José Humberto Torres Díaz, a lawyer in the northern city of  Barranquilla, department of Atlántico, has defended the rights of others for nearly 30 years. Working with the Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee (Fundacion Comite de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos (FCSPP)). He represents many human rights defenders who are subject to specious criminal investigations .

On November 15 2007, the ex-paramilitary commander Edgar Ignacio Fierro Florez (alias "Don Antonio") admitted to the 3rd Justice and Peace Prosecutor in Barranquilla that in 2004 he ordered the assassination of Torres. In the order, he identified Torres as a "legitimate military target" for supposedly being involved with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Torres has no links to the FARC - his human rights advocacy has been recognized by the Colombian Interior and Justice Ministry and the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights. Don Antonio stated that they had been unable to kill Torres because Torres traveled considerably.

Don Antonio admitted that the order to assassinate Torres remains in force. Disturbingly, one of the paramilitary members tasked with carrying it out, "El Zarco" (alias), has not demobilized. On the contrary, El Zarco reputedly remains one of the leaders of the paramilitary successor group the "Black Eagles," which continue to threaten human rights defenders.

In 2004 a Regional Military Intelligence unit (RIME) requested that the local prosecutor charge José Humberto Torres Díaz  with rebellion and other offences. José Humberto Torres Díaz was cleared on 5 August 2005 of  accusations apparently leveled against him in a military intelligence document  which had come to the attention of the FCSPP. He was subsequently forced to  leave the country for several months as a result of concerns for his safety.

•  More about the paramilitary order to kill Torres at Humanrightsfirst website.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

José Humberto Torres Díaz has played an active part in denouncing the role  allegedly played by the paramilitary leader in the death of human rights  defender Alfredo Correa de Andréis on 17 September 2004. José Humberto Torres  Díaz claimed that according to criminal investigation documents, the  paramilitary leader had counted on the support of the police and other security  forces in carrying out the killing of the human rights defender. Alfredo Correa  de Andréis had been detained by the Civilian Intelligence Service (Departamento  Administrativo de Seguridad, DAS), on 17 June 2004 and released a month later.

In April 2006 a former senior ranking official of the DAS reported that the DAS  had provided a "death list" to paramilitaries operating in the department of  Atlántico. Alfredo Correa de Andréis’s name was reportedly on this death list.

In the past, those accused by the security forces or their paramilitary allies of being members of guerrilla groups have frequently been the target of serious human rights violations committed by the same forces. The document with the name of José Humberto Torres Diaz also reportedly contained a list of names of people who have now been killed because of their alleged links with insurgent groups.

RECOMMENDED ACTION : Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible, in Spanish or your own language :

• expressing continuous concern for safety of José Humberto Torres Diaz and his family, following reports that his name has appeared on documents held by army-backed paramilitaries and that he is being kept under surveillance by individuals believed to be members of the National Police Intelligence Services (Servicio de Inteligencia de la Policia Nacional, SIPOL) ;
• calling on the authorities to take effective action to protect José Humberto Torres Diaz and other members of the Committee of Solidarity with Political Prisoners (Fundacion Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos, FCSPP), as deemed appropriate by those under threat themselves, thus allowing them to continue their legitimate and important work in the defense of human rights in safety ;
• calling for a full and impartial investigation into links between the security forces and paramilitary groups, and asking that the results of the investigation are made public and those found responsible for supporting and participating in such groups are brought to justice ;
• urging the authorities to take immediate action to dismantle paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments and recommendations made by the UN and other intergovernmental organizations ;
• calling on the authorities to elaborate policy and plans, in conjunction with human rights defenders, regarding the implementation of the principles of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, and to make these plans public.

APPEALS TO :

• E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez,

Presidente de la República,

Carrera 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariño,

Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.566.20.71 

E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

• Sr. Francisco Santos,

Vicepresidente de la República,

Téls.: +571334.45.07, +573.7720130,

E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

 buzon1@presidencia.gov.co

• Doctor Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana, 

Fiscal General de la Nación,

Diagonal 22-B # 52-01,

Bogotá.

Fax: +57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00 Extensión 1113, E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co

denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co

• Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación, Cra. 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49 Fax: +57.1.342.97.23;

E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co, E-mail: quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co ; cap@procuraduria.gov.co ; reygon@procuraduria.gov.co ; anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co

• Dr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Ministro de la Defensa, Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.222.18.74;

E-mail: siden@mindefensa.gov.co

 infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co 

mdn@cable.net.co

•  
• Dr. Carlos Franco, Director del Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario (DIH).

E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

• Dr. Fernando Ibarra, Asesor del Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de DIH. Tel.: +57.1.336.03.11, FAX: +57.1.337.46.67,

E-mail: fibarra@presidencia.gov.co

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Colombia in your respective countries.