Colombian torture-evidence in Danish Court

Thursday: Danish High Court is about to reject the use of material from the Colombian legal system. In the so called "T-shirt Trial" the defence has revealed that sentences from Colombia are based on confessions, brought about through torture. International consequences expected.

Rape, electrical torture, strangling and extreme violence are just some of the methods applied by Colombian authorities when prisoners are forced to confess to charges of terrorism and contact with the guerrilla. Today at meeting starting 9.30 AM the Danish High Court is therefore expected to reject the use of material from the Colombian legal system in the so called "T-shirt Trial" against the clothing firm Fighters+Lovers.

"It is absolutely incredible that the Danish prosecution can even think of presenting material for the High Court that with certainty can be established to derive from the use of torture. It is against the UN Torture Convention and thus both Danish and international case law", says defence lawyer Thorkild Høyer today to the large, national newspaper, Politiken.

Danish Minister of Justice: Illegal to use torture-evidence

The Danish Minister of Justice, Lene Espersen, has stated that torture-evidence is unacceptable and illegal. In Danish Parliament she has underlined that statements or confessions that have been made in connection to the use of torture are of no value as evidence. She further explained that the courts are obligated to reject such evidence as impermissible. (1)

A thorough examination of the Danish prosecution’s material in the court case against Fighters+Lovers has revealed that several of the sentences presented, are based on confessions brought about through torture. This has been revealed by comparing the prosecution’s material to reports from several human rights organisations, including the internationally recognized NGO International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Colombia.

"As presented in court Wednesday, it is well known that the Colombian state systematically tortures and murders its political opponents. We anticipate that evidence from Colombia from now on automatically will be rejected in international court trials", says Bobby Schultz who is one of the accused in the "T-shirt Trial".