Colombia: Political Prisoners

(asked on 12th December 2016) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the conditions in which political prisoners are held in Colombia; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Alan Duncan Portrait
Alan Duncan
This question was answered on 15th December 2016

Prison conditions in Colombia, including over-population and the treatment of prisoners are particularly concerning. The Colombian Minister of Justice declared an emergency in the prison sector in May this year as 74 of Colombia's 138 prisons faced a shortage of medical staff. The detention of human rights defenders and activists in Colombia, often without trial or access to legal representation remains a concern. Access to justice and the rule of law remain central priorities for the UK in Colombia. Our Embassy in Bogotá has closely followed the cases of individual political prisoners, such as David Ravelo and Húber Ballesteros, discussing concerns with the Presidential Advisor for Human Rights and the prisons authority. We continue to raise these cases and others with the Government of Colombia on a regular basis.

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