TABLE OF CONTENTS
I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE ..................................... 4
II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT .............................................................................. 5
III COMPETENCE .............................................................................................................. 8
IV PRELIMINARY CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................ 8
V RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY .................................................. 9
A.Partial recognition by the State, observations of the parties and of the Commission ...............9
B.Considerations of the Court ........................................................................................... 10
b.1 Regarding the facts............................................................................................ 10
b.2 Regarding the legal claims .................................................................................. 11
b.3 Regarding the reparations .................................................................................. 12
b.4 Conclusions: assessment of partial recognition of responsibility ............................... 12
VI EVIDENCE .................................................................................................................. 12
A. Admissibility of the documentary evidence ..................................................................... 12
B. Admissibility of the testimonial and expert evidence ........................................................ 13
VII FACTS ....................................................................................................................... 14
A.Context ...................................................................................................................... 14
a.1 Context of violence against journalists at the time of the facts ................................ 14
a.2 Regarding the context of sexual violence against women during the armed conflict and,
in particular, against women journalists ................................................................. 16
a.3 Regarding Ms. Jineth Bedoya Lima and the prior threats she experienced while exercising
her profession ..................................................................................................... 20
B.Facts that took place on May 25, 2000 ........................................................................... 21
C. Criminal proceeding regarding the facts that took place on May 25, 2000 ......................... 26
c.1 Criminal proceedings against Alejandro Cárdenas Orozco ........................................ 28
c.2 Criminal proceedings against Jesús Emiro Pereira Rivera ........................................ 29
c.3 Criminal procedure brought against Mario Jaimes Mejía .......................................... 29
c.4 Criminal procedure brought against A.L. ............................................................... 30
D. Investigation of the 6th Specialized Prosecutor for omissions in the criminal process ......... 30
E. Attacks, threats, and kidnapping of Ms. Bedoya subsequent to the events of May 25, 2000 and
precautionary measures adopted by the Inter-American Commission .................................... 30
VIII MERITS ................................................................................................................... 31
VIII -1 RIGHTS TO LIFE, PERSONAL INTEGRITY, PERSONAL LIBERTY, PROTECTION OF
HONOR AND DIGNITY, FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION, AND EQUAL
PROTECTION, IN RELATION TO THE OBLIGATIONS OF RESPECT AND GUARANTEE, AS WELL
AS TO ARTICLES 7(A) AND (B) OF THE CONVENTION OF BELÉM DO PARÁ AND ARTICLES 1
and 6 OF THE ICPPT ....................................................................................................... 32
A.Arguments of the parties and of the Commission ............................................................. 32
B. Considerations of the Court .......................................................................................... 33
b.1 International responsibility of the State for the kidnapping and torture of Ms. Bedoya on
May 25, 2000 ..................................................................................................... 34
b.2 The State’s international responsibility for the violation of Ms. Bedoya’s right to freedom
of thought and expression .................................................................................... 42
b.3 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 44
b.4 Other violations of the American Convention alleged by the Commission and the
2