Colombian Government Targets Human Rights Defenders: Principe Gabriel González

In 2007 the prosecutor decided to appeal Gonzalezs acquittal. In a decision dated February 24 2009 but only made public recently, the Superior Tribunal of Bucaramanga found Gonzalez guilty of rebellion (membership of the guerrilla) and sentenced him to another 7 years in prison. The tribunal took almost two years to make the decision and held no hearings. The decision cited Gonzalezs human rights advocacy on behalf of prisoners as evidence of his involvement with the guerrilla group FARC and suggested that he was camouflaging his illicit activities through his organization.

Gonzalez is now appealing the decision to the Supreme Court of Justice but this will likely take years and probably will not enable him to evade incarceration.

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Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Colombia
• President
• Uribe
• human
• rights
• defenders
• Principe
• Gabriel
• González
• baseless
• prosecution
• paramilitary
• FARC