28. When they got to the place, they put a rag over her eyes, beat her, used foul language towards her, pulled her by the hair, and sat her on a chair while she screamed and asked the kidnappers what they wanted. The men told her that they had come on behalf of the top boss but would not give her a name. After a while the men tied her up and told her they were going out for a ride. The journalist insisted on asking them who had sent them and one of them told her that “they had been sent to clean up the media because there were so many sons of bitches out there [...].” They put her in a car, replaced her blindfold with adhesive tape, and continued to beat her. 26 After a while, the car stopped and the men removed the tape from her mouth and committed acts of sexual violence against her. The kidnappers told her: “[...] ‘You fucking journalists have turned the country into shit, it’s because of you that this country is like this! He pointed at me and said, ‘You know what we’re going to turn the country over to Patricia Uribe, to Jolman Morris, and to Ignacio Gomez [also journalists] turned to shit, because they are sons of bitches paid by the guerrillas’ [...] [!]” The kidnappers continued beating her and threatening her and her boss. They also accused her of going to Modelo prison to give press coverage to the guerrillas. 27 29. Jineth Bedoya Lima says that during the kidnapping she heard the men constantly talking to someone who was referred to as the boss, and telling him that everything was going well and that the package was fine. Finally, after dark, they put a gun to her head and told her that the outing was over. She says she was waiting to be killed and closed her eyes. The kidnappers, meanwhile, took her wallet, tied her arms, and left her in the middle of the road. 28 The alleged victim was left on the road outside the city of Villavicencio. A taxi driver picked her up and took her to the Emergency Police Assistance Center. From there she was taken to a National Police clinic in Villavicencio. 29 30. While this was happening, the El Espectador team thought that Jineth Bedoya had entered the penitentiary and stayed nearby waiting for her. At six o’clock in the afternoon, after waiting for several hours for Jineth Bedoya to come out and trying to communicate with her, journalist Jorge Cardona called the Director of the Technical Investigations Unit (CTI) and informed him of the situation. The CTI tracked down Jineth Bedoya’s cell phone, while several journalists from the newspaper, accompanied by the Director of the District Office of the Public Prosecutor, entered the National Model Prison to search for Jineth Bedoya. In the evening, they were informed that the journalist had been found in Villavicencio and that she was in the police hospital there. 30 C. Investigation of the events of May 25, 2000 31. On May 26, 2000, Special Prosecutor 103 assigned to the Bogotá Specialized Anti-kidnapping Unit [Grupo de Acción Unificada por la Libertad Personal - GAULA] of the Office of the Prosecutor General reported to the main office of the newspaper El Espectador to take a statement from Jorge Cardona, editor of the National Prosecutor’s Office for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Determination on the Merits of the Investigation. September 26, 2014. Case 807, C18, pp. 1-51. Annex 12 to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015. 26 Annex 9. Office of the National Prosecutor General. UNDH. Supplemental statement of Jineth Bedoya Lima. May 30, 2000. Case 807, C1, pp. 60-68. Annexes to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015. 27 Annex 9. Office of the National Prosecutor General. UNDH. Supplemental statement of Jineth Bedoya Lima. May 30, 2000. Case 807, C1, pp. 60-68. Annexes to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015. 28 Annex 9. Office of the National Prosecutor General. UNDH. Supplemental statement of Jineth Bedoya Lima. May 30, 2000. Case 807, C1, pp. 60-68. Annexes to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015. 29 Annex 9. Office of the National Prosecutor General. UNDH. Supplemental statement of Jineth Bedoya Lima. May 30, 2000. Case 807, C1, pp. 60-68. Annexes to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015; Annex 12. Office of the National Prosecutor General. Technical Investigations Unit of Villavicencio. Report No. 195 FGN.CTI.SI. May 26, 2000. Case 807, C1, pp. 17-20. Annex 12 to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015; and Annex 5. Office of the National Prosecutor General. Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Sub-Unit. Complaint filed by Jorge Cardona Alzate. May 26, 2000. C1, pp. 1-4. Annex 12 to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015; and Annex 3. Office of the 49th Special Prosecutor of the National Prosecutor’s Office for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Determination on the Merits of the Investigation. September 26, 2014. Case 807, C18, pp. 1-51. Annex 12 to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015. 30 Annex 5. Office of the National Prosecutor General. Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Sub-Unit. Complaint filed by Jorge Cardona Alzate. May 26, 2000. C1, pp. 1-4. Annex 12 to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015; and Annex 2. Office of the National Prosecutor General. UNDH. Sworn statement of Jorge Enrique Cardona Álzate. November 1, 2011. Case 807, C8, pp. 95-107. Annex 12 to the communication of the petitioner received on May 29, 2015. 7