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After withdrawing from the trial that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights was advancing in the case of kidnapping and sexual violence against journalist Jineth Bedoya, the State Legal Defense Agency issued a letter on Wednesday in which proposes a “friendly solution” to the judicial process that has Colombia answering before the international court.
(We recommend: ‘I think Colombia is going to lose this case’: Jineth Bedoya’s lawyer)
“Criminals have wanted to silence me all these years and the State today intends to do the same. Withdrawing from the trial before the Inter-American Court shows that he does not have the slightest intention of having justice in my case and in cases of sexual violence, “Bedoya Lima wrote on his Twitter account after the hearing last Monday, abandoned by the representation of the State.
In the letter, signed by the director of the Agency, Camilo Gómez, the lawyer writes: “I propose that, as soon as possible, we sit down to talk and seek a friendly solution, which are allowed by the regulations of the Court”.
(You may be interested: ‘The State has the right to be heard objectively’: Camilo Gómez)
The Colombian State abandoned the hearing after challenging five of the six judges of the Inter-American Court (Elizabeth Odio Benito, Patricio Pazmiño Freire, Eugenio Raúl Zaffaroni, Eduardo Ferrer Mac-Gregor Poisot and Ricardo Pérez Manrique) because it considered that, with their questions and comments to Bedoya Lima after presenting her testimony, were “prejudging.”
The case dates back to May 25, 2000, when Bedoya, then a journalist for the newspaper The viewer, was kidnapped at the door of La Modelo prison, in Bogotá, while waiting for authorization to enter to conduct an interview. During the kidnapping, he was the victim of acts of torture and sexual violence.
(Also: Colombia rejects magistrates and withdraws from trial in the case of J. Bedoya)
In 2011, the journalist, current deputy editor of EL TIEMPO, went to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and after a long process the case was presented to the Inter-American Court.
The public hearing, which was to take place between March 15 and 17, was suspended and the Inter-American Court announced through a statement that it will inform “timely” the date of the resumption.
(In context: I / A Court HR suspends trial against Colombia for attack on Jineth Bedoya)
This is the complete letter sent by the agency:
Dear Jineth,
I am a Colombian convinced of the importance and priority that we must all give to the victims, especially those, like you, who have suffered such great pain for exercising freedom of the press.
You have been brave and a fighter. She was a woman who, due to her persistence and tenacity, became a symbol for many other victims who have suffered sexual violence during the armed conflict.
I, like thousands of Colombians, reject everything that happened! Just thinking about your and your family’s pain makes the soul shudder.
My duty in a hearing before any court is to defend justice and the impartiality of the judges. The procedural matters of the Public Hearing held on March 15 are not his responsibility nor were they caused by his statements.
I know that the process before the Inter-American System has made her wait patiently for almost 10 years. Colombia has led several actions to reduce the enormous delays that a victim has to endure due to delays before the Inter-American System, especially in the process before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
The representation of the Colombian State, in compliance with its obligations and in exercise of its rights, presented a challenge against some of the magistrates, since it is their duty to defend the procedural rights that give it the legitimacy demanded by the Inter-American System. This legitimacy is necessary precisely to protect the interests of the victims. Using a right cannot be understood as an attack on the other party.
But I would like nothing more than that these procedural circumstances did not obscure the rights of the victims. I know that there are many days, months and years that you have spent suffering on account of the reprehensible acts of which you were a victim and that no woman should suffer.
I understand your concern and that of many women who see time go by without reaching the conclusion of a process like this. As I said at the hearing, Colombia has announced that it will acknowledge responsibility for some aspects that we have carefully analyzed and will present arguments on others in which it considers its conduct should be evaluated.
As a Colombian and as representative of the Colombian State, I do not want procedural problems to continue delaying the closing of this case. For this reason, I propose that, as soon as possible, we sit down to dialogue and seek a friendly solution, which are permitted by the regulations of the Court.
From this moment on, I am at your disposal to initiate conversations and resolve the case through the friendly settlement procedure, fully convinced of the priority that the victims should have.
I know that several years ago the State proposed a friendly solution, but it was not possible to reach an agreement. In this case, I am confident that we will succeed.
JUSTICE DRAFTING
