those responsible to account before a court of law in line with international legal standards;

3. Guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Carolina Rubio Esguerra, and ensure that she has immediate access to medical attention as required, as well as ensuring that adequate and effective security measures are provided to protect human rights defenders at risk in Colombia;

4. Ensure that all human rights defenders in Colombia, carrying out their legitimate work in

          the defence of human rights, are able to operate free of restrictions and reprisals.