Colombia Hearing

Eminent Jurists End Visit to Colombia

11 February 2006

 

From 8-11 February 2006,the “Eminent Jurists Panel on Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and Human Rights” held a hearing on counter-terrorism and human rights in Colombia. Justice E. Raúl Zaffaroni (Argentina), Professor Robert K. Goldman (United States) and Professor Stefan Trechsel (Switzerland), represented the Panel.

The hearing was the first in a series of hearings to be held in all regions of the world over the period of 18 months as part of the Panel’s global inquiry into the impact of counter-terrorism on human rights and the rule of law.

During a two-day hearing held at the Santo Tomás University in Bogotá, the Panel received many testimonies on the impact of terrorist acts and counter-terrorism measures over the past fifty years in Colombia, including the impact of measures adopted under the democratic security policy in the last three years. Lawyers, prosecutors, human rights defenders, journalists, trade unionists, internally displaced people and representatives of Afro-descent and indigenous communities intervened at the hearing. The Panel also received submissions on the Government’s justification for the adoption of the measures.

For further information, please see below the summary of the hearing and the press release issued on 11 February 2006.

Press Release of 11 February 2006

EJP Colombia Hearing Summary