Bolivia: Human Rights Ambassador Shared Concern About Death Threats Against Ms Emma Bolshia Bravo Cladera

William Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com- Feb!-" #!

The intimidation and threats against ITEI and its director are not isolated threats. (WASHINGTON, DC) On !" #an$ar% !&'(, the Instit$to de Tera)ia e In*estigaci+n so,re las Sec$elas de la Tort$ra % la -iolencia Estatal . ITEI (Instit$te o/ Thera)% and In*estigation into the A/ter e//ects o/ Tort$re and State -iolence) )$,licl% and internationall% deno$nced the contin$o$s intimidation and death threats to 0hich its director, 1s Emma 2olshia 2ra*o Cladera, and sta// ha*e ,een s$,3ected since '4 No*em,er !&'". The ITEI is an inde)endent organisation 0hich 0or5s on de/ending citi6ens against *iolations o/ their h$man rights ,% the State. The instit$tion deno$nces instances o/ tort$re in )olice and militar% centres, Evo Morales carries o$t /orensic medical ins)ections in tort$re cases, has )resented a dra/t la0 on Tort$re and is 0or5ing on the creation o/ a National 7re*ention 1echanism 0hich 0o$ld ,e inde)endent o/ the state. 8ecentl%, Emma 2olshia 2ra*o Cladera has )$,licl% 0or5ed on and deno$nced a case o/ alleged )olice tort$re. Since '4 No*em,er !&'", Emma 2olshia 2ra*o Cladera has ,een recei*ing anon%mo$s tele)hone calls. These calls ser*e to let her 5no0 that her mo*ements are ,eing monitored. On the 0ee5end o/ 9 and : Decem,er !&'", she s$//ered a ,$rglar% at her home. T0o da%s later, the h$man rights de/ender recei*ed a tele)hone call d$ring 0hich she 0as as5ed ho0 she /elt a,o$t 0hat had ha))ened. On '! Decem,er !&'", she recei*ed a death threat o*er the tele)hone. 2et0een ': and !9 #an$ar% !&'(, the h$man rights de/ender recei*ed !& anon%mo$s )hone calls. T0o other mem,ers o/ sta// ha*e also recei*ed anon%mo$s calls 0ith similar content. Additionall%, e*er% da% /rom ;<"&)m, the ITEI o//ice is monitored $ntil the director lea*es. $illiam %omes =Wnicholasgomes @boliviaenuk investigate the death threats against Emma Bolshia &amp; #ITEI staff,bring those responsible to justice @carlosdmesag @ rigsb!"# !<!: 71 ( >e, !&'( The intimidation and threats against ITEI and its director are not isolated threats. On '9 #an$ar% !&'(, a gro$) o/ )eo)le s$))osedl% a//iliated 0ith the go*ernment in/iltrated a con*ention o/ the Asam,lea 7ermanente de Derechos H$manos de ?a 7a6 . A7DH?7 (7ermanent Assem,l% /or H$man 8ights o/ ?a 7a6). The @@ Ordinar% Con*ention o/ this

entit% had 3$st ,eg$n 0hen it 0as *iolentl% interr$)ted. Since then, it is re)orted that mem,ers o/ A7DH?7 ha*e ,een recei*ing threats /rom the )olice. H$man 8ights Am,assador /or Salem Ne0s.com, William Nicholas Gomes is concerned that the a,o*e mentioned incidents are aimed at silencing the *oices o/ those 0ho deno$nce tort$re and other h$man rights *iolations in 2oli*ia, as 0ell as those 0ho are /ighting /or 3$stice and against im)$nit%. A Sr. Evo orales A!ma, "residente de la Re#$blica de %olivia, &a "a', %olivia. E-mail( correo)#residencia.gov.bo *A+( ,-./ 0 001/0// 2our E3cellenc!, 4 am William Nicholas Gomes,Human Rights Ambassador for SalemNews.com. 5n 06 7anuar! 01/8, the 4nstituto de 9era#ia e 4nvestigaci:n sobre las Secuelas de la 9ortura ! la ;iolencia Estatal < 49E4 =4nstitute of 9hera#! and 4nvestigation into the After-effects of 9orture and State ;iolence> #ublicl! and internationall! denounced the continuous intimidation and death threats to which its director, s Emma %olshia %ravo ?ladera, and staff have been sub@ected since /- November 01/6. 9he 49E4 is an inde#endent organisation which worAs on defending citi'ens against violations of their human rights b! the State. 9he institution denounces instances of torture in #olice and militar! centres, carries out forensic medical ins#ections in torture cases, has #resented a draft law on 9orture and is worAing on the creation of a National "revention echanism which would be inde#endent of the state. Recentl!, Emma %olshia %ravo ?ladera has #ublicl! worAed on and denounced a case of alleged #olice torture. Since /- November 01/6, Emma %olshia %ravo ?ladera has been receiving anon!mous tele#hone calls. 9hese calls serve to let her Anow that her movements are being monitored. 5n the weeAend of B and C December 01/6, she suffered a burglar! at her home. 9wo da!s later, the human rights defender received a tele#hone call during which she was asAed how she felt about what had ha##ened. 5n /0 December 01/6, she received a death threat over the tele#hone. %etween /C and 0B 7anuar! 01/8, the human rights defender received 01 anon!mous #hone calls. 9wo other members of staff have also received anon!mous calls with similar content. Additionall!, ever! da! from E(61#m, the 49E4 office is monitored until the director leaves.

9he intimidation and threats against 49E4 and its director are not isolated threats. 5n /B 7anuar! 01/8, a grou# of #eo#le su##osedl! affiliated with the government infiltrated a convention of the Asamblea "ermanente de Derechos Humanos de &a "a' < A"DH&" ="ermanent Assembl! for Human Rights of &a "a'>. 9he ++ 5rdinar! ?onvention of this entit! had @ust begun when it was violentl! interru#ted. Since then, it is re#orted that members of A"DH&" have been receiving threats from the #olice. 4 am concerned that the above-mentioned incidents are aimed at silencing the voices of those who denounce torture and other human rights violations in %olivia, as well as those who are fighting for @ustice and against im#unit!. 4 urge the %olivian authorities to( '. Carr% o$t an in*estigation into the death threats recei*ed ,% h$man rights de/ender Emma 2olshia 2ra*o Cladera and ITEI sta//, and ,ring those res)onsi,le to 3$stice in accordance 0ith international standardsB !. Ta5e all necessar% meas$re to g$arantee at all times the )h%sical and )s%chological integrit% o/ Emma 2olshia 2ra*o Cladera and that o/ the entire sta// o/ ITEIB ". G$arantee in all circ$mstances that all h$man rights de/enders in 2oli*ia are a,le to carr% o$t their legitimate h$man rights acti*ities 0itho$t /ear o/ re)risals and /ree o/ all restrictions. 2ours sincerel!, William Nicholas Gomes Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com 9witter )wnicholasgomes Email( william)williamnicholasgomes.com williamnicholasgomes.com