First modification:
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights condemned the Colombian State for the case of Jineth Bedoya, a victim of kidnapping, torture and rape by paramilitaries with the complicity of state officials. President Iván Duque assured that the country “will fully comply” with the ruling, which indicates that the State is responsible for events that date back 20 years.
A few hours after hearing the ruling of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), Colombian President Iván Duque assured that the State “will fully comply” with the historic ruling established by the court regarding the case of journalist Jineth Bedoya, who she was kidnapped, tortured and raped by paramilitaries in 2000.
This means that the Colombian State recognizes that it is “internationally responsible for the violation of the rights to personal integrity, personal freedom, honor, dignity and freedom of expression to the detriment of the journalist.”
The Inter-American Court explained on October 18 that this judgment is the “result of the events that occurred on May 25, 2000, when (Bedoya) was intercepted and kidnapped at the gates of the La Modelo Prison –in Bogotá– by paramilitaries and subjected to humiliating and extremely violent treatment, during which he suffered serious verbal, physical and sexual assaults “.
The journalist was on an appointment to interview a paramilitary leader in the aforementioned penitentiary, which was ultimately a trap, according to the Inter-American Court, to kidnap her for 16 hours, torture her and rape her by various members of the AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia). The communicator was abandoned on a highway on the outskirts of Bogotá on the brink of death.
From that moment, Bedoya began the fight to demand justice and it took more than two decades for a court to condemn Colombia.
Duque highlighted after the ruling that the “Colombian State rejects all physical and psychological aggression against women” and added that the journalist “should never have been kidnapped and tortured. The judgment of the Inter-American Court will be fulfilled in its entirety, as Colombia has always done. “. In addition, the president affirmed that events like this “can never be repeated.”
For its part, the Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) expressed via Twitter that it is a “historic sentence (…) a roadmap not only to repair Jineth but also to advance in the protection of women journalists. and access to justice for women victims of sexual violence “.
Bedoya celebrated the news that took 21 years to arrive.
“October 18, 2021 goes down in history as the day when a struggle, which began for an individual crime, led to the vindication of the rights of thousands of women victims of sexual violence and women journalists who leave part of their lives in his office #NoEsHoraDeCallar “, he pronounced on his Twitter account.
What is expected of the Colombian State in the case of Jineth Bedoya?
For FLIP, the Colombian State must execute symbolic measures and establish guarantees that events like this will not be repeated.
In 2019, the Colombian Justice condemned the paramilitaries Alejandro Cárdenas, alias ‘JJ’, and Jesús Emiro Pereira, known as ‘Huevoepisca’, for the abuses perpetrated against the journalist. The first was sentenced to 30 years in prison and the second to 40 years. However, FLIP awaits measures and penalties with the rest of those responsible.
On the other hand, they propose to create a memory center in honor of women who have suffered sexual violence while exercising their work. and they suggest that it be called “Centro Investigativo No es Hora de Callar”, in honor of the name of the campaign led by Bedoya.
Jineth Bedoya fought for justice for 21 years. This ruling not only dignifies the journalist but also all “women journalists who face gender violence and for thousands of victims of sexual violence in the conflict.”
With EFE
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