In Colombia, being a human rights defender is a dangerous, often deadly job. Last month, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, visited Colombia and voiced serious concerns about “patterns of harassment and persecution” against Colombian human rights activists. She found that activists were subject to the full spectrum of human rights violations including killings, torture, threats and unfounded criminal proceedings and were targeted “because of their legitimate work in upholding human rights and fundamental freedoms.” During Tuesday’s hearing, Sekaggya will share her findings with Congress.

Earlier this year, it was revealed that Colombia’s national intelligence agency has been spying on and engaging in illegal surveillance of Colombia’s major human rights groups, journalists, and even Supreme Court judges. The agency is alleged to have collaborated with paramilitaries to threaten and bring baseless prosecutions against human rights defenders with the purported aim to “neutralize and restrict” their work. One of the main organizations targeted by this illegal operation was the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyer’s Collective (CAJAR). President of the Collective, Reynaldo Villalba Vargas, will testify at the hearing about this persecution.

Principe Gabriel Gonzalez Arango, a regional coordinator of the Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee in Colombia, will also speak about his arrest and detention on the false charge of being a guerilla leader. In 2007, the State Department included Gonzalez in its human rights country report citing his baseless prosecution as being emblematic of “the government’s attempts to harass human rights defenders.” Gonzalez is the 2009 recipient of Human Rights First’s annual human rights award.

The International Campaign for the Right to Defend Human Rights, a movement supported by 224 organizations from 24 nations, urges the Colombian government to end: (1) impunity for violations against defenders; (2) the misuse of state intelligence; (3) systematic stigmatization; (4) unfounded criminal proceedings; and to (5) improve the government protection program.

To organize interviews with any of the participants please contact
• Kelly Nicholls, U.S. Office on Colombia 202 460 4028.
• Andrew Hudson, Human Rights First, 917 497 9264

WHAT: Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) Hearing on
Colombian Human Rights Defenders

WHO: Margaret Sekaggya, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders
 Reynaldo Villalba Vargas, President of the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyer’s Collective
 Principe Gabriel Gonzalez, Coordinator, Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee
 Kelly Nicholls, Executive Director, U.S. Office on Colombia
 Andrew Hudson, Manager, Human Rights Defenders Program, Human Rights First

WHEN: Tuesday, October 20, 2009 at 2 p.m.
WHERE: 2261 Rayburn House Office Building, Independence Avenue and South Capitol Street, Washington, DC
CONTACT: Hans Hogrefe (202-225-5021) or Elizabeth Hoffman (202-225-5136)