18/12/2007 Legal Affairs and Human Rights
, 19.12.2007 – The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) today made public the following statement:
“The Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) considers it its duty to join in the campaign to have Ingrid Betancourt released from captivity. It solemnly calls upon the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to free Ingrid Betancourt without further delay.
The Committee strongly condemns the fact that Ingrid Betancourt has been held prisoner for over five years now. This period of detention has been intolerable for the hostage as well as for her family, as it has for many other hostages detained by the FARC.
The Committee appeals to the FARC to shoulder their humanitarian responsibility towards the many people whom they have detained for far too long. It urges them to free Ingrid Betancourt, Clara Rojas and all other hostages forthwith.
The Committee, which conveys its support to the hostages’ close friends and relations and to the family of Ingrid Betancourt, pleads with the international community and the Colombian government to work unremittingly for the release of the hostages.”
Contact: PACE Communication Unit, tel :+33(0)3 88 41 31 93 ; [email protected]