The Inter-Parliamentary Union has called for the release of all hostages held by the FARC in Colombia during the current session of its Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians. The Committee has worked for several years in support of the release of several members and former members of parliament taken hostage by the FARC.
The Committee welcomes the recent liberation of former senator and presidential candidate, Ms. Ingrid Betancourt. It appeals to the FARC to release Mr. Oscar Lizcano, who was taken captive in August 2000 and who is the only remaining Colombian Member of parliament being held by the FARC.
During its session, which ends today, the Committee examined the cases of 282 legislators, among them public cases in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, Eritrea, Lebanon, Mongolia, Palestine/Israel, the Philippines, Rwanda, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
The Committee also pursued its work in favour of parliamentarians-elect in Myanmar who are still in prison or are otherwise being harassed, and of several members of parliament in Zimbabwe who have suffered violence and harassment and seen their basic rights violated.
The session was chaired by Canadian Senator Sharon Carstairs and attended by Ms. Rosario Green (Senator, Mexico, and Vice-Chairman of the Committee), Ms. Zahia Benarous (Senator, Algeria), Mr. Aquilino Q. Pimentel (Senator, Philippines), and Mr. Kazem Jalali (Deputy, Islamic Republic of Iran).
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