Theft of information from home of CCEEU Coordinator

The European organisations and coordination groups signing this statement would like to express ourconcern regarding a new assault on a staff member of the Colombia Europe United States – CoordinationGroup - CCEEU (a coalition of 221 Colombian organisations working on the promotion, dissemination anddefence of human rights).

On October 14, at midday, 2 people entered the home of Lourdes Castro, the Coordinator of the CCEEU,after intimidating a domestic worker, asking her whether Lourdes Castro was at home and what time shewould return. These people stole Ms Castro’s personal computer and some other nearby objects, but did

not take other goods of higher economic value.

This is the fifth time that members of the Colombia - Europe - United States Coordination Group officehave suffered the theft of information and computer equipment in recent years. It would appear thatthese events seek to intimidate and deter the CCEEU from its work defending human rights, and to stealsensitive information about issues related to the protection and defence of human rights.

These events have occurred in the context of a continuous increase in attacks1 against human rightsdefenders, which have risen from 174 in 2010, to 626 in 2014. In the first half of 2015 alone, 399 attackswere recorded.

We believe that work defending human rights is fundamental and necessary for building moredemocratic, inclusive and peaceful societies, and we ask for the following actions to be uregntly carriedout.

To the Colombian authorities:

• Investigate this new aggression promptly in order to identify and punish the perpetrators, thosewho ordered the theft and intend to benefit from the illegal appropriation of information
• Guarantee effective protection measures for the Office of the CCEEU and for human rightsdefenders, to avoid further attacks related to the work they carry out.

To European countries and the European Union:

• Publicly show concern about the events described above and reiterate their crucial support forhuman rights work

• Contact the Colombian authorities in order to ensure the rapid investigation and implementationof effective measures for the protection of human rights defenders

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For more information contact Vincent Vallies – oidhaco@oidhaco.org

Signed:

• ABColombia (Reino Unido)
• ACAT (Francia)
• ask! (Suiza)
• Atelier (Estado Español)
• Caravana Internacional de Juristas (Reino Unido)
• Christian Aid (Reino Unido – Irlanda)
• CNCD-11.11.11 (Bélgica)
• Comité pour le respect des droits humains "Daniel Gillard" (Bélgica)
• Cooperacció (Estado Español)
• DKA Austria (Austria)
• Federación Internacional de Derechos Humanos (FIDH), en el marco del Observatorio para la Protección de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos (Internacional)
• Fundación Sueca para los Derechos Humanos (The Swedish Foundation for Human Rights ) (Suecia)
• Grupo Sur – Red europea de organizaciones (Internacional)
• ICCO Cooperation Colombia (Holanda)
• Iniciativa Solidaria Internacionalista de Burgos (ISI) (Estado Español)
• Intermon Oxfam (Estado Español)
• Justicia por Colombia (Estado Español)
• kolko (Alemania)
• Lafede.cat organitzacions per la Justícia Global que agrupa 114 ONG (Estado Español)
• Misereor (Alemania)
• Mundubat (Estado Español)
• International Office on Human Rights - Action Colombia (OIDHACO), a network of 36 European and international organisations (International)
• Pax Christi Deutschland - Solidaritätsfonds Eine Welt (Alemania)
• Taula Catalana per la Pau i els Drets Humans a Colòmbia (Estado Español) compuesta por

o Ajuntament de Lleida
o Associació Catalana per la Pau
o Comissió Catalana d'Ajuda al Refugiat
o Consell Nacional de la Joventut de Catalunya
o Cooperacció
o Entrepobles
o LaFede.cat
o Fons Català de Cooperació al Desenvolupament
o Fundació Desenvolupament Comunitari
o Fundació Pagesos Solidaris
o Fundació Pau i Solidaritat - CCOO
o FundiPau
o Intersindical-CSC
o Justícia i Pau
o Lliga dels Drets dels Pobles
o Moviment per la Pau - MPDL
o Oxfam Intermón
o Sindicalistes Solidaris

• World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) - Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (International)

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[1] Threats, killings, attempted murder, arbitrary detention, arbitrary use of the criminal justice system, theft of information, forceddisappearance, sexual violence and personal injury