The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders asked Colombia Tuesday in Washington to stop the harassment of human rights activists in the country.
Rapporteur Margaret Sekaggya, speaking to members of U.S. Congress urged Colombian authorities to stop stigmatizing human rights workers and start investigating denunciations made over human rights abuses, Spanish press agency EFE reported.
Also, Colombia should pay more attention to the threats and attacks on human rights activists, Sekaggya said.
The U.S. House of Representatives’ human rights commission was discussing Colombia on Tuesday.
In defense of the Colombian State, ambassador Carolina Branco sent a letter wherein she reiterated her country’s commitment to the protection of human rights activists.
UN Rapporteur Sekaggya was in Colombia in September to inspect the situation of human rights workers in the country.