Patiño rejects the request of the IACHR in Jimenez case

Ecuador’s Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, said yesterday that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has no power to issue precautionary measures.

This in relation to those granted to Cléver Jimenez and his advisor and journalist, Fernando Villavicencio, sentenced to prison for defaming the president Rafael Correa.

Through his twitter account Patiño said: “Once again we reiterate, the Commission has no jurisdiction to seek injunctive relief. See Article 18 of its Statute. The rest is politicizing human rights…”

This article establishes the powers of the Commission, which is part of the Organization of American States (OAS). However, the powers do not include to grant interim measures.

Yesterday, the Commission requested the Ecuadorian government to “immediately suspend” the effects of the sentence to 18 months in prison that the National Supreme Court of Justice (CNJ) firmly left to the opposition parliamentarian.