| Home detention petition for Liliany | | Print | |
| Written by CASC staff |
| Sunday, 20 December 2009 18:51 |
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VIA FAX : 57-1-323 0102 Diciembre 20, 2009 Distinguido Doctor , Sr. Oscar Gustavo Jaimes Villamizar; Nos dirigimos respetuosamente a Ud. para apoyar, en nombre de los miembros de nuestra comunidad y en el mío propio, la solicitud de detención domiciliaria presentada por la prisionera política colombiana, señora Liliany Patricia Obando Villota. La señora Obando es madre y cabeza de familia con dos niños. Entendemos que el derecho a la detención domiciliaria es extendido con frecuencia a prisioneros en circunstancias semejantes, aun a los acusados o condenados por para-política y por actividad paramilitar. Respetuosamente le instamos a considerar y conceder a la señora Obando Villota su derecho a la detención domiciliaria: pensamos que es lo justo, lo correcto y lo más saludable para la familia de la acusada, especialmente sus hijos. Creemos solemnemente que Liliany Obando tiene este derecho y que además ella no representa ningún peligro para su comunidad. Ella es una académica y una pensadora critica cuyos derechos constitucionales deben ser garantizados. Saluda atte. A Ud. Secretaria Central America Support Committee --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BACKGROUND INFORMATION: There are more than 7,200 political prisoners in Colombia. PJFC works in solidarity with all these prisoners, but has a particular concern regarding the case of Liliany Obando. She served as a consultant for FENSUAGRO, the largest union of farmers and farm workers in Colombia. She was arrested the very week she was to release a report on the murders of FENSUAGRO members by the military and paramilitaries. Liliany’s case is a flagship case, because she was the first person detained and tried on bogus charges as part of the FARC-política. The FARC-política is an attempt to repress, intimidate and marginalize the political opposition, labor and student movements by falsely linking them to Colombia’s armed rebellion. The basis for this process are emails allegedly discovered in computers recovered after a bombing attack by the Colombian Air Force against a guerrilla peace negotiation camp on March 1, 2008. However, the Colombian Police Officer in charge of the initial investigation has said the computers contained no emails but only documents in Word. The international police agency, INTERPOL, has said that the computer’s files showed evidence of tampering by the Colombian authorities. Liliany’s case is important for two reasons: 1. If she wins the case, the whole FARC-política process is discredited; but if she loses, then a precedent is set for a virtual witch-hunt against the Colombian opposition based on this process. 2. The Colombian government is trying hard to shut down FENSUAGRO by spuriously portraying it as a front for the guerrillas. A conviction of Liliany will result in a renewed effort against FENSUAGRO, which is already the most persecuted union in Colombia.
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