President Uribe’s accusations against the President of the Supreme Court of Colombia: Another attack on the independence of the judiciary

05/02/2008
Press release
en es

The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) is outraged at President Uribe’s decision to file a criminal complaint against the President of the Supreme Court of Colombia, Dr. César Julio Valencia Copete, on charges of insult and slander. FIDH considers that this, together with previous attacks on the court’s Criminal Chamber, constitutes a grave assault on the independence of the judiciary.

"In the current context of the investigations and trials being undertaken by the Supreme Court in an attempt to dismantle the structures of paramilitarism that infiltrate the Colombian State, it is of fundamental importance to respect and preserve the independence of the judiciary", declared Souhayr Belhassen, President of the FIDH.

FIDH fears that the government is attempting to hinder the process of the ‘cleaning up’ of Colombian institutions which should contribute to strengthening the legitimacy of the State and to the full implementation of the Rule of Law.

The dispute relates to the investigation that began in September 2007 of former senator Mario Uribe, cousin of the President, who is currently on trial accused of possible links with paramilitary groups. There had already been a confrontation between President Uribe and the Supreme Court when the President accused a Supreme Court Judge of "conspiracy" after an interview with the paramilitant José Moncada, alias ‘Tasmania’, on 10 September. The Supreme Court demanded "respect" for its work and called on the government to refrain from standing in the way of justice.

FIDH previously expressed concern about the security and safety of Supreme Court Judges in Colombia and the threats received by them, during an international visit in October 2007. The FIDH delegation, led by the organisation’s president Souhayr Belhassen, presented an FIDH report entitled ‘Paramilitary Demobilisation in Colombia: on the road to the International Criminal Court’ – link- and met with the President of the Columbian Supreme Court, Judge Valencia Copete.

FIDH urges Alvaro Uribe Vélez’s government to respect the independence of the judiciary and to guarantee the safety and integrity of the judges, who have been publicly stigmatised by the President himself.

FIDH supports the Supreme Court in its unanimous declaration of Tuesday 29 January and affirms its full support for Judge César Julio Valencia Copete. The actions of the Supreme Court of Colombia deserve universal respect: defending the essential bastions of democracy and affirming the independence and impartiality of the judiciary in a country where violent and criminal agents have tried to suppress justice and democracy.

FIDH will present these facts to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers. FIDH calls upon the courts, judges and lawyers of the world to express their solidarity with the Supreme Court of Colombia, in particular with its Criminal Chamber and with the President of the Court, Judge César Julio Valencia Copete.

Note: please see as well the calling "Une issue pour la Colombie", Libération, 31 de enero de 2008 (only available in French).

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