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case, the Parada Guerrero case, the Quemados case, the Fernández López case, the
Cheuquepan Levimilla case, the Godoy Echegoyen case, cases involving protests and cases
involving abuses of power.
Colombia
Follow-up to the recommendations made by the Special Rapporteur on torture and the
Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions subsequent to their
visit to Colombia in 1994 (E/CN.4/1995/111)
20.
On 29 October 1996 the Special Rapporteurs reminded the Colombian Government of
recommendations made after their visit to the country in October 1994 and requested information
on measures taken to implement those recommendations, particularly in connection with certain
aspects of the recommendations detailed in a questionnaire. On 8 January 1997 the Government
replied to this request. During 1997 non-governmental sources provided the Rapporteurs with
information relating to subjects covered by the recommendations and to the Government’s
comments. The recommendations (E/CN.4/1995/111), a summary of the Government’s reply
and a summary of the information received from non-governmental sources were included in
the 1997 report of the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture (E/CN.4/1998/38,
paras. 52-82).
21.
On 3 June 1998 the Colombian Government updated the replies that had been furnished
in 1997 with fresh, more detailed information, as summarized below.
22.
In response to the Rapporteurs' recommendation that, in keeping with the obligation
under international law, exhaustive, impartial investigations be conducted into all allegations of
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and torture to identify, prosecute and punish those
responsible, grant adequate compensation to the victims or their families and take all appropriate
measures to prevent the recurrence of such acts, the Government provided the following
information.
23.
The National Human Rights Unit, which was established to centralize institutional efforts
to investigate and punish perpetrators, has helped to raise awareness of the need to censor such
acts and improve institutional response mechanisms.
24.
The Procurator-General's Office (Procuradoría General) has adopted over 100 decisions
punishing administrative staff for human rights violations; it is empowered to take over
investigations deserving of its attention from the inspectors working in any branch of the
administration.
25.
The draft revised Military Criminal Code includes the Constitutional Court’s decision to
limit the military’s powers and transfer crimes against humanity from military to the ordinary
courts. The gradual application of the decision had resulted in the transfer, at the request of the
Procurator-General, of 141 cases by March 1998.