FREE THE PERUVIAN LAWYERS AND POLITICAL ACTIVISTS!
April 29, 2014
Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights – Philippines strongly condemns the arrest of four human rights lawyers, together with 34 political activists, in Peru on trumped-up charges. The lawyers, including Alfredo Crespo, Carlos Gamero and Manuel Fajardo, are counsels of political activists and prisoners, including the alleged leader of Sendero Luminoso, Abimael Guzman.
FREE THE PERUVIAN LAWYERS AND POLITICAL ACTIVISTS!
April 29, 2014
Karapatan Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights – Philippines strongly condemns the arrest of four human rights lawyers, together with 34 political activists, in Peru on trumped-up charges. The lawyers, including Alfredo Crespo, Carlos Gamero and Manuel Fajardo, are counsels of political activists and prisoners, including the alleged leader of Sendero Luminoso, Abimael Guzman.
In the spirit of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, which provides for the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of any kind, including “political and other opinion”, these lawyers should not be faulted for taking up the cause and legal defense of progressive movements and personalities.
The State, to which the prime responsibility to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms lie, is the first and foremost violator of these rights and freedoms as evidenced by the numerous extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, tortures and illegal arrests and detentions perpetrated by State security forces in many countries in the world.
In the Philippines, through the US-Aquino counter-insurgency program Oplan Bayanihan, Karapatan documented 192 victims of extrajudicial killing, 21 victims of enforced disappearance and 631 more of illegal arrest and detention.
Recently, Public Attorney and national officer of the National Union of People’s Lawyers, Cathy Salucon, was harassed and threatened of assassination. Three other Karapatan officers in the regions within the country are presently at risk having been threatened and vilified by the military, while William Bugatti, a human rights worker of Karapatan and indigenous leader, was killed this March 2014.
The continuing violations negate all international human rights and humanitarian law.
Free the Peruvian lawyers and political activists!
Free all political prisoners!