On June 16, 2023, the Constituent Convention of the Province of Jujuy, Argentina, conducted a constitutional reform without public participation, raising concerns about potential threats to the collective rights and cosmovision* of Indigenous Peoples.
Following the approval of the partial reform of the Provincial Constitution, violent police repression occurred in the province of Jujuy, accompanied by serious irregularities, including arbitrary detentions and the excessive use of force by state agents. The response of the security forces of Jujuy generated significant violations of the rights to life, liberty, personal integrity, peaceful assembly, defense of human rights, and freedom of expression, all recognized and protected by international law.
International institutions have documented unnecessary and excessive use of force, such as tear gas and rubber bullets being used at protests, resulting in multiple injuries to participants. Reports indicate that individuals were arrested merely for participating in demonstrations, constituting arbitrary deprivation of liberty. Furthermore, victims of state repression have refrained from filing complaints due to fear of prosecution for their participation in the protests. Additionally, there has been a significant lack of proactivity by the authorities in investigating possible abuses committed by the security forces during the demonstrations.
Alberto Nallar, a lawyer and human rights defender, supported the popular mobilization against the constitutional reform and provided legal assistance to people detained during the demonstrations and their families. On October 24, 2023, he was sentenced to 42 months of imprisonment for “incitement to commit crimes, incitement to collective violence, and uprising or mutiny,” and was disqualified from practicing his profession. He has appealed against this sentence.
In light of the above, we, the RIGHTDEFENDERS, urgently request the immediate release of Alberto Nallar. His commitment to defending human rights and providing legal aid to those in need is commendable and essential to upholding justice and the rule of law. We call on the authorities to safeguard his right to practice his profession and ensure his safety and well-being.
*Cosmovision is a term that should mean a set of foundations from which emerges a systemic understanding of the Universe, its components as life, the world we live in, nature, the human phenomenon, and their relationships
Reference:
- https://www.google.com/search?q=cosmovision+meaning&oq=cosmovision+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgBEAAYExiABDIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAAGBMYgAQyCQgCEAAYExiABDIJCAMQABgTGIAEMgkIBBAAGBMYgAQyCQgFEAAYExiABDIJCAYQABgTGIAEMg8IBxAuGBMYrwEYxwEYgAQyCQgIEAAYExiABDIPCAkQLhgTGMcBGNEDGIAE0gEINjY1NmowajSoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
- https://www.amnesty.org.uk/urgent-actions/argentina-human-rights-defender-detained-protesting
- https://lmdiario.com.ar/contenido/414013/jujuy-apdh-reclama-inmediata-libertad-para-el-abogado-alberto-nallar#google_vignette
