Stop the harassment of Liliany Obando!

24th April 2009.

Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC protests in the strongest possible terms the harassment and psychological pressure being inflicted upon political prisoner Liliany Obando currently held in the “El Buen Pastor” Women’s Prison in Bogota, Colombia.

We are disturbed by reports that the trade union official and human rights activist is being forced out of her quarters and obliged to sleep on the ground as part of a campaign to move her out of the section of the prison in which she is being held at present.

We understand that she must stay in this special area of the prison because of a previously existing medical condition and that her condition would deteriorate should she be forced to move out of her current cell and into the general prison population. We are extremely concerned for Liliany’s personal security in the event she is removed from her current quarters.

Liliany is the first victim of the efforts of the government of President Alvaro Uribe to distract public attention away from embarrassing revelations about the links between his government and brutal paramilitary groups. She has already been denied her right under the constitution as the head of her family to home detention in order to look after her two young children.

We call on human rights and international solidarity groups to appeal to the authorities in Colombia to ensure that Liliany’s safety and wellbeing is safeguarded while she awaits her trial on charges we are convinced are politically motivated.

Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC
____________________________________________________

WHAT CAN YOU TO DO TO HELP FREE LILIANY OBANDO?

• Write to the Colombian government to demand that the Colombian regimen free Liliany Obando as she is innocent of any of the fabricated charges and it guarantees the safety of Liliany and her family.
• Write to Human Rights organisations asking them to monitor the safety of Liliany and her family and demand a Humanitarian Exchange of political prisoners.
• Organize support for Liliany with resolutions from your student groups, anti-war coalitions, solidarity organisations, religious groups, local unions and international conventions.
• Make a donation towards the campaign to free Liliany Obando.

Send your messages and letters to:
• The Attorney General’s office. Emails: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co & denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co
• President Álvaro Uribe. Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
• Interamerican Commission for Human Rights. Email: cidhoea@oas.org
• UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Email: oacnudh@hchr.org.co
• Colombian Embassy in Australia (or your own country), Attention Mr Diego Betancur.
Emails: embassyofcolombia@bigpond.com & ecanberra@cancilleria.gov.co

Copy your messages to:
• Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC:
Emails: pjfcolombia@gmail.com & freelilianynow@gmail.com
• Committee in solidarity with political prisoners. Email: fcspp_presidente@etb.net.co
• FENSUAGRO. Email: derechosh_fensuagro@yahoo.es & fensuagropresidencia@yahoo.es

Please donate to the campaign in Australia to free Liliany Obando.
Donations can be made to: Bendigo Bank, Carlton.
Account name: “Freedom Fund” BSB: 633 000 Account Number: 135064210

In solidarity,
Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC.
Websites: www.colombiasolidarity.net & www.freeliliany.net
Emails: pjfcolombia@gmail.com & freelilianynow@gmail.com