The former director of DAS is finally in the hands of Colombian justice

05/02/2015
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Following more than four years as a fugitive, the former Director of the Administrative Department of Justice (DAS), María del Pilar Hurtado (MPH) is finally in the hands of Colombian justice. She turned herself in voluntarily after Interpol issued a search warrant on 29 January this year.

The FIDH has been documenting illegal activities in DAS for the past five years and is a party in several court cases related to these activities. MPH fled when court proceedings against her were begun. The FIDH undertook action before the IACHR against Panama for having illegally granted her asylum in the country, and later organized missions to the country, all of which succeeded in having the Supreme Court acknowledge that asylum in this case was unconstitutional. Several of these actions were taken together with FIDH’s member organization in Colombia (Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo); a call was issued together with the group and actions were taken before the Colombian government and Interpol to achieve her extradition or deportation.

FIDH expects that MPH will be convicted of appropriation, document tampering, abuse of civil service, violation of the secret of correspondence, conspiracy to commit a crime, and illegal monitoring and wiretapping. FIDH also expects her to divulge the truth about illegal activities in the DAS during her term of office and report any other persons involved, especially persons who issued orders for the monitoring and wiretapping of which she is accused.

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