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CASE N° BHU/01 - TEK NATH RIZAL - BHUTAN

Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council
at its 166th session (Amman, 6 May 2000)


The Inter-Parliamentary Council,

Referring to the outline of the case of Mr. Tek Nath Rizal of Bhutan, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/166/16(c)­R.1), and to the relevant resolution adopted at its 165th session(October 1999),

Taking account of a letter from the President of the Tshogdu dated 31 December 1999 and of communications from the source dated 20 December 1999 and 4 January 2000,

Recalling that Mr. Tek Nath Rizal was sentenced to life imprisonment on 16 November 1993 and that, three days after the verdict, the King announced by decree that Mr. Rizal would be granted a pardon once the Governments of Nepal and Bhutan had resolved the problem of the southern Bhutanese living in refugee camps in Nepal,

Recalling that it had consistently expressed the hope that Mr. Rizal would indeed be pardoned and released rapidly, particularly since it had received information from various independent sources indicating that his state of health was deteriorating,

Considering that, according to the Speaker of the Tshogdu, Mr. Rizal, together with 200 other prisoners, was granted a royal pardon on the occasion of the National Day of Bhutan on 17 December 1999 as the Nation was celebrating “the Silver Jubilee of His Majesty the King's enthronement”; that he was released “in the light of the positive developments in the Bhutan-Nepal talks, as he had physically not carried out acts of violence and terrorism and as he had served ten years in prison”,

Considering also the assurances given by the authorities that Mr. Rizal has access to such medical care as he may require,

  1. Is gratified to learn that Mr. Tek Nath Rizal has been pardoned and released and that he enjoys adequate health care;
  2. Decides consequently to close the case.


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