Paraguay: Withdraw all accusations against Human rights lawyer Julia Cabello Alonso

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Human rights lawyer Julia Cabello Alonso
Human rights lawyer Julia Cabello Alonso
Human rights lawyer Julia Cabello Alonso

Sra Sheila Abed
Ministerio de Justicia
Avda. Dr. Jos? Gaspar Rodr?guez de Francia esq. Estados Unidos
Asunci?n ? Paraguay
email:?[email protected]
telephone: (021) 493-209

Dear Minister,

I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human rights defender and Freelance journalist.

I would like to draw your attention to the following case.

Human rights lawyer, Ms Julia Cabello Alonso, faces a possible one-year suspension from practicing law or disqualification from the Paraguay Bar Association as a result of accusations of misconduct. The President of the Supreme Court of Justice made the accusations following the human rights defenders’ criticism of a Supreme Court decision to review the constitutionality of the 2014 expropriation law, that allows for the return of more than 14,404 hectares of traditional land to the Sawhoyamaxa indigenous community.

Julia Cabello Alonso is a human rights lawyer and Coordinator of Tierraviva, an indigenous rights organisation which works to promote and defend the rights of indigenous communities, in particular their rights to the land and natural resources in Paraguay.

According to information received, Julia Cabello Alonso has been accused by Dr Gladys Bareiro de M?dica, President of the Supreme Court, on the grounds that Tierraviva’s criticism regarding the Supreme Court’s decision constituted an insult and serious offence against her. On 2 December 2014, the Supreme Court accepted an appeal from two German ranching companies challenging the constitutionality of the expropriation law, signed by President Cartes in June 2014, to return the lands to the Sawhoyamaxa community. This was the second appeal to be lodged by the companies. On the first occasion the appeal was rejected unanimously by the Court, a decision that was signed off by Dr Gladys Bareiro, as President of the Supreme Court.

The Sawhoyamaxa community of the Exnet nation have been living along a public highway in the Chaco region since they were displaced from their lands in 1992. In 2006, The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ordered the Government of Paraguay to return the land to the community within three years, after ruling that their rights had been violated.

Tierraviva issued a press release concerning the Supreme Court decision to review the constitutionality of the 2014 law based on the second appeal. Julia Cabello Alonso spoke with the media claiming that the Supreme Court’s decision not only put into question the rights of the indigenous community, but also impeded the fulfilment of the 2006 decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. As it stands, the expropriation process has been suspended pending the resolution of the constitutional challenge and the indigenous communities cannot access the 14.404 hectares.

I am concerned at the accusations against Julia Cabello Alonso, and believe that they constitute a direct attempt to discredit her work as a human rights defender and lawyer.

I urge the authorities in Paraguay to:

1. Immediately withdraw all accusations against Julia Cabello Alonso, as it is believed that they are solely motivated by her legitimate and peaceful work in defence of human rights ;

2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Paraguay are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions, including legal restrictions.

Sincerely,

William Nicholas Gomes

Human Rights defender & ?Freelance Journalist

Twitter @wnicholasgomes

Email: [email protected]

www.facebook.com/williamnicholasgomes

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