'Lawyers in some countries are disappeared simply for doing their jobs'
'Lawyers in some countries are disappeared simply for doing their jobs'
Alliance of Lawyers at Risk urgently seeks volunteers to provide unarmed protection for those under threat for their rights work
Duncan Campbell
theguardian.com, Friday 3 January 2014 14.39 EST
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One of the most recent interventions in Colombia was in the case of David Ravelo Crespo, a human rights campaigner jailed for 18 years for a murder of which he vigorously protests his innocence. In September, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) presented an amicus curiae report in relation to his conviction before the superior tribunal of Santander in Colombia. According to Kirsty Brimelow QC, president of the BHRC, irregularities in the case not only affect Ravelo, but have an impact on the exercise of due process in Colombia.
Of lawyers in Colombia, Brimelow says: "I'm lucky that I can work in London with minimal fear of being shot for my work. It's a real threat in Colombia and lawyers and judges are frequently gunned down. One aspect of our work is that we are able to act as a bridge between government and victims and support dialogue. Colombia has great laws and a well-drafted constitution. However, the system is drowning in the sheer volume of cases – there is a backlog of two million – and the gap between court rulings and implementation is wide." Brimelow, who has met President Juan Manuel Santos on two occasions, added that the Colombian government had "flung doors open to international human rights lawyers".
More:
http://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/jan/03/alliance-of-lawyers-at-risk
