Colombia’s National Police allegedly tortured, sexually abused and threatened to kill illegally detained participants in attempts to repress anti-government protests, according to victims and human rights defenders.
The accusations reported by Cable Noticias and La Nueva Prensa on Sunday add to previous claims that the police used terror tactics, kidnapped, assaulted and even murdered at least four innocent civilians to quell the protests that began on November 21.
Leading senator wants investigation into state involvement in ‘orchestrated terror’ plot against citizens
The police’s alleged torture practices
Human rights advocates told Cable Noticias they will be filing criminal charges against the National Police over the apparently widespread human rights abuses, which include torture and sexual abuse.
Alexandra Gonzalez of the Committee for Political Prisoners told the television network that “we have evidence of torture” of some of the more than 1050 people who were unlawfully detained during the protests.
Alexandra Gonzalez (Committee for Political Prisoners)
In one case, a woman was forced to undress herself in front of policemen, said Gonzalez.
A victim account
In an interview with La Nueva Prensa, one of the three students who were kidnapped by police last week said that his captors repeatedly threatened to kill him and threatened to cut off his ear while a group of some 15 cops took turns to beat him.
The victim, Carlos Russi, was kidnapped after controversial riot police unit ESMAD violently repressed peaceful protests at the National University in Bogota on Monday and went missing until a court ordered the National Police to release the victim.
Russi, who said he was only passing by the university, told the newspaper he was severely beaten and threatened from the moment he was kidnapped.
After begging the cops to stop beating him, one police officer allegedly told him he was a “girl” and that “I’m gonna cut your head off.”
A second cop threatened to cut off his ear, Russi said.
Alleged threat to kidnapped student
Police oblivious to legal consequences
While the commanders of the National Police and the Bogota Police Department try to downplay the slew of human rights violations, criminal charges are piling up.
The Committee for Political Prisoners say they are planning to file criminal charges against the National Police on Monday.
Opposition senators already said last week they would also file criminal charges and would surrender evidence of the police’s amply documented human rights violations to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Holland.
Press freedom foundation FLIP has said that dozens of journalists have also been unlawfully detained. One journalist who was allegedly tortured while in custody has also filed criminal charges.
Foundation for the freedom of Press
The human rights body of the Organization of American States “reminded” Colombia on Thursday that the repression of peaceful protest and the arbitrary arrest of protesters are illegal.
Inter-American Commission for Human Rights
Despite growing political and legal pressure, the police reportedly continues to break the law as they please.
Police at El Dorado airport in Bogota unlawfully arrested four primary school teachers on Sunday for displaying drawings made by their students in honor of children from their villages who were murdered by the military, according to Cable Noticias.