INTERPOL praises operation to rescue Ingrid Betancourt and other FARC hostages and calls for continued efforts to free remaining captives
Boletín INTERPOL media release 03 July 2008
LYON, France – The operation conducted by Colombian authorities on 2 July which led to the rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other FARC hostages after many years in captivity has been praised by INTERPOL. The world’s largest police organization also called on the world community to continue devoting the same amount of effort in ensuring the safe release of all FARC hostages.
Kidnapped in February 2002 while campaigning for the Colombian presidency, Ingrid Betancourt was the highest-profile captive among the estimated 700 people currently held by the FARC.
INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the result was a major victory in the struggle against the FARC waged by Colombia and other countries for more than 40 years.
“The successful liberation of Ingrid Betancourt, three US citizens and 11 Colombians, including four police officers, is the latest in a series of events which will hopefully in time be seen as a key turning point in the fight against terrorism in the region,” said Secretary General Noble.
“This is clearly a wonderful time for all of the rescued hostages and their loved ones, but in this moment of joy we must not forget the hundreds of people still in FARC captivity and their families who continue to live in fear and worry.
“On behalf of the law enforcement community worldwide, I would like to congratulate and praise the Colombian authorities for what was a brave and totally effective operation and hope this is the first major step in ensuring the freedom of all FARC hostages,” added Mr Noble.
INTERPOL presented on May 15 the findings of its forensic examination of computers and hardware seized by Colombia from a FARC camp during an anti-narcotics and anti-terrorist operation on 1 March 2008.
The examination by INTERPOL’s team of forensic experts carried out at the request of Colombia concluded that there was ‘no evidence of modification, alteration, addition or deletion’ in the user files of any of the three laptop computers, three USB thumb drives and two external hard disks recovered during the raid. The seized computer exhibits had belonged to Raúl Reyes, a senior FARC leader who was killed during the operation.
Kidnapped in February 2002 while campaigning for the Colombian presidency, Ingrid Betancourt was the highest-profile captive among the estimated 700 people currently held by the FARC.
INTERPOL Secretary General Ronald K. Noble said the result was a major victory in the struggle against the FARC waged by Colombia and other countries for more than 40 years.
“The successful liberation of Ingrid Betancourt, three US citizens and 11 Colombians, including four police officers, is the latest in a series of events which will hopefully in time be seen as a key turning point in the fight against terrorism in the region,” said Secretary General Noble.
“This is clearly a wonderful time for all of the rescued hostages and their loved ones, but in this moment of joy we must not forget the hundreds of people still in FARC captivity and their families who continue to live in fear and worry.
“On behalf of the law enforcement community worldwide, I would like to congratulate and praise the Colombian authorities for what was a brave and totally effective operation and hope this is the first major step in ensuring the freedom of all FARC hostages,” added Mr Noble.
INTERPOL presented on May 15 the findings of its forensic examination of computers and hardware seized by Colombia from a FARC camp during an anti-narcotics and anti-terrorist operation on 1 March 2008.
The examination by INTERPOL’s team of forensic experts carried out at the request of Colombia concluded that there was ‘no evidence of modification, alteration, addition or deletion’ in the user files of any of the three laptop computers, three USB thumb drives and two external hard disks recovered during the raid. The seized computer exhibits had belonged to Raúl Reyes, a senior FARC leader who was killed during the operation.
No hay comentarios.:
Publicar un comentario