IPU logoINTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION
PLACE DU PETIT-SACONNEX
1211 GENEVA 19, SWITZERLAND

COLOMBIA

CASE N° CO/01 - PEDRO NEL JIMENEZ OBANDO
CASE N° CO/02 - LEONARDO POSADA PEDRAZA
CASE N° CO/03 - OCTAVIO VARGAS CUELLAR
CASE N° CO/04 - PEDRO LUIS VALENCIA
CASE N° CO/06 - BERNARDO JARAMILLO OSSA
CASE N° CO/08 - MANUEL CEPEDA VARGAS

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council
at its 163rd session (Moscow, 12 September 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/163/12(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 162nd session (April 1998) concerning the case of Mr. Pedro Nel Jiménez Obando, Mr. Leonardo Posada Pedraza, Mr. Octavio Vargas Cuéllar, Mr. Pedro Luis Valencia Giraldo, Mr. Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa and Mr. Manuel Cepeda Vargas, of Colombia,

Taking account of the information provided by the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Human Rights on 7 July 1998,

Taking account also of the information supplied by one of the sources on 28 June 1998,

Recalling that, according to the information at present before it, (1) the investigation into the murder of Mr. Posada was shelved in April 1996; (2) on 12 May 1998 the National Director of Prosecution ordered the Regional Director of Prosecution of Villavicencio to reopen the investigation conducted by the now defunct Penal Investigation Chamber N° 10 into the killing of Mr. Pedro Nel Jiménez Obando for the purpose of entrusting the Technical Investigation Corps with pursuing inquiries to identify the culprits; (3) the investigation in the case of Mr. Vargas Cuéllar remains suspended since no fresh evidence has arisen that would permit its reopening; (4) preliminary investigations are still under way in the case of Mr. Valencia; (5) the prosecution was about to close the investigation in the case of Mr. Jaramillo; (6) Mr. Carlos Castaño Gil, the head of the paramilitary groups of Córdoba and Urabá, Mr. Justo Gil Zúñiga Labrador and Mr. Hernando Medina Camacho, army sergeants in the 9th Brigade, have been formally accused of the murder of Senator Cepeda Vargas and remanded in custody,

Considering that, according to one of the sources, Mr. Hernando Medina Camacho, who is supposed to be in detention in the military garrison of Bogotá, reportedly often visits the city of Neiva where his family is living and is even doing work for the military intelligence service; that the source fears that Mr. Zúñiga enjoys the same treatment and that both may be tempted to interfere with the investigation process,

Recalling that Carlos Castaño Gil is wanted for the murder of Senators Jaramillo and Cepeda; that a " Search Squad for private justice groups " was set up in December 1997 with a mandate, inter alia, to act in support of the Fiscalía General in executing arrest warrants,

Noting that, in her report of 9 March 1998 on the work of the field office in Colombia, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the Colombian Government inter alia to " ... conduct independent and exhaustive investigations into all violations of the right to life, bring the culprits to justice and properly compensate their victims in order to put an end to the spiral of violence and impunity ",

1. Thanks the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Human Rights for its continuing co-operation;

2. Is deeply concerned at the allegation that Mr. Hernando Medina Camacho, one of the three persons accused of the murder of Senator Cepeda and remanded in custody, in reality may be free and even working for military intelligence, which would make it easy for him to interfere with the ongoing investigations in this case;

3. Urges the authorities to ensure respect for the due process of law, and wishes to be informed of the situation of Mr. Medina Camacho and Mr. Zúñiga and the conditions of their detention;

4. Would appreciate receiving information about any steps taken to ensure the execution of the arrest warrants issued against Carlos Castaño and the efforts undertaken to this end by the Search Squad for private justice groups set up in December 1997;

5. Requests the Secretary General:

(i) To convey these considerations to the President of the National Congress and of the National Group of Colombia;

(ii) To inform the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia about the Committee's work on these cases;

(iii) To inform the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Human Rights of these considerations, inviting it to provide the information desired and report any new developments in these cases;

6. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to continue examining the case and report to it at its next session (April 1999).


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