Return of Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas, Secretary General of FIDH FIDH calls upon the Colombian authorities to ensure his protection
| Publisher | International Federation for Human Rights |
| Publication Date | 21 July 2010 |
| Cite as | International Federation for Human Rights, Return of Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas, Secretary General of FIDH FIDH calls upon the Colombian authorities to ensure his protection, 21 July 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4c56accbc.html [accessed 2 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Mr. Alvaro Uribe Vélez, President of the Colombian Republic
Mr. Juan Manuel Santos, President Elect of the Colombian Republic
Mr. Fabio Valencia Cossio, Home Affairs Minister of the Colombian Republic
Mr. Mario Germán Iguarán Arana, Attorney General of the Colombian Republic
Mr. Jaime Alberto Arrubla Paucar, President of the Supreme Court of the Colombian Republic
Excellencies,
After many years in exile, the Secretary General of FIDH has decided to return to Colombia at the end of July in order to resume his work with the Colectivo de Abogados 'José Alvear Restrepo' (CCAJAR), an FIDH member organisation in Colombia. This return will enable him to focus his attention on the case of the DAS as a civil party both individually, as a victim, and in representation of FIDH in the proceedings that are brought against government officials appointed to the DAS by President Uribe, for the persecution of human rights defenders, Constitutional Court judges, Supreme Court judges, journalists and members of the opposition, as well as international NGO (see FIDH report on the illegal activities of the DAS, May 2010).
Mr. Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas fled to Belgium in April 2002 as a result of the serious threats he received in Colombia. Due to the ongoing campaign of threats against him, it then became necessary to bring other family members out of the country.
We therefore urge you, in accordance with your regional and international human rights obligations, particularly in accordance with the Organization of American States' Convention on Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Declaration of 1998 on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, groups and institutions to promote and protect human rights and universally recognized fundamental freedoms, as well as the guidelines of the OAS on human rights defenders (AG/Res 2280) that protect human rights defenders and ensure their safety, to ensure the protection of life and personal integrity both physically and psychologically of Mr. Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas on his arrival in Colombia and throughout his stay in the country.
On July 9, 2010, the CCAJAR has requested individual – for Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas – and collective – for the CCAJAR – protective measures from the Ministry of Home Affairs and Justice under the human rights protection program. Part of this request has already been positively answered. FIDH calls upon the Colombian government to accede to the other protective measures requested without delay.
Finally, it has been verified that the DAS continues to collect information against various persons, including Luis Guillermo Pérez Casas and his family: following a formal request made by FIDH through the CCAJAR on May 13, 2010, the DAS acknowledged before the Attorney General's Office to the Supreme Court that the DAS has information against the Secretary General of FIDH. FIDH calls upon the authorities to halt the espionage against Mr. Perez, and hand over all documents containing information collected by the different state intelligence agencies about him and his family.
FIDH insists that the different authorities of the Colombian State must fully respect the activities of human rights defenders, and recognize their work as essential in a democracy to contribute to the respect of fundamental rights and to overcome impunity. FIDH places full responsibility upon the highest authorities of the Colombian state for the security and physical integrity of our Secretary General.
Thanking you for your attention, I remain,
Yours respectfully,
Souhayr Belhassen
With copy to:
Mr Santiago Cantón, Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States
Mr. Christian Salazar Volkmann, Representative of the United Nations High Commissionner for Human Rights in Colombia
Mr. Fernando Cardesa García, Ambassador – Head of the European Commission Delegation to Colombia and Ecuador and MM. Ambassadors of the European Union member States to Colombia
Mr. William R. Brownfield, United States Ambassador to Colombia
Mr. Valdemar Carneiro Leão, Brasil Ambassador to Colombia
Mr. Martín Antonio Blaza, Argentina Ambassador to Colombia
