We have received a press release from the Center for Justice and International Law ( CEJIL ) on the public ceremony of acknowledgement of responsibility by the Colombian State in the targeted death of Senator Manuel Cepeda Vargas in Bogota, Colombia on August 9, 1994.
An important step forward in the fight against impunity in Colombia, resulting from the first intervention of
an international tribunal on the assassination of public figures,
activists and supporters of the Colombian left in dirty war episodes,
especially the systematic persecution of Patriotic Union .
We have translated and added hyperlinks to the statement and some more background information on the subject at the end.
We have translated and added hyperlinks to the statement and some more background information on the subject at the end.
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| Manuel Cepeda Vargas, Senator of the Patriotic Union (UP), was murdered in Bogota, Colombia on August 9, 1994 Picture from Semana |
CEJIL Press release (Spanish)
Colombian State acknowledges responsibility for execution of Manuel Cepeda
(...)
This act of acknowledgment of responsibility was carried out in compliance with the ruling issued on May 26, 2010 by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR ), holding Colombian State authorities responsible for the extrajudicial execution of Senator Manuel Cepeda.
The
IACHR concluded that the execution of Senator Cepeda by State agentsin collusion with paramilitary groups, was part of a systematic violence and extermination of thousands of members, leaders and
supporters of the Patriotic Union political organization (UP) from the
time same of its inception in 1985.
On August 9, 1994, Senator Cepeda was killed while en route to Congress in Bogota. Cepeda had publicly denounced the existence of a " Coup de grace " plot coordinated by the upper echelons of the Army to kill him and other UP leaders. After
the assassination of Senator Cepeda, his relatives Mary and Iván Cepeda Castro and
Claudia Girón, received death threats and were forced to leave the country due to security concerns.
The call for recognition of liability is an excepctional action taken by the Court in
serious cases and is intended to help preserve the memory of the victims
and acknowledgement of their dignity as well as contribute to national historical discourse where national authorities recognizev
mistakes from the past and tends to prevent the recurrence of such serious
violations of human rights.
In
this case, the place where the act was to be carried out was determined by the
Inter-American Court expressly stating that it should be done in the
Congress, in the presence of members of both houses and the highest State
authorities .
The murder of Senator Cepeda had been surrounded by a great deal of impunity after 17 years away. Although it had been established that the crime had been jointly committed by State and paramilitary agents, none of the masterminds behind the assassination have been ever been convicted. The
public ceremony does not exempt State authorities from the obligation of carrying out an effective investigation of the crime and prosecute to the largest extent the ultimate responsible , which
in turn would be the clearest sign of a real State zero tolerance for
violations of human rights.
Democracy
requires that those who think differently, even when expressing their
opinions through minority political groups whose position may be
uncomfortable for the State or other sectors of society, to join and
participate in politics without being stigmatized, harassed or killed. This is key to guaranteeing political inclusion and fulfilling fundamental freedoms.
Similarly,
respect for human rights requires special caution on the part of public
servants to not take any action or make remarks that could exacerbate intolerance
or encourage violence by public officials or other actors against to the
political opposition. In
this regard, the Court held that statements made by public officials
in linking UP and the Communist Party of Colombia ( PCC ) with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ( FARC-EP ), put the victim in a position of increased risk and vulnerability.
The
act of recognition undertaken current government provides a valuable
opportunity to demonstrate that respect for democratic values and
human rights for all, including those involved from minority positions,
strengthen democracy and consolidate the basis for the rule of law and
peace.
Viviana Krsticevic, CEJIL Director, said "we
hope that the public acknowledgment of responsibility contributes to
there being greater guarantees for the exercise of freedom of
expression, critical opinion, defending human rights and that these
values are cornerstones in the construction and future of democracy in
Colombia. In
that sense, I hope the decision of the Court in the case of Senator
Cepeda be read as an expression of the High Court of repeated refusal to
use violence as a means to silence or awkward expressions s minority. "
For his part, Rafael Barrios, President of the Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo ( CCAJAR ) said regarding the public meeting that "measures like this will contribute to historical clarification of the commission of State crimes in Colombia. This
is a key opportunity for authorities to issue a clear message about the
ban on statements that stigmatize and threatening to politicians or
journalists and called for similar crimes do not happen again. "
On
behalf of the victim and his family, the case has been litigated by
CEJIL, the Colectivo de Abogados "José Alvear Restrepo" and Manuel Cepeda Vargas Foundation .
More information
-
Sign inHow Colombia's President Santos made peace with the judiciary good april 2011 piece in the Christian Science Monitor.
- IACHR TAKES CASE AGAINST COLOMBIA TO INTER-AMERICAN COURT Inter American Commission of Human Rights December 2008 Press Release
Court. Case v. Colombia Manuel Cepeda Vargas . Objections, Merits, Reparations and Costs. Judgement of May 26, 2010. Series C No. 213 (Spanish) - Memoirs of the silenced ones: The Red Dance (Spanish w. English subtitltes) 2003 Documentary Yezid Campos Persecution strategy against Union Patriotica and elimination of sympathizers, members and officials.
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