Resolution adopted without a vote by the Inter-Parliamentary Council
at its 169th session (Ouagadougou, 14 September 2001)

The Inter-Parliamentary Council,

Referring to the resolution it adopted at its 168th session (April 2001) on the case of Mr. Miguel Angel Pavón Salazar of Honduras and to the related report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians,

Taking account of the information provided by the Office of the National Commissioner for Human Rights dated 12 July 2001,

Recalling the following information on file:

• Mr. Miguel Angel Pavón Salazar was shot dead on 14 January 1988 by a man in civilian clothes; the judicial investigations established a link between his murder and evidence he had given in October 1987 before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in cases against the Government of Honduras concerning "disappearances";

• Owing to the insistence of the National Congress the investigation, which had come to a virtual standstill, was reopened in July 1996 by the Criminal Investigation Branch (DIC) of the Public Prosecutor's Office; it brought to light new evidence which resulted in the arrest, on 28 April 1998, of one of the presumed culprits, Lieutenant Colonel Mario Asdrubal Quiñones Aguilar, and the issuing of arrest warrants for Sergeant Major Jaime Rosales, who is nevertheless at large; Asdrubal Quiñones was released on bail on 3 May 1998; he disappeared and reportedly died in a road accident caused by Hurricane Mitch in October 1998; on 5 June 2000 the Prosecutor issued an international arrest warrant through Interpol for Jaime Rosales, who reportedly lives in the United States of America, and on 23 August 2000 requested the General Directorate of Population and Migration to provide data on his migration movements,

Considering that, according to the information provided by the National Commissioner for Human Rights, whose Office continues to monitor the proceedings, this request is the most recent step taken in this case; the Office met the Special Human Rights Prosecutor dealing with this case, who undertook to act to speed up the proceedings; however, the interrogation of a witness requested by her on 9 March 2001 had still not been carried out by 6 August 2001,

Considering also that, according to the Office, Mr. Quiñones was officially declared dead on 19 September 2000; the criminal investigation into the circumstances of his death has not, however, made any progress since 3 September 1999,

1. Thanks the Office of the National Commissioner for Human Rights for the information provided and for monitoring the proceedings in this case;

2. Is surprised that Mr. Quiñones has been officially declared dead although investigations into the circumstances of his disappearance are still under way, and would appreciate information on the legal procedures provided for in this respect;

3. Regrets that the National Congress has not responded to the communications addressed to it, and calls upon it once again to continue monitoring proceedings in this case to ensure that they are finally concluded;

4. Requests the Secretary General to bring this resolution to the attention of the National Congress, the Office of the National Commissioner for Human Rights and the Special Human Rights Prosecutor;

5. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session (March 2002).

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