Elkin Ramírez: known Human Rights Defender in Medellín

On 8 April 2009 the attorney assigned to the case against lawyer Elkin Ramírez,
Director of the Corporation for Judicial Freedom (CJL), declared the case to be
closed. According to the attorney, the lawyer had not committed any crime.1 In 2004, as part of his work, Ramírez had reported information to political authorities and national and international organisations on irregularities
committed by members of the Colombian army during trials related to the arrests of small farmers and leaders from the San José de Apartadó Peace Community. In 2005 Colonel Duque, who was then commander of the Batallion involved in the arrests, accused Ramírez of slander, defamation and false
denouncement. This is not the only case against members of CJL. In 2006, investigations were carried out against lawyers Elkin Ramírez and Bayron
Góngora on charges of rebellion.2
CJL is a legally-recognised NGO dedicated to representing the victims of human rights violations before national and international jurisdictions. According to Human Rights First, this kind of legal accusation has implications for the work of human rights defenders such as Ramírez as they are forced to dedicate time, resources and energy on their own defence and the protection of their good name.3

FOOTNOTES

1 Also involved in this case are jesuit priest Javier Giraldo Moreno and the Human Rights Ombudsman from the Urabá region, Miguel Ángel Afanador Ulloa. See «Comunicado a la opinión pública», CJL, 9 March 2009

2 CJL Public Communiqué, 18 August 2006

3 «Baseless prosecutions of human rights defenders in Colombia. In the dock and under the gun.», Human Rights First, February 2009