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)
