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

Resolution adopted unanimously by the IPU Governing Council at its 182nd session
(Cape Town, 18 April 2008)

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/182/12(b)-R.1), and to the reresolutionsolution adopted at its 181st session (October 2007),

Taking into account the communication from the President of the Colombian Congress of 8 November 2007,

Recalling that Mr. Lozano was convicted and given a heavy prison sentence following fundamentally flawed proceedings without being afforded the possibility of challenging them on appeal and is currently subjected to allegedly excessive parole conditions, that his personal safety and that of his family are at constant risk because of his criticism of those in power in Colombia, and that his retirement pension has allegedly been significantly and unlawfully reduced,

Recalling also that several attempts have reportedly been made to silence Mr. Lozano and make him cease his activities, the latest instance being that, despite the expiry of the 10‑year period following his arrest and detention in February 1998 during which he has been prohibited from exercising his political rights and any public functions, including his profession as a lawyer, the prohibition has yet to be lifted; similarly, according to the source, in another attempt to harass Mr. Lozano the authorities issued two orders for the provisional suspension of his retirement pension, one of which has already been implemented, in breach of the principle of established rights, and has as a result significantly affected his right to social security and other entitlements,

Recalling that in 2001 Mr. Lozano brought his case regarding the flawed judicial proceedings before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and that, despite assurances that the case would be re-examined after it was first considered inadmissible, no information to this effect has been forthcoming to date; considering that at the meeting between the IPU Secretary General and his counterpart of the Organization of American States that took place in Washington on 5 March 2008, in the presence of the Executive Secretary of the Inter-American Commission, the Secretary General was told that Mr. Lozano's case would be given urgent attention and that, in accordance with its procedure, the Commission would decide within two months whether or not to ask the Colombian State to provide its observations on the admissibility of the case; and if it decided to do so, the Commission would then reach a conclusion on the admissibility of Mr. Lozano's petition,

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

  2. Is therefore gratified that the Inter-American Commission is finally taking action on his petition; and anxiously awaits its decision which it hopes, in the light of precedents, will be positive;

  3. Is deeply concerned at the continuous serious allegations of harassment of Mr. Lozano; requests the Colombian Congress to raise these matters with the competent Colombian authorities as they concern one of its former members, in particular as regards the unlawful continuation of the deprivation of his political rights and his debarment from public office;

  4. Requests the Secretary General to inform the Colombian Congress, the Inter-American Commission and 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 119th Assembly of the IPU (Geneva, October 2008).
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