The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Day: 26 August 2026

Javier Giraldo: A Life Dedicated to Truth, Justice, and Human Rights

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Credit: Razon Publica, CC BY 3.0 / Wikimedia.

At OIDHACO, we deeply mourn the passing of Father Javier Giraldo Moreno, an indispensable figure in the defense of human rights, the search for truth, and the fight against impunity in Colombia.

For decades, Javier Giraldo stood in solidarity with communities and victims of serious human rights violations, tirelessly documenting and denouncing violence while always placing the dignity of those who suffered it at the center. His commitment to truth and justice, even in the most difficult moments, left a profound mark on the Colombian human rights movement and extended far beyond the country’s borders.

His career was also closely linked to the international advocacy work that gave rise to and defined OIDHACO. From our earliest years in Brussels, his analyses, reports, and the work carried out alongside the organizations and communities he supported helped bring the serious human rights violations occurring in Colombia to the attention of the international community. OIDHACO also denounced, on various occasions, the stigmatization and defamation campaigns of which he himself was a victim as a result of his work.

For those of us who are part of OIDHACO, Javier Giraldo has also been a constant source of inspiration. His rigor in the pursuit of truth, his consistency, his closeness to victims and communities, and his unwavering commitment to human rights have guided us and will continue to guide us.

Today we wish to express our appreciation and gratitude for a lifetime dedicated to defending human dignity, as well as our solidarity and affection for his family, loved ones, communities, and organizations with whom he shared his journey.

His legacy will live on in those of us who continue to work for truth, justice, peace, and human rights in Colombia.

Thank you, Father Javier, for the journey you have taken and for helping us continue on our path.

Our solidarity is universal.

We are deeply concerned about all victims of armed conflict, repression and violence around the world — from Sudan to Syria, including the persecution of the Rohingya and so many other crises that often receive less international attention than they deserve. Each of these situations calls for solidarity, remembrance, justice and action.

However, we have decided to specifically highlight the message ‘Stop Genocide in Palestine’ because what is happening in Palestine represents not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude, but also a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and to the rules-based international system itself. The indifference and complicity of much of the international community in the face of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people represent one of the greatest moral and political contradictions of our time.

The persistent violation of essential norms — such as the protection of the civilian population, the prohibition of collective punishment and respect for proportionality in the use of force — not only has devastating consequences for the Palestinian population, but also erodes the global mechanisms designed to limit the power of states and prevent abuses.

When these rules are repeatedly breached without any effective consequences, the framework that protects all populations in conflict situations, anywhere in the world, is weakened. Therefore, speaking out in this case does not mean ignoring other forms of suffering, but rather emphasising the urgency of defending an international order which, if it collapses, leaves everyone in a more vulnerable position.

Drawing attention to this situation is, therefore, an act consistent with the universal values we uphold: the protection of life, human dignity and respect for international law, without exception.

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