CEJIL and FLIP receive Columbia University’s 2022 Global Freedom of Expression Prize in the category of Excellence in Legal Services for our work on the Jineth Bedoya v. Colombia case

The achievement is a recognition of our decades-long collaborative work in the defense of freedom of expression.

Bogotá – Washington DC, February 16, 2022. Columbia University announced the winners of their 2022 Global Freedom of Expression Prize, awarding the Center for Justice and International Law — CEJIL— and the Foundation for Press Freedom —FLIP— the Excellence in Legal Services category for our work and strategic collaboration in the case of Colombian journalist Jineth Bedoya Lima.

In retaliation for her journalistic work in Colombia, on May 25, 2000, Jineth Bedoya Lima was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and tortured after several uninvestigated threats.  The Colombian state failed to adequately investigate her case and encouraged the concealment of state officials’ involvement in the crimes.

CEJIL and FLIP worked together for a decade to achieve justice in Jineth’s case. The two organizations represented the case before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, achieving a historic sentence in October 2021. This Court in this sentence analyzed, for the first time, the use of sexual violence as a form of silencing and control against a female journalist in the context of the Colombian armed conflict.

The sentence achieved in the case of Jineth Bedoya Lima is emblematic in terms of freedom of expression and gender justice. The decision of the Inter-American Court established important guidelines for national governments on how to protect female journalists, how to create safe spaces for journalists, how to combat impunity, and, especially, how to compensate victims.

“Our close alliance with FLIP and with Jineth Bedoya Lima shows how strategic litigation and strong alliances can trigger deeper transformations both nationally and internationally. We have seen, time and time again, that social change must primarily be a collaborative effort,” said Viviana Krsticevic, Executive Director of CEJIL.

The Global Freedom of Expression Prize for Excellence in Legal Services is the first award recognizing legal services that strengthen freedom of expression. For CEJIL and FLIP, this recognition is a great encouragement to continue working for justice, not only for the victims represented, but also for the thousands of journalists who are on the streets every day performing their important work.

When choosing recipients for the award, a significant impact on freedom of expression and information, sound legal reasoning, and advanced legal understanding of freedom of expression issues were some of the factors considered. In addition, in relation to the legal services category, a reputation for integrity and a commitment to human rights, the rule of law, and legal excellence were taken into account.

“[This award] is a vital impulse that pushes us to continue fighting in the defense of freedom of expression and in promoting the necessary guarantees for journalists to be able to do their work without fear of reprisals,” said the Executive Director of FLIP, Jonathan Bock.

The ceremony can be seen online on March 1 at 4:00 p.m. EST through the Columbia University YouTube channel and on the Columbia University Global Freedom of Expression website.