Sinn Féin Foreign Affairs spokesperson Seán Crowe TD has condemned threats against 22 independent lawyers who represent the FARC at the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz – JEP) in Colombia.

Deputy Crowe said:

“I am very concerned about reports that 22 lawyers who represent the FARC at the JEP have received death threats from a right-wing paramilitary group called the Black Eagles.

“One of the lawyers threatened is Diego Martínez. He is currently providing legal support to the family of the former FARC combatant Dimar Torres who was murdered by the Colombian Army.

“In October, the UN said that at least 151 FARC members in the reincorporation process had been killed since the signing of the peace agreement three years ago.

“Martínez had been providing legal advice and technical defence to other former members of the FARC for several years. He has protectionary measures from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights due to previous death threats.

“Overall, more than 500 political and social activists have been killed since the peace deal was signed in November 2016.

“I am calling on the Colombian government to provide additional and stronger security measures for these lawyers and to properly investigate these increasingly worrying threats.

“The Colombian government must unequivocally and strongly reject these threats against these lawyers.

“I will also urgently raise this case with the Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney.”