Sr. Presidente
Sr. Juan Manuel Santos
President of Colombia
Sr. Fiscal
Sr. Eduardo Montealegre
Attorney General of Colombia
Dear Sirs:
We are writing to express our deep concern for the safety of journalist and human rights defender Claudia Julieta Duque and her daughter. Claudia Julieta Duque, an award-winning investigative journalist, works as a correspondent for Radio Nizkor.
Because she and her daughter have, for many years, faced serious threats related to her work (cf our letter of July 25 2015), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has granted precautionary measures (MC 339-09) which are supposed to be implemented by the Colombian Government’s National Protection Unit in consultation with Claudia Julieta. In September 2015, Claudia Julieta Duque agreed with the relevant authorities that (1) her address would remain strictly confidential and be revealed only to officers who needed it to monitor her residence (2) the officers in question would be introduced to her prior to beginning any assignment (3) the officers would not take any photos or record any video of either her residence or her address.
On the morning of September 20, Claudia Julieta Duque saw a police truck, a police motorcycle and five police officers outside her residence taking pictures and filming the front of the building, the entrance, the reception area and the mailboxes inside. They had also photographed the building's guest book. When Claudia Julieta Duque asked the officers about their motivations for being there, she was shocked when they informed her that they were implementing the precautionary measures. She had not been previously notified of this intention as required by the protocol agreements. This was one of several occasions this year in which she has complained that those protocols were not being followed.
During July and August, Claudia Julieta Duque was followed and watched by unknown men and one woman. One of those times she was with members of the visiting Caravan of Jurists. She has pictures and plate numbers of the motorcycles and persons involved in the surveillance. In August, the Colombian Federation of Journalists (Fecolper) met with the Human Rights Chief of the Police in Bogotá, Colonel Sandra Mora, who agreed to contact Claudia Julieta Duque to reactivate the agreed precautionary measures and that this would be preceded by a meeting with her in which the National Police Human Rights Director would be present. This meeting has never taken place.
We are deeply concerned that the precautionary measures granted to Claudia Julieta Duque and her daughter have not been properly implemented. The unilateral actions of the police have led to a breach of their privacy, heightening their sense of insecurity and potentially exposing them to further harm. Therefore we strong urge that you
- immediately cease all forms of surveillance or harassment against Claudia Julieta Duque and her daughter;
- carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the irregularities pertaining to the police presence at the residence of Claudia Julieta Duque on September 20 and provide the results to her and her daughter;
- take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of Claudia Julieta Duque and her daughter.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai and Christine Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-coordinators
