New threats against PBI-Colombia accompanied CAJAR lawyer Yessika Hoyos Morales

The PBI-Colombia Project has tweeted:

“New threat against Yessica Hoyos, president of the @Ccajar, for her representation of victims of the massacre perpetrated by the Police. The increase in threats and defamations against the Collective in recent months is worrying.”

The José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective (CAJAR) has issued this statement denouncing “that the current president of the organization, Yessika Hoyos Morales, received today [January 22] a new threat against her life, which would be related to the case of Jenner Alfonso Mora, one of the young victims of the Mondoñedo massacre. committed by members of the National Police (DIJIN) in 1996.”

Their statement continues: “Although the lawyer no longer represents the victims before the JEP, today at 2:46 pm she received the following text message on her cell phone: “We see what continues to help that HP guerrilla in Girardot de Alfonso and this is it.” The second is that they tell her not to stick her nose in where they don’t call her because something about his son could happen to her.” The threatening content was sent from the number 3108044667.”

The CAJAR statement also notes: “It is important to remember that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is advancing a case against the Colombian State for illegal intelligence, threats, attacks and other acts of continuous persecution against members of the CAJAR. More than 30 testimonies have been submitted to the international process by members of CAJAR and their families, including that of human rights defender Yessika Hoyos, about different aggressions and human rights violations experienced in the exercise of their legal and legitimate work. Because of this persecution, the IACHR maintains precautionary measures in favor of all the members of CAJAR.”

And in their list of demand CAJAR asks “the international community for its international solidarity in rejecting these attacks faced by the victims who demand justice and the human rights defenders who represent them. This, so that these attacks and #ParaQueNoSeRepitan [Not To Be Repeated].”

The full statement can be read at Nuevas amenazas contra la abogada Yessika Hoyos Morales, presidenta del Cajar, por el caso de Jenner Alfonso Mora, víctima de la masacre de Mondoñedo (January 23, 2024).

The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project has accompanied the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective (CAJAR) since 1995.

Photo: CAJAR lawyer Yessika Hoyos Morales in Ottawa, Canada.