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HONDURAS
CASE N° HOND/02 - MIGUEL ANGEL PAVÓN SALAZAR
Resolution adopted unanimously by the Governing Council
at its 173rd session (Geneva, 3 October 2003)


The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the outline of the case of Mr. Miguel Angel Pavón Salazar, as contained in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/173/11(b)-R.1), and to the relevant resolution adopted at its 171st session (September 2002),

Taking account of a communication from the Prosecutor General dated 26 September 2003,

Recalling that the investigation into Mr. Pavón's murder was reopened in July 1996 owing to the insistence of the National Congress and led to the identification of Mr. Rosales and Mr. Quiñones as presumed culprits; while Mr. Quiñones lost his life in an accident during Hurricane Mitch and was officially declared dead on 19 September 2000, an international arrest warrant was issued on 5 June 2000 for Mr. Rosales, who was allegedly living in Florida in the United States of America; the investigation having subsequently again come to a standstill, a meeting took place in May 2002 on the initiative of the Chairman of Parliament's Human Rights Committee, between himself, the Office of the National Human Rights Commissioner and the Special Human Rights Prosecutor; as a result, a new international arrest warrant was issued for Mr. Rosales on 6 August 2002 and transmitted to the Interpol office,

Considering that Mr. Rosales was taken into custody in Florida on 4 March 2003 and, on 1 August 2003, extradited to Honduras, where he was interrogated and handed over to the Sampedrano Penal Centre; after six days of inquiry, a detention order was issued and, on 3 September 2003, a charge of murder (Article 117 of the Penal Code) was formally brought against him; the request of the defence to revoke the detention order was rejected on the ground that clear evidence existed of Mr. Rosales's participation in the murder; trial proceedings started on 25 September 2003 and are at present at the stage of the 20?day period provided for to hear evidence; the Prosecutor General is confident that his Office will provide irrefutable evidence of the participation of the accused and thus secure his conviction,

  1. Is highly satisfied at the arrest and the start of the trial proceedings against the remaining suspect in this case;

  2. Greatly appreciates the determination of the competent authorities in bringing to justice those responsible for Mr. Pavón's murder in January 1988;

  3. Trusts that justice will now finally prevail in this case, and would appreciate being kept informed of the proceedings;

  4. Requests the Secretary General to bring this decision to the attention of the National Congress, including its Human Rights Committee, the Office of the National Human Rights Commissioner and the Prosecutor General;

  5. Requests the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session to be held on the occasion of the 110th Assembly, when it hopes to be able to close it.

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