Luz Perly Córdoba receives peace prize in Denmark
(April 05, 2004)
Denmark’s 2004 Peace Prize was awarded to Luz Perly Córdoba on Wednesday, 31st March 2004. Luz Perly was unable to receive the award in person as she remains detained in Bogotá since 18 February 2004. The award was given to a representative of Luz Perly at a ceremony in the office of Copenhagen’s Mayor Per Bregengaard in the Municipal Palace in Copenhagan.
Luz Perly Córdoba Mosquera was chosen by the Bjorneklo Committee for her outstanding role as a defender of the rights of the peasant population in Colombia. She is president of the Peasants Association of Arauca (ACA) and Secretary General of FENSUAGRO-CUT, an agrarian federation regrouping different trade unions, social associations and committees working for justice and social change in Colombia. She was arrested arbitrarily on 18 February 2004 and remains in custody in Bogotá.
According to the Bjorneklo committee, the detention of the recognised human rights defender and many other trade unionists accused of rebellion or terrorism is part of a “wave of repression” which includes murders and torture. Mayor Per Bregengaard reportedly stated that the fight against terrorism by the Colombian government serves as a pretext to pursue those who fight for a more just society.
During her meeting with Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos in Dublin on 23 March 2004, Director of Front Line, Mary Lawlor, expressed concern that there is a pattern in Colombia of human rights defenders being detained without concrete evidence against them and then being released before being brought to trial. As Colombia is party to the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the government has an obligation to address this pattern. Furthermore, Front Line argues that if evidence is not produced, Luz Perly should be released.
ource: http://www.frontlinedefenders.org/news/909
