Joint Letter - Alleged Illegal Espionage against Lawyers

Several International organisations, including UIA-IROL, sent a letter to Colombia’s President, Iván Duque and Colombia’s General Attorney, Francisco Barbosa, to express concern about allegations of illegal surveillance reportedly perpetrated by the Colombian state on at least 130 individuals. Among them, lawyers of the José Alvear Restrepo Collective (Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo – CCAJAR), lawyers of the Inter-church Commission of Justice and Peace (Comisión Intereclesial Justicia y Paz – CIJP); and other human rights defenders such as Luz Marina Cuchumbé and Jani Silva.

According to reports published in the Semana magazine, this was part of a mass surveillance scheme carried out between February and December 2019, by the Colombian National Army.