Parlamentares Britânicos Reclamam Liberdade para Presos Políticos na Colômbia


justiceforcolombia.org

Noviembre 17 de 2010

Un grupo de parlamentarios británicos han reclamado la liberación de presos políticos en Colombia. Se estiman en más de 7500 los presos políticos en Colombia.

Los diputados se refirieron específicamente a cinco casos de destacados miembros de la sociedad civil que han sido encarcelados por el régimen en Bogotá sin haber sido condenado por delito alguno.

Los parlamentarios posaron (adjuntas) con fotos de los presos, entre los que se cuentan las sindicalistas Rosalba Gaviria y Liliany Obando, los defensores de derechos humanos David Ravelo y Carmelo Agamez, y el profesor universitario Dr Miguel Angel Beltrán – algunos de los cuales han pasado años encarcelados sin juicio.

“Estas personas son hombres y mujeres inocentes que han sido encarcelados simplemente porque no están de acuerdo con el gobierno o porque critican políticas gubernamentales. Las autoridades colombianas tienen que entender que encarcelar a personas para silenciar sus opiniones es completamente inaceptable,” dijo Jim McGovern MP, uno de los parlamentarios.

Jim Sheridan MP, otro de los que participó, agregó que “mientras el régimen en Bogotá siga encarcelando a sindicalistas, activistas de derechos humanos y otros líderes de la sociedad civil, el Reino Unido no debiera tener relaciones normales con Colombia. El Presidente Santos tiene que entender que la comunidad internacional no se mantendrá en silencio mientras su gobierno trate así a sus opositores.”

Al mismo tiempo, el diario “The Times”, en su suplemento de educción, esta semana publicó una carta abierta al Presidente Santos reclamando la liberación del académico encarcelado Dr Miguel Ángel Beltrán, firmada por más de mil académicos británicos. Los académicos, incluyendo al Premio Nobel Professor Sir Richard Roberts, acusaron a las autoridades colombianas de encarcelar a susodicho académico “más bien por sus opiniones políticas  que por ningún delito cometido”.  Una copia de la carta va adjunta.

Para más información contactar a Justice for Colombia +44(0)207 794 3644 o[email protected]

Apuntes:

·        Carmelo Agamez, un dirigente regional del Movimiento Nacional de Victimas de Crímenes de Estado(MOVICE) ha estado encarcelado desde noviembre 2008 sin juicio.

·        Liliany Obando, sindicalista, ha estado encarcelada desde agosto 2008 sin haber sido condenada por delito alguno. En agosto un policía confesó haber manipulado la evidencia en contra de ella.

·        Rosalba Gaviria, sindicalista y activista por la paz, ha estado encarcelada desde marzo 2009 sin haber sido condenada por delito alguno.

·        Dr Miguel Angel Beltrán, académico, ha estado encarcelado desde Mayo 2009 sin haber sido condenado por delito alguno.

·        David Ravelo, un destacado activista  de Derechos humanos ha estado encarcelado desde septiembre 2010 y no ha sido condenado por delito alguno.

British Parliamentarians Call for Freedom for Colombia’s Political Prisoners

A group of British parliamentarians have called for Colombia’s political prisoners to be freed.  MPs highlighted five cases where civil society leaders have been imprisoned by the regime in Bogota without having been convicted of any crime.

The parliamentarians posed for photographs (attached) holding images of prisoners including trade unionists Rosalba Gaviria and Liliany Obando, human rights defenders David Ravelo and Carmelo Agamez, and university professor Dr Miguel Angel Beltran – some of whom have spent years in jail without trial.

“These people are innocent men and women who have been imprisoned simply because they disagree with the Government or criticise Government policies.  The Colombian authorities have to understand that jailing people in order to silence their opinions is completely unacceptable,” said Jim McGovern MP, one of the parliamentarians who participated.

Jim Sheridan MP, another of those who took part, added “So long as the regime in Bogota continues to jail trade unionists, human rights activists and other civil society leaders, the UK should not have normal relations with Colombia.  President Santos must understand that the international community will not stand by in silence whilst his Government treats opponents in this way.”

