Inpec officials is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law” data-fileentryid=”2994696″/>
What happened on the Pan-American highway, in the Department of Cauca, is a violation of the principle of discrimination.
The Ministry of Justice must coordinate the protocols that guarantee the safety of the guards of the National Institute of Prisons and Prisons with the Ministry of Defense and the National Defense Unit.
Bogotá, October 18, 2024 (@DefensoriaCol). The Office of the Ombudsman strongly condemns the attacks to which members of the Custodial and Surveillance Corps of the National Institute of Penitentiary and Prisons (Inpec) have been victims in the departments of Cauca and Santander, as well as condemning that their lives and integrity have been affected of the people deprived of their freedom, who were transported in the official custody vehicle that was leaving Papayán and was destined for Cali.
Although Colombian law authorizes them to carry arms to strictly fulfill their functions, it is clear that, because they are public servants assigned to Inpec, they are in no way participants in the hostilities in the national territory, and it is recognizable from every point of view since they are attacked by organized armed groups.
What happened on the Pan-American Highway is a violation of the principle of discrimination, which is why we ask the Ministry of Justice and Law, as the coordinating entity of the justice sector, to coordinate with the Ministry of Defense and with the National Defense Unit. . necessary protocols that guarantee the security of Inpec servers. And we ask the Attorney General’s Office to take action to clarify the facts and to contribute to the arrest of those responsible for that attack and the attack suffered by dragons in Bucaramanga.
The national human rights entity understands that the officers of the National Institute of Prisons and Prisons are also victims of the unconstitutional situation in the prisons and jails of the country, which is why it is unacceptable , in addition to the bloody working conditions they have to endure. to face them, they must be subjected to the actions of armed structures outside the law and criminal groups.
The Inpec Custody and Surveillance Corps performs an essential task, so attacks against it could constitute violations of international humanitarian law (IHL). The attacks on them, especially this year, show an increasing violence, unfortunately, which has put a heavy cost on their missions.
The validity of the rule of law is about protecting those who protect citizens, a category that also includes prison servants, who are in constant danger every day.