Judge leaves Colombia after receiving death threats

[Judi Lynn]

Judge leaves Colombia after receiving death threats
13:46, June 23, 2010

A Colombian judge, who handed down a 30-year sentence to a retired Army colonel for involvement in the disappearance of civilians in 1985, had fled the country after receiving death threats, an attorney of the judge said on Tuesday.

Judge Maria Jara Gutierrez had left Colombia with her son after receiving threats from alleged "illegal armed groups," Jorge Molano told local Caracol Radio Station.

Two weeks ago, the judge sentenced retired colonel Luis Plazas Vega to 30 years in prison for his role in the disappearance of 11 people during a military operation against the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in the taking of the Palace of Justice in Bogota 24 years ago.

Plazas led the operation, in which 55 people were killed, including 11 judges.

The court found colonel Plazas guilty of retention and disappearance of ten civilians and one member of the FARC.

Gutierrez left Colombia after the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) gave her shelter as a precautionary measure and as a response to her repeated complaints of threats after receiving criticism from President Alvaro Uribe.

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7036876.html

[rabs]

1. Images of the palace siege in November 1985

(Edit to ask; Judi have you seen to which country the judge has fled?)


Attack to retake the palace from the M-19 guerrillas


The eleven who were taken out of the palace, tortured and executed. They are said to have been innocent workers at the palace cafeteria.




Palace in flames after the army attacked.

Little known fact: During the siege, the supreme court president asked the army to cease the attack and for the government to take up the guerrillas' offer to negotiate. Noemi Sanin, who was the government's minister of communications at the time, ordered the censorship of the guerrillas' offer to find a negoiated solution and the attack continued. Sanin ran for the presidency but was eliminated in the first round last month.

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Off topix but whew, U.S. advances in World Cup in nail-biter.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Excellent photos of that siege. Horrible situation.

Deutsche Presse-Agentur describes which way the judge went as "an unknown location abroad".

Colombian judge flees country after death threats
Jun 23, 2010, 17:53 GMT

Bogota - A Colombian judge has fled the country due to death threats after sentencing a high-ranking military officer to to 30 years in prison for the disappearance of 11 civilians in 1985, local media reported Wednesday.

Judge Maria Stella Jara Gutierrez and her child have fled to an unknown location abroad, Radio Caracol reported, citing lawyer Jorge Molano.

President Alvaro Uribe had called the judge's ruling 'unjust' and 'demotivating' for the military.

More:
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/americas/news/article_1565743.php/Colombian-judge-flees-country-after-death-threats

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As usual, Squeaky Alvarito took the time to drop the hammer on her to make sure she was publicly nailed as his enemy public. That's always what he does when he expects someone to kill the targeted person, it's happened time after time.

That's what you get for being honest in Colombia.

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Thanks for the USA update. Hadn't heard, yet.