Guatemala
06.04.01
Urgent Interventions
Guatemala: Casa Alianza office in Guatemala City ransacked.
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
GTM 002/ 0104 / OBS 029
Casa Alianza office ransacked
GUATEMALA
6th April 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Guatemala.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by Casa Alianza that, on the morning of April 2, 2001, the agency’s offices on the 4th Avenue in Zone 1 of Guatemala City had been broken into and a series of files had been ransacked.
According to the information received, at least two unidentified people broke into the second floor of the two storey office building which houses the Casa Alianza Street Educators and the Legal Aid Program. The street educators’ metal files, where the information on the individual street children attended to in the street is stored, were forced open and hundreds of files were strewn around. It is as yet unclear whether any files were stolen, but two digital cameras have been reported missing.
The break-in comes at a time when several other non-governmental agencies in Guatemala have also reported burglaries, according to Casa Alianza, who’s offices had also received a series of strange phone calls and increasingly frequent visits by the police during the week preceding this incident. The break-in and theft were immediately reported to the police and investigative authorities, who, according to the information received, were able to find several sets of finger-prints at the scene of the crime.
Actions requested :
Please write to the Guatemalan authorities urging them to :
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. take all necessary measures to stop any kind of harassment against human rights defenders and their organisations;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in particular its Article 1 which provides that "Every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" and its article 5.b which provides that “for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the rights, individually or in association with others, at the national and international levels to form, join and participate in non-governmental organisations, associations or groups."
Addresses :
S.E. Alfonso Antonio Portillo Cabrera, Presidente de la República de Guatemala, Palacio Nacional, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 221 44 23 or 334 16 15 or 230-1508 E-mail : secgralp@infovia.com.gt
Sr. Guillermo Ruiz Wong, Ministro de Gobernación, Ministerio de Gobernación, Palacio Nacional, 6 Calle y 7 Avenida, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 362 02 39
Lic. Julio Eduardo Arango Escobar , Procurador de Derechos Humanos, Procuraduria de los Derechos Humanos, 12 Avenida 12-72, Zona 1, Guatemala 01001, GUATEMALA, Fax: + 502 238 1734 or 2535712 or E-mail: opdhg@guatenet.net.gt
Lic. Adolfo González Rodas, Fiscal General de la Nación, Ministerio Público, 6 Av 3-11, Zona 4, Guatemala. Guatemala. Fax : + 502 331 4336
Sr. Victor Hugo Monroy, Director of the Guatemalan Government's Human Rights Office, fax +502-334-1615 or E-mail : copredeh@guate.net
Geneva- Paris, 6th April 2001
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of the present appeal.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92 Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39
GTM 002/ 0104 / OBS 029
Casa Alianza office ransacked
GUATEMALA
6th April 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Guatemala.
Brief description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed by Casa Alianza that, on the morning of April 2, 2001, the agency’s offices on the 4th Avenue in Zone 1 of Guatemala City had been broken into and a series of files had been ransacked.
According to the information received, at least two unidentified people broke into the second floor of the two storey office building which houses the Casa Alianza Street Educators and the Legal Aid Program. The street educators’ metal files, where the information on the individual street children attended to in the street is stored, were forced open and hundreds of files were strewn around. It is as yet unclear whether any files were stolen, but two digital cameras have been reported missing.
The break-in comes at a time when several other non-governmental agencies in Guatemala have also reported burglaries, according to Casa Alianza, who’s offices had also received a series of strange phone calls and increasingly frequent visits by the police during the week preceding this incident. The break-in and theft were immediately reported to the police and investigative authorities, who, according to the information received, were able to find several sets of finger-prints at the scene of the crime.
Actions requested :
Please write to the Guatemalan authorities urging them to :
i. guarantee an immediate investigation into the circumstances of these events, identify those responsible, bring them before a civil competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
ii. take all necessary measures to stop any kind of harassment against human rights defenders and their organisations;
iii. ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders in particular its Article 1 which provides that "Every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" and its article 5.b which provides that “for the purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms, everyone has the rights, individually or in association with others, at the national and international levels to form, join and participate in non-governmental organisations, associations or groups."
Addresses :
S.E. Alfonso Antonio Portillo Cabrera, Presidente de la República de Guatemala, Palacio Nacional, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 221 44 23 or 334 16 15 or 230-1508 E-mail : secgralp@infovia.com.gt
Sr. Guillermo Ruiz Wong, Ministro de Gobernación, Ministerio de Gobernación, Palacio Nacional, 6 Calle y 7 Avenida, Guatemala, Guatemala. Fax : + 502 362 02 39
Lic. Julio Eduardo Arango Escobar , Procurador de Derechos Humanos, Procuraduria de los Derechos Humanos, 12 Avenida 12-72, Zona 1, Guatemala 01001, GUATEMALA, Fax: + 502 238 1734 or 2535712 or E-mail: opdhg@guatenet.net.gt
Lic. Adolfo González Rodas, Fiscal General de la Nación, Ministerio Público, 6 Av 3-11, Zona 4, Guatemala. Guatemala. Fax : + 502 331 4336
Sr. Victor Hugo Monroy, Director of the Guatemalan Government's Human Rights Office, fax +502-334-1615 or E-mail : copredeh@guate.net
Geneva- Paris, 6th April 2001
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of the present appeal.
The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency Line: Fax : 33 (0) 1 55 80 83 92 Tel FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT + 41 22 809 49 39