The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union,

Referring to the case of Mr. Léonard Hitimana, a member of the Transitional National Assembly of Rwanda dissolved on 22 August 2003, as outlined in the report of the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians (CL/176/13(b)-R.1), and to the resolution adopted at its 175^th session (October 2004),

Taking account of a letter from the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies dated 29 March 2005,

Recalling that Mr. Hitimana disappeared in the night of 7 to 8 April 2003; the sources believe that he was the victim of a forced disappearance and was abducted by the Rwandan Intelligence Service (DMI), citing the fact that he had been mentioned in the parliamentary report on his party, the Democratic Republic Movement (Mouvement démocratique républicain, MDR), as belonging to a group of persons allegedly aiming to disseminate an ideology of divisiveness and ethnic discrimination; the authorities have affirmed that such a scenario is highly unlikely as Mr. Hitimana was not a high-profile person who would have been targeted and that a forced disappearance could consequently be ruled out,

Recalling further that, according to the authorities, an investigation into Mr. Hitimana's disappearance was immediately opened and is still under way; it is being monitored by the parliament’s Committee on Human Rights and National Unity; on 21 September 2004 the Committee had a meeting with the Minister in charge of the police, at which the Deputy Commissioner General of the police was present; the Minister stated that there was every indication that Mr. Hitimana was in Uganda or the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and that the investigation was continuing to bear out that hypothesis; regular meetings had been planned between that Committee and the Minister; considering that, according to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, parliament is pursuing its contacts with the authorities with a view to elucidating Mr. Hitimana's disappearance,

Recalling further that, according to the sources, Mr. Hitimana’s family and children have been subjected to threats and intimidation, and that the parliamentary authorities have stated that they were unaware of this and have suggested that the family bring this situation to the attention of the parliament’s Committee on Human Rights and National Unity, or to the attention of the Ombudsman; considering in this respect that from 14 to 16 March 2005, a parliamentary delegation consisting of the President and a member of parliament's Committee on Human Rights and National Unity visited Mr. Hitimana's parents in Kibuye province, his children studying in Butare, and his sister living in Kigali; the delegation reported that they all lived quietly and were not subject to any threats; the family affirmed that they would not hesitate to inform the Parliament should they receive any threats,

1. Thanks the President of the Chamber of Deputies for his letter;

2. Is very pleased that the Chamber took the initiative of visiting Mr. Hitimana's family to see for itself the family’s situation; notes with relief that, according to the delegation's report, they are not subject to any threats or harassment;

3. Reiterates its wish to learn of any progress which may meanwhile have been made in the investigations into Mr. Hitimana's disappearance; and notes in this respect that, in September 2004, the investigating authorities stated that the investigation bore out their assumption that Mr. Hitimana had gone abroad;

4. Would appreciate receiving a copy of any report the Committee on Human Rights and National Unity may have drawn up about its work on this case, including its visit to Mr. Hitimana's family;

5. Reaffirms that, so long as Mr. Hitimana's whereabouts have not been established, there remains the suspicion of a forced disappearance; recalls that forced disappearances are a serious violation of human rights, and that Article 1 of the Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992, states that "Any act of enforced disappearance is an offence to human dignity. It is condemned as a denial of the purposes of the Charter of the United Nations and as a grave and flagrant violation of the human rights and fundamental freedoms proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights ...";

6. Requests the Secretary General to convey this decision to the parliamentary authorities, inviting them to provide the requested information;

7. Requests the Committee to continue examining this case and report to it at its next session, to be held on the occasion of the 113^th IPU Assembly (October 2005).

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