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Colombia: AI condemns killing of community leader

29 September 2006, 06:43AM

Fabián Trellez Moreno, a community leader and legal representative of the Boca de Bebará Local Community Council in Medio Atrato Municipality, Chocó Department, was reportedly tortured and killed by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), on 8 September 2006.

Amnesty International strongly condemns this serious and deliberate breach of international humanitarian law (IHL), and calls on the guerrilla to immediately commit to respecting IHL.

The Colombian authorities must ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

The killing once again underlines the urgent need for the government and guerrilla forces to agree a humanitarian accord to remove the civilian population from the conflict.

However, Amnesty International is concerned that the recently approved legal framework for the demobilisation of army-backed paramilitaries and guerrillas - including the Justice and Peace Law and Decree 128 - will ensure that those who violate human rights and IHL will succeed in evading justice. Such measures send a dangerous message to combatants that they can continue to target civilians with almost complete impunity.

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