Front Line is deeply concerned by new instances of intimidation and threats against journalist and prominent human rights defender, Ms Claudia Julieta Duque and her daughter, that occurred on 30 June 2009.

Further Information

Claudia Duque works as correspondant of Equipo Nizkor and Radio Nizkor for Latin America and has been involved in raising a number of contentious human rights issues in Colombia. She has been the target of intimidation, harassment, threats and surveillance since 2001.

On 30 June 2009, shortly before 7.30 pm, a man with an accent from Bogota who introduced himself as Luis, called at the home of Claudia Duque's parents in the town of Pereira and asked to speak with Claudia Duque's 15-year old daughter.

The man called Claudia Duque's daughter by her first name, and asked repeatedly where he could find her, saying he needed to reach her urgently. During the same day, similar calls were made to Claudia Duque's home. During one of these calls, Claudia Duque's daughter, who answered the phone, was questioned for several minutes by an unknown person. When her mother took the phone to see who was on the other end, the call was suddenly interrupted.

In the morning of the same day, Claudia Duque noticed a taxi following her from Bogota city centre to the Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca, where she was going in order to inquire about a complaint she had filed against the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad – DAS (Administrative Department for Security), the Ministry of Interior and the National Police.

The complaint referred to the failure by DAS, the Ministry of Interior and the National Police to comply with the Constitutional Court's order of 23 October 2008 which, inter alia, requested DAS to release all information illegally gathered on Claudia Duque since 2001. The Constitutional Court's order followed a legal action filed by Claudia Duque after the DAS and the Ministry of Interior excluded her from the Protection Programme on the basis of spurious arguments.

Additionally, in the context of the Claudia Duque’s criminal case, investigated by the Attorney General for threats and psychological torture she suffered since the surveillance and intimidation against her started in 2001, last week the Office of the Attorney General started interrogating DAS officers. It is believed that the events that occurred on 30 June are aimed at intimidating Claudia Duque and are directly linked to the pending legal proceedings.

Over the course of the years, the Government has at times granted protection to Claudia Duque, including the use of an armoured car. This, however, has been insufficient to ensure full protection of her life and that of her family members and she has at times been forced to go temporarily into exile.

Front Line is deeply concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Claudia Duque and her daughter, and believes that she is being targeted solely because of her human rights activities, including her work as correspondant of Equipo Nizkor and Radio Nizkor for Latin America.