The Philippine government must immediately drop charges against prisoner of conscience Senator Leila de Lima and release her immediately and unconditionally following the retraction of the testimonies of witnesses against her. In the last week, two key witnesses alleged that they were coerced by police and high level officials to testify against the Senator and retracted their testimony. The witnesses’ allegations of coercion – which may amount to torture and other ill-treatment – must be investigated in a thorough, independent and impartial manner, and the government must guarantee their safety.
