Latest News

HRF Advises UN Expert ahead of Colombia Visit

Ahead of the December 2009 visit to Colombia by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Human Rights First presented the expert with a briefing paper highlighting, in particular, the precarious situation of human rights lawyers.

Briefing paper

11/10/2009

Human Rights First Testifies Before Congressional Hearing on Colombia

At a hearing "Human Rights Defenders in the Crosshairs: The Ongoing Crisis in Colombia" before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Senior Associate Andrew Hudson, urged Congress to take decisive action to protect activists in Colombia.

Read Testimony

View CNN en Español clip

Read article in The Miami Herald

Read article in The Christian Science Monitor

10/20/2009

US Government Grants Visa for Colombian Activist

Human Rights First has chosen Colombian activist Gabriel Gonzalez as the 2009 recipient of its prestigious human rights award. After four months of delays the US government granted him a visa so he can receive the award on October 22.

Read Press Release in English | in Spanish

Read AP article (in Spanish)

Read article in El Tiempo (in Spanish)

10/15/2009

Six Month Anniversary of Colombia Report Reveals Real Gains

Six months ago Human Rights First launched a groundbreaking report, Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders: In the Dock and Under the Gun. The report was the first to document the widespread use of baseless prosecutions to stigmatize and silence Colombian human rights defenders. With your help, it has made a big impact.

Read more about the successes of this report

10/1/2009

UN Expert Voices Rights Concerns in Colombia

The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, concluded a visit to Colombia, expressing serious concerns about "patterns of harassment and persecution" of activists.

Read HRF Press Release on UN visit in English | in Spanish

Statement to Human Rights Council by Senior Associate Andrew Hudson

View Andrew Hudson's Statement to the Human Rights Council

9/21/2009

Colombia Government Recognizes Baseless Prosecutions of Defenders

For the first time the Colombian government has recognized the need for safeguards to protect Colombian defenders from trumped-up charges.

Read HRF letter to the Colombian Ambassador (Spanish)

9/15/2009

Launch of International Campaign for the Right to Defend Human Rights In Colombia

As the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders arrives in Colombia, Human Rights First launches a campaign with over 200 organizations from more than 20 nations to help protect Colombian human rights defenders.

Campaign Declaration

Campaign Recommendations

Campaign Website

9/9/2009

Support Appeal against Unjust Detention of Colombian Indigenous Activists

Tomorrow, July 22, 2009, two imprisoned indigenous rights activists will appeal their case before Colombian courts to have the baseless charges against them dropped. Arney Antonio Tapasco Reyes and Felix Antonio Hernandez Alcalde have long advocated for land and political rights for Colombia's indigenous communities, but they have been unjustly detained for almost eight months and convicted of baseless charges in a trial with serious procedural flaws.

Read HRF Petition in English | in Spanish

7/21/2009

Colombian Attorney General Orders Investigation of Prosecutor for Corruption

Attorney General recognizes harassment in emblematic case of a Colombian human rights defender prosecuted on trumped-up charges. Read HRF Press Release in English | in Spanish

Read HRF Letter Cited by Attorney General in Resolution (in Spanish)

Read LA Times Article About Colombian Defender Carmelo Agamez

7/14/2009

Release Arbitrarily Detained Colombian Activists

The Colombian Attorney General should reassign the prosecutors responsible for bringing trumped-up criminal charges against Colombian human rights defenders Carmelo Agamez and Winston Gallego.

Read HRF's letter about Gallego (in Spanish)

Read HRF's letter about Agamez (in Spanish)

7/1/2009

President Obama Should Stand Up for Human Rights in Colombia

On Monday, June 29, 2009, President Barack Obama met in Washington D.C. with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, their first official private meeting. Urge President Obama to stand up for human rights defenders in Colombia. Take action now to send President Obama an email with five key human rights messages for the meeting. Read Joint Press Release | In Spanish

Read Washington Post article about the meeting

Read Op-Ed by Senior Associate Andrew Hudson in the Boston Globe

6/29/2009

Colombian Community Leader Declared Innocent of Rebellion Charges

After 17 months of unjust detention, a judge declared Miguel Gonzalez Huepa innocent and released him from prison. Gonzalez is the co-founder of a rural land rights association in Colombia (ACVC) and had been the subject of a specious criminal investigation accusing him of links to the Colombia FARC guerrilla group.

Read HRF Press Release (Spanish)

Read HRF Report: In the Dock and Under the Gun: Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders in Colombia

6/11/2009

Test Case for Colombian Supreme Court to End Widespread Criminalization of Activism

A test case filed with the Colombian Supreme Court could mark a turning point in Colombia's efforts to end the criminalization of human rights defenders. Colombian activist Principe Gabriel Gonzalez Arango has sought to annul the trumped-up charges against him and end years of arbitrary detention and unjust persecution. Press Release in English| In Spanish

Read Semana article about Gonzalez Case

Read Huffington Post article about Gonzalez case

6/1/2009

Unjustly Detained Colombian Activist Freed from Jail

Human Rights First hails the release from jail on May 13, 2009, of renowned Colombian human rights defender Martin Sandoval after six months of unjust detention. His release confirms that the criminal investigation against him was baseless and should never have been initiated. Press Release | In Spanish

Human Rights First's letter urging Sandoval's release

Listen to Andrew Hudson's radio interview about the case (in Spanish)

5/14/2009

Stop Attacks on Colombian Human Rights Defenders

Two incidents in recent weeks show the range of threats Colombian human rights defenders face across the country, from trumped-up evidence to outright acts of violence. Take action now to demand that the Colombian government promptly investigates both the assault on Mauricio Meza Blanco and a leaked military intelligence report that labels activists as terrorists.

Watch Video

Listen to Radio Interview about the Cases (Spanish)

HRF Petition in English | In Spanish 5/12/2009

Congressional Hearing and Expert Panel Address Baseless Prosecutions of Colombian Activists

Following the launch of HRF's new report documenting baseless prosecutions of Colombian human rights defenders, on March 25, Senior Associate Andrew Hudson testified about this problem before a U.S. Congressional hearing held by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and Chaired by Rep. James McGovern. Human Rights First and the American University Washington College of Law also hosted a panel discussion on the new HRF report In the Dock and Under the Gun: Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders.

Watch Video of Panel Event

Los Angeles Times Article on Report and Hearing

Associated Press Article on Hearing (En Español)

Read HRF's report

3/31/2009

Colombia Must Stop Baseless Prosecutions of Human Rights Defenders

Three new prosecutions demonstrate the continuing use of the courts to harass human rights activists. Human Rights First raised the three cases and others in a statement before the UN Human Rights Council, and, in a press release, urged the Colombian authorities to swiftly review the prosecutions.

Press Release (en espanol)

Video of Statement to Human Rights Council

Text of Statement to Human Rights Council

See petition in English | In Spanish 3/20/2009

Joint Press Release: US Award to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Sends Wrong Message

Colombia's human rights violations should bar its president from receiving award. English | Español 1/12/2009

Colombian Army Killed Husband of Human Rights Defender

NGO letter urges prompt, independent investigation. English | Español 12/18/2008

Joint Letter Condemning Intercepts of Emails of Defenders

Colombian government agencies monitored more than 150 email accounts of human rights defenders, trade union leaders, labor organizations, academics and journalists. 12/18/2008