International organisations are seriously concerned about allegations of illegal surveillance allegedly perpetrated by the Colombian state, on at least 130 individuals including lawyers of the José Alvear Restrepo Collective (Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo – CCAJAR), lawyers of the Inter-church Commission of Justice and Peace (Comisión Intereclesial Justicia y Paz – CIJP); and other human rights defenders such as Luz Marina Cuchumbé and Jani Silva.
According to reports published in the Semana magazine, this was part of a mass surveillance scheme carried out between February and December 2019, by the Colombian National Army.
The following international organisations have sent a letter of concern to Colombia’s President, Iván Duque and Colombia’s General Attorney, Francisco Barbosa:
- Colombian Caravana
- ABColombia (Advocacy Group of British and Irish Agencies with Programmes in Colombia: Oxfam, Christian Aid, Sciaf, CAFOD and Trócaire)
- London Mining Network
- Colombia Solidarity Campaign
- UIA-IROL (The Institute for the Rule of Law of the International Association of Lawyers)
- Lawyers for Lawyers
- Kolumbien Plattform Schweiz (Platform Colombia Switzerland, 17 Swiss organisations working on Colombia)
- Lawyers Rights Watch Canada
- Fundación de la Abogacía Española (Spanish Bar Foundation)
- Sol De Paz Pachacuti
- Kolko – Menschenrechte für Kolumbien (Kolko – Human Rights for Colombia)