The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has expressed its concern over impunity for violence by security forces in Colombia in the face of protests and the arbitrary detention of individuals who are then not granted provisional release.
The IACHR has presented a follow-up report on 28 of the 41 measures it recommended that Colombian authorities implement following its 2021 visit to Colombia, during the serious unrest during the national strike against the government of then-President Iván Duque. Of these, three have advanced partial compliance; 14, partial compliance and 11 still have no level of compliance.
Thus, it recognizes progress in the reform of the Police and the transformation of the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD), but highlights that despite the declared intention of the Government, these bodies continue to depend in practice on the Ministry of Defense.
The IACHR also expresses its concern that investigations into police abuse remain in a state of considerable impunity despite the opening of numerous files.
«The vast majority of open cases continue in the preliminary stages of investigation of the facts. Likewise, the IACHR notes that the State has not adopted measures to provide and coordinate comprehensive and timely reparation programs for the victims under the terms of the recommendations,» the report states.
They also expressed their concern over information received on the «persistence» of situations of violence during the demonstrations following the 2021 strike.
Regarding the Citizen Security Law, the IACHR warns that it can be used to «repress acts of protest and discourage citizen participation through punitive power» so they requested to prevent the «arbitrary application» of this law.
The IACHR also highlights the lack of progress in the approval of a statutory law to regulate and set limits to protest, as also ordered by the Colombian Supreme Court of Justice, and the recommendation of non-lethal weapons in the control of demonstrations.
The Pan American organization also asks to review the situation of the persons who were «arbitrarily detained» in the framework of the protests and to review the possibility of their conditional release during their judicial processes.
The text highlights that they have agreed with the new president, Gustavo Petro, to implement a follow-up and monitoring mechanism for compliance with these recommendations.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
