Colombia: Threats to families of murder victims

                          Case COL 040998


The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your URGENT 
intervention regarding the following situation in Colombia: 

Brief description of the situation :

The International Secretariat has been informed by the "Corporación 
Colectivo de Abogados "José Alvear Restrepo", member of the OMCT 
network of the following facts : 

Family members of the 5 youths who were extra-judicially executed 
between 5 and 7 September 1996, have received frequent threats to their 
lives. The persons threatened are Mr. ALFONSO MORA LEON, father 
of one the victims and his wife, DOLORES MONCALEANO DE MORA. 
Both had formally participated  in a governmental victim protection 
program which consisted in the monthly payment of a sum of money 
permitting them to live in a different city. The family abandoned the 
program after it was modified and came to require that they live in 
conditions equivalent to semi-incarceration.

On August 27 1998, Mr. ALFONSO MORA LEON was summoned to 
testify by the Office of Attorney General.  However, he was unable to 
testify as it was established that an attempt on his life had been planned. 

Mr. ALFONSO MORA LEON is presently without any kind of official 
protection and in a permanent state of anguish. His situation is rendered 
more serious by the fact that preventive judicial measures have been 
issued against several members of the Police force. The mother of one of 
the victims, CLARA INES GOMEZ, has also received numerous threats 
against her life and physical integrity.

Action requested :
Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to :

i) Take all necessary measures to protect the lives and physical and 
psychological integrity of ALFONSO MORA LEON, DOLORES 
MONCALEANO DE MORA, CLARA INES GOMEZ, and of other 
victims' family members;

ii) Investigate and sanction all persons responsible for threats against 
the victims' family members;

iii) Guarantee the effective respect of human rights and fundamental 
freedoms in accordance with national law and in compliance with the 
State's obligations under the international human rights standards. 

Addresses :

Su Excelencia,  Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República de 
Colombia, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia.  Fax : 571 
2867434.   

Ms. Sonia Eljach Polo, Consejera Presidencial  para los Derechos 
Humanos, Santafé de Bogotá. Carrera 8 Nº 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, 
Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia.  Fax : (571) 3371351 

Doctor Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nacion, Carrera Nº 
5, 15-80, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia.  Fax: (571)3429723

Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nacion, Diagonal 22-
B, Nº 52-01, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia.  Fax: (571) 320 37 83

Doctor Fernando Castro Caicedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Calle 55 Nº 10-32, 
Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax: (571) 3461225

Doctor Humberto Martínez Neira, Ministro del Interior, Carrera 8 Nº 8-09, 
Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax: (571) 2815884 

Doctor Rodrigo Lloreda Caicedo, Ministro de Defensa, Avenida El 
Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá, CAN, Colombia . Fax: 
(571) 288 49 06

Geneva,  4 September 1998

The Human Rights Action Network, a part of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.