Date Issued: January 17, 2007

UPDATE: Colombian human rights defender Principe Gabriel Gonzalez Arango was released from prison after a Judge in Bucaramanga, Santander department, acquitted him of all charges. The Judge found that the rebellion charges against Mr. Gonzalez were baseless and relied on witness evidence and government reports which lacked impartiality and credibility.

Gabriel González, a renowned human rights activist, has been imprisoned in harsh conditions for over a year in Bucaramanga, in North Eastern Colombia. On January 4, 2006, Mr. Gonzalez was arrested and detained, falsely accused of rebellion and being a guerrilla Commander.

Throughout his career as a human rights defender, he has endured attacks and threats that seem calculated to deter him from performing his vital human rights advocacy.

Mr. Gonzalez has been held in pre-trial detention for over a year and the trial process is only now beginning. You can help by writing to the Colombian authorities ahead of a critical court hearing next week.

Please urge:

1. The Colombian Attorney-General to drop the unfounded charges against Mr. Gonzalez and free him immediately.
2. The judge in the case to ensure that Mr.. Gonzalez receives a fair trial.
3. The Colombian government to desist from instigating spurious legal proceedings against Colombian human rights defenders.

Background

Mr. Gonzalez is Regional Coordinator of the independent human rights organization the Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee (Fundacion Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (FCSPP)). On January 4, 2006, Mr.. Gonzalez was detained and briefly held in solitary confinement. Since then he has been imprisoned in Bucaramanga, Santander Department, falsely charged with the vague offense of rebellion.

Mr. Gonzalez and the FCSPP have endured a series of attacks and threats which appear calculated to deter them from performing their legitimate non-violent activities as human rights defenders. Both the FCSPP and Mr. Gonzalez have previously been awarded protective measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in recognition of their work as human rights defenders and the danger that they face.

The rebellion charges against Mr. Gonzalez are specious and rely on witness evidence that lacks credibility. Both of the witnesses in the case were allegedly former guerilla members and assert that Mr. Gonzalez was a guerrilla commander for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Yet one was unable to physically identify or even name Mr. Gonzalez before he was detained and the other has previously admitted to providing statements under duress from authorities.

The legal proceedings against Mr. Gonzalez appear politically motivated and form part of a broader practice of instigating specious legal proceedings against FCSPP leaders and other human rights defenders to intimidate them and obstruct their legitimate activities.

Letter to Secretary of State Rice expressing concern about this case

Sample Letter:

Spanish Version of this Letter
(PDF-18KB)

Doctor Mario Germán Iguarán Arana, 
Attorney-General
Diagonal 22-B # 52-01,
Bogotá
Fax: +57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00

Dr. Iguaran: 

I am writing to express my deep concern about the detention of Mr. Principe Gabriel Gonzalez Arango. Mr. Gonzalez is Regional Coordinator of the independent human rights organization, the Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee (Fundacion Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (FCSPP)).

I am alarmed that he has now been held in pretrial detention for over one year. Since January 4, 2006, Mr. Gonzalez has been detained in Bucaramanga, Santander Department, accused of rebellion and being a FARC guerrilla commander. I understand that Mr. Gonzalez and the FCSPP have endured a series of attacks and threats which appear calculated to deter them from performing their legitimate non-violent activities as human rights defenders.

In my opinion, the rebellion charges against Mr. Gonzalez are spurious and rely largely on witness evidence that lacks credibility. I understand that both of the witnesses in the case were allegedly former guerilla members and assert that Mr. Gonzalez was a FARC commander. Yet one was unable to physically identify or name Mr. Gonzalez before he was detained and the other has previously admitted to providing witness statements under duress from the authorities.

I am concerned that the legal proceedings against Mr. Gonzalez are politically motivated and form part of a broader practice of instigating specious legal proceedings against FCSPP leaders and other human rights defenders.

I call on you to:

1. Drop the charges against Mr. Gonzalez and release him from prison immediately.
2. Stop instigating spurious legal proceedings against members of the FCSPP and other Colombian human rights defenders.

In the event that the charges are not dropped, I call on the judge in the case to afford Mr. Gonzalez a fair trial and to evaluate the evidence objectively. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which Colombia has ratified, protects everyone’s right to a “fair and public hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal” (article 14). 

Thank you for your attention in this urgent matter.  I will continue to closely monitor this situation.

cc.

Fiscalia 21, Seccional de Bucaramanga
Cr. 19 No. 24-61
Barrio Alarcón
Bucaramanaga, Santander

Juzgado Octavo Penal del Circuito de Bucaramanga
Palacio de Justicia
Bucaramanaga, Santander
Colombia

Ambassador Carolina Barca
Embassy of Colombia in Washington

2118 Leroy Place, NW,
Washington, DC 20008

Fax: (202) 232 8643