Commissioner’s
role is of fact finding,
to establish the truth of the allegations
they are confirmed to facilitate a remedy.
and where
This role is not unique to her but to all 11
Commissioners who take up roles on special mechanisms and take action against violations
of rights protected by those special mechanisms. Exercising this role, in itself, cannot suffice
to sustain the alleged bias.
39. The
second
approach
is whether
the specific actions and
words
of the Honourable
Commissioner, in this particular instance constitute a lesitinaseti, to doubt whether in
yp
the end her presence on the Commission would strike) to the re iste
guarantees of
il
impartiality.
vn
|
fill
|
i vith hy i"
Commissioner
sat on the panel
and
jill
mice the MN
ih.
ring
‘ Wh
mentioned the parameters guiding the rigl it to freedom
the limitations therein as wel
provided for under the law.
mentioned how she,c
fi {ii
ey
}
t
Leute
oat
the requitéient thatsy
t
several letters to
wl
i
qi
ee
40. The Commission’s Oral Verbatim Recording nth the a i f reveals tht
———
I"
the Honourable
In ie
remarks
she
under the Charter and
rn"
thereof should be
of Eritrea expressing concerns
with violations of fr Uhm of expression|including letters in relation to specific cases. She
also stated eat she sen
WW
nl Sf) i
nace
ut
letter,
i in hercapacity as Special Rapporteur in October 2011 to the
vn
in
the instititions
welcome devélop
nent in
aay
Mr
that produced
Dawit
Isaak’s
continued
violation.
She
also
the report and stated that the report was a
ending freedom of expression.
42. It begs the questién) whether an objective person would find that these particular words
created doubt as to the Honourable Commissioner's impartiality in the current case. The
Commission has previously found that how a judicial body is perceived and actual manifest
proof of its partiality can discredit it. 7
7 Communication 266/03 - Kevin Mgwanga Gunme et al v Cameroon (2009) ACHPR para 210 and 211,
;