Colombian journalist refused UK visa

[Judi Lynn]

Roy Greenslade Tuesday 14 September 2010 08.15 BST
guardian.co.uk
Colombian journalist refused UK visa

Award-winning Colombian journalist Claudia Duque has been refused entry to Britain. She was invited by the National Union of Journalists to give a speech about her work in upholding human rights.

She was hoping to visit London as part of a European tour in which she collected a press freedom award in Stockholm from the Swedish arm of Reporters Without Borders.

The NUJ's general secretary, Jeremy Dear, said: "It is shameful that the UK government is the only one to turn down her visa request." And Aidan White, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, said: "It is extraordinary that the authorities in Britain are closing the door to one of Colombia's most distinguished reporters whose work is an inspiration in the struggle for democracy and human rights."

Duque has been a thorn in the side of Colombia's government, not least by revealing the infiltration of extreme right-wing paramilitary groups into government institutions.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2010/sep/14/press-freedom-colombia

[Judi Lynn]

1. UK denies visa to Colombian journalist .

UK denies visa to Colombian journalist .
Friday, 10 September 2010 13:54 Adriaan Alsema

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/media/claudia_duque.jpg

The United Kingdom denied a visa to Colombian journalist Claudia Duque, British journalism organizations report.

Duque had been invited to the U.K. by the National Union of Journalists to give a speech about her work as a human rights reporter.

According to website journalism.co.uk, the Colombian had already received two awards while on tour in Europe, but was refused entrance to the U.K.

In Colombia, Duque allegedly has been a victim of illegal wiretapping by the country's intelligence agency DAS and over the past few years survived murder attempts and received death threats when researching human rights violations.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11788-uk-refuses-visa-to-colombian-journalist.html

[Wilms]

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