Peace and Justice for Colombia

The Public Prosecution Office in Colombia is investigating illegal surveillance on that would have made from the DAS to the United Nations. Sources close to the investigation said that in the process includes photographs of former UN Commissioner for Human Rights Michael Frauling taking by DAS officers. Also noted that part of the process make several emails from UN officials found in DAS documents.

As part of the monitoring operations of the DAS to human rights organizations there is evidence that United Nations would have included follow-up UN officials.

United Nations office had expressed concern about the illegal surveillance of opposition politicians, judges and journalists, among others. Even had urged the Colombian Government to make urgent reforms in its intelligence agency (DAS) to establish control mechanisms of this intelligence service.

The statement came in late February during the annual report on Colombia. In this report, the representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Christian Salazar, said in Bogota that they continued “to receive information on interception of emails, stalking, harassment and threats, information theft, alteration of web pages and illegal trespasing to homes and offices of various organisations of civil society. “

The report concludes that the UN has received information that allows to “confirm the existence of a pattern of tapping, surveillance and harassment systematically carried out by officers of the DAS (Administrative Security Department), under orders from their superiors, who reported the results. “

The report warns that the investigation suggests that the central groups involved, including the National and International Observer (Goni), “were formally established structures within the institution. “ ”These facts, as reported in 2009, remain unpunished, ” the UN said.

Salazar said that the Colombian Government and other institutions such as the Attorney General and Congress should “move forward in a data center control and establishing a mechanism for clearance of files. “

He also urged the Government to “advance research to condemn those responsible of DAS for their crimes. “