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 The Colombian human rights lawyer Rommel Durán Castellanos recently spent several days in England and the Netherlands to rally support for his colleagues, who are exposed to threats and violence. Another aim of his trip was to prepare for the international observation mission 'Caravana Internacional de Juristas', which will visit Colombia in August for the fifth time. The biennial delegation will consist of a large group of lawyers, judges and public prosecutors from more than ten countries. The 'Caravana' is being organized from London, in cooperation with Colombian lawyers. As in previous years, Lawyers for Lawyers will also be represented in the delegation. We spoke with Rommel about the difficult position of many lawyers in Colombia
Rommel is regularly subject to intimidation and threats and has been arbitrarily detained twice. He seems to speak about this almost light-heartedly but then falls silent: his brother was murdered in 2016. Despite that, human rights lawyer Rommel Durán continues to fight for justice in Colombia.
“No” he says, smiling but serious, in the interview with Lawyers for Lawyers. He does not have a girlfriend. The 31-year-old lawyer consciously chooses not to enter into a relationship. He is often far from home for long periods of time, as many of the people he helps live in the countryside. And more importantly: he would not want to expose a wife and children to the dangers of his work. Family members of human rights activists often face reprisals.
Colombia is now being advertised on tourist websites as a beautiful and safe holiday destination. According to Rommel, the reality for many residents is nothing like that. "In the tourist spots, the tensions are less noticeable," he explains. The Santos government also actively promotes the idea that – since the peace agreement with the FARC in 2016 – the civil war has ended. He sees this completely differently. "Political violence continues unabated. For farmers and social leaders, for those who stick their necks out, nothing has changed. Nothing at all. We are back in the period of great violence. The sixties, seventies, the time of 'la grande violencia'.”
Stigmatization
Lawyers who defend the interests of the little guy, political prisoners or those reporting human rights violations do so at great risk. According to Rommel, they are associated with the parties they defend, or are falsely accused of (and sometimes prosecuted for) corruption, fraud or undermining justice. "When we give legal assistance to political prisoners, we are stigmatized as terrorism lawyers. We also help family members of people who have been executed by the army without any form of trial.”
According to Rommel it is impossible to overemphasize the importance of international attention, such as the Caravana de Juristas. "With this support, we are in a stronger position to confront the authorities with regard to our security risks. They must be convinced that we are not parties to the conflict, but are only using the legal system to combat lawlessness."
Text: Lawyers for Lawyers / Johan van Uffelen - Sophie de Graaf
Read the entire interview with Rommel Durán on our website.
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