Member of CPDH held captive for 40 days

12.11.11

By CPDH
Translated by IPO

As of today, Luis Alfredo Fernández, a member of The Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CPDH) in Algeciras, Huila, has been unjustly held captive for 40 days.

Alfredo is a peasant farmer, a member of CPDH, a human rights activist, a survivor of the Patriotic Union (UP), a member of the National Agricultural Union Federation (FENSUAGRO), and as a prisoner since October 2nd he is also a victim of political persecution against his human rights activism.

Luis Alfredo Fernández lives in the municipality of Algeciras, in the village of Bella Vista. As the head of his family he lives with his four children and wife, as well as her oldest son, young daughter, and grandson. Their sustenance depends on his work in the fields.

Luis Alfredo is a model example of a peasant farmer, human rights activist, and community leader. He has tirelessly fought for human dignity, and has been a direct victim of the political, social, and armed conflict that continues in our country, systematically carried out by the government and the State Prosecutor through “mass arrests” and “show trials”, principally in rural areas and unfortunately ignored by the media.

On October 2, 2011, at 4:30 PM, Luis Alfredo was at the CPDH office in Algeciras, when the Police surrounded the entire block, preventing anyone from approaching, and soon arresting Luis Alfredo in the huge operation. Without any legal consultation he was transported to Bogotá.

On October 3, 4, and 5, the 23 Criminal Court held a series of hearings: one for his arrest, an arraignment where he was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Terrorism and Aiding Terrorism and Rebellion, which after a media spectacle was lowered to the sole charge of Rebellion, under which he is now being held in the Modelo jail in Bogotá

At this moment that jail is undergoing a sanitary crisis due to an outbreak of mumps and chicken pox. Moreover Luis Alfredo’s family lives in Algeciras, Meta, which is a considerable distance from where he is being held which makes any contact with them very difficult.

This judicial process has been led by the 14th State Prosecutor’s Office Against Terrorism, and is based on intelligence reports produced by the National Police that accuse many of CPDH’s leaders of being terrorists, including Abday Gallo (executive secretary of CPDH in Algeciras), Jaime Lizcano (Professor and member of CPDH’s national Board of Directors), and Diego Martinez (CPDH’s national executive secretary), among others.

The CPDH office in Algeciras is one of the principal rural Committees, and has without fear denounced the grave abuses committed against the civilian population by the state’s forces and the armed groups that operate in the region. Between the years of 2010 and 2011 the Committee also trained more than 1000 peasant farmers in Algeciras, Huila and Santa Ramos, Caqueta in human rights and international humanitarian law.

The Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights demands that the State’s Attorney abide by all due processes and that they immediately release Luis Alfredo Fernandez.

Given these grave accusations against members of CPHD, we hold the State’s Attorney and the Government responsible for any harm or aggression committed against member of any of the 14 local branches of CPDH.
The National Board of Directors
CPDH

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