The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today asked the authorities in Colombia to take very seriously recent threats made by an armed group called The Black Eagles against a group of journalists, including members of the IFJ affiliate in the country and human rights organisations which the group has declared military targets.

"We strongly condemn the threats against these journalists and urge the Colombian government to bring those who made them to justice," said Jim Boumelha, IFJ President. "For far too long our colleagues have been subjected to unrelenting intimidation, persecution and threats to their lives. This must stop."

A document signed by the "Central Command of the Black Eagles", an extreme right wing paramilitary group in Colombia, was sent to a number of journalists, warning them that they are legitimate targets and that their lives are in danger. The targeted journalists include Eduardo Marquez, President of the Federación Colombiana de Periodistas (FECOLPER), an IFJ affiliate, Hollman Morris, Daniel Coronell, Marcos Perales Mendoza and Claudia Julieta Duque. There are also some human rights organisations which are declared military targets by the paramilitaries.

The group states that " time has come to exterminate and eliminate all the people and organisations that try to pass as human rights defenders and even try to infiltrate international NGOs, journalists (...). We will find you at your offices, at the houses you live in (...). We are watching you and right now consider yourself dead".

The IFJ is concerned by the recent threats, coming two years after the revelation of a document in 2009 drawn up by the Colombian secret services (DAS) which contained guidelines to be used for intimidating journalists who were labeled by former President Uribe as masked human rights defenders impostors. Journalist Claudia Julieta Duque and Daniel Coronell, in particular, were victims of a campaign of intimidation by the DAS for their investigative work.

The IFJ supports calls by its regional organisation, FEPALC, which also condemned the threats and reminded the Colombian authorities of their duty to prevent violence against journalists.

"Colombia has a poor record concerning the safety of journalists and these threats require drastic steps to ensure no harm comes to our colleagues," said Gustavo Granero, IFJ Vice President. "It is particularly disturbing that these threats are made at a time where attacks on media are on the increase in Colombia. We need urgent measures to reverse the situation."

According to Fecolper's  report on the situation of the Colombian press in 2010, there was a marked increase of violent incidents against journalist, including 189 cases of aggression recorded. The IFJ recorded three clear cases of targeted killings of journalists while four more are under investigation to determine whether they were work related.

The Federation fully backs the demand from Fecolper for credible investigation into all these incidents by the Attorney General's Office and the National Police.

"The culture of impunity for crime against journalists must end now," added Granero. "Press freedom will never thrive in the absence of genuine rule of law."

For more information, please contact IFJ on + 32 2 235 22 07

The IFJ represents more than 600.000 members in 125 countries