16. The Committee also deplores the fact that so-called “social-cleansing” operations, targeting street children, homosexuals, prostitutes and petty delinquents, continue to be carried out and that appropriate and effective action has not yet been taken to ensure the full protection of the rights of these groups, especially of their right to life.

33. The Committee recommends that special measures be adopted, including protective measures, to ensure that members of various social sectors, particularly journalists, human rights activists, trade union and political leaders, teachers, members of indigenous populations and judges, are able to exercise their rights and freedoms, including freedom of expression, assembly and association, without intimidation of any sort. The Committee also urges the authorities to take stringent measures to ensure full protection of the rights of victims of “social cleansing”, in particular their rights under articles 6 and 7 of the Covenant.

Link to full text of the report: Concluding Observations-CCPR-Colombia-1997-eng

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