Colombia: Joint Appeal for Monica Roa and Women's Link Worldwide / Urgent Actions / Get Involved / Home - AWID

Colombia: Joint Appeal for Monica Roa and Women's Link Worldwide / Urgent Actions / Get Involved / Home - AWID:

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Colombia: Joint Appeal For Monica Roa And Women's Link Worldwide

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Source: Centre for Reproductive Rights

21/05/2012

Around 150 organizations and individuals from 40 countries signed on to the letter to Colombian authorities deploring the attacks against Monica Roa and Women’s Link Worldwide.

Bogota D.C., May 18, 2012

Señor Juan Manuel Santos Calderón
Presidente de la República,
Palacio de Nariño, Edificio Administrativo 
Calle 7 No.6-54, Piso 1 
Bogotá D.C. – Colombia
Fax: +57 1 3375890

Sr. Eduardo Montealegre Lynett
Fiscal General de la Nación
Dg. 22B No. 52-01 Edf. C Piso 5
Bogotá D.C. - Colombia
Fax: +57 1 4149000 ext. 2396

Sr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz
Defensor del Pueblo
Calle 55 Nº 10 – 32
Bogotá D.C. – Colombia
Tel: +57 1 314 73 00

Re: “Concern for attack on Monica Roa and Women’s Link Worldwide”

Dear Colombian authorities,

On the eve of the sixth anniversary of the historic decision that decriminalized abortion in Colombia, threats have escalated against human rights activist Monica Roa and Women’s Link Worldwide where she works as Director of Programs. On the evening of May 7, 2012, at approximately 6:30 PM an unidentified person fired shots at the Women’s Link Worldwide office in Bogota where Monica and two of her colleagues were working. The bullet broke the office window security glass above Monica’s head. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Monica Roa is a widely known human rights defender who, with Women´s Link Worldwide, filed a lawsuit before the Colombian Constitutional Court six years ago that ended the total abortion ban in Colombia by recognizing abortion as a fundamental right in three circumstances. Since such time she has had bodyguard protection (provided by the Ministry of Justice) as a result of numerous threats directed at her through social media, faxes and phone calls with such warnings as “we will put you in heaven”. During this time Women’s Link Worldwide offices also faced a series of break-ins where their computers were stolen. There is no information at this time about the perpetrators of this crime. The authorities have been contacted but have yet to instigate an investigation into the attack.

Sadly, this is not an isolated incident. This scare tactic comes at a time when the work to implement the right to abortion in Colombia is under fierce attack. Just two months ago on March 1, Women’s Link learned that a criminal complaint had been filed against Monica by2one of the country’s highest officials, Ilva Miriam Hoyos, Deputy Procuradora. To date, the complaint has not been made public.

Subsequently, the intimidation continued. On April 24, yet another computer was stolen through a window from the Women’s Link Worldwide Bogota office. This week’s violent attack on the office reveals a pattern of intimidation and presents fear of escalating danger for Monica Roa and her colleagues.

The undersigned women’s rights and human rights organizations condemn these actions and are gravely concerned for the physical security and well-being of Monica Roa and all Women’s Link Worldwide staff. We demand an end to the ongoing harassment and threats against Women’s Link Worldwide and all reproductive rights defenders in Colombia.

The undersigned call on the Colombian authorities to:

1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the events that took place at Women’s Link Worldwide offices in Bogota on the evening of May 7, 2012, with a view to publishing the findings and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international human rights standards;

2. Make public the criminal complaint filed against Monica Roa so she is able to respond to the allegations against her and exercise her right to a legal defense.

3. Take measures to ensure that government officials or other public figures refrain from further stigmatizing the legitimate work of women human rights defenders in Colombia and, in particular, Monica Roa and Women’s Link Worldwide;

4. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical security and well-being of Monica Roa and all staff at Women’s Link Worldwide;

5. Take all appropriate measures to ensure reproductive rights defenders in Colombia are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions; this should include, at a minimum: passing protective legislation, conducting human rights trainings for those charged with the administration of justice, and promoting human rights education about the important role of women human rights defenders generally and defenders of sexual and reproductive rights in particular.

Thanks for your consideration,

Center for Reproductive Rights 
ADIOS - Associazione italiana done per lo sviluppo Via dei Giubbonari, Italy

AMMOR-Federación Nacional, Mexico
Amnesty International  
Apoyo desde Argentina, Argentina
APROFA - Chile, Chile
Articulación Feminista Marcosur  (AFM) Uruguay
Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Regional/Malaysia, Malaysia
Asociación de Especialistas Universitarias en estudios de la Mujer, Argentina
Asociacion de Mujeres Mejorando el Orizonte Regional, A.C   (AMMOR, A.C) Mexico
ASPIRE 
ASTRA Youth Network and the  Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland
AWID 
Balance Promoción para el Desarrollo y Juventud, Mexico
Caribbean Development Activists and Women's Network (C-DAWN) 
Catholics for Choice - USA
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir - Chile
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir - Colombia
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir - Bolivia
CEJIL
Center for Constitutional Rights USA 