In a separate development, the Times Higher Education supplement this week printed an open letter signed by over 1,000 British academics to Colombian President Santos calling for the release of jailed academic Dr Miguel Angel Beltran.  The academics, including Nobel Prize winner Professor Sir Richard Roberts, accused the Colombian authorities of jailing Dr Beltran “for his political beliefs rather than for any crime.”

For more information contact Justice for Colombia: +44 (0) 207 794 3644 or[email protected]

Notes:

·         Carmelo Agamez, a regional leader of the National Movement of Victims (MOVICE), has been in jail since November 2008 without trial.

·         Liliany Obando, a trade unionist has been in jail since August 2008 without having been convicted of any crime.  In August this year a police officer admitted to manipulating the evidence against her.

·         Rosalba Gaviria, a trade unionist and peace activist, has been in jail since March 2009 without having been convicted of any crime.

·         Dr Miguel Angel Beltran, an academic, has been in jail since May 2009 without having been convicted of any crime.

·         David Ravelo, one of Colombia’s leading human rights activists, was jailed in September 2010 and has not convicted of any crime.

Carta abierta al Presidente Juan Manuel Santos ??Estimado señor Presidente:

Los abajo firmantes nos dirigimos a Ud. para solicitarle la libertad inmediata del académico colombiano Dr. Miguel Ángel Beltrán. El Dr. Beltrán ha estado encarcelado desde mayo de 2009 sin que se le haya probado delito alguno. Ha sido acusado de “rebelión” y tildado de terrorista por el Estado colombiano; sin embargo, no se ha presentado ninguna prueba que respalde esas acusaciones.

Nos preocupa seriamente el hecho de que, como tantos otros en Colombia, el Dr. Beltrán haya sido detenido por sus opiniones políticas antes que por algún delito, de que se le haya privado de su libertad con el fin de silenciarle y de amedrentar a quienes como él quisieran expresar oposición. Creemos que la libertad académica y la libertad de expresión son derechos fundamentales, y que son los pilares de una sociedad democrática; pero la actual detención del Dr. Beltrán muestra que en Colombia no se está respetando ni la una ni la otra.

Por lo tanto, le instamos a que ordene su libertad inmediata. El alto número de presos políticos en las cárceles colombianas – sean académicos, sindicalistas, dirigentes comunitarios u otros activistas de la sociedad civil – desmiente las declaraciones de que el Estado colombiano respeta los derechos humanos.

Le instamos a que ponga fin inmediato a esta situación vergonzosa.

Atentamente,

Professor Sir Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize Winner

Professor Sir John Ball, Sedleian Professor of Natural Philosophy, University of Oxford

Professor Dame Janet Nelson, Emeritus Professor of History, King’s College London

