TOGO

CASE N° TG/01 - MARC ATIDEPE
CASE N° TG/02 - TAVIO AMORIN
CASE N° TG/03 - GASTON AZIADUVO EDEH

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council
at its 162nd session (Windhoek, 11 April 1998)

The Inter-Parliamentary Council,

Referring to the outline of the case, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/162/11(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 161st session (September 1997) concerning the case of Mr. Marc Atidépé, Mr. Tavio Amorin and Mr. Gaston Aziaduvo Edeh, of Togo,

Taking into consideration the information provided by the Togolese delegation to a Committee member on the occasion of the 99th Inter-Parliamentary Conference (April 1998),

Recalling that Mr. Atidépé, Mr. Amorin and Mr. Edeh were assassinated in May and July 1992 and February 1994, respectively; that the killings were allegedly carried out by military personnel,

Also recalling that, contrary to the information provided by the authorities up until June 1996, the investigations into these assassinations were shelved under the 1994 Amnesty Law covering all politically motivated offences and crimes committed before that date,

Further recalling in this connection the will of the Togolese authorities to take into consideration the question of the right to restitution, compensation and redress, as manifested in a Government report submitted on 6 March 1996 to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, and by the Togolese delegation to the 96th Inter-Parliamentary Conference (September 1996),

Finally recalling that, at the hearing held in Cairo, the President of the National Assembly stated that he would take the necessary initiatives with the Government to ensure that the families of the deputies concerned received adequate compensation,

Considering that, by decision N° 1237/MEF/DF/DCO dated 25 November 1997, the Government decided to award compensation of CFA.F 10,000,000 each to the families of Mr. Atidépé, Mr. Amorin and Mr. Edeh and that, according to the Togolese delegation, this sum has already been transferred to the bank account of the National Assembly, whose President was to ensure its payment to the families of the victims,

1. Thanks the President of the National Assembly for his efforts to resolve the question of compensation;
2. Also thanks the Togolese delegation for the information provided and for its co-operation;
3. Reaffirms the important human rights principle that victims of violations of their human rights or those of their families are entitled to know the truth, to enjoy justice and to receive compensation, as the foundations of any real reconciliation and lasting appeasement, and regrets that the right to know the truth and enjoy justice has not prevailed in this case;
4. Nevertheless notes with satisfaction the decision of the Government to compensate the families of Mr. Atidépé, Mr. Amorin and Mr. Edeh and the payment of the compensation into the bank account of the National Assembly, thus at least ensuring respect of the right to compensation, and looks forward to rapid disbursement of the sum;
5. Hopes to be able at its next meeting (September 1998) to close this case following payment of the compensation;
6. Requests the Secretary General to convey this decision to the President of the National Assembly;
7. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to continue examining the case and report to it at its next session (September 1998).

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