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Background

SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION DEPLORES ASSASSINATION OF COLOMBIAN JOURNALIST

Washington, D.C., January 14, 2005. The Office of the Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) of the OAS deplores the assassination of Colombian journalist Julio Hernando Palacios Sánchez. Likewise, he urges Colombian authorities to launch an investigation into the act and to punish the perpetrators. Julio Palacios was a radio journalist in Cúcuta, in the department of Norte de Santander. He was known for being outspoken on issues of local corruption.

According to the information received, Mr. Palacios was murdered in the morning of January 11, 2005 as he was on his way to work at the radio station. Two individuals on a motorcycle intercepted him, shot him in the chest, and fled. Mr. Palacios was able to drive home and was then taken to a hospital by a family member. He died there a few hours later.

The Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Eduardo Bertoni, recalls that the assassination of journalists is the most brutal means of restricting freedom of expression. As stated in Principle 9 of the Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression of the IACHR, “The murder [of] and or threats to social communicators violate the fundamental rights of individuals.” The American Convention on Human Rights, to which Colombia is a party, establishes that states have the duty to prevent, investigate, and sanction any violation of the rights recognized in the Convention. In this regard, it should be noted that the murder, kidnapping, or intimidation of those who work for the media, or threats against them, pursue two specific goals. On the one hand, they seek to eliminate journalists who are investigating abuses or irregularities in order to curtail their investigations and, on the other, they endeavor to intimidate investigators in general. A thorough, effective, and prompt investigation of such crimes is essential in order to send a strong message that the state will not tolerate grave violations of the right freedom of expression and to reassure journalists and others who denounce abuses that they can safely continue to do so.

Finally, the Office of the Special Rapporteur urges the Colombian government to strengthen existing mechanisms to protect social communicators, so that they can perform their valuable work of informing the public without fear. In this regard, it is important to recall the commitment made by the Heads of State and Government at the Third Summit of the Americas, whereby the governments pledged to ensure “that journalists and opinion leaders are free to investigate and publish without fear of reprisals . . . .”

Reference: PREN-115