PBI-Colombia accompanied journalist Claudia Julieta Duque listed as an urgent case by One Free Press Coalition

On April 1, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project tweeted, “PBI-Colombia has accompanied journalist Claudia Julieta Duque since 2010. Today @OneFreePress [the One Free Press Coalition] includes her in the list of the 10 most urgent cases of threats against freedom of expression in the world.”

PBI-Colombia shared Claudia’s tweet that says, “Once again the One Free Press Coalition has included me in the list of the Ten Most Urgent Cases of Threats against freedom of expression in the world, this time for the existence of a criminal plan against me originated last February within the @UNPColombia [National Protection Unit].”

One Free Press notes, “Journalist fears for her life, amid government-orchestrated threats. After 19 years of persecution and legal censorship, award-winning journalist Claudia Julieta Duque told IWMF [the International Women’s Media Foundation] that she learned on February 29 about an ongoing criminal threat against her life.”

It adds, “According to Duque, agents of the state institution in charge of protecting human rights defenders and at-risk journalists, called the National Protection Unit (UNP), were reportedly ordered to carry out intelligence activities to infiltrate Duque’s security scheme and threaten her welfare.”

In June 2019, Time Magazine reported, “Lack of security and safety in Colombia for journalists has forced some to flee the country; two journalists fled after being harassed online by officials. Others, like local journalist Claudia Duque, have endured kidnapping, illegal surveillance, and psychological torture for decades.”

“Courts convicted three high-ranking security service officers for torturing Duque and put another eight on trial. As of January 2019, none has served a day in prison.”

In September 2019, Duque commented, “In Colombia, journalism is far from free and unobstructed. Here, the threats against journalists are constant. Three colleagues have been murdered since last December.”

On accompaniment by Peace Brigades International, Claudia has stated, “I feel very safe when I’m with PBI, they are like my guardian angels. I really feel that daily accompaniment enables me to keep doing my job, I feel much calmer.”

Please also see our article PBI-Colombia thanks Canadian Embassy for observation of hearing on psychological torture of journalist Claudia Julieta Duque (January 21, 2020).

#IWMFCourage #PressFreedom