UN Human Rights Council
Tenth Session
2 – 27 March 2009
Item 5
Amnesty International,
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA),
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS),
Franciscans International,
Lutheran World Federation, and
World Organization against Torture (OMCT)
Mr. President,
Amnesty International speaks on behalf of six organisations.
Human rights bodies and mechanisms depend on cooperation with individuals and organisations to fulfil their mandates. This statement will address reprisals against individuals and organisations cooperating with United Nations human rights bodies and mechanisms.
At this session, this Council has heard about the tragic killing of three persons.
Edwin Legarda was shot to death on 16 December 2008 by members of the Colombian armed forces shortly after his wife, Aida Quilcué, had been active at the third session of the UPR Working Group in connection with its review of Colombia.
On 5 March 2009, Oscar Kingara and Paul Oulu were murdered – soon after meeting the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions during his mission to Kenya in February 2009.
We condemn the killings of Edwin Legarda, Oscar Kingara and Paul Oulu, and look forward to the completion of the investigations of the investigations into their killings and the prosecution of those persons responsible for their deaths.
We welcome the Colombian commitment, expressed to this Council by H.E. Vice-President Santos Calderón, the Colombian Ambassador and Dr. Franco, to investigate the killing of Mr. Legarda and to hold accountable those responsible for his death.
We appreciate that Kenya has informed this Council that there will be a thorough investigation into the killing of Mr. Kingara and Mr. Oulu. We welcome that the Deputy High Commissioner brought their killing promptly to this Council’s attention.
When a government or persons acting with governmental complicity take reprisals against a person or organisation cooperating with a United Nations human rights body or mechanism, they directly challenge the authority of the United Nations. This Council should take a particular interest in all incidents of reprisal. It must not tolerate any such affront to its authority.
We urge this Council to build on the example set by Colombia and Kenya. Whenever there is a credible allegation of a reprisal for cooperation with any United Nations human rights body or mechanism, this Council should demand that the government concerned inform it of measures to investigate the allegation and the outcomes of the investigation and any eventual prosecution of the perpetrators. The High Commissioner for Human Rights should bring all credible allegations of reprisal to the immediate attention of the Council.
Thank you Mr. President.
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