Conscientious objector Luis Fernando Callejas

Dear Dr Angelino Garzon

I am very concerned about the forced recruitmet of Luis Fernando Callejas, who turns 25 on 13 December. Luis Fernando Callejas was forcefully recruited by soldiers of the 3rd Brigade in the night of 9 December 2006.
Between 11 and 12 at night, soldiers of the 3rd brigade of the Colombian military carried out a search of the neighbourhoods of Mariano Ramos and Republica de Israel of Cali, and rounded up youth of recruitment age.
Although Luis Fernando Callejas did so far not publicly declare his conscientious objection, he has repeatedly expressed his opposition to taking part in the armed conflict in Colombia, and does not want to be part of a process of dehumanisation and terror. He therefore has to be considered a conscientious objector.
Furthermore, according to Colombian and international law, recruitment by detention as practised in his case is illegal, although it is common practise in Colombia. The present detention of Luis Fernando Callejas is therefore arbitrary.
The forced recruitment is a violation of the "right to personal liberty (Article 7), the protection of human dignity (Article 11) and the right to freedom of movement (Article 22), guaranteed in the American Convention on Human Rights, in connection with Article 1.1 of that same legal instrument", according to a decision of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights in a very similar case from Guatemala (CASE 10.975, 6 October 1993). This alone should be reason enough for the immediate discharge of Luis Fernando Callejas from the military.
I urge you to respect human rights and international legal standards, and to exercise your influence to achieve the immediate release and discharge from the military of Luis Fernando Callejas.