ICJ mission to Colombia: anti-terrorism policy aggravates human rights situation

In January 2005, the ICJ conducted a mission to Colombia to assess the impact of the “democratic security” policy on human rights, the administration of justice and the rule of law. The ICJ concluded that the implementation of this anti-terrorism policy has resulted in increasing cases of torture and forced disappearances and the systematic use of arbitrary detentions. In the framework of this policy, the Government has worked to undermine the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, in particular the Constitutional Court. In the department of Arauca, where security and armed forces have a strong presence, the ICJ witnessed the constant harassment and stigmatization of human rights defenders and the various attempts to silence any political opposition.