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This March 22, the trial against Colombia continues in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights for the case of journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima, who in 2000 was a victim of kidnapping, torture and violence.
On the day of this Monday the witnesses will be heard, who may be questioned by the parties. The final arguments in which the interveners will present their petitions to the Inter-American Court will also be known, and then, the international court will take time to decide whether to condemn the State for the facts and what type of reparation measures it orders.
(It may interest you: Keys to understanding the trial for the attack on Jineth Bedoya)
The testimonials
The seasoned journalist Jorge Cardona, who was Jineth Bedoya’s boss in The viewer As of the date of the events, he was the first to speak during the hearing on Monday.
According to Cardona, he filed a complaint after the attack on Bedoya became known. The representative of Colombia also questioned him about the situation of violence that existed in the country at the time, and in particular regarding the risks of practicing journalism under these conditions.
Prosecutor María Ospina, who performs functions related to cases of sexual violence in the Colombian investigative body, also spoke as a witness at the hearing. Ospina explained what the actions of the Colombian legislation and institutions have been to deal with complaints of sexual and gender-based violence, and highlighted that there are specific protocols in place at the Attorney General’s Office to attend to victims.
Both Gisela de León, from Cejil, an organization that legally represents Jineth Bedoya, and one of the judges of the Inter-American Court, questioned Ospina about the characteristics of the protocols and the moment when they came into force. According to the representative of the Prosecutor’s Office, although the current protocol was established in 2017, since 2008 – several years after the attack on Bedoya – the Colombian legal system has issued letters to provide differentiated care for the victims of these violence.
More than 20 years since the attack
The attack on Bedoya It happened on May 25, 2000, when the journalist had been making serious complaints about the violence that took place inside the La Modelo prison in Bogotá, where the courtyards were divided between paramilitaries, guerrillas and gangsters, who faced each other inside the prison.
Homicides, kidnappings, torture and forced disappearances were registered in the prison, as well as arms trafficking and trafficking.In which, he has denounced, public officials were involved.
While Bedoya was waiting for authorization to enter to conduct an interview, she was kidnapped at the prison gate, taken from the city to a place where she was threatened, tortured and sexually assaulted.
(It may interest you: Jineth Bedoya, a voice for all victims of sexual violence)
The case is historic because it is the first of sexual violence that occurred in the Colombian armed conflict to reach this court. In addition, it would be the first ruling of the international court on violence against women journalists in the hemisphere.
JUSTICE
