13/01/2020
Monica Feria-Tinta joins trial observation of the brother of former Colombian President in “Twelve Apostles” case
Monica Feria-Tinta has joined the group of international experts conducting trial observation in the historic case of the “Twelve Apostles” in Medellín, Colombia. The hearing is to take place from 13 to 17 January 2020.
Santiago Uribe Velez, brother of former President and current Senator, Alvaro Uribe Velez, stands accused of co-founding the paramilitary group known as the “Twelve Apostles”. A far-right paramilitary group active in the early 1990s, the “Twelve Apostles” is implicated in alleged murders and disappearances in Antioquia, a north-western province of Colombia.
The Trial Observation will be led by the Colombian Caravana (UK), represented by Professor Sara Chandler QC (Hon) (director of the Colombian Caravana, council member of the Law Society of England and Wales, previous President of the European Bars Federation), Ms Irene Victoria Massimino (Professor and Rapporteur at the High Criminal Court Buenos Aires Province, IAGS Resolutions Committee Member) and Ms Alice Garside (solicitor at Withers Worldwide LLP).
The aim of trial observation is to monitor and report on the adherence of the process to international standards of a fair trial. This follows rules contained in the Trial Observation Manual for Criminal Proceedings: Practitioners Guide No 5 (2009), produced by the International Commission of Jurists. A report will be published once the trial concludes and judgment is issued, with specific findings as a result of the observation.
Monica Feria-Tinta is a specialist in public international law including international criminal law and international human rights law. She has vast experience in advising in post-conflict scenarios including in cases arising from the Balkans, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Iraq, Libya and Syria.
The “Twelve Apostles” trial has been widely reported in international and local media.
