[RSS][Colombia] Uribe victims seek international support for Colombia’s judicial system

[RSS]

Victims of the fraud and bribery practices of Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe said that they have asked international organizations to shield the judicial system against attacks.

In a press statement, Senator Ivan Cepeda said that Uribe’s victims sought support for the independence of the justice system after the former president’s conviction spurred criticism from Uribe’s allies in Colombia and the United States.

According to Cepeda, the “attempts to interfere in the jurisdictional function” represent “a direct threat to judicial independence, due process and the institutional balance of the Colombian State.”

We sent today an official communication to Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers of the UN Human Rights Council, and to Commissioner Roberta Clarke, Rapporteur on Defenders and Justice Operators of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
Senator Ivan Cepeda
Furthermore, said the Senator, the pressure from inside and outside Colombia on Judge Sandra Liliana Heredia, who convicted Uribe on Monday, put her life at risk.

There have been expressions and reactions from high-ranking officials and legislators of the United States government that, in the current context, can be interpreted as signs of pressure on the administration of justice in Colombia. In a State governed by the rule of law, justice must operate with full independence, without external interference and with respect for sovereignty and constitutional guarantees.
Senator Ivan Cepeda
In response to the verdict, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and several US lawmakers accused Heredia of being a “radical” judge who had weaponized Colombia’s judicial system against their ally.

Uribe and his far-right associates in Colombia have long claimed that the criminal investigation initially started by the Supreme Court were part of a leftist conspiracy.

The judge received the support of both Uribe’s victims and her peers, who stressed the importance of respecting court rulings like those that convicted the former president.

Uribe and his surviving brother is facing multiple criminal investigations related to their alleged ties to paramilitary groups that killed thousands in their native Antioquia province in the 1990’s and 2000’s.

The president has been controversial because of his family’s ties to late drug lord Pablo Escobar and notorious crime families for decades.

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Source: https://colombiareports.com/uribe-victi ... al-system/