Center for Gender & Refugee Studies,  UC Hastings College of the Law USA
Center for Health and Gender Equity  (CHANGE) USA
Center for Women's Global Leadership 
Centro de Ecucacion y Prevencion del VIH/Sida AC. CEPVIDA Mexico
Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES) Argentina
Centro de Promoción y Defensa por los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (PROMSEX) Peru
Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program, Hampshire College USA
CLADEM Brasil
CLAE Consorcio Latinoamericano de Anticoncepción de Emergencia Latin America
Coalición Nicaraguense por los Derechos Sexuales y Derechos Reproductivos (CNDSDR) Nicaragua
Colectiva por el Derecho a Decidir Costa Rica 
Colectivo Con-spirando, Chile
Comissao de Cidadania e Reprodução 
Comité contra el Feminicidio en Morelos COCOFEM Mexico

Commissioner to the Law Reform Commission of Thailand
Consorcio Latinoamericano Contra el Aborto Inseguro (CLACAI) Latin America
Corporación Humanas – Colombia  Colombia
Corporación Sisma Mujer, Spain
Cotidiano Mujer, Uruguay Uruguay
CreSer para un desarrollo integral, A.C. Mexico
Cuenta Conmigo Diversidad Sexual Incluyente A.C. Mexico
dance4life, Netherlands 
DAWN 
Ddeser - Red por los derechos sexuales y reproductivos en México
De La Calle Londoño López & Posada, Colombia
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN) Secretariat based in the Philippines
Egypt Member Association IPPF Egypt
El Grupo Multidisciplinario por la Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos en Guatemala
ELA - Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género Argentina
Equidad de Género, Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia - México
Federación Latinoamericana de Sociedades de Obstetrícia y Ginecologia (FLASOG) Latin America

Foro de Mujeres y Políticas de Población - México
Foundation for Women, Law and Rural Development (FORWARD) Thailand
Fundacion Desafio  Ecuador
Fundación Oriéntame Colombia
Gestos+HIV, Communication and Gender 
Global Doctors For Choice/Brasil Brazil
Grupo Curumim, Brazil
ICMER Chile
Incidencia en Marco Normativo Nacional Bolivia
INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre Sri Lanka
Iniciativa Global para la Equidad la Justicia y la Ecología A.C.   Mexico
Integrante de los Diálogos Feministas en Bolivia
International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) 
International Planned Parenthood Federation  
International Women's Health Coalition 
Ipas USA
Ipas - Brazil
IPPF/RHO

Irish Family Planning Association Ireland
Kalyanamitra Foundation-Indonesia Indonesia
La Fundación Si Mujer, Colombia
La Red Chilena contra la Violencia Doméstica y Sexual, Chile
Las Hijas Predilectas de la Negrita 
L'Association Algérienne pour la Planification Familiale (AAPF) Algeria
Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights  
MADRE 
Marie Stopes International Bolivia
National alliance of women human right defenders Nepal (NAWHRD)  Nepal
Network for Glocal Activism/School of Feminism for glocal activists 
Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders 
O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center United States
ONG FAD 
Palestinian Family Planning and Protection Association (PFPPA) Palestine
Peace Foundation Pakistan
People for Peace and Defence of Rights (PPDR Uganda) Uganda
Planned Parenthood Federation of USA

Population Matters

PROFAMILIA Colombia 
Red de Salud de las Mujeres Latinoamericanas y del Caribe (RSMLAC) Chile
Red Latinoamericana de Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir Latin America
Red Par, Periodistas de Argentina en Red por una Comunicación no Sexista 
Red por los derechos sexuales y reproductivos en Morelos Ddeser- Morelos, Mexico
Rutgers WPF, Netherlands
SAMSARA Indonesia
SFPA-Sudan
SI Mujer Nicaragua 
SOS Jeunesse et Enfacne en Detresse
Tanzania Network of women living with HIV and AIDS 
The Family Planning Association of Trinidad and Tobago  
Tunis Member Association IPPF Tunis
Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile
Universidad Diego Portales College of Law Chile
Universidade Federal de São Paulo, campus Baixada Santista Brazil

Women for Women's Human Rights Turkey
Women´s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)  
Women’s Abortion Action Campaign (WAAC)  Australia
Women’s Initiatives for Gender Justice 
Women's Human Rights Defenders International Coalition 
Women's Promotion Centre, Tanzania Tanzania
Youth Intercommunity Network Kenya
YP Foundation, India

Individuals:
Antonio Barreto, Colombia
Brian Concannon Jr., Esq., Haiti
Carol Bradford, UK
Catalina Ruiz 
Claudia Florentin, Argentina
Hannah Surowitz 
Johana Román Castañeda, Mexico
Julissa Mantilla Falcon 
Laura Davis Mattar, Brazil
Leticia Canseco Rincón, Mexico
Mabel Bianco, Argentina

Maria Isabel Matamala Vivaldi, Chile
María Paulina Mogollón  
Mariana Carbajal Periodista, Argentina
Marlene Fried, USA
Marta Raquel Zabaleta  
Meena Jagannath, Haiti
Mindy Jane Roseman, J.D., Ph.D., USA
Nadia Maciel Paulino, Mexico
Sarah Diehl, Germany
Soledad Acevedo Arenas, Chile
Sylvia Estrada Claudio, MD, PhD
Wanda Nowicka Poland
María Consuelo Mejía"

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