Switzerland, September 14, 2025 Rebelión.org
With the strength of international solidarity and thanks to the perseverance and commitment of people exiled and persecuted by the Colombian establishment, as well as migrants and Colombian associations abroad, the International Meeting for the Freedom of Simón Trinidad and Peace in Colombia was held in the cities of Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland, on September 12 and 13, 2025.
The event was widely attended by human rights organizations, migrant and refugee groups, political prisoner solidarity groups, academics, left-wing parties, and renowned democratic figures from various European countries.
After hearing firsthand the arguments of Mark Burton, his defense attorney in the US, and the analyses of experts in international humanitarian law and human rights, the meeting concluded that Simón Trinidad’s detention in the US is unjust, violates human rights and international humanitarian law, and constitutes an obstacle to the implementation of the Final Peace Agreement signed between the now defunct FARC-EP and the Colombian State, as well as to the search for a political solution to the internal conflict.
Simón Trinidad’s detention constitutes an unfair political trial, given that the crimes for which he was extradited and subsequently convicted correspond to fraudulent accusations fabricated to punish his political rebellion in Colombia. Furthermore, his extradition and conviction do not comply with international law or Colombian or US law, which prohibit the extradition and trial of foreigners for political reasons.
By subjecting Simón Trinidad to periods of confinement of up to 23 hours a day and prolonged isolation for more than two decades, his human rights have been systematically violated.
These “special administrative measures,” as the US prison administration euphemistically calls them, constitute cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment that neither the international community nor US society should tolerate. Simón Trinidad was accredited as a member of the FARC-EP Peace Commission for the talks in Havana and signed the agreements reached.
He also availed himself of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), falling under the amnesty granted by the Colombian state. In November 2024, the government of Gustavo Petro formally requested a humanitarian pardon from the US authorities to allow him to participate in transitional justice; however, to date there has been no response. The United States’ refusal to facilitate his appearance before the JEP disregards the 2016 Final Peace Agreement, backed by the international community and the UN, and hinders the full exercise of the rights to Truth, Justice, Reparation, and Non-Repetition for Colombian society.
Simón Trinidad is recognized as a true ambassador of peace, and peace in Colombia cannot be fully achieved while he remains unjustly detained in the US. Therefore, the cause of his freedom must be taken up by all of Colombian society and supported by the democratic peoples of the world who promote and respect human rights, thus accompanying the collective desire for a Colombia in peace with social justice. In this regard, we call for redoubled national and international efforts to secure Simón Trinidad’s freedom, promoting coordinated actions that integrate his legal defense, the support of social organizations, and international solidarity. We encourage the promotion of humanitarian, diplomatic, legal, and communication initiatives that raise awareness of his case, strengthen the demand for his repatriation, and contribute effectively to the implementation of the Peace Agreement and the construction of a Colombia at peace with social justice.
