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The Uribe regimen denies home detention for Liliany Obando and commits her case to trial
Peace and Justice for Colombia / Monday 30 March 2009 / Español
 

Dear friends and supporters of freedom for Liliany Obando,

We regret to inform you that on 10th February and again twice in March the courts and the Fiscal 19 in
Colombia rejected an application for home detention for Colombian trade unionist Liliany Obando. The
Fiscalia closed the investigation and committed her case to trial but we fear that in reality this will only
be a Kangaroo Court.

Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC understands that there are no further legal avenues for justice in
this matter. The appeal under the “Tutela” provisions of Colombian law against previous refusals was
based on her constitutional right as the head of her family to home detention until the charges against her
come before the courts.

The legal limit to keep someone without trial is 240 days from the day of detention reason for which the
Fiscalia is now rushing the case to trial. Liliany has been in detention for 235 days today.

This is yet another way used by the Uribe regimen to break the morale of the political prisoners forcing
them many times to plead guilty to charges they never committed.

In the meantime, Liliany will continue to be held in prison unable to care of her children who are
presently being looked after by their grandmother. The family has experienced ongoing harassment
since Liliany’s arrest in August 2008 and their welfare is of grave concern. Liliany hasn’t been able to
see her son for two months as there isn’t any male friend available to accompany him.

Our solidarity network denounces this latest development and renews its call for the dropping of all the
politically motivated charges against Liliany Obando. We call on all supporters of human rights and
social justice to join in denouncing the Uribe Government’s campaign against the trade union movement,
human rights activists and opposition under the guise of “FARC-Politica” (FARC-politics), as the recent
allegations made by the government against “Colombianos por la paz” movement, calling them “the
intellectual block of FARC”.

In a country with the highest number of murders of trade unionists and other forms of anti-union
violence including harassment, death threats, attempted murder, kidnapping and imprisonment, the only
possible way to resolve the social conflict is to demand for a negotiated solution to the social crisis
gripping the country.

We call on unions, parliamentarians, academics, political and solidarity organisations and all those peace
loving people not to forget Liliany, her family and all those political prisoners who face another year of
struggle forcibly separated from their families.

We ask you to continue to demand the end of repression and political incarceration for union activists
and for all whose only crime is to speak out against injustice and wish for peace with social justice.

Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC calls on all people who believe in peace and social justice to
demand that the Colombian government listen to its people and implement a Humanitarian Exchange of
prisoners as a first step in the political solution to the deep social and complex armed conflict in the
country.

What can you do to help free Liliany Obando?

• Write to the Colombian government to demand that the Colombian regimen free Liliany Obando
as she is innocent of any of the fabricated charges and it guarantees the safety of Liliany and her
family.

• Write to Human Rights organisations asking them to monitor the safety of Liliany and her family
and demand a Humanitarian Exchange of political prisoners.

• Organise support for Liliany with resolutions from your student groups, anti-war coalitions,
solidarity organisations, religious groups, local unions and international conventions.

• Make a donation towards the campaign to free Liliany Obando.
Send your messages and letters to:

• The Attorney General’s office. Emails: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co & denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co

• President Álvaro Uribe. Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

• Interamerican Commission for Human Rights. Email: cidhoea@oas.org

• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Email: oacnudh@hchr.org.co

• Colombian Embassy in Australia (or your own country), Attention Mr Diego Betancur.

Emails: embassyofcolombia@bigpond.com & ecanberra@cancilleria.gov.co

Copy your messages to:

• Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC:
Emails: pjfcolombia@gmail.com & freelilianynow@gmail.com

• Committee in solidarity with political prisoners. Email: fcspp_presidente@etb.net.co

• FENSUAGRO. Email: derechosh_fensuagro@yahoo.es & fensuagropresidencia@yahoo.es

Please donate to the campaign in Australia to free Liliany Obando.

Donations can be made to: Bendigo Bank, Carlton.

Account name: “Freedom Fund” BSB: 633 000 Account Number: 135064210