Karapatan’s statements on the acquittal of Leila de Lima, quashal of cases vs Northern Luzon activists
KARAPATAN Public Information
Dear friends,
Please find the following statements of Karapatan on the developments this morning of 12 May 2023.
For reference:
Cristina Palabay, Karapatan Secretary General, +63917-3162831
Karapatan Public Information Desk, +63918-9790580
On the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court Branch 204’ acquittal of former Sen. Leila de Lima
Karapatan lauds the acquittal of former Sen. Leila de Lima on one of the malicious charges against her. We call on the Muntinlupa City RTC Branch 256 to grant her bail petition to enable her release.
For six years, Sen. Leila has been detained and pilloried by the Duterte administration, but she remained firm and steadfast in speaking out against Duterte’s crimes.
As we welcome Sen. Leila’s acquittal and call for her release, we likewise call for the release of all political prisoners like her who have been persecuted because of their work and beliefs on human rights and social justice.
Free Leila de Lima!
Free all political prisoners!
On the quashal of trumped up rebellion charges vs Northern Luzon-based human rights defenders
Karapatan welcomes the Abra Regional Trial Court Branch 2’s decision granting the motion to quash the trumped up rebellion charges against Cordillera and Ilocos-based human rights defenders Jennifer Awingan, Sarah Abello, Stephen Tauli, Windel Bolinget, Lucia Lourdes Gimenes, Nino Joseph Oconer, and Florence Kang, for lack of probable cause.
In the first place, such cases should not have been filed and given course because these are baseless and fabricated cases meant to persecute the defenders. The government should stop the practice of filing trumped up criminal charges depriving many, especially political prisoners, their liberty and freedom.
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publi...@karapatan.org
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.