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COLOMBIA
CASE No. CO/130 - JORGE TADEO LOZANO OSORIO

Resolution adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 181st session
(Geneva, 10 October 2007)

The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Mr. Jorge Tadeo Lozano Osorio, a former member of the Colombian Congress, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/181/11(a)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 180th session (May 2007),

Recalling that Mr. Lozano was convicted and given a heavy prison sentence after fundamentally flawed proceedings without being afforded the possibility of challenging them on appeal,

Recalling that: in 2001 Mr. Lozano brought his case before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights; the Executive Secretary of the Commission, which at first considered Mr. Lozano's petition inadmissible, subsequently stated in August 2002 that it would be re-examined in the light of the Commission's jurisprudence, although no information has since been forthcoming on any such action; despite assurances that the case would be raised at the Commission's 125th session in July 2006, it was not considered on that occasion and no information has been forthcoming on the outcome in this respect of its  sessions since then,

Recalling that, on 15 December 2004, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice granted Mr. Lozano parole, which effectively and formally took effect only as of 12 January 2005; considering that, owing to the parole, Mr. Lozano is not free to choose his place of residence within Colombia or to leave the country, for which he has to request permission, which even when requested well in advance is apparently sometimes only granted by the time the justification for travelling abroad has become moot; similarly, his freedom of conscience, opinion and expression are reportedly implicitly limited since by legal order his conditional release prevents him from expressing opinions that may be construed as disrupting the social or institutional order or the personal honour of public servants compromised in the infringements committed against Mr. Lozano; moreover, according to the source, as a result of Mr. Lozano's critical attitude towards those who acted against him and who hold power in the political, military or paramilitary spheres in Colombia, as narrated in his recent book entitled I accuse, his personal safety and that of his family are at constant risk,

Considering also that Mr. Lozano's retirement pension was allegedly recently cut by 30 per cent by the executive authorities, which decision was upheld by the Administrative Tribunal of Bogotá in June 2007 and which, according to the source, runs counter to the principle of established rights and significantly affected his right to social security and other entitlements,

  1. Remains convinced that full and swift consideration by the Inter-American Commission of Mr. Lozano's case is crucial to helping effectively to redress the injustice to which he has been subjected, particularly since he apparently continues to suffer its consequences, and to increasing the likelihood of his being afforded appropriate redress by the Colombian authorities;

  2. Sincerely hopes that the Inter-American Commission, more than five years after assurances were first given that it would be re-examined, will take up the case as a matter of urgency, and anxiously awaits information on this point;

  3. Calls also on the National Congress of Colombia, in carrying out its oversight function, to do everything in its power to help address any undue limitations attached to Mr. Lozano's current parole, and to look into his security situation and the alleged unlawful reduction in his pension entitlements;

  4. Requests the Secretary General to follow up the matter with the Inter-American Commission and the National Congress of Colombia and to inform the source accordingly;

  5. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 118th Assembly of the IPU (Cape Town, April 2008).
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