Alan Whitaker, President, University and College Union

Terry Hoad, Vice President, University and College Union

Dr Sally Hunt, General Secretary, University and College Union

Professor Jane Aaron, University of Glamorgan

Professor David Allen, Sheffield Hallam University

Professor Sarah Ashwin, London School of Economics

Professor Ruth Aylett, Heriot-Watt University

Professor Sebastian Balfour, London School of Economics

Professor Malcolm Barber, University of Reading

Professor Ann-Marie Bathmaker, West of England University

Professor Gargi Bhattacharyya, Aston University

Professor Andreas Bieler, University of Nottingham

Professor Bob Brecher, University of Brighton

Professor David Broomhead, University of Manchester

Professor David Bunce, Brunel University

Professor Alister Burr, University of York

Professor Paul Busch, University of York

Professor Ray Bush, University of Leeds

Professor Pat Caplan, University of London

Professor Anthony Carbery, University of Edinburgh

Professor David Chadwick, University of Kent

Professor Thomas Collett, University of Sussex

Professor Helen Colley, Manchester Metropolitan University

Professor Mike Coombes, Newcastle University

Professor Christine Cooper, University of Strathclyde

Professor Greville Corbett, University of Surrey

Professor Owen Davies, University of Hertfordshire

Professor Mary Davis, London Metropolitan University

Professor Peter Delves, University College London

Professor Simon Duncan, University of Bradford

Professor Richard Dyer, King’s College London

Professor Chris Eilbeck, Heriot-Watt University

Professor Lawrie Elliott, Edinburgh Napier University

Professor Tony Evans, University of Southampton

Professor Stephan Feuchtwang, London School of Economics

Professor Jeremy Field, University of Sussex

Professor Karl Figlio, University of Essex

Professor Rajmil Fischman, Keele University

Professor Roderick Flower, University of London

Professor Steven French, University of Leeds

Professor David George, Swansea University

Professor Andrew Gilbert, University of Exeter

Professor Helen Gilbert, University of London

Professor John Gledhill, University of Manchester

Professor Jonathan Glover, King’s College London

Professor Fernand Gobet, Brunel University

Professor Laurence Goldstein, University of Kent

Professor Jonathan Gosling, University of Exeter

Professor Helen Graham, University of London

Professor Vic Grout, Glyndwr University

Professor Martyn Hammersley, The Open University

Professor Richard Hanley, University of Essex

Professor Malcolm Heggie, University of Sussex

Professor Piers Hellawell, Queen’s University Belfast

Professor Stephen Hodkinson, University of Nottingham

Professor Martin Hooper, University of Edinburgh

Professor Jim Howie, Heriot-Watt University

Professor Rhys Jenkins, University of East Anglia

Professor Heather Joshi, University of London

Professor Anahid Kassabian, University of Liverpool

Professor Christopher Knusel, University of Exeter

Professor Ailsa Land, London School of Economics

Professor Vicky Lebeau, University of Sussex

Professor Robert Lee, University of Liverpool

Professor David Lewis, Middlesex University

Professor Wanda Lewis, University of Warwick

Professor Niall Logan, Glasgow Caledonian University

Professor Stuart Macdonald, University of Sheffield

Professor Christine MacLeod, University of Bristol

Professor Luke Martell, University of Sussex

Professor Doreen Massey, The Open University

Professor Eric Matthews, University of Aberdeen

Professor Tim May, University of Salford

Professor Daphne McCulloch, Glasgow Caledonian University

Professor Mary McMurran, University of Nottingham

Professor Elizabeth Meehan, Queen’s University Belfast

Professor Sara Mills, Sheffield Hallam University

Professor David Mond, University of Warwick

Professor James Montgomery, University of Cambridge

Professor Adrian Moore, University of Oxford

Professor Gareth Morgan, Sheffield Hallam University

Professor Maurice Mulvenna, University of Ulster

Professor Laura Mulvey, University of London

Professor Isobel Murray, University of Aberdeen

Professor Alistair Mutch, Nottingham Trent University

Professor Stephen Nugent, University of London

Professor Eric Olson, University of Sheffield

Professor John O’Neill, University of Manchester

Professor Bill Overton, Loughborough University

Professor Andy Penaluna, Swansea Metropolitan University

Professor Hilary Povey, Sheffield Hallam University

Professor Paul Preston, London School of Economics

Professor Gesine Reinert, University of Oxford

Professor Jonathan Rosenhead, London School of Economics

Professor Raphael Salkie, University of Brighton

Professor Andrew Sayer, Lancaster University

Professor Michael Shaw, University of Reading

Professor David Simon, University of London

Professor Martin Sinha, University of Southampton

Professor Nick Smirnoff, University of Exeter

Professor Alan Sokal, University College London

Professor Kirsten Stalker, University of Strathclyde

Professor Trevor Stuart, Imperial College London

Professor Peter Taylor-Gooby, University of Kent

Professor Richard Thomas, Imperial College London

Professor Jon Tonge, University of Liverpool

Professor Colin Torrance, University of Glamorgan

Professor Joy Townsend, University of London

Professor Geoffrey Turner, University of Sheffield

Professor Carole-Anne Upton, University of Ulster

Professor Peter Wade, University of Manchester

Professor Philip Wadler, University of Edinburgh

Professor Judy Wajcman, London School of Economics

Professor Paul Ward, University of Huddersfield

Professor David Wiles, University of London

Professor Andrew Williams, University of Warwick

Professor Jocelyn Wogan-Browne, University of York

Y más de mil académicos británicos más

(Lista completa disponible en www.ucu.org.uk)

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