Ivan Cepeda Thursday urged the government to take action on the abominable conditions in Colombia’s prisons, amid reported hunger strikes and non-violent protests by inmates.
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Cepeda brought the issue to the attention of Justice Minister Ruth Stella Correa and the head of Colombia National Prison Authority “Inpec”, General Gustavo Ricaurte, and asked them to implement immediate measures to confront the situation facing thousands of prisoners in the country’s detention centers, while the new Prison and Penitentiary Code is being discussed in Congress.
The Congressman stated that the only way for the government to resolve the problem is “to discuss [it], consult the experts and make reforms.”
Cepeda will hold a conference with human rights committee members from 10 of the worst affected prisons on April, 24 with the participation of the justice minister and an inter-institutional committee of the penitentiary and prison system.
Sources
- Interview with Ivan Cepeda April, 11, 2013
- Iván Cepeda denuncia que hay huelgas en 5 cárceles del país por hacinamiento
- Denuncian huelgas de hambre en cinco cárceles del país