A/HRC/10/29 by high-ranking officials; that inequalities had not decreased; and there were no guarantees of the rights to health, education, food and adequate housing for many. It hoped the Government’s acceptance of recommendations would result in serious measures and called for acceptance of all the recommendations. 648. The World Organization against Torture, on behalf of Human Rights First, Front Line and the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, stated that the treatment of human rights defenders emerged as a key theme of the review, demonstrating their precarious situation in Colombia. It welcomed Colombia’s acceptance of recommendations in this regard and its commitment to provide guarantees and protection measures for human rights defenders to carry out their work. It stated that defenders, however, continued to pay a heavy price, condemning the assassination of Edwin Legarda. It urged Colombia’s adoption of the many recommendations to acknowledge the legitimacy of human rights advocacy, but said senior officials continued to falsely label defenders as terrorists. It called on the President to issue and enforce a directive prohibiting public officials from making false imputations that compromised the security or reputation of defenders. It expressed grave concern about the numerous threats and attacks against defenders, such as the recent death threats against a member of the Colombian Commission of Jurists. It urged Colombia to address the serious problem of baseless criminal prosecutions of defenders, saying the Prosecutor-General should pass a resolution enabling his human rights unit to review all criminal investigations against human rights defenders in line with fundamental due process standards. It urged Colombia to immediately release from prison defenders who remained unjustly detained. 649. The World Federation of Trade Unions welcomed statements recommending that Colombia protect unionists, human rights defenders, women, displaced persons, journalists, children, indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants. It welcomed Colombia’s acceptance of many recommendations, but expressed concern at the increasing number of crimes against unionists, from 37 in 2007 to 45 in 2008. In 2009, seven workers had been murdered and two had disappeared. It added that indigenous communities continued to be threatened, citing a number of threats of social cleansing at the entrance of the Wayuu communities at the Guajira department. It noted that the establishment of unions could entail serious reprisals, citing the sacking of 22 workers in Cartagena in February 2009 for considering unionizing. 650. The Social Service Agency of the Protestant Church in Germany, also on behalf of OIDHACO, stated that interventions during Colombia’s review reflected the gravity of the situation. It hoped the Council would create effective mechanisms to follow up on recommendations beyond the voluntary submissions by reviewed States and without waiting for years. It added that the armed conflict had led to disturbing levels of degradation caused by all the armed stakeholders, citing the massacre by the FARC of 18 indigenous Awa in Nariño in February 2009. It highlighted the high number of extrajudicial executions by armed forces and was disturbed by the Government’s underestimation of the seriousness of the situation. It noted the telephone tapping by Colombian information services against magistrates of the Supreme Court, members of the opposition, human rights defenders and journalists. It also cited the extradition of 17 paramilitary commanders as a serious obstacle to justice, preventing important revelations from emerging if they had been questioned in Colombia. It added that high-ranking officials’ declarations against journalists, rights defenders and unionists resulted in serious threats against them. 651. International PEN and the World Press Freedom Committee welcomed Colombia’s commitments in relation to journalists, including improving guarantees of their rights; encouraging investigations of crimes against them; and fostering a culture in which it was easier for journalists to work. They noted with satisfaction that there had been no deadly attacks on print journalists in Colombia in 2008, unlike the preceding two years, but were GE.09-17451 193