Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2006 - Costa Rica

International Federation for Human Rights, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Annual Report 2006 - Costa Rica, 14 March 2007, https://www.refworld.org/reference/annualreport/ifhr/2007/en/60390 [accessed 16 April 2024]
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Attack on CTRN headquarters and death threats against its members106

On May 24, 2006, in San José, Ms Tannia González, Ms Nieves Granja, and Messrs Gustavo Hernádez, Alejandro López and Tyronne Esna, all members of the Rerum Novarum Workers' Confederation (Confederación de Trabajadores Rerum Novarum – CTRN), were attacked by unidentified individuals who burst into the organisation's premises. Ms. González was threatened with a weapon, while the other staff members were forced to lie on the ground before they were being tied up. The attackers stole the personal belongings of CTRN members, chequebooks and documents of the organisation, as well as many work documents relating in particular to a complaint filed before the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

The attackers, who were in constant communication on their mobile phone, threatened to kill their victims and said that they knew about the trip of Mr. Rodrigo Aguilar – another CTRN member – to Brazil. They locked everyone present in the organisation's toilets before running off.

[Refworld note: This report as posted on the FIDH website (www.fidh.org) was in pdf format with country chapters run together by region. Footnote numbers have been retained here, so do not necessarily begin at 1.]

106. See Urgent Appeal CRI 001/0606/OBS 064.

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